Don’t leave your walls empty

PEN PLANET

Don’t leave your walls empty

“Don’t leave your walls empty” as a quote was first brought to my notice by a friend. Let us call him Kunle. I asked if I could steal the quote and he replied in the affirmative. Not only did he say it in our several meetings together over the weeks he also had a Tee Shirt made for it. In addition his walls were not empty. He is a practitioner of what he says. Every part of his walls had beautiful fine art displayed. I mean giant prints. Of course they were all for sale but that’s not why I am writing this blog post.

So why this post?

It’s to encourage you not to leave your walls empty. Find some beautiful art to fill the empty spaces on your walls whether it be your office or your home /bedroom etc.

These are on my office walls.

What are the benefits?

It makes for good talking points. Kunle and I had long conversations on what was on his walls. We talked about the paper he used for the prints, the locations he took the shots from, the idea behind the way the shots were taken etc. It’s the same thing with what I have on my wall at home and in the office. When people come in, they ask me questions about my art and love for photography. Bottom line is, you won’t have a boring time with your guests when you have some good frames on your wall.

Also, your wall can be a source of joy to you. Whether it be family time photos or some great landscapes, put what you love on your walls and every time you see them on the wall it will evoke the emotion you had when you first experienced the event(s). The picture below is that of a certain young man that I snapped at IDANRE Hills which I later converted into fine art photo. I caught myself smiling one afternoon and I asked myself why I was smiling and then I realised it was because of this frame.

I had difficulty for almost three years trying to print it in Port Harcourt but the printers never got the colors right until I went to Lagos and Hodprinthouse (just google it) finally got it right. You can also buy quality wall art from them as they have a lot Canvas/fine art related images for sale.

Find below a snapshot of what is on display at Hodprinthouse Lagos.

Put what evokes joyful memories, victories etc on your walls.

What you put on your wall will be a source of inspiration.

I recall as a young man, our sitting room was filled with family pictures. More pictures were added after family occasions like birthdays, marriages etc.

What you need to do is to line up your wall not just with your family photos but with beautiful art. Check out your Facebook or Whatapp Display Status. You put what inspired you there. Some of it reflects your feelings, emotions, where you are at in life. It maybe a Motivational quote or some Bible quote etc. Some even put something for their enemies to think about as they know its placed where the “enemy” can see it. You can even turn your company mission statement to canvas wall art.

I am an  artist so I love keeping on my walls picture of my works at home  When I am meditating or just having “I and myself” times, I look at the art on the wall. Sometimes I judge myself on the quality of the print or on the beauty and how it could have been done better. At other times I just applaud myself and make a mental note of what to frame next or correct.

Don’t leave your walls empty

What if I can’t afford it? Buy what you can afford for now but don’t leave your walls empty.

It gives you a distinct personality and pride of ownership.

When I say pride, I don’t mean it in a negative way I hope you understand. Look at your Mobile phones and computers. They come with beautiful artwork on the desktop placed their by the manufacturer. IPhone has a distinct screens aver/wallpaper on it and once you that screensaver, you immediately know this is an iPhone. The same for Samsung and other mobile phones. Once you power up your laptop be it Windows or Mac, you will see a distinct wallpaper on display. This is part of the glorious personality of the unit. Though some of us have changed what is on our desktops etc, we replace it with what suits us. This makes the phone for example fully customised to our liking and personality.

That’s what you should do to your wall in the house or the office. Put something beautiful there that speaks of your distinction and change them once in a while just as you do with your phone/computer wallpaper.

Don’t leave your walls empty.

It can become a point of sale for your business. If you are a photographer reading this piece, you have no excuse for why your walls should be empty. You should blow your own trumpet by making sure your great works are on the walls of your office/home.

Apart from the pride of craftsmanship that comes with printing and framing your finished works, people who come, may buy them off the wall. I have sold quite a few off my wall like that. Though they weren’t initially displayed for sale, but those who loved it paid me for them. From then on I started making prints for sale.

(Let me know if you are interested in buying any of my art) .

So what should I do?

I am not an expert in interior decor so may not be able to fully explain to you how you should decorate your walls. If you can afford good one, (I mean an Interior decorator) then seek their professional services and let them help you in decorating your walls. But if not then start with art works and prints you love and can afford to buy. My friends at Hodprinthouse that I mentioned earlier can be of service to you in this area if you so desire.

I however advice that if you have very large walls, go for large prints as anything small in a large space will just get “lost in space”.

Don’t leave your walls empty.

Also put your prints or art works at strategic places in your house. One popular place is by the entrance door. As soon as people enter your house this is the first thing they will see and it gives “classy personality” to your house. The living room and dining places are also strategic places for wall arts too.

Bedrooms are also good but make sure it’s what you really love. If you are decorating the rooms of your kids, make sure it’s what they can relate with and if they are teenagers, it’s best you discuss and agree with them on what should be on the wall after all it’s their room not yours.

Whatever you do, hang your wall art at the eye level of an adult. Not too high so that people will not strain their necks to look at it and not too low so that kids don’t pull it down or touch it to avoid stories that touch the heart.

When it comes to cleaning your art, be very careful so as not to damage them. Don’t just get a wet rag and start wiping away. You will/may diminish the look. Get expert advice on how to clean a wall art from your art dealer.

So what do you have on your wall. Let me know on the comments section below/show me a snapshot of maybe just one if possible . If it’s bare, you have not sinned. Different strokes, different folks. Some just like to paint their walls without putting any wall art. It’s a matter of choice. Let me have your opinion too.

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