Ask Sarah

If you got stranded on a desert island and could only have one piece of art, what would it be?

I have a watercolor by my youngest daughter on the mirror in my bedroom. That would be my desert island choice without a question. Sentimentality wins out every time! 

What do you like best about working with artists?

I feel honored to have relationships with artists that allow me to see how their personhood and life experience gets translated into their work. It’s a mysterious process and these relationships have deepened my love of beauty in a really profound way.

What is unique about the service that Seattle Art Source offers?

We are a nimble operation and can adapt according to what our clients need. I love the side by side process of what we do for most people; it’s really a walk through the art buying process together. From that first conversation to the final framing and installation, we take the mystery and running around off our clients’ plate. That being said, I also ADORE my designers who come back over and over again with a succinct list of what they need. Knowing that we can be a resource for those final touches is really gratifying.

What is your favorite thing about doing what you do?

The people! I am super relational and can talk to clients all day long about their projects. I also LOVE the connection with the artists (who are my clients as well) and getting to ride tandem alongside their creative endeavors.

How do you decide what artists to add to your roster?

When I start working with an artist, I always view it as a long-term relationship in the making. I am careful about the time and investment that it takes to bring a new name to the collection, promote their work and help them reach a larger client base than they could on their own. The art itself has to bring something new and fresh to the table and the artist needs to be a good fit philosophically.

People ask: “Should the art on my walls match my color scheme?”, or “Should I buy art to match my couch?”

A special thanks to this month’s guest contributor – artist Sharon Habib. You can find Sharon’s work here, or on the Seattle Art Source gallery page.

My answer to that has always been….buy the art that you love. Chances are if you’ve furnished your home with things you love, they all fit together anyway. Of course one can enhance the look and feel of a room with an art piece that fits the color palette – there’s no hard and fast rule. But one shouldn’t NOT buy a piece because the colors don’t match. 

Is there a correct way to hang a painting above my sofa?

There are a couple rules of thumb to keep in mind when putting art above a sofa or other piece of furniture. Best practices suggest a 6″-10″ space between the top of your sofa (think: where the highest part of the back cushions hit) and the bottom of the art. And, you don’t want to art to extend beyond the width of your furniture item. Nestling your art around 2/3 to 3/4 the width of the furniture object below it creates a pleasing sense of proportion.

How do I know what type of art I like?

Growing a palette for art is just like developing a taste for anything else wonderful in life. It takes exposure and thought. How do you know what kind of coffee you like? Probably because you drink it every day and over time you have come to appreciate certain qualities about specific varietals. It’s not that any specific region of coffee bean is inherently better, it’s more that your palette has come to value particular traits over others. If you want to know what art you like, take regular “tastes” until you start to see a common thread in what draws your eye in. Thoughtfully partake and your palette will grow and deepen.

To frame, or not to frame

Short Answer: Frame It!

Even a simple off-the-shelf frame can elevate an inexpensive piece of art. But framing can do so much more, offering your art structure, protection and giving a visual delineation – the right frame helps your art piece really ‘pop’ off its mounting wall.

We love our framers and our art is better for it!  

What is your opinion on hanging art in bathrooms?

Answer: DO IT! We spend a lot of time in our bathrooms and they deserve an art moment just as much as any other room.

Something to keep in mind: lots of humidity is not kind to works on paper. Avoid hanging anything under glass in a high-traffic bathroom.

What tips do you have for deciding on the right size art piece for a given space?

A couple of things to keep in mind when deciding on the right size of art for a space are:

1) The relationship to furnishings. Generally, we don’t want our art to extend beyond the boundaries of our furnishings so that the furniture helps anchor the art.

2) The approach. A large, open surrounding space or long approach lends itself to larger pieces, while smaller makes sense if we are walking by the art in close proximity.

The list could go on, but these are two good starting rules of thumb. 

Which artist, living or not, would you most want to have dinner with and why? 

I started buying (nay, collecting) children’s books way before I ever had children of my own. I love the intersection of storytelling and illustration and it’s a good thing because any parent will tell you that you get to read the dang things 1 million times over their lifespan. Two of my favorites would be A.A. Milne (especially his poetry) and Mo Willems. I would have dinner, tea, beer anytime with either of these gentlemen (Call me, Mo! 🙂 )

This is your chance to ask us anything you want! Submit a question via email (hello@seattleartsource.com) or IG (@seattleartsource) and we may feature it here!