Local Art for Less Than the Price of a Flat Screen Fancy Pants TV

I'm sick of watching home makeover and budget design shows that slap together some 'art' to match the decor when they could be contacting a local artist for work. And if you're of the opinion that art is elitist and unattainable, I'd like to ask you (beg you) to reconsider that thought. It's amazing to me how much people will lay out for a television without blinking, but balk at the price of something a human being in their own community made.


From illegible ink

The Animal Alphabet print base price is $200 (black and white, unframed) plus state sales tax. All prints are limited edition, hand-printed and/or colored based on your aesthetics. Alphabet animals are also available as single, matted letters should you want to spell out your child’s name.

There are pieces I could only dream of affording, it's true. But there is a lot of fantastic work for sale that is within our reach and our budget. Consider prints instead of one of a kinds. Or student shows. Out of Order at MAP always has amazing pieces for auction. The annual National Drawing and Print Competition at Gormley Gallery is great opportunity to find a huge range of styles and price points from artists both local and national. My point is, there is some seriously good, affordable work out there from a pool of incredible local talent.


My Olive Dress Flag Painting from The Book Room

When I turned 40, I decided to complete a series of paintings titled 40 flags. I sewed 40 canvases, grounded them with matt medium, and used oil paint to create my symbolic flags. I call them flags in need of formal representation for very informal and hidden mysteries that I encountered growing up. I started out with basic patterns to represent a each "country" of growth, then added imagery and painted layers to build onto the meaning. Each represents a part of growing up as a woman in the U.S. from the early 60’s to the present.
The flags hang on the wall, by two grommet openings at the top, or you can frame them.

16” W X 12.5” H
Oil on sewn and stretched canvas $75

So next time HGTV comes to town, tell them to take a look around. Maybe they'll find a piece they'd like to design the room around for a change.