Gifts

I know this will come as a bit of a surprise to a few of you out there. But at the end of the day I am a practical girl. There are times when I am willing to let what I truly want win over practicality, but most days I make the decisions that make the most sense.

It is no secret that I love to travel. It used to be considered a luxury and was filed in the "if we have enough money leftover" category of life. Until I decided it was no longer optional. I was not happy without trips. So it became a line item in the budget instead. Who needs baseboard moulding when you can go to Florida? Twice. In six months. And Illinois, South Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and California in between the two trips to Florida.

I may never have a bedroom set, but darn it, we will travel!

Art is beginning to feel the same way to me. I love art. I love casually glancing at it as I walk by. I love studying it for a long time. I love the textures and colors and shadows. I love huge abstracts and I love detailed realistic paintings.

I am constantly falling in love with paintings. I will happily settle for reproductions. But even those, nicely framed, are too much to make a line item. But I want too. A lot.

So far, I have one print that I love. James C. Christensen is the artist. I worked stage crew during college with a guy majoring in art. When he found out I was Mormon, visited friends and family in Utah every year, and DIDN'T know about James C. Christensen, he was properly appalled. Todd fixed my ignorance in that area a year later and one of our first major purchases as a married couple was this:

(Dylan, I get it now. I don't remember your last name, but thanks for pointing me in this direction.)

Last year, at one of the heights of my art lust I called my dear friend, Janice. I LOVE her work. I would love her work even if I didn't love her. But since I love her, it means I love her work more. Anyway, I called and asked if I could buy a print from her of one her drawings. And she mailed me the original as a house warming gift! Seriously. Because she's amazing. Besides being hugely talented, she's warm and kind and loving and generous. (And I would have said that before she gave me her picture.)

I can't find an image of my picture, but check out her website to see some of the beautiful stuff she does. http://www.janicefried.com/

I'm back to my lusting and out of money for it. My favorite paintings by local artists don't have images on line for me to show you, but if anyone is dying to buy me a Christmas present this year and is flush with cash and needs a some gift ideas, here are a few that I wouldn't mind:

I can't get away with wearing it, but I do like a nice paisley. And this one is so happy! It just makes me smile.

If the little boy in this picture had brown hair, it would clearly be a picture of Benjamin when he was little. Or last week. This is how he played then and now. Everything is organized and lined up.

This one feels so very Jane Austen. As if Mr. Darcy/Edward/Mr. Knightly, etc. could come walking through the door at any moment.

Colorful and happy people by one of my town's local artists.

*sigh*" Portrait with Red Berries" is currently at the top of my list. It's just right.

What are some of your favorite works of art?