For a few months now, my collection of original abstract artwork has felt...off. It's like you're trying to copy your mom's crowd-pleasing artichoke dip and yet it just doesn't taste the same when you do it - you feel me?
In an effort to solve this art conundrum, I declared "Grown-Up Abstract Art" as item No.4 on my furniture flip bucket list and began to do some research on what ingredients may be missing from my art collection. After consulting pinterest, I kept stumbling on some delicious abstract art showcased in gorgeous, minimal floating frames.
Source: Ellen Dodd
And so my first theory was formed. I rummaged up some spare wood trim to fashion a make-shift gold frame for one of my smaller pieces, but when I finished it still felt juvenile somehow.
After mulling over it for a little while longer, I began to think that perhaps my portions were off. I love to paint but I'm no professional artist - when I paint, I can't help myself: I love ALL THE COLORSSSSSS. But perhaps I need to balance out the generous helpings of bold pops of color with some graphic patterns and white elements like this large piece I painted to help stage the cowprint bench. [It actually sold at our Pop-Up Shop at Sweet Clover Barn so I never got the chance to mix it into my new abstract art recipe.] And interestingly enough, despite my obsession with large-scale abstract art, I don't actually have any pieces hanging in our apartment.
Ok so let's meet the "art ingredients" I do have in stock and let's see if we can mix them together for a winning combo.
Van Gogh's Les Alyscamps
- "Les Ales Camps" - a 3rd Grader made this piece at a school I worked for. The elementary art program was doing a series on Van Gogh and this young artist was studing Van Gogh's Les Alyscamps (which she mistakenly labeled as "Les Ales Camps" in the top right corner lol. I loved the playful take so much that I had it printed on a canvas to hang in my office.
- "Unnamed" - this is the largest piece of abstract art I've done and yet I haven't found a place for it. I think I feel like it would overpower any of our small spaces so I've never hung it in our home.
- "Hadley" - this is the piece I tried to give a floating frame. I think the proportions are off and I would like it better if the frame were thinner and little daintier.
- "Picasso" - this is another piece I can't take credit for. I just love this line drawing so much that I traced it on some paper and popped it in a frame - forgive me Pablo P.
- "A Riot of Color [in a dreary world]" - name that movie! I painted this poppy-inspired piece while watching a Heath Ledger favorite (may he rest in piece). You may recognize this pop of red from staging this piece here.
For plating purposes, I've enlisted the help of a fresh flip who'll be heading to his new home in DC soon [I removed the original toe-kick and added tapered legs with the nickle caps cut off and painted the top and sides a glossy white].
Art Recipe No.1:
Playful "Les Ales Camps" with a side of "Picasso" garnished with plant, brass candlesticks and record player served on a Mid-Century Record Console Table with storage for your vintage record collection.
[How cool is that rolling door for space-saving storage?! And there are four compartments inside with removable vertical dividers.]
To combat my tendancy to over-saturate with color, my thought here was to pair the two "lighter colored" art pieces on a white-wall background. The smaller graphic "Picasso" cuts the intensity of the color in "Les Ales Camps" and the record player.
Art Recipe No.2:
A large helping of "Unnamed" abstract with a side of "Picasso" drizzled with candle sticks and a fern for garnish. Since "Unnamed" is such a powerful flavor, I also tried to soften it with the dainty print and anchor it with a large plant.
Art Recipe No.3:
Spiced "Riot of Color" and "Hadley" with creamy "Picasso" served with natural elements encased in glass cloches and garnished with a potted fern.
[Look at that gorgeous wood grain in the slats of the console table's rolling front.]
Since I was using two bold paintings, I again employed the "Picasso"print and accented with the airiness of the glass cloches.
[Fun fact: the stand for the raw mineral is just one of my fluted candlesticks turned upside down].
Which recipe hit the spot for you? Any suggestions on how to make my art collection more flavorful/ refined/ spicy? Leave your tips in the comments below!
Mid-Century Record Console Table
48"W X 18"D X 29.5"H
SOLD
$525
If you are interested in a custom order like this piece, please contact me at cate@stylemutthome.com.
Check in on the progress of this year's furniture flip bucket list:
