THE ART IN MY HOME
Do you consider yourself an art collector? I certainly don’t, but I have recently been tuning in to a new podcast, The Art in my Home, produced by the team over at Bluethumb Art (tune in on Spotify here). And after binge listening more than a few episodes, they are doing a pretty good job of convincing me that maybe I am (or at least, am on my way towards that title!).
So, what makes an art collector?
A little googling into the topic will uncover a few types types of ‘collectors’ - those that collect as a means of investment, those that collect for the trophy and social cred, and those that collect because they are emotionally drawn to the artwork itself.
Some collectors focus on a specific medium, movement or artist, while some choose to diversify their selections. Then there are those who collect indiscriminately, purchasing works from both emerging and established artists.
According to art collectors, Anita Blanchard and Martin Nesbitt (from ARTNews), an art collection “ultimately reflects the collectors’ authentic journey such that the story of their lives”.
I love this 🤍
While my own personal ‘collection’ is still in it’s very humble beginnings, and unlikely to ever officially reach ‘art collector’s’ status, each piece has brought about a visceral response in me that meant I simply could not walk away without welcoming them into my home.
Eclectic in style and genre, these little beauties hang and sit amongst an abundance of photographic prints and posters, on almost every spare inch of wall space we have, and I dream of adding a second floor just for more wall space!
Jodi Thompson - ‘Pamela’
While she might be the newest addition to our walls, ‘Pamela’ by Jodi Thompson is fast becoming one of my favourites. She may be small, but she packs a punch with storytelling and mystery in my opinion. I just adore the tones in this piece and the vacant chair sends my imagination off in all sorts of directions; who does this chair belong to, whose house is it in, when was it last used…?
Judith Nangala Crispin is a highly acclaimed Australian photo artist and poet who creates these insanely beautiful and ethereal artworks through the process of lumachrome glass printing (I can’t even begin to explain what this is - take a look at the set up involved to craft these). I have never seen anything like these before and lonmged to have one in our home. Thankfully my husband got the memo and gifted this to me one Christmas! It sits snug between two favourite photographic prints; one by uber-talented photographer, Phil Watt (left), and the other a personal photo captured whilst journeying abroad with my children (right).
Judith Nangala Crispin - ‘Roadkill Kingfisher’
Another precious one, this painting was lovingly crafted by a dear family friend, Petra Göder, who based it off a photograph I had taken of my daughter. We like to call it ‘The Adele’, with reference to the way her eyes follow us around the room, much like The Mona-Lisa!
A teeny little piece by the very talented Kirrily Anderson who is known for her highly detailed drawing practice. From her series ‘And Tomorrow the Beauty Returns’, which she created as a response to the Black Summer bushfires of 2019/20, the original was exhibited at MAMA Albury in 2021/2022,.
This particular piece is a reproduction printed on stone, which is just stunning. The colour and detail is phenomenal and her eye for beauty in the simplest forms in nature is out of this world.
An editioned print of Stephen Baker’s ‘Boy with Yoyo’ sits above our fruit bowl. Stephen’s work is often regarded for his large scale murals, but he also consistently puts out series of work available for purchase as prints. His hand-drawn geometric designs are playful, the colours are beautifully considered and I just love that he creates with just the right amount of abstraction for my liking!
In my office, I have this subdued, textural piece by Julie Lundgren Coulter hanging on the wall with some other art, posters, and my own prints. I picked it up a couple of years ago as it reminds me of our weekends away to our favourite camping spot in the high country of Victoria, where the rolling hills and tree-covered ridges lure me towards our happy place.
Julie Lundgren Coulter - ‘Rocky Hillside’
Possibly the first ‘art’ pieces that were brought into our home, this triptych of paint on wood panels were created by a mutual friend, stencil artist Patrick Bourchier. Street art had a huge influence on my initial interest in art in general, so its fitting that the ‘collection’ began with these, another gift from the husband.
Patrick Bourchier - ‘Cousins’, ‘Bug’ and ‘Bird’
Another of Paddy’s artworks hangs outside on our back deck. Stencilled onto a metal plate, I have coated it with a sheer proetctive finish so as to minimise any effects from the weather.
Do you have a ‘collection’ of your own and would you consider yourself an ‘art collector’? Bluethumb Art is a great place to start, with such a great range of affordable art works.