Ethan Jantzer hates naked walls.
The Lakewood photographer hopes to see fewer of them after “Art for the Non-Artist,” his book of do-it-yourself projects and advice on displaying art in your home, is published. Jantzer is shopping the title around.
We asked artists like Jantzer who are participating in the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, which gets underway Friday, for advice about decorating with art. Although each has a specialized field, they agree on a few basics.
First, don’t buy a piece because it will match the rug or because you think it’s a good investment.
Buy it because you love it.
“Let the piece speak for itself, and don’t worry about how matchy-matchy” the room is, Jantzer says. “Don’t be afraid to make things a little eclectic.”
Second, whenever placing a new piece of art in the house, keep it away from direct sunlight. Otherwise, it will fade over time. If you like a piece in a gallery or at a festival but don’t know where to display it, ask the vendor for advice.
Presentation is key when hanging fine art photography, according to Jantzer. But it need not break the bank: Ready-
made frames and mats often are sufficient. The same is true for family portraits.
Another of Jantzer’s cost-saving ideas: Instead of buying new frames for each photo, look for used ones at a thrift shop, then spray-paint them all the same color. Or, crop your favorite pictures to highlight their best elements and arrange them in different sized frames and mats. You also can achieve a polished look by using black and white photos with all black or all white frames – an especially good look for hallways and bathrooms, Jantzer says.
Not all wall art needs to come from a gallery or festival. If children are in the house, take some of their paintings, drawings or crafts and frame them just as you would a photograph. Kids’ art can be hung gallery-style throughout the house or clipped to a wire on the wall of a play room.
Janine DeCresenzo favors functional art. The Philadelphia-born jewelry artist, 28, wears her work and hangs it on walls. “The person who wears it … feels connected” to it, she says.
Seeing jewelry as art is sometimes hard for people, DeCresenzo says. But bold baubles can be displayed just like oil paintings or sculpture.
A shadow box becomes the best friend of a piece of display jewelry because it protects it from dust, chemicals and oxidation. Shadow boxes can hang on a wall or set off a coffee table.
Shadow boxes look especially fetching when decorated with handmade paper. Or, jewelry can become part of a family history inside a shadow box when it’s displayed with old photos.
Ted Schaal likes to fill “the holes” in his house with sculptures. Unlike some other art forms, sculpture can blend in with its environment. It “is cool that way because you can put it on a shelf or a ledge, and it stands on its own,” says the Loveland sculptor.
The most important factor to consider when purchasing a sculpture is its construction. Make sure it isn’t too flimsy or top heavy. If you are having problems determining whether something is strong enough to stand up, don’t be afraid to touch it and move it around, or ask the artist.
Also, make sure the piece is made from quality materials.
“Someone may make a sculpture out of aluminum foil, but how long is it really going to last,” says Schaal, 39.
One final tip: Before purchasing a sculpture, measure the space you want it to fill.
“Outside, a sculpture may look small,” Schaal says. Inside, it may “dominate your home.”
Staff writer Desiree Belmarez can be reached at 303-954-1211 or dbelmarez@denverpost.com.
