Making a house, your home
Every year, more or less, Nathan and I buy a piece of art. We always have. Sometimes it's big, sometimes it's small, and the price has varied wildly depending on the year. But it's become one of our traditions, and honestly, I'd recommend it to anyone.
Here's why I think original art is worth it.
It makes your home yours. You can buy the same sofa, lamp and cushions as thousands of other people, and that's fine. But a handmade piece, even a small one on a shelf between your plants and your favourite mug, puts your fingerprint on a space. It turns a fairly typical corner into something nobody else has. That's not something you can pick up in a big box store.
It holds a moment. Art has a way of becoming a time capsule. A piece might remind you of a coastline you loved, a trip that stuck with you, the colours you were obsessed with that year, or the house you lived in when you bought it. Photos sit in your phone. Art sits on your wall, where you actually see it every day. We still have a painting we bought in Hamilton back in 2006, and it takes me straight back to that day, every time I walk past it.
A snippet from the very first artwork Nathan bought me, circa 2006. Artwork and artist unknown
- signed ‘R’
It's one of a kind. A print can be reproduced over and over. An original can't. When you buy one, you're the only person in the world who owns it.
It backs a real person. When you buy directly from an artist, your money goes to someone who'll put it straight back into making more work. As an artist myself, I can tell you every sale matters, and so does every share, comment and kind word.
You don't have to start big. Original art doesn't have to mean a huge canvas or a huge price tag. Small pieces are a brilliant way to start a collection, and they're easy to move around your home as your taste changes. Follow the artists you love, keep an eye out for their smaller works, and pounce when the right piece comes along.
me with ‘Jungle’ - from my Wild Fragments collection - weekly art drops released over 8 weeks leading up to Christmas.
That's exactly why I make work in all sizes, from my large hanging scrolls to small framed pieces you can tuck onto a shelf. My hope is simple: that one of them finds a spot in your home and makes it feel a little more like you.
Wild Walls, my new collection of large botanical scroll paintings, launches 26 November.
