Howdy and hello from the arctic snowy realm of Clay, NY. Today is a blustery day and cold reminder that winter is still here (even though it never really felt like it actually arrived). Wherever you are, I hope you are warm and safe.

As I sit here in my nice cozy studio trying to figure out what to write for this blog; I remember a comment made to me awhile ago. It was basically, “I love that piece of art! But, I can’t purchase it right now because I don’t have the perfect place to hang it.”

Whaaaat?

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard that comment. It’s a common observation at art shows, festivals, pop-ups and events. Always involves someone just ooh-ing & ahh-ing over a piece of art they just love. There’s usually a bit of excitement as they exclaim how much it’s so perfect and blah, blah, blah they just don’t know where they’d hang it….Many an artist friend of mine and even myself have been left wondering what the perfect place to hang art is for these people. I’m here to let you in on a little secret….

There is NO perfect place to hang art. I’m gonna give you a moment to calm down and think about that.

The secret is to purchase art you love and hang it where you will be able to enjoy it the most! Think about it. Is there a room or place where you spend the most time? Hang art there, because you’ll be able to enjoy it the most when you’re in that space. Art can help us create moods and enhance how we feel. When you’re looking at art that you love, ask yourself why you like it. How does it make you feel? Is it calming and relaxing? Buy it and go hang it in the room you like to chill in! That would be perfect!

Still need to know the perfect spot? Ok, here’s an idea. Look for places to hang art that you might not expect, like a small horizontal piece above a door or a tiny print at the dog’s/cat’s eye level by their water bowl.

Just buy art that you love, from local, living artists (the dead ones don’t need to pay bills). Be unique. Unlike the mass produced stuff you find at big box stores original art allows you to show off your personality and your own uniqueness.

Image above is a watercolor painting I did recently while staying in a cabin for an extended weekend. The bent birch trees where fascinating to me and I just had to paint them. It’s a smallish painting roughly 6 x 9 inches, done on Arches 300GSM paper. Where would you hang a piece this small? If it were up to me, I’d suggest matting it with a 1 1/2-inch mat board in maybe a blue-gray color mat, and popping it into a nice wooden frame. Now you’ve got a painting that’s roughly 10 x 15, which would fit almost anywhere. Hang it where you’d enjoy it the most. Perfect!