The Best Wall Art

Wall Art Buying Guide

Our homes provide shelter from wild weather, security against hungry bears and amenities such as refrigerators and comfy chairs. Even the walls are painted in attractive hues or papered over nicely with decorative patterns. It's all very pleasant, but sometimes you need that extra touch. High-quality wall art can make your home pop!

Fortunately for even the most fumble-fingered homeowners and apartment dwellers, little can go wrong with most wall art. As long as you don't try to hang an antique motorcycle, a stuffed Tyrannosaurus Rex head or some other questionable item from your living-room or bedroom wall, you're golden. You'll usually want to hang your wall art to bring the main focus, typically the center of the artwork, to a height of 57 inches. If it doesn't look quite right, you can experiment with other mounting heights to see what you like best. Don't forget to account for how much any support wires will let the artwork drop after being hung on mounting hooks.

If possible, wall hooks should be secured to hidden building-support studs to avoid the risk of heavier wall art unexpectedly tearing out the mounting hooks and crashing to the floor with heart-rending noises. A power drill and sturdy steel screw-in hooks will come in handy, and many hardware stores carry inexpensive, battery-powered stud finders for ensuring that your hooks are centered in support studs. Driving hooks into building studs also avoids the possibility of accidentally drilling into electrical wiring or house plumbing. Double-sided adhesive pads or thumbtacks work fine for lightweight, inexpensive posters and similar items although you may need later to spackle and repaint damaged wall areas.

The art of selecting wall decor invites endless debate over thematic choices and other aesthetic considerations, but as the old saying has it, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The best wall art draws the eye and makes its viewers hum quietly to themselves. If a prospective bit of wall art promises to enliven the room for which you intend it while fitting well with existing decor, then it's a winner. If an outstanding bit of wall art makes you feel giggly and light-headed, then you should buy it quickly and jealously protect your precious treasure from tricksy hobbitses.

While artistic tastes vary wildly, a few possibilities for decorating your home spaces appear below.

An Eclectic Selection

• "'Fruit Bouquet I' Ceramic Tile Mural Art": We might as well start with a classic art form, the still-life fruit cornucopia. The mural's water-resistant, ceramic satin-finish tiles make it a perfect choice for an upscale kitchen backstop that serenely evokes a peaceful home filled with Mother Nature's bounty. Fervent fans of fruit might even install this mural into their showers to promote thoughts of delicious grapes, apricots and peaches. Some buyers may appreciate the mural's manufacturing origin in the United States.

• "Hand-Painted 'Prosperity Blossoms' Folding Wall Fan Art": No list of wall art would be complete without showcasing an ancient Oriental art form. Constructed with Thai bamboo and hand-painted by an artist, this 60-inch by 35-inch avatar of Oriental hand fans wafts the promise of a blizzard of springtime blossoms into any living space at a very reasonable cost. You can even casually fold it up and give it to an admiring visitor before quietly replacing it later with an identical fan from a small stockpile.

• "Artisweet Picture Sensations Four-Panel Hot Coffee and Coffee Beans Waterproof Canvas Art": Rabid devotees of the marvelous seeds of tropical coffee-bean shrubs will appreciate the quadruple caffeine jolt of these lovingly photographed and framed canvas prints. Ready to help jump-start the sluggish systems of yawning morning denizens shambling into living rooms, hotel bars or just about anywhere else indoors, these four independently mountable takes on coffee power will soar to your door at reasonable cost.

• "Haitian Birds Recycled Steel Drum Art (Set of Two)": Metal semi-sculptures are de rigueur for many people, and supporting fair trade for indigenous artists has become increasingly popular among socially conscious buyers. A pair of birds in flight from their native Haiti combine recycled steel and native skills to bring durable beauty at reasonable cost to any indoor or outdoor setting. Compressed somewhat for shipping, their wings spread out easily after arrival with a little encouragement. If kept outdoors, an additional coat of clear rustproofing spray on the birds will help prevent a weathered patina from gradually developing.

• "Haitian Starfish Recycled Steel Drum Art (Set of Three)": At the risk of repeating a iron-clad theme, this wriggling trio of starfish dearly wants to bring the dance of the sea to your favorite living space. Hammered, chiseled and shaped by Haitian artists participating in a fair trade program, these steel starfish swim to your own shores from the distant village of Croix-des-Bouquets. As with the steel birds, a few nails in the wall are sufficient for mounting these marine beauties.

• "'Silver Plumage' Modern Etched Metallic Wall Panel Art": It's time now to slam into the realm of brazenly modern art that leaves you agog at its sheer presence. Sprawling over seven panels, this 68-inch by 24-inch wonder leaves no doubt as to its intentions. Specifically, it intends to dominate the room and rattle visitors with an explosion of silvery light. Appropriately named "Silver Plumage" by artist Jon Allen, this aluminum-based expression of awesomeness arrives with pre-installed brackets that levitate the artwork into pure greatness at far lower cost than an original oil painting from Vincent Van Gogh.

• "'I Want You' Uncle Sam Poster Print": Patriotic folks, history buffs and sardonic jokesters alike may enjoy this low-cost, 36-inch by 24-inch reproduction print of a famous American recruiting poster from the Second World War. Uncle Sam wants YOU to buy this poster, so you'd better snap to it before the drill sergeant slaps you with a week of kitchen duty!

• "PIY Vivid Peacock Canvas Print": The 20-inch by 30-inch size and one-inch thickness of this proudly beautiful peacock canvas print will fill up a generous measure of your lonely wall space. ECO-ink printing and a waterproof surface make it easy to lovingly wipe grime from your peacock with a lightly dampened cloth before it becomes too ruffled over being neglected. The cost of brightening your living space with a gorgeous bird that brings new meaning to the concept of brilliant blueness is low enough that you'll gladly fork over the feathers from your wallet.

• "DecorArts 'Starry Night Over The Rhône' Vincent Van Gogh Reproduction Canvas Print": Just in case you wanted to invite Vincent Van Gogh anyway for an extended visit, a lovely reproduction of one of the artist's most famous oil paintings will bring starlight and gentle night into your living space. Its bold 30-inch by 24-inch by 1.5-inch dimensions leave nothing to the imagination and everything to the eye's delight. Handcrafted and hand-stretched, this California product boasts acid-free, ultraviolet-resistant colors on a 100-percent cotton base for extended life.

The cost is quite reasonable for a museum-quality reproduction that can be passed on to your children. Needless to say, you can also pick from a profusion of other Van Gogh reproductions for the ultimate in artistic approbation.

Closing Thoughts

You're the only person who can decide which artwork best fulfills your wall-enlivening needs. Anyone who pooh-poohs your choices should instantly be wafted away with a gigantic Oriental hand fan or invited to join the U.S. Army forthwith. You should make your choices with absolutely no fear of blubbering mockery from fools or misguided advice from friends who sadly lack proper appreciation for your refined artistic tastes!

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This page about Wall Art was composed by V. Tobies and published by Alternative.me.
It was last updated on 2024-10-06 08:09:36 and has been viewed 3103 times.