The Case for Framed Art

Over the next year, I am going to be sharing several posts with you all about framed art: how to select it, how to hang it, how to enjoy it, how to create your own. I’m SO excited about this topic, because I’ll be writing extensively about it from the perspective of someone who is not artistic (AT ALL) and who has previously not made art any sort of a priority at home. In other words, I’m writing not as an art snob, but as a bit of an art skeptic. I’m certainly not anti-art, but I also don’t think about it in my day-to-day life.

About a month ago, Tim and I picked out our first piece of framed art (we have a few other pieces of framed art in our home, but they were wedding gifts, so this is our first selection). First, let me just say that even if you don’t have strong feelings about art, you may be surprised by just how difficult it can be to reach an agreement with someone else on the piece you like the very most! Tim and I went back and forth on several pieces, but did eventually agree on one. I had the most hesitations about it, as I feared that it would be too gloomy. We were going for something peaceful, but the image we selected did have quite a bit of dark colors in it. I was genuinely nervous that I wouldn’t like it when I saw it on the wall.

Ordering a piece of art from Gallery Direct is very simple, though you do have some decisions to make about exactly what you want your art to look like. Do you want a wrapped canvas? If you choose canvas art, do you want a framed canvas? Gallery Direct has excellent videos that show you what the various substrate options are for your art. We watched them all. And we still couldn’t decide what to do!

So I contacted customer service and asked for some advice. They were WONDERFUL and gave me additional information about each look, and that helped me think about the look I wanted and what would look best in our own home. We opted to get our art canvas wrapped and framed. We even got to select the best color frame for the piece.

You guys. Just wait until you see it!

So after we placed our order, I was totally shocked to see that our art was shipped out the very next day. That is unbelievable customer service, because each piece is custom made to your specifications.

Just 3 business days after I placed the order, I found this on my doorstep.

Woah! We knew it was going to be large, but we weren’t quite expecting this! 🙂 The package was expertly wrapped. Your piece comes in a box within a box, and with plenty of bubble wrap. When Tim got to the actual piece of art, he peeked inside. I asked him what he saw. He quoted Howard Carter who discovered King Tut’s tomb by saying, “Wonderful things!”

He was exactly right, folks. Remember, art is not something that I spend a lot of time thinking about or enjoying. I could take or leave a trip to most art museums (except the Lourve…that place is amazing). But we captured my exact feeling when I got my first good look at our new piece. I know I look like I’m hamming it up for the camera, but I promise, the excitement on my face is 100% real!
It’s lovely, isn’t it? Tim and I spent the better part of the day that we hung it up swooning over it. This piece hangs in our bedroom, and it gave a whole new vibe to the place! Our room doesn’t get a lot of natural light, so the picture below shows exactly what I see every day. Even though the lighting in the room isn’t great, the picture still seems to shine!

I am completely, over-the-top bananas about my custom framed art from Gallery Direct. You have to be paying close attention to realize that this is a print and not an original. The look is very professional and polished. This is my very first piece of art that I have picked out on my own, and I’m very surprised by what a positive impact it has had on me. I’m here to tell you that if you’ve never had a large framed piece of art in your home, please consider getting one. I think it is common for us to think about changing the paint color in a room, or getting new drapes or a new bedspread. But not many of us think about what we hang on the walls. Take a look around your house: is there beauty hanging on your walls? A piece of art can do something that all the cute throw pillows in the world just can’t do. It can give you pause as you go about your busy day and make you think, help you remember, and invite you into the world you see on canvas.

GET SOME ART. SERIOUSLY!

Disclosure: I serve as a blog ambassador for Gallery Direct. Product samples are provided for review. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.