The Artful Life

Pablo Picasso once said, "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." This quote could not be more true for me. I have always loved studying art, since a young child. One of the best gifts I ever received was a set of books about different famous artists. I read each book cover to cover when I was in elementary school. Later, while in college, I found myself sitting in Art History class completely absorbed in my professor's lectures each week. There was a time when I thought about majoring with a focus in elementary art education....a little known fact about me! I was much less bold back then and wasn't brave enough to go for it, since I lacked actual art training. I can't explain what I love about art. It is just a part of me. As an adult, I have developed my own unique taste. I love folk art, especially art that incorporates text. It shouldn't surprise you that I am hugely inspired by words!

Last fall, my mom and I stumbled into a tent for Earth Angels at the Country Living Fair in Columbus, OH. Earth Angels is a store in New York that sells a variety of art work from various American artists. In the tent we discovered the paintings by Deirdre Friebely, a young artist from Florida who I was delighted to discover is about my age.....a young 30ish. :) Deirdre creates mixed media paintings on gallery wrapped canvas. Her paintings are all inspired by newspaper clippings. Each painting includes a tiny newspaper clipping that inspired the subject or title of the painting. When I saw these paintings, my heart literally skipped a beat! I just love the way that words inspire her paintings. The folksy look really appeals to my aesthetic. I am the proud owner of five of her original paintings! She never repeats a painting, so that is special! Here is what they look like grouped in my stairway at home.

Now for some close-ups....I choose paintings that remind me of something in my own life. This quirky painting of two love birds reminded me of my husband and I....only our eyes met over a pile of groceries that needed bagging when we worked at the local grocery store as teenagers.
This next painting reminds me of my life at home with my girlies. Avery and Piper make constant noise all day, so those three birds are truly "us".

I love the painting with the cat because of the message. I think it is a good message to follow in our own lives!

The next painting with the little girl and the donkey was chosen because it is pure Avery. My mom and I fell in love with it because I also have a little girl who uses big words and dramatic gestures. If Avery had a donkey, she would surely name her Gabriella and say something just like that!

The painting with the elephants is my mom's favorite. It reminds us of Avery and Piper, since they are always in cahoots. Big sister leading little sister...

If you are an art lover, you should check out Deirdre's work. Her paintings make me happy every single day when I walk by them! Everyone should have something like that in their home....something that brings you joy!

Another artist that I love, whose medium is entirely different, is Rebecca Puig of Sugarboo Designs. She creates these fabulous photoboxes out of real wood that come in all different colors with hundreds of different quotes. I have this light green photobox with a wedding picture. These photoboxes aint' cheap. There are lots of knock offs out there. Rebecca's photoboxes are the real deal though and much, much nicer than the knock offs that I have seen. She sells to retailers. However I contacted her directly and ordered one to my specifications. I would love to own another photobox someday. Rebecca creates other types of art that are equally amazing!

I have really been trying to support artists and handmade goods in the last year by doing a lot of gift ordering off of http://www.etsy.com/. You would be amazed what you can find on Etsy. I realize that not everyone is an art lover or sees value on spending money on artwork. I just can't help it! It's in my blood! My grandfather, Paul Sartor, is a painter. His paintings are beautiful. My grandmother, Mary Lou Sartor, is a poet, newspaper columnist, and writer.....maybe that's where my writing gene came from! I have just been raised with great respect for artists and art. My sister-in-law, Beth, is an artist and art teacher too!

Anyway, I just thought I would share. I now want all of Deirdre Friebely's paintings, even though that is just a fantasy! I just couldn't believe her paintings. They speak right to me. If I were a painter, that is exactly what I would paint! I just love things that are whimsical and enchanting!

I hope you have a piece of art that you love! Whether it is hanging in your home or in a museum somewhere, be sure to visit it often. As Pablo Picasso said, it will wash your soul!

Do you have a favorite artist or piece of art? How do you live an artful life? I would love to hear your comments!