Art Appreciation

Now that summer has passed, and #ProjectA has wrapped, I finally have some spare time to catch up a few things I've been putting off around the condo. Two weekends ago I recovered the dining room chairs in a golden yellow velvet. This past weekend I was onto a new project: art for the master bedroom. I've been in this condo 23 months, and the walls of the master were bare until this past Sunday.
 

As most of you know, since I mention it frequently, budget is a consideration when I make decor choices. In this instance I splurged a little bit up front, and saved on the other end. Here's the story: I follow designer Christian Siriano on Twitter, and he quite often tweets a "sketch of the day". One day I followed the accompanying link down the rabbit hole, where I discovered "Violet Flowing", a limited edition Christian Siriano sketch. As art goes, $35 unsigned is quite affordable (signed prints are $89), and I knew the sketch would be perfect to hang by my bedside table, so I placed an order.

I'm sure it goes without saying that the 8" x 10" sketch print arrived unframed, so the next step was to find an affordable frame that would enhance the art and suit my bedroom decor. Basically, it had to be a gold frame. I looked at Michael's and Ikea, but it was slim pickin'. I thought I might have better luck at the thrift store, and I was right - I picked up a frame for the sketch at Goodwill and added a new pre-cut mat from Michael's. All in, the framing for this piece set me back $8.72.

The only catch was that while searching for a frame at the Goodwill, I fell for another piece of art, an abstract with lots purple and mauve and swirls of gold. I paired the $6 newly discovered masterpiece with a $10 frame and now it resides above the opposite bedside table.

What I find most interesting is how different these two pieces are, and yet I find beauty in both of them. Where will you find your next piece of art?