Making it Lovely » ‘A’ for Art

Black and White Wall Art for the Kitchen

Making it Lovely — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:58:09 +0000

I didn’t like the white walls in the kitchen until I added our big black and white print. Now the walls look intentional instead of forgotten. I would love to recreate the print for you as a free printable for download (it wouldn’t be difficult), but it doesn’t feel right. I know the quote can be attributed to Candice Bergen, but I don’t know who created the print, or when. Instead, I’ve rounded up a few options for black and white wall art that would feel right at home in my kitchen — and maybe yours, too.

OMG CAKE
Like Ron Swanson, I want you to give me all the bacon and eggs you have. (Wait, wait…)
Butcher Prints (set of 3)
This cute flag conversions tea towel, designed by Shanna Murray is no longer available, but the idea of framing it was so cute that I still wanted to include it here.
This conversion tea towel could be a good substitute for the last one.
This triangle tea towel would also look fantastic on display in the kitchen.
These pretzels are making me thirsty. (Maybe he had a different interpretation!)
Kitchen Cooking Print
Newgate Bubble Clock

Traditional Art Gift Guide

Making it Lovely — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:15:43 +0000

I’ve been working with Art.com, and they’ve just released several gift guides for the holidays. I’m usually drawn to a quirky, modern style, but today I’m sharing my take on traditional art.

I chose each of these paintings (classics by the like of Manet and Whistler) because they excite me, but also because I could see them appealing to a wide range of people. I kept family members in mind, asking myself “would my mom like this? My grandma, or my uncle?” as my litmus test.

The Louvre and the Seine from the Pont Neuf, Morning Mist, 1902, Camille Pissarro
Room of Flowers, 1894, Childe Hassam
Branch of White Peonies and Secateurs, 1864, Édouard Manet
Mother and Child on a Couch, James Abbott McNeill Whistler
On the Beach, Edward Henry Potthast
Venetian Canal, John Singer Sargent

This post was sponsored by Art.com. Find your art. Love your space.

All-American Art

Making it Lovely — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 18:11:46 +0000

I saw the video below when I was in San Francisco a couple of months ago to meet with the Art.com team. It’s beautifully done, and the music swells at just the right point, but more than that, it shows how much pride they take in their framing process.

And here’s a bit of exciting news: Art.com is hosting a giveaway this week for a $500 shopping spree on their site! Follow them on Pinterest to be eligible and abreast of all the details.

Inspired by their American craftsmanship, I pulled together a few of my favorites from their Americana collection. (You know, so when you win that $500 shopping spree, you’ll have some ideas about what to get.)

This post was sponsored by Art.com. Find your art. Love your space.

We Are Art

Making it Lovely — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 21:23:57 +0000

I’m part of a group of 25 bloggers that are partnering with Art.com. We met up with their team in San Francisco last month, and we were all impressed with their new video (below). It’s pretty amazing.

(That kiss!)

Everyone in attendance chose a piece of art that they loved beforehand. I (coincidentally) chose something by Eisenstaedt, the same photographer that took the famous photo of the sailor and nurse kissing.

Uniformed Drum Major For University of Michigan Marching Band Practicing His High Kicking Prance – Alfred Eisenstaedt

Each of our pieces were hung, gallery-style, in the San Francisco space of The Bold Italic. We took turns standing up to discuss why we chose what we did and I’m sure I gushed and stammered on when it was my turn, but the gist of it was that I love Eisenstaedt’s Drum Major photo because it makes me happy. It’s pure joy! I don’t know if that prancing drum major could exist in the same way today, but in that moment, those kids behind him think he’s the coolest person alive. I have a huge framed print of it coming my way, and I think it will go upstairs, near our bedrooms. I feel like that kind of joy needs to be around all of us.

Art.com just launched a major redesign, and we were able to discuss the changes they’ve implemented when we met with their team in San Francisco. Had you been on the old version of the site before? It was fine if you already knew what you wanted to find (they boast the world’s largest selection of art), but it wasn’t easy to browse and it wasn’t much to look at. The new site is gorgeous, and it’s set up for exploring and finding new art. I especially love the curated collections. I’m creating a gallery (you can too), and I’ll be sure to share it with you when it’s ready. Until then, I’m having fun adding to my virtual collection.

