Art in the home

Just thought I'd throw a blog post out here about art in the home, because truthfully, I'm always wondering what I should stick on the wall, and I think what other people stick on the walls of their home is fascinating.

Arthur and I are both very lucky to have artist parents, and so quite a few of our walls are covered with art that they've done: sadly, neither of us picked up the artist gene. I sincerely wish we did--  maybe one of us in the future can find some time to refine our fine art skills.

As for now, I'm always looking for something to stick on the wall that is both beautiful and affordable. I'm slowly growing tired of my canvas'd ikea frame creations-- but they'll have to do for now.

Recently however, I found the website, 20x200 that does limited edition affordable prints-- and their collection is quite broad. Naturally, I fell in love with this:

BG-0004, Bert Teunissen
This image comes directly from the website 20x200.com
It is still available for purchase in a variety of sizes.

In so many ways it just hit home-- it reminded me of the miles I traveled to and from school during semesters, with my brothers, and the aching beauty you can find out west. For me, it was those times that I bonded the most with my brothers, and made strong resolutions about where I was going and what I was doing with my life. 

So I bought it. And I told Arthur he had to like it too! Thankfully, he likes it as well.

And here it sits. It hasn't found a home on a wall yet, and quite frankly, I don't think it's going to. I like it leaning up against the wall there. Our "entry" table was too crowded, and our "mantle" doesn't have enough space either. So there it sits, being lovely.

One of the things I loved about the home I grew up in was that my parents were happy to put lots of art on the walls, and that art was often very gospel centered. Plus, especially when I was young, they took great strides to make sure us kids experienced art a lot-- we got to sketch with dad if he was sketching, and one of my favorite things to do as a kid was to go to an art museum (now that I think about it, maybe I was a bit different than the average kid...)

What I'm really trying to say, is that I'm an art snob to some degree-- especially when it comes to gospel centered art. Mormons have an amazing history of art, and if you're Mormon and you don't know a lot about what our people have striven to create-- please do yourself a favor and learn about it! We have a beautiful history that deserves to be on our walls in our homes and as a people we've been called to create the best the world has to offer.

So, what I'm really saying-- is that I'm really picky about gospel art, and especially pictures of the Savior. I won't lie-- most art depicting the life and times of the Savior that can be found in Mormon homes makes me gag. To me, nothing about the Savior's life was ordinary and his life was so beautiful, and so the art should in someway reflect that-- it shouldn't be ordinary in any way and it should be beautiful in a way that makes you pause and consider the art, the medium of the work itself, the manner in which it was created as well as the subject. And I've always felt that the Savior's life was so raw and so powerful that art depicting his life should be that way too-- I can't stand art (in general) that doesn't challenge you as a viewer.

So that being said I was pleased as punch to find out that I could get (somewhat) affordable prints or giclees of the following. I want these on my walls!

Touch me Not, Minerva Teichert, 1939
Image courtesy of BYU Museum of Art

Christ in a Red Robe, Minerva Teichert
Image courtesy of BYU Museum of Art

Every Knee Shall Bow, J. Kirk Richards
Image courtesy of jkirkrichards.com

Christ Among the Lepers, J. Kirk Richards
Image courtesy of jkirkrichards.com

J. Kirk Richards is my favorite living Mormon Artist. I already own two of his works:

Cherubim and a flaming sword, J. Kirk Richards
Image courtesy of jkirkrichards.com

I bought this print when I was like 15 or 16. I still love it. It hangs on my wall in a little gold frame.

The Last Supper, J. Kirk Richards
Image courtesy of jkirkrichards.com

This one was given to me by my mother a few years ago. I have yet to frame it, because I need to get it custom framed (it's an awkward, non-standard size), and because I'm not sure where to put it. Does it belong in the dining room or kitchen, because The Last Supper, is of course, a meal at it's basic level? Or does it belong somewhere else? Anyone have any suggestions as to where this print would be most appropriate?

What are some of your favorite pieces of art? What do you hang on the wall? What would you like to put in your home?