Fun Monday - Home is Where the Art Is

It's MONDAY, everybody! Do you know what that means? It's time to answer the challenge posed by Me last week. Just to refresh your memory and give you other blogs to visit all at the same time, read the challenge below. (My post is after all this...)

Brush off your interview skills. Talk to everyone who lives in your house. I want to know what their, and your, favorite piece of art is in your home. Photographs do not count. If there was a fire in your home, everyone would grab photographs, but what is the non-photographic piece of art you would grab on your way out - and why? (Edit: These don't have to be paintings - these can be wall hangings, statues, lumps of clay by your child, anything that is artistic expression of some kind EXCEPT photographs.)

A few brave people signed up, assignment unknown. The rest jumped on the train later...

Lil Mouse Jill - Lisa (Lisa's Chaos) - Debs - Nikki - Lisa (The Food Snob) - AlisonWonderland - Kaytabug - The Ex - AmyW - My4Kids - Kitten - Dawn - Myanderings - JenniBoo - Bethany - SwampAngel - Dallas - Tiggerlane - Tracy - Wolfbaby - Arkansas Songbird - Min - Pamela - bs - Hootin' Anni - Susan - Karisma - Anglophile Football Fanatic - Karmyn R - Blue Momma - Karina - MJD - Tiger Lamb Girl - Emma in Canada - Robin - Fianna - (36 people!)

DOUBLE DANG IT! Emma In Canada doesn't seem to want to work. I know that the link from her comment on the challenge post works, so I guess you'll have to go to the challenge post and get to her from the comments section.

ALSO, I FORGOT TO ASK IF SOMEONE WANTS TO HOST NEXT WEEK! IF YOU DO, DROP ME A COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW. I'LL UPDATE THIS POST AS SOON AS I GET A VOLUNTEER. AND OF COURSE, IF YOU DON'T VOLUNTEER, I'LL DO IT AGAIN NEXT WEEK - I HAVE IDEAS, 'YA KNOW....

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Art has been on my mind lately. It's something that I can't do but I can appreciate it, and perhaps envy it and people who have the ability to do it. But inspite of my lack of artistic ability, I am surrounded by art. I live with two guys who are VERY artistic. They have sense of shape, sense of color, sense of harmony - all things that I lack.

And I enjoy other people's artistic expression as well. I recently came across an artist whose work spoke to me. I went to her website over and over again, looking at and enjoying all the work she had posted. It didn't hurt that she works in watercolor mostly, but with intense colors - both of which I absolutely love.

Finally, I decided that I must have one. I looked at my budget and decided that I could do it and I bought one. If you'd like to see some of her work, visit her website (http://memory-layne.com/).

It arrived last week. I love it.

It's only the second piece of art that I have ever purchased. The first was a print that I always called "Blue Lady". It was at a furniture store in OKC and they wanted $250 for it. As much as I loved it, there was no way I was going to be able to pay that kind of money for it. I also had a house that needed some furniture and I only had so much to spend. I actually talked them into letting me have it for $50. Much as I loved that picture, I think it's real value to me was that I discovered that I could negotiate. I don't have it anymore - my ex talked me into leaving it in the house to help it sell, so of course I never saw it again.

But all these thoughts got me to wondering... what piece of art would I consider my favorite, and why? And what about the other people who live with me.... which are their favorites?

First I asked my son. He has three favorites, but when I asked him to narrow it down to just one, he picked this:

It's a painting done by Darling Man before I ever even met him. He used to paint a lot, but this is the only one we have left. When I asked why, ZBoy gave me this look that just screamed, "Duh, Mom!", then calmly explained that he loved it because Daddy painted it. Yeah. Duh, Mom.
I actually considered this one myself. You can spend a lot of time looking at it and find something new almost every time. I've been looking at it for 14 years and I'm still not tired of it.

Then I turned my stunning interview skills on Darling Man. I thought he might say that his favorite piece was this:

His aunt and his uncle, who traveled a great deal, brought this back from China or Japan (I'm not sure which) and gave it to his parents. When his parents were moving to smaller digs, Darling Man asked if he could have it. It now lives on his dresser. But no, that wasn't it.

This was:

ZBoy did this back in Kindergarden. It wowed us when he brought it home, and I framed it shortly thereafter. For some reason, it has hung in our diningroom in the last three houses. I'm not sure what makes this a diningroom picture except that all his art seems to wind up there. It is an amazing collection. Note the fact that it's watercolor. Note the vivid colors.

As it turns out, Darling Man and I are of a like mind on this one. This is also my favorite piece of art in my house. Not only is it beautifully done, in watercolor, with vivid colors, but it is also a picture of my constant companion for 16 years, who passed away two years ago as seen through the eyes of my wonderful child.

Tux. He was one cool cat.

(There is a gorgeous picture of him on my screensaver, but I can't find it!!! This one lifted from the internet will have to do for now.)