Living with Your Art

Years ago when I began painting, my desire was to paint something for my home. It wasn't until I took seminars from Mary Jo Leisure that I saw how natural it was to integrate my art into my lifestyle. I began to apply the elements of color theory to decorating my home, keeping in mind that decorative art can often be found on functional pieces.

It is not necessary to redecorate your entire home or completely redo a room to display your art. The obvious is to hang it on the wall, but you probably have enough of your painted pieces hanging. Creating small vignettes, which feature your work, but also incorporate other elements may be more effective.

Begin with the artwork that you wish to be the focal point. Add height, using a candlestick or small lamp. Introduce another texture, such as cloth, or flowers. The colors should be in harmony with your artwork. Add another object to nestle near your focal point. This could be soft and dull, or hard and shiny, and could be placed in front of or behind your art. Look around your home for an object to use. It could be a treasured figurine, or that thing that Aunt Emma gave you last year and you didn't know what to do with it! Keep in mind the line you are creating with your objects. Move them around to find the most pleasing arrangement. Think of this vignette as a collection of design elements within a painting.

This is a picture of a vignette that I created using a couple of painted pieces from my book, Elegance in Blue. It is visible as you enter my home, and immediately makes a statement about my love of decorative painting, and becomes an extension of my personality.

Try creating your own vignette today, and live with your decorative art.