Artists for a Beautiful Home + Vintage Art Finds
Artists for a beautiful home. (Etsy art finds for a more affordable option.)
Gosh, y’all. I’ve had some incredibly teary days here. I never expected to get messages along the lines of, “Thanks for asking for help; it helps us all”?? (Are you angels kidding me? C’mon!) I’m blown away by your response. 24 of you became paid subs. (REMINDER: This month’s paid sub giveaway is a Petra gift card!) Three of you reached out for my consulting services. Sadly, we are probably still going to be renting our house (get in touch if interested in a 2 bed in Pasadena), but every little bit helps and I thank you for that. (Recap here.)
Art. What a loaded word.
When we talk about “art” within context of “home,” I have a hard time using the A-word with much seriousness. Unless, of course, you are in fact a ~collector~ who drops serious money on paintings and such.
But in that case, I have to automatically assume that you are part of the 96% of rich people who have terrible taste and acquire art to not-so-subtly flex.
For most of us normals, “art” simply means “beautiful things to adorn our walls.” It is decor. It is filling blank space with blocks of aesthetic pleasure and, in some cases, meaning.
I have no hard and fast rules about that what that should entail, but I’m going to be straight up honest about some things I despise:
Gallery walls made of family photos (sorry!). And gallery walls in general. I’d rather see a wall with multiple pieces placed without intention.
Offerings from major retailers that pretend to be unique. Lewlew & Gorga. CB22Z. Crate & the Barbel. Mintied. Poster Stood. DesenioHall. (Yes, the typos are intentional. I fear the algorithm.). No hard feelings against any of these folks.
IF, IF I had a bunch of money and had a lovely 4-bedroom, 3-bath house in Pasadena to fill with some wall art, here are the artists I would be looking at. (Just FYI, most of these artists are represented by galleries, so I can’t tell you prices, but it’s safe to say you’d be spending $5k-$25k per piece.)
P.S.: My vintage shopping art picks at the end.
Loji Höskuldsson
Höskuldsson is an Iclandic artist who works in embroidery. I love the juxtaposition between the historical daintiness of embroidery with the unexpected things he throws in there: name-brand packaging, eggs, mops, an Eames coat rack. My dream would be to have a dining room or living room big enough for this oversize piece.
Andie Dinkin
If you know of Andie Dinkin, it’s probably thanks to Beata Heuman, the Swedish-born, London-based interior designer who owns one of Dinkin’s paintings. (At least, that’s how I heard of Andie Dinkin.) Her work feels very Bemelmans-y (as in the illustrator/author behind the Madeline books), which is probably why I love it so much. Give me society + fantasy = home run.
Trenity Thomas
New Orleans-based photographer and painter Trenity Thomas worked as a guard in an art museum, and found inspiration in the works that surrounded him. Although he seems to have a larger body of photographic works, I’m so drawn to Thomas’s paintings, which are feel like the essence of joy and childhood. Thomas has a bunch of paintings available on Artsy, starting at $650.
Rachel Duvall
I discovered L.A.-based textile artist Rachel Duvall’s work at an LA Design Week some six years ago. I received one of her pieces for a birthday a while back. Subtle. Grown-up.
Hopie Hill
Hope Hill (née Stockman) is one half of the sister duo behind Block Shop. As it turns out, she and her sister, Lily, are also brilliant fine artists, both represented by Charles Moffett Gallery in NYC. Hill’s work brings together the precision and romanticism of the Dutch masters, while she works in themes of miscarriage and references to west coast life.
Simmons & Burke
I know these two gentlemen personally. “Burke” is married to my best friend. Simmons & Burke are masters of digital collage and I have never gotten this print, from their Plant Collection series, out of my mind.
The truth is, folks, almost all of the art in our home was sourced via Etsy. There’s no secret sauce to finding pieces that strike your fancy. I often start broad with terms like “blue oil painting” or “mid century lithograph” (always filtering for vintage).
So, as a special bonus, I’ve rounded up some art that I heart via Etsy:
William Gropper Lithograph, $225
Roland K Nilsson Print, $398
1940s Framed Oil Portrait, $598
Swedish Modernist Still Life, $487
Dog Oil Painting, $190
Teresa Farr Signed Serigraph, $552
Bernard Buffet Original Lithograph, $350
Martha Palmquist abstract Watercolor, $275
Vintage John Muchmore Painting, $375
1960s Oil Painting, $180
Dog Drawing, $120
Gosta Lindqvist Vintage 1950s Woodcut Print, $482
Horse Sketches In Gilded Frame, $65
1970s Monochromatic Pen Ink Drawing, $42
Antique French Painting, $415
What’s your favorite art score? Tell us all about it in the comments.
Schmatta is written by Leonora Epstein, a former shelter pub editor-in-chief. Follow at @_leonoraepstein and @schmattamag. For consulting and collab requests, get in touch at leonoraepstein at gmail.
Great article. Good choices from Etsy! Affordable and well done. If you want to see my art work and collections, I have two homes worth!
I love so many of these, but I think the horse sketches takes my top spot. (Rooting for you, btw!!!)