Owning Original Art

an original painting by Jeff Sparks residing happily in Mallory’s abode

Having lived in many places across the country and the world, I often collected art prints from those places. Our walls were not filled with cookie-cutter "Hobby Lobby" paintings, but with my own photography, and those prints we'd carefully chosen. I've always loved art and being surrounded by it, but I thought owning an original piece wouldn't feel much different from owning prints. How different could it really be? And honestly, why pay so much more for an original when you could buy a print of the same piece for far less?

So, I was very surprised by my reaction when I ended up with an original painting from a White Elephant exchange last Christmas. This was my first-ever original piece of art. Small and unassuming, measuring only 5 x 5 inches, I placed it on a side table and expected it to be a pleasant addition. And it was. But it was more than that. Over the next few days, I realized that every time I entered the room, my eyes would be drawn to that exact location where it stood. 

I began to feel as if it had a life of its own. The painting seemed to change as the day progressed; the lighting created different hues and shadows across the canvas, highlighting various textures in the paint. I began to pick out details and intricacies that I hadn't noticed at first.

And I started to wonder. "Why had the artist chosen that color and not this other shade? Why had he chosen this particular scene in the first place? And what was this shape in the corner? Which color did he start with, blue or orange? And how did he create that stroke with the paintbrush? How did he make it appear like the snow had iced in places?" And it made me wonder about the world around me, "Wow, I guess when you look at snow in different lights, it does look blue or purple at times. I had never noticed that…” 

Original art produces awe and wonder. It evokes emotions and prompts questions. 

A print doesn't affect you in the same way. It doesn't change with the light nor reveal the layers and textures that give an original its depth and character. You cannot see the intricacies of brush strokes. A print doesn't breathe the same life into a room.

With original art, the artist has spent time with that piece. They made intentional choices of color and placement and the application of paint to the canvas. Their imagination and emotions, struggles, and regrets are captured on the canvas. It is an exposing, vulnerable process, which makes that work of art that much more of a gift and that much more valuable. It has not been mass produced but created at the hands and expense of another…and it is the only one of its kind. 

So….I was wrong. I was absolutely wrong. Original art is a completely and utterly different experience: an experience that I am truly delighted to have been given, and an experience that I will happily continue to seek out for myself and my family going forward. During this last Harrison Center First Friday event, I made my first art purchase and am eager to see the kind of life this particular piece brings to our home. I no longer see original art as an “extra” but something I want to weave into the fabric of my own life.