The Ever Expanding Gallery Wall

I love art. I love the thrill of finding a piece that speaks to you and I love the soul that it brings to a home. I was an art major in college and I’m now a sometimes-watercolorist.  I left most of my paintings at our home on the East Coast. I have a copious amount of paintings that couldn’t possibly all fit in The Little Glass House. One of the qualities I love most about our home in California is the abundance of natural light because of the numerous French doors and floor to ceiling windows. However, it drastically reduces the amount of wall space to hang art.

I decided to take my time and be open to all possibilities. The largest wall space was the one over the sofa. Temporarily, I hung 4 canvas squares that were blues and greens. I liked them well enough, but it was ultimately the color that I was drawn to. It was the pallette of the ocean and sky which we see from our doors and windows. I hung a few of my watercolors on the adjacent wall, both with ocean themes. And thus began the very beginning of “the wall.”

I brought back an oil painting from a CT artist that reminded me of Nantucket and our East coast life.  I found a little vintage black and white photograph of a motor boat. Truth be told, it was the soft gold color of the frame that I really loved. It added some warmth to all of the blue tones. Later, I found some golden wall sconces that would add some golden candlelight.

Then one day I stumbled upon a tiny little shop called Mate Gallery.  It was sandwiched in between some larger stores in a shopping center where I bought my groceries. What it lacked in size, it made up for in inventory. It was stuffed to the rafters with art, photography, vintage finds and all manner of nautical things. I fell in love with an old painting of the sea and knew it had to be an addition to the wall.

Slowly, I began what became a collection of the sea. Down came the 4 canvas squares to make room for the photographs and paintings. I loved the mix of photography, watercolors, and oils.

There was one day when Mate Gallery was having their annual flea market. I ended up coming home with an old orangey-red surfboard that my daughter insisted was too cool to pass up and a gigantic basket. And no, the surfboard didn’t end up on the gallery wall- I found a spot for it, which I’ll save for another post. But what to do with that huge basket? How about hanging it on the wall? So off came everything that was on the wall to make room for the basket. I loved the texture it brought to the room and so the art, photos, and sconces were arranged around it.

I love our gallery wall. It encompasses the sea from both coasts- the one we’re from and the one where we live now- and breathes life into our home by telling our story. I think I’m done for now but you never know, I may find another painting that speaks to me and down will come the art to be rearranged, holes puttied and repainted, and a new configuration will emerge!