Living with Art // Making it Personal

RE works with clients to select artwork that is well-suited to them and their homes. We work with designers, retailers and clients to bring original art into their homes that reflects their taste, budget and how they live. Here are a few examples of how we have sourced artworks in the past year for several of our clients and some ideas of what to think about when you are considering art. We talk, we listen, and we work together to find what speaks to our clients. Before the Split, by Kit Kittle Photography in a Westchester family room.

We consider the space, room or areas our clients are looking to find artwork for. As this client was looking to update their beautiful home built in the early 1900's with some modern and new touches, we were consulted to introduce artwork. This client was referred to us by home furnishings retailer Nest Inspired Home in Rye. We work with Nest to provide artworks that are sold in the store and work alongside them to source art for their clients. As they updated the rugs, accessories and some furnishings, we focused on the art.  Our client immediately loved Never Late, an abstract painting by Anne Raymond and liked the fresh contrast it brought to the traditional decor.

In the entry, she was very decisive about the Yellow Drippy Heart, by Kerri Rosenthal, because it, “makes her smile” every time she walks in! We love to hear that! We also love the contrast and crisp color of the pop-inspired painting in the home.

This Westchester client was interested in artworks for her master bedroom, recently redone with soft mauves and grey. She wanted something that would suit this quiet corner. This painting from Rosenthal's Flower Bomb series worked perfectly

Sometimes a client is looking for artworks that will provide color and contrast in a room. This client had just completed decorating her living room with Mara Solow Interiors and was looking for artworks to compliment the beautiful luxe room they filled with artisanal furnishings and textured fabrics in neutral colors. She loved Kit Kittle's Chelsea Bubble, for it's fun composition and color and framed it in a warm, textured frame to compliment other materials

This client came to us specifically looking for a painting by Kerri Rosenthal. She was interested in also bringing color into her neutral home. She selected Sagg Harbor, the graphic pattern and color are a great accent to the warm browns and gold that were created as a soothing backdrop to their hectic family life.

I love this view from the kitchen, contrasting the architectural details with the movement of the painting.

Sometimes the contrast of black and white is preferable to color. This client wanted to complete their newly redone family room. They were interested in something to compliment the warm neutrals in the room. This triptych by Kerri Rosenthal added just the graphic element the client was looking for.

This elegant grey and white room, designed by David Hammond Design called for black and white to compliment the tonal grey decor. The clients both love nature and were drawn to the graphic large scale sunflower by Michael D Anderson. The large scale and unexpected sideways orientation create a modern installation in the transitional room.

Art can evoke a memory or reference to somewhere particular. We talk with clients about what they like to do, where they travel, what their happy place is and what brings good memories? Artwork creates a connection, its fun to bring into someone's home a piece, whether it's a happy heart, or a seascape that creates a warm and comfortable feeling. We worked with NJ designer Carolyn Botz of Fountain Interiors and her client to find a focal point in this comfortable open family room. Orange Reflections, by Andrea Bonfils provides a reference to the ocean and beach that the family enjoy together.

This newly redone Westchester home was designed to feel like Aspen, a place our clients love. Mara Solow Interiors filled their home with warm materials and rich colors to accomplish that. To complete the clean-lined breakfast area, they were interested in a photograph that echoed the design, and brought them to the western outdoors. They selected Libertad, by Bonnie Edelman Photography

Another client wanted to bring memories of  her home in South Carolina to her elegant Northern Westchester home. John Duckworth, a Charleston-based photographer artfully captures the coastal light and colors in his Abstract Landscapes.

I have a particular interest in artworks that combine old techniques with a modern twist. Designer Debbie Gottlieb of Finelines Interiors was updating her own dining room when she called to revisit artworks we looked at for one of her clients. She was mixing her grandmothers' furnishings with modern decor, wallpaper and lighting to create a fresh eclectic mix. She selected a piece from the Sophie’s Lace Collection, handmade paper by Wendy Shalen that she embossed with her  grandmother’s vintage lace. The natural artisanal piece, framed in all-white looks fresh and modern above the mahogany buffet

A client I am currently working with is selecting artworks that have a personal connection to both she and her husband. When I learned that Maggie was her nickname, short for Magnolia, I was thrilled to show her artist Mary Morant’s stunning magnolia paintings, which for the artist are reminiscent of her Southern childhood. Here are a few mono prints that will go in the master bath and they will select one of these paintings for her dining room. This is a recent RE Instagram collage of the various works

This was fun, as a client discussed artwork for her guest room, we found an image appropriate for those times that you have guests, especially after the holidays, when you feel like you're running a hotel! My client chose from Hotel Composition, a selection of hotel signs photographed around the world.

