so Christmas is drawing near once more
and we are left with a choice
to spead the usual crass commercialism
or
for a change
we can spread some culture instead
Art
a truly individual gift
(and no this is not a lame attempt to sell my shit ..
in case you hadn't noticed I'm not big on that side of things myself)
but
for every household of every budget
and with very little effort
there is an artist within your budget
they can be found on web sites
on twitter
hell even on face book
take a stroll to your nearest collage or university
look through Craig's list
or just type in a search
as a present Art is the gift that keeps on giving .. all year round
and just think about it ..
the thrill of the hunt...
finding just the right piece for your special some one
the satisfaction of not only presenting your loved ones with a very unique one of a kind gift but not having to worry about some bugger duplicating your idea
(unlike those 5 pairs of socks 6 sweaters and 3 ipods that you got last year)
whether its a portrait to spread the love
... a landscape for some peaceful contemplation
or something more thought provoking..
your gift of art will not only be a declaration of your appreciation but will be a talking point, a conversational piece for them for years to come.
(and they got it from you.. how cool is that)
tell your loved ones they are a one of a kind original .. just like your gift
how many gifts do you know that has so much love,care and dedication put into every stage of its creation such as an artist puts into their work?
and we've not even mentioned the warm fluffy feeling you get yourself with helping out a struggling artist
or the bragging rights you get with becoming a "patron of the arts"
galleries are fine and all well and good.. but nothing compared to talking to the artist them self
would you rather rely on some "expert" to tell you what a piece represents
(some of what they thought mine represented were so far out it was funny)
or would you rather know for sure .. straight from the horses mouth ?
(not to mention the fact buying direct from the artist not only ensures providence and correct interpretation it also ensures that a huge percentage isn't taken out by the gallery... more bang fer yer buck as it were)
so whether your budget is for $20 or for $2000 give the gift of culture this year
go out and find an artist
heres a short list to get you started