Would you like your dog featured in a work of art? Artful Home is holding a search for up to twenty dogs to be included in Jane Troup’s next painting. If you or someone you know has a photogenic pet, please:

• By March 15, post a picture of your dog on our Facebook fan page
• Email a copy of the picture to dogs@artfulhome.com
  (If you don’t use Facebook, you can simply email the picture.)

Artful Home and Jane Troup will pick the winners by March 22. If your dog is selected, we’ll contact you with instruction for pictures of your pet from specific angles.

Don’t miss this chance to have your pet featured in a work of art. If you don’t have a dog but know someone who does, please let your friends know by forwarding this email on!

Every year we come to the end of November and we think about the things we are thankful for. One of the things I am thankful for is getting to work with some of the best artists in North America. Nearly every day there is a new piece of artwork being added to the website. Often something that we ooh and ahh over. The originality, the hand-crafted detail, the uniqueness of the work.

The economy is starting to recover, and not a moment too soon for American artists. They were really hit hard when people started spending less and only buying the necessities. Because for many, hand-crafted work is not a necessity. I disagree. I would rather save my pennies and purchase something that I know was created by someone who loves what they are doing, someone who pays attention to the details, someone with a vision for how an object is going to be used. Because of this I may not have a lot, but what I have is very special – and I am thankful for every single object.

What are you thankful for?

You would never guess that we are in the middle of the lazy days of summer here at Artful Home. There are summer art fairs, our 10th Anniversary, the Hearts for Anna event, and so much more.

Let’s start with our 10th Anniversary. Today and tomorrow you can register for a chance to win “Gardening in the Rain” by Brian Kershisnik. Brian’s work has been a huge favorite with our customers. People are drawn to the emotion in his work. As Brian states, “Humor is healthy. God laughs. I believe that. To avoid a good, human, affectionate sense of humor in art that is depicting human beings is nonsense.” If you love Brian’s work, make sure you see his newest additions to the Artful Home collection – “Reading a Very Small Book” and “She Reads“. Remember to take advantage of our 10th Anniversary 10% off event.

Hearts for Anna Event
We’re also in the middle of the Hearts for Anna event. Right now we are collecting donated works from artists. If you haven’t heard, fiber artists Anna Millea has cancer and is unable to get health insurance. Artists are donating works that will go on sale August 12 with 100% of the proceeds going to help Anna with medical expenses. Any artist can donate work. We encourage artists who are affiliate with Artful Home and artists who are not to donate a piece to this cause. You can get a sneak peek at the works that will be available to purchase on our website and you can stay up to date on the event with our custom Twitter feed.

Favorite Fortune Ornament Contest Winner

We have a winner in the ornament Favorite Fortune contest. Sandi B. submitted her fortune, “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious”, via this blog and it came out on top when all of the votes were counted. Sandi’s fortune will be included in one of the artist-made ornaments in this years collection. Sandi will receive both of the fortune ornaments in this year’s collection for submitting the winning fortune.

Artful Home Staff Picks

Have you ever wondered what the staff at Artful Home would choose as their favorite works of art? We asked around and now you can see our favorite pieces. Visit the Artful Home Staff Picks page and see why we like what we do.


Niche Award Nomination
Artful Home is thrilled to have been nominated for a Niche award. Professional fine craft artists throughout the U.S. and Canada nominated nearly 600 craft galleries, retail stores, arts nonprofits, museum shops and guilds for this year’s awards. The winners will be announced the first weekend in August at the Buyers Market of American Craft show in Philadelphia.