You're all the things I've got to remember...

I'm a major proponent of having a varied mix of art in the home. In some cases I think it really comes down to a good balance of bold graphics and original pieces. Maybe it's the graphic designer in me, but I always gravitate towards interesting posters. But then I have to mix them up with paintings and other abstract patterns. Accident and Artifact and the Lost Art Salon are two of my favorite places to find original art, while the Renegade Craft Fair recently brought Seattle Show Posters and the Poster List back to town for a weekend. (I picked up a couple of great typography-based prints!)

The best part about original art--particularly sketches--is how much they seem to convey a snapshot in time. I think they're like photographs, but done by hand. They have an immediacy and looseness that captures a particular moment in time. Even when they're presented as gifts or purchased somewhere, you'll always attach a memory to it. I'll never forget seeing a collection of Don Barchardy's drawings in London years ago. They were all the same size (24 x 36 ish), and there were dozens of them. You could imagine them being presented to their famous sitters/subjects after Don was done.

One of my own prized possessions is a little midcentury sketch that was given to me as a wedding gift. It hangs in my bedroom and I always think about how/when it was created and the people involved.

I've sold my own sketches to clients before (they're a good 15 years old, which kind of makes them vintage ;) and I also recently gave two away as gifts. It felt good to give something that I had made myself:

So go out there and make your own art, or find something similar. I think organic pieces with high contrast can really balance out all the photos, posters, and other art in your space. If nothing else, you'll have a great story to tell your friends and visitors.