DO: Grow your collection organically and start early. If it does not speak to you, don’t buy it.
Don’t: Go overboard on the framing. The frame should complement the artwork, not overshadow the piece.
DO: Pay attention to proportions when hanging artwork on the walls.
Don’t: Set rules on yourself, move things around. If you find yourself spending more time in your den during the winter, move your favorite piece in there with you.
DO: Hang the artwork at eye-level, about 57 inches, unless the piece is oversized. Oversized pieces should hang with its center toward the middle of the wall.
Don’t: Be discouraged if you find an artist you like but can’t afford his/her work. Contact the artist directly. Many artists have a stockpile of work at home they would part with for less or like impasto painter Kelly Hutchinson, many sell less expensive pieces online at websites like Etsy.com.
DO: Catch artists early, it can be some of their most invigorating work and some of the most economical.
Don’t: Worry about sticking to one style in one space. Using a similar frame or color can tie works together in a room or on a wall.
DO: Use crepe paper on your walls in the corresponding dimensions of the artwork before hanging up multiple pieces so you don’t fill your walls with nail wounds.-Jennifer Shapira
(November 2014)
