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Collecting art on travels can fill your home
with treasures
My husband and I will soon be celebrating our 18-year
wedding anniversary at a luxurious spa near San Luis
Obispo. We are looking forward to a few days of rest
and relaxation-- a well-deserved reward for ourselves.
With spa treatments scheduled and the ocean nearby,
it should be a wonderful getaway.
One of the things my husband and I like to do on vacation
is visit art galleries. In fact, this is a hobby I
have enjoyed since I was young. Over the years we have
purchased a few pieces of art that remind us of our
travels. Many years ago we spent a delightful weekend
in Mendocino. There we found a beautiful lithograph
that still hangs in our living room. It is a unique
contemporary representation of wine grapes and the
ocean. Looking at it brings back fond memories. We
also have art from Puerto Rico, where my family originates,
as well as artwork from our honeymoon in Canada, my
summer abroad in Mexico City, and a visit to Spain
when I was a teenager.
Artwork is a wonderful souvenir to bring home from
a trip. You can prolong the good feelings associated
with vacations by hanging a piece of locally made art
in your home. Art galleries are treasure troves of
unique and special items. It is interesting to see
how different artists capture the same scene in different
ways, from the realism of photographs to impressionistic
watercolors, to abstract collages. A person I know
has a collection of drawings of the California missions
she has visited, a real conversation piece in her home.
Each one was drawn by a different artist, which makes
it fun to make comparisons. And just to point out that
art can take many forms, another friend has decorated
his office with artistic photographs of all of the
baseball stadiums he has visited across the United
States. But don't feel that you must start a collection--
just one special piece can be enough.
Sometimes at art shows and galleries you can be fortunate
enough to meet the artist. This makes the experience
even more memorable-- you will feel like the art was
created just for you. There is something very special
about purchasing original art, however, the cost can
be prohibitive. Many artists offer prints of their
works at very affordable prices.
As you are browsing, also take a look at outdoor art.
On a vacation in Santa Fe, we enjoyed seeing gorgeous
three-dimensional art for the garden. There were wall
hangings made of copper, abstract sculptures and handcrafted
wooden benches. A metal sculpture can turn a nondescript
corner of your garden into an eye-catching focal point.
And consider decorating a back fence with a collection
of hanging flowerpots or one large copper sunburst.
Don't worry about leaving enough room in your suitcase
for all of this artwork. Most galleries will offer
to ship your purchases home for you. You will have
a nice surprise waiting for you when you arrive home.
This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper
Group papers on July 8, 2006.
Go
back to the list of decorating columns.
All articles copyright 2003-2008 Anna
Jacoby.
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