Thursday, October 12, 2006

Waving the white flag

I surrender. I cannot live with all beige walls.

I found this underpriced Audobon egret print at Finder's Keepers, a local consignment store. With one glance, I told the shopkeeper, "I'll take it!"

I needed something huge for that long wall, and the print's burled wood frame and cocoa mat tie our battered brown sofa to the reddish wood floor.

Later I found a magazine clipping I've saved for years-- the same print was propped over a mantle against the yellow walls in an elegant New Orleans home.

No wonder it seemed so perfect and familiar! While I still prefer original art, I have a soft spot for old prints of flora and fauna.

My mom bought a $5 hotel art canvas. She suggested I use it for testing my yellow paint samples, so I could move the board around in different light.

Still wondering what to do with it when the walls are painted. Perhaps I can paint something and consign it, in hopes of making back the money I spent on the Audobon print?

(Update: I later used this canvas for Andrew's volcano painting in his bedroom)

4 comments:

Green Tea & Kimchee said...

I love yellow walls with blue and white.

Maybe Andrew can paint the canvas for an original work of art for your new home.

Anonymous said...

Hi Meredith,
A thought for the canvas. Why not paint something nonobjective (mid 20th century)? I love the look of more modern art with traditional furnishings. You could do a color field painting or hard edge (use tape), etc. Just pop open an art book and copy something or use it for inspiration.

Can't wait to hear Andrew's comment on that!

Connie

Meredith said...

Connie, that's kind of what I was visualizing, with various shades of yellows, golds, and peachy orange (all extra leftover paints).

Andrew said he wanted a volcano picture for his room, so we may let him go wild instead.

Anonymous said...

I think you should keep it as a test site for other paint colors. After all, you won't stop at painting just one room, will you?