Make it your own

I remember buying my first poster for my freshman college dorm room.  It was a Monet.  Technically, not really, it was a glossy reproduction of 'Water Lilies' that went well with my XLong twin comforter from Linens-n-Things.  But by senior year, the Monet had been replaced with prints that I had collected from random venues that I had been to - Neil Young at Red Rocks, the Aspen Wine & Food Festival, Laguna Seca Daze, Spoleto, Jazz Fest and the like - an anthology of good times, but still nothing really that one could call art.  It wasn't until I was 25 that I bought my first piece.  It was a photo transfer from a gallery in Charleston, SC; a beautiful landscape that I still have.  It cost $95 framed.

Since then, I have put together quite a collection, buying pieces that I come across along the way.  Some are qualified, legitimate works of art, but some are flea market finds or simple reminders of a meaningful time.  Whatever it consists of, it's my story, and it adds an incredible sense of warmth to our home.  To me, the definition of art is only something that you can define.  Whether it be a realist oil painting, a mixed media storyboard, a photograph, an antique botanical, a rare map, or a piece of sculpture, you are the only one who can decide to appreciate it or not.  You are the only one who decides if it's for you.  It's 100% personal.

I have some clients who want to design their interiors around their art and then some who want to design their interiors and then find the art to complement it.  Either way, art is a very important aspect to interior design.  If you don't already have some found pieces of your own, there is a whole world of artisans waiting to be found.  Here in Boston, I can recommend three wonderful women to help you find it.   Julie Mussafer from Jules Place in the South End of Boston (www.julesplace.com), Diana Levine (www.dianalevinefineart.com) from the Boston Design Center, and Beth Kantrowitz of BK Art Projects in Watertown (www.bkartprojects.com), are all gallery owners and art consultants who represents a number or artists from around the country.  Whatever media you might be drawn to, they can help you find it.

Happy hunting!

My first piece by Laura W. Adams