I had recently participated in a thread that asked what we liked about the poster’s shop above our post, and why we would not buy. As it happened, a couple of people commented about my shop. What an eye opener. Apparently the reason my art hasn’t sold on Etsy is because people are out of wall space. Whew! I was getting worried it was the art.
YourTimeBodyTreats, seller of luscious bath and body treats, wrote:
Cindy, your Melbourne oils are incredibly beautiful! The only reason I would not buy is because I am pretty much out of wall space.
Pumpkinpye517 , seller of adorable polymer clay jewelry and accessories, wrote:
Cindy Douglass- wow, your artwork is gorgeous! The ONLY reason why I wouldn’t purchase form your shop is because I have no space.. im crammed and if I had my own office room/craft room, id definitely scoop up those shoe paintings and perhaps a firework painting!!! I can’t paint like that and always appreciate other artists paintings!
Are you also out of wall space? Here’s ten ideas to perk up your home or office and your mood!
1. Rotate your art with the seasons. Use colors that are complimentary to your current decor and art that doesn’t require frames, for minimal cost. Sometimes a new view of art is all it takes to make the room feel fresh.
2. Host an art swapping, or art selling, dinner party with friends and family. Make the party large enough to raffle off a door prize of a new piece of original art by an emerging artist.
3. Commission an oil portrait of your loved ones to replace wall photos. Likely everyone in your family has photo albums filled with copies of the same photographs you currently display. Step up to class and have an oil portrait created. Oil portraits give a home a bit of flair and cachet.
4. Walk on it! Art is for more than the walls. Ask your favorite artist to create art on a floor cloth.
5. Look up. Art can be done on nearly any surface, including ceiling tiles. A room can be safe and boring, or it can have a touch of whimsy for those who look up. Imagine the conversation your art would generate if you owned a collection of custom painted ceiling tiles by your favorite artist in the subject of your choice.
6. Gift it. Many artists are willing to make a similar piece to one that is admired. If you know someone likes a particular artist, that artist’s work makes a nice gift. Make it an extra special gift by asking if the artist will make a similar piece to one that has been admired by your gift recipient.
7. Collect, trade and store art in a sports card binder. Artists often will create ACEOs. These are small art cards that are 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches in size. Created to allow art lovers with little space the opportunity to collect art they love, ACEOs are great for collecting and trading work from your favorite artist. Or, you could collect by subject matter, or by the medium of art (oil paint, mixed media, colored pencil, etc.), or any other criteria you desire. The best part is that these are easily stored, and easily viewed for your enjoyment.
8. Reuse the art. Just because original art often comes on a stretched canvas over a wooden frame doesn’t mean you can’t cut the canvas off the frame and decoupage it to your kitchen or laundry room cabinets. Sure you can! Just make sure the art is not a Monet or other classic masterpiece or the whole art world will want to hunt you down. By the way, if you want to use my art in this manner, please let me know. I could probably save you on shipping fee if I’m not shipping a rigid piece of art. Art rolled in a tube is usually quite a bit cheaper.
9. Buy to resell for a rotating art gallery. Hang the art in your restaurant or service business space, and offer it up for sale. When it sells, buy another. The reason is that if you love the art, your enthusiasm is likely to sell it without a hard sell. Be sure to talk to your favorite artist about a repeat sale discount.
10. Don’t buy the art, buy the rights to use the art. Sometimes you don’t need the art on a canvas. Sometimes you might want the right to use the art in a project of your business communications or advertisement. Talk to the artist. My art, The Unruly Heart, graces the pages of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association’s website, and is used in their conferences with doctors around the country. The original art was an ACEO that sold as a fund raiser for the HCMA.
There you have it. Ten ways to enjoy art collecting when you don’t have wall space. There’s a reason people collect art. Art nourishes the soul, evokes a mood, and beautifies the space it is in. So don’t let the lack of wall space prevent you from enjoying the beautiful art you desire.
