One of the trends that’s been discussed ad nauseam on home & lifestyle websites and blogs is how the pandemic has influenced home improvement. Since folks are spending more time at home it stands to reason that they want to make their living space as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. This could be anything from applying a fresh coat of paint to the walls to putting in a swimming pool. And let me just acknowledge right here that having a discussion about a health crisis that has exacted an immense human toll and also makes people contemplate a pool while others are wondering how they’re going to make their next mortgage payment comes from a place of privilege. We would all do well to remember that even if we’re spending $12 on a kiddie pool at Walmart.
I made the decision when I moved here that the walls will now and forever be white so no painting for me. I went through about as many different interior and exterior paint colors at the old place as I did cocktail preferences. In fact they often coincided with one another with my taste for Manhattans no doubt contributing to some questionable hues being slapped up on the walls. Pro tip: Never look at the Sherwin Williams color wheel when you’re drunk. And as swimming pools go, I have a yard the size of a postage stamp so the only type of pool I’ll be considering is the aforementioned kiddie pool. Should I decide to go that route I’ll be sure and post photos of me in it.
One thing I do have plenty of, however, are walls. 10 ft. ceilings throughout and all that whiteness calls for art and I have heeded that call, bigly. I really didn’t have much in the way of original artwork at the other house, and while I did finally part ways with that Jazzfest poster I bought 35 years ago, most of what hung at Gallery on Four Oaks were prints that I had bought either online or at places like Deck the Walls (RIP).
The tour of Cuba that I took with CAMIBAart Gallery a couple of years ago really opened my eyes to the importance of not only art, but the artists who create it. Visiting galleries and studios, meeting the artists and listening to them discuss their work, gave me a whole new appreciation for what I choose to surround myself with. In other words, life is too short to have a Thomas Kinkade landscape hanging over your sofa.
I decided after that that I would fill my home with nothing but original art. There are of course exceptions. I have some sentimental pieces from my childhood home as well as few that were gifts, but by and large most of what I have hanging in my house now was CREATED. Thankfully there are numerous outlets for purchasing original artwork, the most obvious being galleries. Austin is blessed with many fine galleries from the venerable Wally Workman Gallery to the avant garde CAMIBAart to newcomers like Commerce Gallery located in Lockhart (BBQ and art; does it get any better than that?) In the last year I’ve purchased pieces from all three and in the process brought joy and beauty into my home and supported Austin and Texas artists; art begets more art. And while galleries are the traditional avenue for being exposed to an artist and his or her work, the internet is one giant art gallery waiting to be viewed. I encourage you to do so.
And lastly there’s the personal connection; working directly with an artist to create something that speaks to both you and them. Such is the case with my most recent addition. I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Greene Reed at a party last year and we immediately hit it off. She has a background working in art galleries and is an accomplished artist herself http://sarahgreenereed.com/. As most of you who follow me know, I was pretty excited about my Meyer lemon tree this past year and posted photos of lemons like I had just given birth to them. And like a proud parent who feels that an Olan Mills portrait just isn’t enough, I decided I wanted them immortalized in pastels for me to gaze upon lovingly. Sarah has a strong background in painting and drawing florals, so while fruit was something of a logical extension of that, it was also a newfound challenge that she relished. And I relish the results. As Rod Stewart sang(sorta) nearly 50 years ago, “Every picture tells a story” and this one tells several; about me, about Sarah, about a very specific point in time, about lemons and lemonade. Its reach extends well beyond its frame.
And speaking of the frame, this one has a story of its own as well. It originally hung in my aunt’s house in San Antonio. And if you had to guess the subject matter for a sofa painting in the home of an elderly woman from Central Texas and guessed “bluebonnet landscape” you would be correct. I’m not sure why I was drawn to it; It’s an inexpensive composite frame that’s not my style at all, but yet I looked past the bluebonnets and in a Tim Gunn moment said, “Make it work!” And here 30 years later I have. I play the long frame game.
I'm Just Being Frank 
Thanks for posting all of these. I hope you will add more as the spirit moves you. xo
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