I’ve always thought of art as a great holiday gift, and not given enough. It’s personal, doesn’t have to be ridiculously expensive, and it’s fun/creative. You can chip in with others and get a large piece that you know they’ll love, or a small postcard size piece perfect for their office desk. A collection of vintage postcards are a great gift for your travel/art loving friend. You can usually find a variety of options at local antique stores for a few bucks each. I even found a few from the 40’s & 50’s that have writing on the back. It’s cool to get a glimpse into someone else’s life (ya know…before blogs, facebook, twitter, Instagram, etc).
So it seemed fitting to do an art themed Etsy find Friday this week as people are working on their holiday shopping. These are a few of my favorites.
I only came across this store recently and was blown away by the detail in their designs. They sell custom water color maps! How amazing is that Paris map? LOVE. They also have prints of several of their designs that are less expensive than the water color original.
If there was only one art piece on my Christmas list this year, it would be from Native Vermont. The picture of the brown lab looks so much like my pup that it was love at first sight. I haven’t bought it yet (hint hint family and friends!), but I plan to after the new year. They have several other dog designs, as well as beautiful other pieces. I don’t know where I’d put it, but I love the fox.
I can’t explain Bold and Noble better than they can, so this is from their Etsy shop page.
“We created Bold & Noble to design beautiful artworks that don’t cost the earth, in both the financial and ecological sense. We make products that stand the test of time, by hand, in the old-fashioned way. And we believe in living. If it’s a sunny day, we’ll be out there looking for inspiration—providing all the work’s done.”
I’m specifically enamored with the foil finish limited edition pieces. Absolutely beautiful!
This gets the prize for most original. I’ve never seen this type of work done anywhere else and it’s really lovely. The calligraphy style state names are shaped like the actual state. Even better, the 8.5 x 11 prints are priced at $10, so you can purchase a few for a larger gift. You could give a pair of ‘home’ states to a Newlywed couple, or start collecting them as you visit new states during your travels. I’m thinking of doing this myself and adding them to a future photo wall.
What do you think of Art as a gift? Too personal or just right? I know it can be difficult to pick out art for someone else, but if you know their style, then I think it’s the perfect gift.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on philadelphia photo booth.
Regards