This post was sponsored by Art.com. Find your art. Love your space.

New Art Above Eleanor’s Bed

Making it Lovely — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 20:40:29 +0000

I planned a mini-makeover for Eleanor’s room a while back. It took a while for her polka dot wall vases to get here, and then longer still for me to finally get everything hung on the wall, but it’s finally done! I’ll show more of the finished room soon, but first, here’s a shot of the new art above Eleanor’s bed.

I laid it all out on the bed before putting it up on the wall so I could play around with the placement. The cat hanging is a vintage Tammis Keefe tea towel hung on wooden dowels, the lowercase ‘e’ was from Anthropologie and the uppercase ‘E’ from Urban Outfitters. I got the wall dot vases in an online flash sale, but they’re available directly from Chive, and the screenprinted flower is by three sheets 2 the wind.

Scientific Botanical Prints

Making it Lovely — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 15:58:15 +0000

Would it really be surprising that someone as fond of pink as I am would also be fond of flowers? Even the less girly among us can appreciate a good bloom, no?

A few people, in writing about my keynote at BlogPodium, noted that I had dressed to match my blog. My branding. The truth is that I’m just consistent in what I like. My blog matches my clothes, my home… even down to some of the book on my shelves. For example, here are two of my favorites.

The Rose: An Illustrated History, and more recently, The Art of Instruction. My dog rose print is the same one featured on the latter’s cover.

I designed two themes for Making it Lovely, and if you’re on the default “Lovely” theme, you’ll see an abundance of flowers in the background. Even if you choose to view the blog in “Minimal” mode, you’ll still see my custom floral illustrations in the header. As much as I love a good, clean site with a true minimal aesthetic, it’s just not me. The flowers (and colors and patterns) I use aren’t part of a larger, calculated move on my part to reflect my branding (though it works as one), I just like them. Simple as that.

I saw that a flash shopping site was selling framed botanical prints a few weeks ago. I had enough credits to cover the cost, so I bought one. They’re no longer available on that site, but they can be found (unframed) at The Evolution Store.

I would have loved to hang two prints over the sofa (like this), but the picture rail in my living room doesn’t leave enough clearance.

These prints are huge. I love the scale of mine, but I don’t know if that corner of my living room is interesting enough to warrant art of that size. Something feels a bit off too, between the print, the plant, and the vase on the other side of the TV. I’m going to leave things as they are for a while to see if I get used to the print’s (rather commanding) presence, but I may play around with the placement. It’s beautiful though; I’m glad to have it.

Chromatic Typewriter

Making it Lovely — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:42:13 +0000

Amazing! This is a conceptual piece by artist. Tyree Callahan, who modified a typewriter by replacing the keys with pads of color.

p.s. Check out another artist’s take on a different ‘type’ of typewriter art.

[via Collossal]

Paint-by-Numbers, Giant Wall Mural Inspiration

Making it Lovely — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:22:28 +0000

I’ve painted original murals before for my nephews, but it’s been a while. These giant paint-by-numbers murals have me inspired though, maybe enough to actually commit to making one! It might be something fun to do in the play room area of the basement.

- Camp Wandawega

- Curtis Robertson

- Camp Collective for Etsy

- Scott and Cheryl White

I don’t think it would be difficult, but it would be incredibly time-consuming. Here’s a peek at the process…

- Curtis Robertson

- Cabin Collective

A crazy amount of work. I think the results are just the right amount of cheesy goodness though! You like? Or are they too cheesy for you?

Batanica Caps Poster

Making it Lovely — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:59:45 +0000

Beautiful. Illustrator Sasha Prood has launched a new print shop, which includes the hand-lettered Batanica Caps Poster you see above. The letters are also available as a non-keyable font.

You can see more of Sasha’s work in her portfolio too.

Jere Urchin vs. Nova Starburst

Making it Lovely — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:27:02 +0000

What do you think about these? The original C. Jere Urchin sculpture has been reissued and is available through Jonathan Adler. The other is called Nova Starburst, but appears to be heavily influenced by the Jere Urchin. I like both and was considering the less expensive set for my office, but I’m not sure.

So, “inspired by” or “knockoff of?” And does it matter to you?