"Twelve Pears" Ann Rea, oil on canvas, 36" x 30"

Recently I met a young couple at a wine tasting event where I was a featured guest.  They were very drawn to my work and so we began to chat.  I came to find out that they had just purchased a day spa in Marin and that they where looking for an interior designer to help them with their remodel.

She explained that the spa really needed to be transformed into a beautiful and serene environment in order to function but they didn’t have unlimited funds.  So they were looking for an experience interior designer who could work within a budget.  It just so happened that a friend of mine, Rebecca, was standing beside me. Rebecca is an interior designer with over 25 years experience. How fortuitous?

Rebecca just began the renovation plans for the day spa.  So naturally I asked what the plans were for fine art.  Rebecca replied that they had very little budget and none for art.  What?!

What is going to most immediately help create the “beautiful and serene environment” that this client is looking for?  Is it the cabinets?  The floor finish?  Or the art?  Needless to say we are now developing an art proposal that fits within the overall budget by mixing a custom large-scale Exclusive Edition feature fine art print with small custom original charcoal sketches.

Even if there is a very limited budget, you know that we all find something to put on our walls.  And if the interior designer is not involved in the art selection it’s most likely not going to be in line with the overall design concept. And that results in a simple design misstep or a tragic design flaw.

Art is not an afterthought. It is most often the focal point of a room and it has more value and impact visually, and emotionally, than any other piece of furnishing, fixture, or finish, and unlike the other design aspects it can increase in value.

Art and accessories should comprise approximately 30% of the overall design budget.

Why leave it to chance? As my design motto states “start with the art.”

Feng shui is the ancient Chinese practice of placement and arrangement of space to achieve harmony within an environment.  Feng Shui’s helps one improve their life by receiving positive qi, or energy flow.

The state of your home and its energy says a lot about who you are as a person and how you feel, and the energy you have. Getting rid of clutter is the first step in Feng Shui and to increasing your energy flow.

Removing clutter can be an overwhelming task but I learned a de-cluttering technique that simplifies and directs your efforts.  Start with your most cluttered room or closet.  The one that you know has to get done.

You’re going to make two piles.  One to dispose of and one to donate.  Anything that’s broken is going to be disposed of unless your are really really motivated to repair it.  Be honest.

Beginning at one corner touch or pick up the first object in the room and ask yourself these questions. As you hold or touch each object ask “does this give me energy or is it tired, is it broken? “If so, out it goes.

Take your time with this.  Answer each question honestly.  It takes some energy and time to complete this exercise but you’ll feel a huge increase in energy.

1. Is this something of pure utilitarian value that I must have, for example, it’s your only can opener.  If not, out it goes or answer the next question.
2. Is this something of extraordinary sentimental value, your wedding photograph? If not, answer the next question.
3. Is this a work of art?  Not a decorative piece that matches the sofa but something that inspires, that makes you feel when you look at it.

The art in your environment is not an afterthought.

Art is most often the focal point of a room and it has more value and impact visually, and emotionally, than any other piece of furnishing, fixture, or finish.

And unlike the other objects in your environment, it often increases in value.

"Offering Bowls" Ann Rea, oil on canvas-private commission for residence of Douglas Wood, CEO or DPR Construction

Interior Designers as a Conduit to Art

Art and accessories should comprise approximately 30% of the overall design budget. It’s a bit like when you are pulling together the pieces for a fabulous outfit, you don’t want to  finish it off with cheep shoes.

Last Friday I received a phone call from an interior designer.  She asked if she could arrange for a studio visit because she was very interested in my program exclusively for the design trade.

She said that her client was desperate for art for his new residence, which she had designed, and that he really wanted to have it in place for an important party that he was hosting.  She said that she really wasn’t all that confident in having a conversation with her clients about art.

I hear this a lot from interior designers. The fact is that designers have a trained eye, so even if they don’t posses an art history degree they know their client, their personality and the function and feeling of the space they are designing.  They are in the best position to recommend art, to act as a conduit and provide their client with art resources.

With digital overlays on their design concept elevations or on photographs of built environments they can show their client what a huge difference the original art will make.

This designer agreed that art is not an afterthought. It is most often the focal point of a room and it has more value and impact visually, and emotionally, than any other piece of furnishing, fixture, or finish, and it increases in value.  And by starting with the art, the environment is infused with their clients emotional energy and it provides a starting point for the design concept.

