Art inspiration for a Monday

Despite the heat and humidity we’re still suffering here, and despite the fact that, well, it’s Monday, it’s been a pretty inspirational day. I’ve added some freshly framed art to my collection, and I couldn’t wait to share these images with you.

Several weeks ago, I decided that I would get some pieces framed. Really, it was time to take action. These works are just too lovely to be hidden away—they need to be displayed!

Two of the works, the aquatints pictured below, I had purchased from a small gallery called Il Graffio during a family trip to Venice, Italy a few years ago.

I love the small scale of these works (they’re itty-bitty things) and the mystery they have about them. When I look at them, I feel as if I’m looking out a little window, a tiny portal to another, very romantic, world.

I’ve reserved a small stretch of wall space in my foyer for these two pieces, so they’ll be some of the first things you see when you come in the front door.

The next piece is similar in feel, though much larger in scale. It’s a watercolor of Venice painted by Elga Dzirkalis, one of my favorite artists in the world and of course one that I hold very dear! I love the dreamy, atmospheric quality of it:

This watercolor will be displayed in the dining room. I love its modern feel…

And I think I’ve got the perfect spot for it. (Well, not on the floor, of course! Imagine it up on the wall!) It looks like it was made for this room.

The frames themselves are definitely worth mentioning. They’re absolutely lovely and, of course, help give the work a clean finish and that final “polished” look. Here’s a close-up of the frame on the work featured above:

I don’t think my photo does it justice, but the colors in the frame shift between silver and gold, depending on how the light hits it.

All of the work featured in this post was professionally matted and framed by Jeff at Creative Framing in Olde Town Grove City. He has a very extensive collection of sample frames at his shop, and his prices are fair and reasonable. I really appreciated his great eye (he has an art background and made lots of great suggestions and recommendations), not to mention his patience with picky customers!

Here’s a close-up of the final piece, a lithograph, also by Elga Dzirkalis. I love the cool-warm contrast of the blues and browns in the composition.

And here are some shots of the litho in its new mat and frame:

And that concludes my mini-gallery tour. I hope you enjoyed it!

Now all I have to do is hang the paintings…