With the new house came a lot of blank walls. And what are blank walls but blank canvases, ready for inspiration to convert them into decorative facades? They’re also tinder boxes for countless marital arguments.
But a blank wall does not a home make, and we are forced to have these arguments. Still, I find Liz’s tastes a little too cosey for my liking, and having a tendency to centralize on the theme of cabins in the woods. It was such a common recurrence that I pointed it out, and turned it into a joke, mocking her quaint tastes whenever the artwork discussion resurfaced. She responds, appropriately, with the usual round of insults and obscenities. Ah marriage, how do they survive without these bickering matches?
Personally, I enjoy surrealist art–something that isn’t quite decipherable upon viewing, and somewhat unsettling–something by Peter Gric or Zdzisław Beksiński. But, I get why that type of art might not make the best focal-point for a room designed to be a mental retreat from the outside world, so I haven’t pushed my preferences.
The other problem is that art is expensive. So while in Wisconsin, we paid a visit to a local art store, Maple Marsh, hoping to find some prints on the more affordable end. Turns out, after speaking with the proprietor, that times aren’t very good for art (unsurprisingly). In order to stay in business and appeal to the less affluent, she had taken on the practice of acquiring reprints and sealing them in some sort of epoxy. The result very much resembles an original, and are cheap and durable. She’s still learning the process, as some of the prints had shadowing effects and foreign debris within the sealant, but at $8 to $25 a print (including frame), the compromise is worth it.
Eventually, we agreed on some art for the reading/sitting room, which looks out upon our shade garden and bird feeder. This outdoor area is a haven for squirrels and various small creatures, so we decided upon some “critter” paintings to match the theme. One day, we’ll finish decorating. And now, we’re one room closer.
–Simon