No More Anonymous Art:

 Personal Meaning in the Feng Shui Home

When I was in college, I was invited by a friend to her birthday party in poet Donald Hall's home. At that time I was clueless about Donald Hall and his work. As I rang the doorbell I glanced into the foyer and spied a Last-Supper-on-black-velvet painting. With all of my youthful superiority I thought: what bad taste!  I was warmly welcomed in by a very gracious Professor Hall. During the party I noticed a Roy Lichtenstein pop art silk screen on the wall and a small Henry Moore sculpture on the coffee table. When I mentioned them he smiled and modestly related the personal story attached to each. What I learned was the importance of art with personal meaning. And… the “good taste police” should have a sense of humor.

Recently I have worked with several clients who have filled their walls with “anonymous art.” The kind of framed wall decorations you can find at Home Goods or Target. This is not bad art, it just doesn't have any life to it or personal meaning. One client had nothing representing her family or special someone.  I pointed this out to her and she said she had lots of photos, but they were on her computer. Does this sound familiar? When she showed me her pictures I was bowled over: Great snapshots of the two of them and beautiful photos of a recent trip to Europe. She had never thought of the treasures she had hidden on her computer. She then selected her favorite photos to have printed and framed, and remind her of the people, places and events she loves best.

What heart-warming photos do you have buried in your computer? Pick out your favorites and have them made into prints. You can burn the photo files onto a disc or zip drive (your 11 year old can show you) and take them to your local drugstore or photo shop. Or upload them to one of the online photo services. If you want to fine tune your pictures you can edit them on free photo software like Picassa. I found it great for cropping out parked cars in the foreground of my London vacation pictures, or to zoom in on a people picture for a close-up (no one’s knees are that attractive. ;-) )  For professional quality developing check out photopipe.com.

If none of your photos are frame-worthy, then look at online art and photograph sites like Art.com, iStockphoto or National Geographic for something that speaks to you.

You deserve better than empty walls or anonymous space fillers. Just do it!

My own to-do: enlarge and frame a snapshot from my mother’s 80^th birthday hot air balloon ride!