mapped out.

so is your life mapped out for you or are you the kind of person who could close their eyes and point??

*images courtesy of fric and frac, design is mine, glimpse of style, ethanollie, homemade grits, black eiffel

the art of displaying...

i have definitely spotted a trend in the "art" of hanging pictures...it's no longer just a single picture on a wall or a small grouping of pictures...it's all about self expression and the more the better....there is no system to it; it's simply you and your hammer and whatever feels right...

*pics courtesy of style court, design sponge, things that inspire, tom scheerer, apartment therapy

charts...

things that make my heart putter...wall charts. i love the idea of the scroll and how it hangs. it's like you need a yard stick so you can point out the elements in the picture like the teachers use to. and they are usually fairly large so they are a great way to take up a lot of space on a blank wall. they are now making reproduction botany/ zoology charts from jung koch quentell...i just purchased the butterfly one for a client. it has such great colors! also, you can still find vintage ones around- ebay is a great source for them. i'd love to win the bid on these 1900 german biological chart on ebay right now....

wings.....

i think that this is a great photograph by clifton henri, available thru shop SCAD. i would love to have it in my daughter's room so she would know with a little imagination anyone can have "wings"....

timeless art....

silhouettes are classic and timeless. the black and white is so chic. i love these plates done by rabbit toes. i love when you mix silhouettes together in a wall arrangement....i love antique ones of men you have no idea who they are, thrown in with a childhood one of yourself (mine is above). my in-laws have beautiful ones of my father-in-law and his sister done and they are just priceless. silhouettes don't have to be limited to black and white. just last year, i had one done of our dog (yes, this was before we had a child)! it's great....the background is robin's egg blue and his silhouette is chocolate brown. i gave it to my husband for christmas. he must have loved it b/c its still in the tube that it came in....

chicken man

if you are from columbia, sc than you have no doubt heard of "chicken man", also known as ernest lee. he is a wonderful pop artist who has made his mark throughout SC. he began painting at the age of 12. he once described his folk art as something "done from the heart, not from a picture". his subjects are usually painted on particle board and range in prices (my mother-in-law has discovered that if you buy in bulk you get a better bargain). He travels throughout the south w/ his mobile open air art gallery. if you are interested in his work, you can usually find him on the corner of harden and gervais street in columbia...or just let me know, my mother-in-law has his cellphone number b/c she loves giving his art as wedding gifts.

needless to say, i was so excited when my mother-in-law showed up w/ this "chicken man" on monday. she has had her hanging in the garage for years and i have always wondered why. she claims its b/c she's a little frayed around the edges and some of the paint is chipping. but i love "chicken woman" with her big butt and endowed knockers! i cannot wait to hang her on my "want-to-be" cottage porch. i think i am going to put her above my yardsale church pew so everyone can see her from inside the house. she puts a huge smile on my face! thanks gayle for my giftie, she adds total attitude to my porch!