Bring the Outside In: Find the Perfect Artwork for Your Home
For me, there’s no greater inspiration than the great outdoors. If you are familiar with my artwork, then you will know I paint all sorts of local-inspired pieces, from coastal scenes framed by wildflowers to local landmarks at sunrise.
I love to see my nature-inspired artwork in people’s homes. It’s an honour to have my customers choose something I have envisioned and then created to adorn the walls of their home or holiday home. Or even when people choose a piece to give as a gift - it’s all about what that piece of art means to them.
So, how do you know what kind of artwork will suit your home? And how do you choose where to position it? Even selecting a frame can be tricky. In this month’s blog post, let’s explore how you can choose the perfect artwork for any space, and I’ll even share some examples of my art in situ at my wonderful customers’ homes.
Find something that means something to you
I understand that interior design goes through trend cycles. And, as a result, certain types of artwork can be in fashion at different times. However, when it comes to choosing artwork for your home, I do think it’s important to pick pieces that you truly love - not just because they are a certain style or aesthetic.
The North East and its beautiful coastlines, rolling hills and eclectic flora and fauna are all things that bring me joy. I spend weekends and holidays with my family exploring local favourites and even searching for inspiration for my paintings. So, bringing artwork inspired by places that hold fond memories for me makes perfect sense.
Perhaps there’s a location that holds particular meaning to you, or simply a spot that reminds you of a loved one who’s no longer with us. Maybe you got engaged on the Longsands or married at the Spanish City! Artwork depicting these locations will make the perfect meaningful addition to your home.
Longsands Winter Morning | Original Painting
Choosing colours
It might be that you want a focal point for a room, maybe a large painting about a bed or fireplace. Or, alternatively, you are looking for smaller pieces to nestle on shelves or to fill a gap on a wall. Whatever your dilemma, now is a good time to think about colours.
If your room is a neutral space, you can go big with colour. My artwork may be inspired by coastal and countryside scenes, but you’ll notice that colour is really something I love to play with.
A perfect example is this bird’s eye view of the Tyne River. Pinks, yellows and blues make up this flowing image of the city’s iconic bridges. You could see this sitting proudly above a fireplace or bed.
Here’s another example of how the colour of a painting can transform a space. Sycamore Gap has been photographed and painted thousands of times. In fact, while researching my recent blog post about the location, I discovered that it was actually named Tree of The Year by the Woodland Trust in 2016.
The area surrounding Sycamore Gap is lush greenery, and, as a result, you’ll often see pieces with these hues. But, in the painting below entitled Rooted on Hadrian's Wall, I opted for blue and warm red and brown tones, showing the tree’s intrinsic link to the area’s Roman history. The rubble surrounding the tree dates back millennia and the tree is really just a single piece of a truly historical puzzle.
This piece would look perfect in a bright, neutral room or a warm-toned space with terracotta tiles.
Rooted on Hadrian’s Wall Sycamore Gap Original Painting
It’s amazing how the same subject can inspire a completely different piece and colour scheme. Here’s another Sycamore Gap painting, this time with the blues and greens of springtime. I love how this goes so perfectly with the pastel teal shade on the chimney breast.
Sycamore Gap Original Northumberland Painting
Balancing space
So, you’ve chosen the subject of your desired artwork for your home - but how do you know where to put it? Or how to frame it? Well, there are a few things to consider here. Firstly, consider the space as a whole - is there already artwork on the walls, or is this to be the centrepiece?
In a big, open room, you can opt for a single piece to act as a focal point. A perfect example would be this original painting of Bamburgh above a customer’s bed.
When it comes to framing, choose a tone that both matches the artwork (without distracting from it) and also the space. If you have light wood pieces in your home, this is a good tone to go for in a frame.
At our Cullercoats gallery, we offer a bespoke framing service with a wide variety of frame styles and materials. The right frame can make all the difference to your piece, and even the room as a whole; it’s important to think carefully about it.
Customer Ruth Martin shared the above piece in a lovely grey frame to match the sofa. I love how the yellow cushions complement the daffodils in this print, too!
To learn more about framing, picture mounts, and even different types of glass, read my blog article about choosing the perfect frame for your artwork.
More inspiration
Here are some more photos shared by our lovely customers of Joanne Wishart artwork in situ!
Via Sandra McGonigle on Facebook
Via Charlotte Kewell on Twitter
Via @CreativeCallig on Twitter
Got Joanne Wishart artwork in your home? I’d love to see it! Share photos with me on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #wishartwall
