Recycled furniture:  Chair:  Cottage by the Sea, full and detail by Tammy Vitale, Tam’s Originals

Do you match your art to your coordinated house colors?  Um, did you know that the phrase:  "It doesn’t match my couch" is one of the most crazy-making an artist can hear?

What we’d rather hear is:  "I love this so much that I’d buy all new furniture if I have to just to have it!"  In fact, I sold one table and later became friends with the owner (great story – it was just chance) and discovered that in fact she did buy furniture to match the table when she redecorated!

The point is that art should speak to your soul, not your couch’s coordinated colors.  There’s a great little tag, eclectic, that covers art not matching couches.

All that being said, I have discovered that if I display my art in groupings, it helps clients see the possibilities of the new story being created between them, their living space and this or these pieces of art.

To that end, when displaying the above chair, which is vibrant and would look wonderful on a cottage porch, but might scare some folks not used to such a bold statement, I would pair it with Greta’s Heart to the right or Mermaid and Shells to the left because both pieces share the Twilight Blue glaze with the chair.  The choice of one or the other of these pieces to pair with the chair would create distinct energy patterns as well as quite different sensibilities with reference to the art; however, all together they create a space that one can enter to enjoy something new.

I’ve only just belatedly learned this.  You would think that as a visual person, the first thing I would think of is how to display my art in groupings.  But no.  I don’t think that way when buying my own art.  I think:  "OMG!  Love it!  Must have it NOW!" then proceed to find a place for (and a way to pay for) it once it’s home.  My art does not match my couch.  But then my couch doesn’t match much of anything either!

Storypeople to the left and and artwork by Lyn Striegel of ArtWorks at 7th Gallery in North Beach, MD on the right.

The couch is its own work of art being 26 years old and recovered to fit my fancy.

What I have only just now started to do is to think in terms of clusters of work when creating for sales.  I still do single pieces, like these two new masks: Faun on the left top and Out of Africa on the left bottom.

But more and more lately, I am not only thinking in clusters of work, I am hanging in clusters of work.  This works well in that is creates mini-shows that kind of travel together from one show to another.  Since I have to renew work regularly in my two galleries, and semi-regularly in other places that represent me, having "packaged" shows to go makes things works better.

For instance, I have two shows opening tomorrow: one weekend show at AnnMarie Gardens in Solomons, MD and one at Heron’s Way Gallery in Leonardtown MD.  I have written before that the original intent was to move work from the Bronze Door Day Spa show to Heron’s Way, but Bronze Door decided to let me hang a while longer and I wasn’t going to let that opportunity get away from me so I built the Heron’s show around a table (right) .

I already had some work drying and had time to put together a few more pieces and began to build a show around the chair, Shangri-la (lower right) because I really liked its colors.  I wound up creating the torso, Zen, the shield, Zen Garden, and a tiled stool which isn’t ready yet and not named.  The shield, Petroglyph, also goes with the grouping.  These all will hang at AnnMarie Garden this weekend and then go to ArtWorks at 7th Gallery for the big anniversary sale (10% off the whole gallery!).

Such is the life of an artist.  Didn’t know you had to be a juggler, too, did you? If you’d like to see more of my work, visit Tam’s Originals.  Tam’s Originals serves as my portfolio and a lot of what’s there has already been sold – but if you like what you see, feel free to ask….and hey, I know, I know.  It’s scary to ask about art – how much does it cost?  Will I like it?  So here’s a mini-price schedule.  Torsos average $350.  Shields average $200 – $250.  Chairs and the table you see here average $135 – $165.  The designer tiles you will see on the website are $30-$35 and the word tiles are $15.  Totems run $50 – $125 depending on size.  Enjoy!  And don’t forget to follow your heART!