Decorate & Design

Considering buying art for your home?

Here is a photo journal of how to decorate your house with art.These Chicago homes (and surrounding areas)  have all bought paintings from me to for their interior design ideas.

One of my favorite interior designers in Chicago is Michelle Williams.  Check out her website and see how she uses color.  I like how she is very daring with her ideas.  I like the unique and maybe uncomfortable pieces she uses as focal points to really tie a room together.

When you decorate or design a room, a house; be different.  What I have learned from selling paintings to people and where the pieces end up; is it's interesting to have a piece (furniture, painting, vase, etc) that doesn't match; it will stand out.  Have something different that people covet when they come in.  It's ok to mix antiques and modern every once in a while and do not be afraid to use bright rare colors like orange or turquoise.  I grew up on a street where some houses were the exact same floor plans, but my house was one of the different ones.  It was a medium Cape Cod in the middle of ranches.  We were the only house to have 2 house lights on either side of the front door and the only reason I know this, is because, a new neighbor pointed it out to my parents one day.  He and his family had moved in and he was in construction (remodeling his brand new home) and he said he drove up and down our street and looking at all the houses/designs and noticed we were the only house with two lights; hence his house has two lights now. It's fun to rebuild, design, and decorate.

Color

This is more of a rant and maybe and ocd issue.  Color is everything to a painter.  Color is what catches your eye, it can capture an emotion and it can sway your mood.  My favorite color is red.  I love red shoes and red nail polish, red paper and red-heads just to name a few.  To me red means love and passion & power. The majority of my paintings are in primary colors.  I like the effect bright color has on people.  Here a few images of color used in exciting ways.

Now back to my rant…I am a mediocre athlete, but I still have the some of the quirks that professional athletes have such as superstitions and routines that cannot be broken.  Even Sweetness had to drive the exact same route to Solider Field on game day. So what does this have to do with color? 

I have had the same color running shoes (blue & white) since I was in 3^rd grade and I cannot break that quirk.  I like that blue makes me feel calm, confident, at peace. I hate to give up my workouts and when the shoe shop orders my shoes in the wrong color (pink) it’s frustrating.  I loathe pink to me it’s for sissies and 3 year old girls with ruffled bobby socks. I stood on the corner lost not knowing what (here is the ocd part) direction to go, because I had no running shoes and could not work out. My night derailed it took me three buses to get home when it would have only taken one. Seeing the wrong color killed my night.

Today is Valentine’s Day and to me it’s a red day; red roses, red heart shaped candy boxes, red lollipops and love and sweets are everywhere.  I gave away 100 valentines to strangers today.  Each Valentine had a picture of one of my paintings. Everyone seemed happy to get a Valentine.  I was invited to an anti Valentine party, but I like Valentine’s Day no matter what, because it represents love and who doesn’t like feeling love?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

2012

Just a quick up date…

I took a break and did not paint for 2 months.  I did nothing but enjoy the end of 2011. The holidays were pleasant.  For Christmas I got a digital camera, which I have been using, but I really have no clue what I am doing.  I am not techy in anyway. I actually do not have much interest in technology; video games, computers, smart phones, etc. I’ve been working out and having fun going to Blackhawk games. I am slowing getting back into painting (see below my first painting of 2012). Right now I am looking for new exhibits for 2012.

Last year I donated a painting to the Bohemian Theatre Company’s fundraising event and I recently was able to see their latest play Tartuffe.  One of my favorite parts of the play were the costumes.  The play was to take place in France in the 17^th century. One of the actresses had on a hip purse, which a feather duster stuck out of. I thought that was very creative holder.  Some of the actors wore huge aviation goggles, that just looked funny, but it worked for the story.  The dialogue was kind of poetic.  There were a lot of rhymes from line to line. The actors were wonderful, especially Sean Thomas as Orgon. It was at Theatre Wit in Lakeview.  The stage set up was interesting.  The seats were against the four walls of the theatre room.  The performance was in the middle and sometimes the actors would act behind the chairs of the audience.  It was a good story about truth.   

Side note- Cooper's across the street from the theatre has the greatest apple goat cheese chicken sandwich!

Here are my first two exhibits of 2012

February 18-March 2, 2012

Nothin’ Less

2642 North Milwaukee Ave

Chicago IL 60647

630.800.0411

7-10pm Monday - Sunday

I am donating this painting for a silent auction.



"Soul"
24x24




Saturday, March  10, 2012
Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation – 312.214.1200

Bear Tie Ball 6-12am

UIC Forum 725 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL 60607 - 312.413.9875

You can buy tickets to the ball here and bid on my painting: https://bearnecessities.ejoinme.org/?tabid=331836


oh...and just because it's Groundhog's Day click this line.