This designer has signed up for my exclusive design trade program and agrees that she will start with the art.

Before and After

What and Where to Place the Paintings?

One of my newest patrons came to me by referral from her interior designer. They worked together over two years ago on the exterior her family’s second home, atop a Healdsburg ranch. My patron designed her interiors herself but her designer felt strongly that she really needed some original art to breathe inspiration, color, and more warmth into the space. Art was not part of the original budget and there was no clear design concept to work within so we are working a bit backwards. And my patron was not at all sure of what she wanted and where she was going to place art. But this is not a problem. My formal training is in architectural design so I understand the language of design and I am used to scaling within interior spaces.

I toured the house with my patron, photographing and measuring each wall that presented an opportunity to showcase art. I listened carefully to my patron about how she uses her space and where her family spends most of their time. With elevation, digital photographs and wall measurements in hand I crafted a proposal.

The art proposal outlined several options to help her determine her preferences and budget. I listed each placement, type, and size range that would work proportionally so that she could choose from one or more of these placements. I also delineated to what extent we could scale each selection up or down to fit her preference and budget. The possibilities are infinite and the great thing about art is that you can move it around.

I was inspired by the Russian River running along the edge of her property. So to further help her visualize, I took one of my existing paintings of a river to provide her with a before and after illustration. With this example she could get a sense of the impact of my art in her home.  The illustration provides an approximation of a 36 x 48 canvas.

Even though she was unsure of her art budget and placement she knew that she wanted to bring the inspiration of original work into her home and this process has helped her make a decision.

What inspires me? Color, color, color.  I eat it for breakfast.

What is color?  It’s simply the energy of light vibrating at different frequencies.  I choose to focus on color because this inspiration is infinite and it is ever changing. As the sun shines through the particles in the sky and moves over our heads each day it casts a different light in each environment on the globe.  Hour by hour forms and shadows are reshaped.  Focus upon this subtle change keeps me present, it therapeutically keeps my thoughts in the moment.

Why do we enjoy watching a sunset?  I think it’s because we slow down and relax into the moment, reflecting as we watch the very source of color reshape the environment for yet another day.  As they day ends we’re reminded that the sun will set again and it places the days events and life’s current circumstances in context.

The French Impressionists discovered the genius of this joy and inspiration.  Their subject was color shaped by the immediate and ambient light of a place in time.  The subject wasn’t haystacks, water lilies, or cathedrals.  The Impressionist period continues to hold universal appeal and remains one of the most popular periods in the history of Western art.  It’s accessible and the focus was beautiful simplicity.

I’ve been referred to as an Impressionist and I don’t believe that is accurate.  Although I do paint in the timeless tradition of French Impressionists like Monet, plein air (in the open air), I’m not from a previous century. And even though I use the same oil pigments as Van Gough from Old Holland Oil Works established in 1664, my work is influenced by the direct mentorship I received from contemporary painters Wayne Thiebaud and Gregory Kondos (American Art icons) and my study with renowned industrial designer Viktor Schreckengost.  Each of these influences are an inspiration along with my love of color.

“Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock?”

Trailer park resident Teri Horton bought a secondhand painting for only five dollars, little did she know it could be a genuine Jackson Pollock worth millions of dollars.

They actually made a movie of Horton’s volatile 15-year journey into the heart of the art world’s elitist establishment trying to have the painting authenticated.

Why the journey?  Because the painting wasn’t signed and she didn’t have a “Certificate of Title” and or “Provenance” certifying the authenticity of the work.

These documents provide a guarantee of genuineness ensuring that the original work of art is not counterfeit.

Without proper documentation it’s near impossible to obtain a current valuation or to obtain insurance coverage for original works of art. Documentation also helps art historians to maintain a precise timeline of the artist’s work.

It’s best to adhere the “Certificate of Title” and or “Provenance”  to the back of the frame, so that they are never misplaced, or place them in a safe.

A “Certificate of Title” effectively transfers ownership to the collector from the artist.  A complete “Certificate of Title”  should contain the artist’s signature, date, name, and address and that of the new owner.  It should also detail the artwork’s title, size, medium, and date of creation.

A “Provenance” explains the history of the piece that you are buying.  A complete “Provenance” should contain the same details of the “Certificate of Title”, and include a photo of the artwork, and the details of the transfer of ownership, including the buyers and seller’s name, address, signature, purchase price and date.

I recommend requesting this documentation from the artist when you acquire an original work of art.