Affordable Art on Etsy

Yesterday I had typed this entire blog and was in the middle of copying something when my computer froze up and I lost the entire blog post. I was so frustrated, I had to step away and here I am again today trying to duplicate what I had almost completed Saturday.

I spent yesterday morning on Etsy looking for some art for my downstairs bathroom.  It has burgundy color walls with white wainscoting with maroon and white vintage tile.  I was looking for a sizeable painting or unique print for one wall, however, I wanted a beach theme.  As I was looking for something to match my bathroom, I came across some fun art that I thought might interest those that live near the beach or simply enjoy the ocean.

For those of you who don’t know about Etsy, it’s the Ebay for creative and talented individuals.  They carry art work, handmade jewelry and pottery, handbags, vintage items, etc.  You have to be patient because it doesn’t let you view 50 or 100 items per page and for me this can be frustrating.  However, don’t let that deter you from shopping.  It’s a great place to find a unique gift.  Here’s some of the fun things I found yesterday.

Black Baroque has fabulous art (see below).  She has long collected vintage books like most women collect shoes.  She uses antique illustrations from one book, with an antique page from another book to create unique works of art.  What I love about her site is she shows you how the art would look in a room setting.  I have taken a few examples to show you below.  She has all types of subjects such as:  shells, flowers, peacocks, elephants, food, etc.  Whatever, your fancy is, she has it.  I love these for a single picture, groupings of three, four, six, etc.  My favorite, the peacock below.

 

 

Cassia Beck is from Brighton, U.K. (see below) who enjoys all things vintage.  She takes her camera everywhere and enjoys flaws and blurs in her work.  She believes these imperfections create the atmosphere behind her photos.  She also has a blog http://cassiab.blogspot.com/  with incrediable photos.  What I love the most about her work is the soft color palette, which tends to be my personal style.  The four pictures below are postcards.  I love all of them, but especially the row of garages or buildings.  I use postcards often as art.  I buy an oversized mat and frame so the picture/postcard really pops and stands out.  These four would look great in a group setting.

 

These are four separate pictures that I put together from her collection.  I envision these in a little girls room. 

Magic Marking Art (see below) is an artist and mom of two teenagers.  She is also a teacher of art as well out of her home studio.  She paints mostly on canvas but also on wood.  Take a look at her wood paintings in her shop Magic Marking Art.  They are unique and would make a great display on a table or leaning against a wall.  These two below were the ones I was considering for my bathroom.  I prefer the top one because of it’s softer color palette.  If I end up buying it, I will take a picture and show you how it looks in the bathroom.

 

For those of you who like beach and surf scenes, I love the ones below.  They would look great as a series or individually.

 

 

These bicycles (see below) caught my attention by Den 10 Studio.  See what she says about her work.  I think this about sums up how I felt about this picture.

“I am creating art prints that I define as “art for the youthful spirit.” Art that inspires a fresh and optimistic attitude, and reminds us to savor the things that make us happy. There is something about the simplicity of an object that reminds us of a moment in time that we enjoyed. This art was created with those moments in mind...the little moments that refresh the soul.”

Living at the beach we are pleasantly reminded of the feeling of being a kid.  In Manhattan Beach people ride all types of bikes ~ sometimes colorful, sometimes rusty, sometimes double, people with dogs in baskets, kids in tow, but everyone is smiling and the best part ~ it’s all ages.  It’s that blissful feeling of riding along the strand with the wind in your face makes you feel like a kid.  Like Den 10 Studio says, “it’s refreshing the soul”. 

Bragging Bags can customize these photos (see below) to say whatever you want.  If your a guy (likely they are not reading this) ~ what a great way to propose. Girls pass on to your brothers or guy friends.  OMG!  Wouldn’t this make the most romantic proposal if it said, “Will you marry me?”  There are so many great gift ideas that you could do with these photos.  It’s the perfect gift for Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Wedding, anniversary or use as a save the date for a wedding or simply let someone know your thinking of them.  If your looking for a creative gift, this is it!

 

I spotted these and I had to post them for my New England friends.  Laura Trevey's lobster and crab’s are perfect for that beach house in New England.  Plus, it makes me miss Maine lobster and crabbing as a kid.  How cute would these be framed in a living room or a kitchen.

You know I love to show you all my great Bargains. I’ve been looking for reasonable vintage beach paintings on Ebay and Etsy.  Here’s a cute little picture (I use cute little a lot) I scored on Ebay a few weeks ago for $17.00 including shipping. It was a vintage signed oil painting that was so charming, I had to have it.  It’s only about 8” x 5”, but it’s darling.   Most of the ones I tend to gravitate towards are not in my price range, but just like a flea market occasionally you come across a great bargain.

Hope you find what your looking for!