Romancing in Color Rug
by Johnny and Kathy Robinson

Polished wood floors present artists with intriguing opportunities to show off original carpet designs. This unusual piece is a good example. Its size gives it a commanding presence, and the rich colors are enhanced by repeated patterns and narrative content.

Train yourself to think of your floors as surfaces available for distinctive works of art. Floor-level artworks create boundaries within a room, while adding color and texture to the surroundings.

Mezzaluna Stools Metal & Wood Stools/Chairs
by Damian Velasquez

The art you acquire and objects that you collect each have a story. When brought together in your home, they tell a unique story about you. It’s your goal to become a good storyteller.

When you introduce art into your home, you’re adding a layer onto a foundation through the furnishings, lighting, and accessories that you’ve inherited or purchased over time. These possessions were doubtless acquired as much for their function as for taste and style. Creating an artful home is about selecting and placing art that complements your foundation of core furnishings while celebrating beauty and spirit and reflecting something intimate about you and your family.

Looking at art feels very different from looking at other kinds of furnishings. An artist’s work can take you by surprise. It can inspire pleasure, confusion, or an immediate sense of affinity. You may like what you’re looking at, or you may not. Either way, your eye is stimulated, and the piece calls to you for response and reaction.

The wonderful thing about art is that it need not be constrained by anything more than your personal aesthetic: “Wow! I like that! Now, where in my home can I place that for all my friends and family to see?” Suddenly you’re engaged. You’re thinking about how to share the story. That’s the fun and the beauty of learning to see.

Oceana End Table Wood End Table
by Paulus Wanrooij

We returned from Philadelphia and the Buyers Market of American Craft (BMAC) just a week ago. What glorious work there was to be seen! More about that in future posts. For today, I want to focus on the Niche Awards.

One of the highlights of the show is seeing the work of the Niche Award Finalists. The Niche Awards celebrate and recognize excellence and innovation in American and Canadian craft. There is always new work to be seen, and this year’s finalists were no exception.

I am thrilled to report that 6 Artful Home artists were chosen among the winners!

Curtiss Brock was honored as Arts Educator of the Year. Brock has run the Glass Program at the Appalachian Center for Craft at Tennessee Tech University since 1988. As Associate Professor of Glass he has developed the program to focus on handblown form with a strong emphasis on technical mastery in hotworked and coldworked glass. I find myself drawn to his hand-formed blown pieces, such as the Gold and Blue Fluted Bowl.

Anastasia Azure creates the most wonderful sculptural jewelry. Her training in textiles and metal art is evident in her dimensional-weave jewelry. She has created a signature look, turning double-weave cloth into this unique jewelry. As a former textile artists myself, I find myself constantly drawn to work which springs from tradition and moves elsewhere.

Paulus Wanrooij uses masterful and lyrical design in creating his furniture. His Oceana End Table suggests to me horizons and infinity, in a graceful combination of sapele, curly maple and maple.

Fritz Pearce and Mischell Maldonado create jewelry with bold, symmetrical forms, defined lines, and kaleidoscopic effects, reminiscent of both stained glass windows and nature at the same time. Their combination of gold and stones is inventive and elegant.

Raven on Egg Feet Wood Sculpture
by Mark Orr

When I first encountered the work of Mark Orr last year, I was both delighted and intrigued. His use of fine wood carving along with found materials offers a modern take on the totemic, with each piece the seeming beginning of a story.

Meg Romero has a remarkable ability to combine wit and grace. Her sense of humor is evident in her work, causing me to gasp in delight whenever I encounter her pieces.

Congratulations to these most deserving artists! We at Artful Home are proud to be associated with you.

One of a kind oil painting by Marsh Scott

After getting great feedback from you, our customers, as well as our artists, we’re now making Studio Sale a permanent part of Artful Home.

You can enjoy savings of 20 to 50% on an inspiring selection of artwork all year long. Just visit the new Studio Sale collection at Artful Home.