Finding appropriate artworks for our clients is a process, it's always fun and interesting to see where it will lead. We ease the search for art, by editing the choices and together, we uncover what speaks to our clients.

The Timeless Gift of Art

How nice would it be to give a gift that is personal, creative, thoughtful and timeless and is available in all prices, types and sizes? Consider the gift of art.

When I work with clients, I talk about and look through images of different types and genres of artworks with them, to see what they respond to. I look around their homes, at their furnishings and personal style. That’s something you can do for the people on your list. Think about their homes and offices, what they have on the walls, or type of furnishings they have. Let that be a guide.

Think about who you are buying for.

Do they like color? Is it in their home? Do they wear it? I have written about artist Kerri Rosenthal’s happy art and the wonderful positive feelings she puts into creating it. My clients who like her work and have brought it into their home respond to the bright color and energy.

When Kerri started painting, she drew upon her background working for the Dutch apparel company, Oilily, and painted tulips, it was a natural for her and has become a staple in her collections. She has just introduced Bite Size, tulips in multiples, layered and each creating it's own color story. Here is a brief look with more to come in Spring 2015. Small tulips, above, are 12”squares  Small Bites No.3 is 20"x20"

and One Million Tulips, 60"x60"

Do they like animals? Many people respond to images of animals, and horses are possibly the most popular. It may seem as though it’s been a recent trend, but the love of animals is age-old and perhaps a reflection of our interest in and protection of our own families. Holiday is a great time to reflect this in our gift-giving. Photographer Shelli Breidenbach, is world renowned for her horse photography. In her collections are a variety of images, Athos and Gambler

or a beautiful close-up

Do they like nature, being outdoors? A trend I have noticed, is an increasing interest in abstract landscape and seascape photography. The beauty of nature, the quiet of the ocean, a farm or field, the serenity of the colors and the horizon take many of us to a special place. These images evoke memories of time spent with family and friends. Photographer Stefan Radtke has created a collection of Atmospheric Landscapes. It is especially nice that he photographs on the LI Sound, making his work appealing for Westchester and CT residents who can relate to the locales. Moved #6

He “creates painting inspired photographs of landscapes, devoid of detail, capturing an atmosphere rather than an explicit reality and opening for the viewer the possibility for interpretation.” Moved #10, in a beautifully composed vignette at Nest Inspired Home in Rye, NY

For artist Andrea Bonfils, “Most of my artwork has a connection to nature and my interactions with it. I like for there to be a sense of joy or emotion similar to what I was recalling when painting.” A recurring subject is moons, the round sphere appears in many of her paintings and prints. As with photography, prints can be a more affordable gift,  purchased either framed or unframed. Pink Leaves Orbit

or Pink Moon, reflecting a nighttime view through the trees

Do they travel? Kit Kittle’s Bubble Collection is fun because the images take you around the world via his views through a bubble. This photograph was taken in the Gulf of Thailand  where “islands leap straight-up from the clear turquoise water.”

or be transported to Laos, and this incredibly colored yellow bubble

Do they like abstract art? That may be a difficult question to answer. Many abstract artists paint their interpretation of what they see, a landscape, seascape, portrait or even a still life. The response to abstract artwork is elusive, it may be a response to the color, form, shapes or combination of all. Claudia Mengel’s “work comes from not looking, but experiencing the world around me, and then translating these visual and emotional perceptions.”

The beauty of Claudia’s work is enhanced by her exceptional use of color, as seen in this large-scale painting, Heartbeat,  which is 72"x60"

Where have your friends lived? I often get requests for images of New York City. For people who either live in or have left the city, it’s fun to have a photo that recalls a favorite spot. I like the abstracted images of New York, you feel the energy, see the lights, the cabs. Barbara Erdmann looks for interesting graphic patterns in her photos, like Urbane

or City Cab by Kit Kittle

Why not give a gift certificate? Take the guesswork out of selecting the gift of art, a gift certificate can be used towards the purchase of any piece.

As the holiday season begins, I hope these suggestions inspired some thoughts of gift ideas, fine art that can be personalized for the people and spaces in your life… or consider treating yourself!

Give the Gift of Art. Timeless.