Where Do You Find Art For Your Home? A Beginner’s Guide
In my experience, one of the easiest ways to make your house feel more like your home is through meaningful artwork. Whether you live in a rental or own a home, are somewhere short term or somewhere long term, investing in artwork is a really great way to help you feel connected to your space. There is no underestimating the power of the visuals we surround ourselves with and those visuals should tell our story, open up conversation, and ultimately bring us joy. And artwork is just the icing on the cake when it comes to harnessing the power of those visuals.
I have always loved art and am quick to hang it up in our spaces, but I know that the idea can be overwhelming for many people. Where do you even begin to find meaningful art to live in your home? This is a question I used to ask myself, too. Over the years, I have managed to build up a pretty good collection of artwork that means a lot to me and so I thought I would share five of my favourite places to look for art so that if you find yourself in the overwhelm boat, you have a strong starting point. These sources cover a wide range of budgets, so regardless of what you can manage to spend, you should be able to find something special and impactful.
Generally speaking, I am going to start with the sources that require a higher budget and work my way down to the sources that require a smaller budget. But with that said, there is still a lot of option for all budget levels within each source. And just remember that more expensive doesn’t always mean better.
1. A Fine Artist
This source is probably the most traditional understanding of what is considered art. This category covers artwork made by people who are professional artists for a living. Their artwork often has a deep philosophical meaning or purpose for the creation of it or it involves a really technical skill or style to create. If you source artwork from a fine artist, it will often be an original from an existing collection or you could also commission a custom piece. These types of works often have a bigger upfront investment, but they can be some of the most personal and impactful pieces that hit you the hardest in your heart. They can be very personally meaningful and therefore make a big statement and focal point in your space.
We have a couple of examples of artwork like this in our home and I can honestly say that they are some of the most personal and special pieces of art that I own. I commissioned a diptych by a Toronto-based artist shortly after Mabel was born. It was really important to me to highlight the connection that both Curt and I felt with our new baby, so the artist created a really beautiful set of line contour drawings that individually show our connection with our daughter. By having them displayed together, the diptych is really about our family connection. We have these pieces hanging beside our bed and when I roll over every morning and see them, they truly bring me so much joy. A really intentional, well made piece of artwork can do that.
If you take the fine artist route, it’s best to use an artist that you personally feel connected to - whether it’s with them on a personal level or with their artwork specifically. And where can you track them down? Many communities offer Art In The Park festivals every summer that showcase local fine artists or you could reach out to a local art gallery and see if they can connect you with any local artists who are having an upcoming show. You could also consider joining community bulletin groups on social media and see if any artists pop up there. It might take a little bit of hunting on your part, but the result is always worth the effort.
2. Online Markets
There are so many resources online! Artists often make their artwork more accessible by offering copies of an original. Art prints give you the opportunity to purchase a beautiful piece of artwork at a fraction of the cost. When you purchase from an online market, the investment can range broadly depending on the piece of art, the size, the artist, and where it’s coming from, but there is a lot of option to browse through. In fact, it gives you the opportunity to learn about artists from the other side of the world. And the lower upfront costs usually means that you can change it out a little more frequently and not feel as guilty about that.
Some great sites I like to start on are Etsy, Society 6, Juniper Print Shop, and The Poster Club. But there are endless more out there that just require a simple search.
In our own home, I have multiple pieces of artwork that I purchased online. The set of posters in Mabel’s room that hang above her crib were created by different artists, but I purchased both on Society 6. I ordered them as poster prints, so they were only about $20 each. I knew that Mabel would probably outgrow these as she grows up, so I didn’t feel as guilty purchasing them because I know I can easily change them out if I need to. This is a really great option if you are on a budget.
3. In-Person Markets or Craft Shows
This option blends together purchasing from a local fine artist and purchasing from an online market. It gives you a lot of variety and option and you often get the opportunity to meet lots of different artists. At in-person markets or shows, you sometimes have to option to purchase originals and more often than not, you are able to purchase art prints. One benefit of finding artwork from this source is that you get to see the artwork in person before you purchase it and you often get to meet the artist who actually created it. It’s very similar to online markets in that there is a broad range of price points, but one of the best benefits of this option is that you get to build connections with people who live in your geographical area and support them. And bonus points that you may have an extra personal connection with artwork created by people who live near to you.
One example of this in our own home is a screen print we have of the Toronto Blue Jays Moustache Hall of Fame. My husband loves the Toronto Blue Jays and that is because we live just outside of Toronto. We may be able to find something like this online, but there is a personal connection knowing that the artist of this piece lives and works right out of our geographical area.
4. Thrifted Artwork, Hand-Me-Downs, DIYs, and Upcycles
Meaningful artwork does not need to break the bank! You can get creative with the artwork you either already own or have very easy access to (like from a thrift store). I have found a few really great framed pieces at the thrift store in the past that maybe didn’t completely connect to me, but I was able to either update or add to them to make them more special and feel like they fit within our space. One of my favourite thrifted pieces in our home is an embroidery of a covered bridge that hangs in Mabel’s room. I found this artwork at an antique shop a few years before Mabel was even born. It’s so vibrant and colourful and has such a tactile quality with the embroidery.
If the piece of artwork is a hand-me-down, you may have an extra layer of connection to it because of your connection with the person who gave it to you. Just think of ways to update it that help bridge it into your own space. You could easily paint the frame, change out the mat, or adding something on to it. Another meaningful piece of artwork we have in our own home is an embroidery that my Mom created when she was a teenager. I remember this piece hanging in our family home as we grew up. She was getting rid of it a few years ago and I gladly took it, simply changed out the background mat from green to white, and I now adore seeing it hanging in our space every single day.
5. Gathered Mementos
This one may just be my favourite way to source meaningful artwork! Printed pieces that may not traditionally be considered artwork can absolutely become artwork if you let them. I love this one because it tends to carry the most personal meaning. All it takes is transforming these pieces slightly so they feel a little more elevated, but just know that if you consider it art, it will be considered art.
So what printed objects are we talking about? It could be anything that is meaningful or special to you. I have artworks in our home that are old historical newspaper advertisements, greeting card fronts, hand-written recipes, calendar prints, or even a wrapping paper print. I like to frame these pieces so they feel a little bit more intentional, but there are many ways you could display them. Get creative and think outside the box.
Bonus!
As it’s been said, art is art, which means that you get to decide what art is. Does it need a frame to be considered art? Does it need a high dollar value assigned to it? Does it need to be two-dimensional?
In my option, art is something that visually evokes some sort of feeling, emotion, or meaning in you, so it could be anything that you want it to be. Consider sourcing out a textured tapestry, a cool book, a hanging plant, or a weaved basket. These could all be considered art too, so let your creativity run and surround yourself with the things that make you feel something deeply.
I hope this gives you some inspiration to find some artwork for your home that carries a special meaning for you. There are so many options out there that only require a little bit of curiosity and exploration to source them out. What is your current favourite piece of art in your space and where did you source it from? Be sure to leave any additional ideas you may have down in the comments.
Happy hunting!
