How’s everyone doing?
I know that this is a day late. But, there was a lot of research involved in this post.
As it was started on St. Patrick’s Day, I did acknowledge that I wasn’t saying “happy.”
Not that it shouldn’t be happy. No matter what, we all have much to be grateful for.
But, we are now in the era of “social distancing.” And, all of the bars in New York City are closed. On St. Patty’s Day? Also, the legendary St. Patrick’s Day Parade was “postponed.” I don’t know why they can’t just say canceled this year. Denial, perhaps?
However, the joke (irony, actually) is on us babyboomers.
For years, we’ve been lamenting our millennial offspring and their propensity to communicate mainly via text on their mobile devices instead of face to face. And, all the while, we’re shaking our heads at how anti-social they are. Right?
It turns out; we’re idiots. The young ‘uns have the right idea.
After all, we are now to stand no closer than six feet away from each other.
Sure. No problem.
Do you notice a familiar little face in the crowd? ;] Yes, this is one reason why the post is late. Haha. And, yes, I have more than once been caught up at rush hour on a densely packed subway platform in New York City.
You know, I don’t recall getting sick after riding the subway. It may have happened, but the grocery store is my nemesis. So, we need to be extra careful there.
Of course, many businesses, restaurants, theaters, etc. Any place where 50 or more people might be gathering is closed in New York City. Or, maybe it’s ten now? There’s been talk of pretty much-shutting everything down. It is inconceivable.
I know that we’re all wondering how long this is going to last?
Probably, it’s a lot like being pregnant. You just have to take it one day at a time knowing full well that one day you will not be sharing your body with an eight-pound hyperactive gerbil trying to kick his way out of your abdomen.
However, life might never be the same.
We may always need to be mindful.
Everyone will develop OCD and become chronic germaphobes.
Hell, I imagine that even our way of dressing will change.
Photo – Imaxtree – fashion week – Maison Margiela fall collection – 2018
Yes, in eery foreshadowing, this is from two years ago.
I’m calling it “hazmat chic.”
Okay, this was not supposed to be another post about the V.
(note, I just found out from my ad network, that saying those 2 V keywords lessens our ad revenue; not the number of ads; only the amount they pay. However, since my goal is to milk as much ad $ from the advertisers as possible, ;] let’s try not to say c___v___s or c___-19. :]
Forgive all of this chit-chat, if you’re not into reading about it here. I promise that we will get to the free art. (Plus, lots of great information, too!)
However, the situation has now become like visiting a sci-fi flick.
Only this isn’t sci-fi. And, it’s not going to be over in two hours.
The very uncertainty of it all is unnerving enough.
And, that is aside from the genuine threat to our collective health and well-being.
But, I fear that it may come to pass that the least of our problems, is the V.
My feeling is that the best hope of our lives getting back to a more normal state is to fast-track a vaccine. And, OMG, a few hours after I wrote that, I just happened to see this article in the New York Times, about that very thing happening with an aggressive company in Washington.
Okay, I know that most of you didn’t come here to read my thoughts about what’s going on. However, also, to what I hope is helpful interior design info, I want this to be our place of solace.
And, if that means talking about what’s going on. Then, I want you to feel free to do that.
All I can say is that with the new #socialdistancing, thank God we have the internet, blogs, and social media. At least we have a great way to stay connected and informed.
The other thing is, please tell me what else you need to know more about, especially now. How can this blog be the best help for you?
And, please, when I say that, I don’t mean what color to paint your kitchen cabinets to go with orange granite and a pink and blue backsplash.
For now, I am surmising that more than ever, you dear ones want to know how to make your homes beautiful. And, given that the economy is on the verge of collapse; as cheaply as possible. That is, without it looking cheap.
One of my favorite topics is art walls.
There are numerous other posts written on the topic of art and art gallery walls.
I’ve even touched on low-cost art in a previous post. (and some of it is also free) Plus, there are some premade art-wall templates in this post.
Still, doing a gallery art wall, totally for free, is not going to be easy. However, getting the art for free, or almost free has become increasingly easy to do.
The only real expense is the frames.
Okay, let’s jump in and begin to explore the free art and where to get it.
Of course, one way to get free art is to paint it. Well, yes, that isn’t free. You would still need to purchase paper or canvas, paint, and brushes, etc. But, this might be a good time to learn that skill if you have the interest.
But, assuming you don’t want to learn or do that, there are lots of other ways to get free art.
One of my favorite sources for free photos and images of paintings is Unsplash.
Unsplash is known for its beautiful, copyright-free high res imagery. You can see some posts where I’ve used photos from Unsplash here.
Lake Albano And Castel Gandolfo, 1800 From the studio of Richard Wilson
If you love classical paintings, you can find some exquisite pieces on Unsplash at the Birmingham Trust section. There are many gorgeous art pieces you may choose. And, these are all part of the public domain to do with, as you please.
Often, however, I feel that the image needs some editing.
Frequently, the photos need some brightening as if there’s a light shining on it. That does take some practice. But, I love bringing an image to life.
For instance, this is the original of the image above. See how it’s a little too dark and it’s difficult to make out the details? You want to make your free art look as vibrant and beautiful as possible.
Above is another watercolor image, I created. The above photo is the edited version.
One thing to note, however, is how the printed image appears once it’s created.
I advise on doing a test image with your printing service—more about printing in a sec. The reason to do the test is what you see on your computer may be vastly different from what you end up receiving in the printed version.
You may need to correct by subduing the image; not making it brighter.
See, you ARE making art!
Skelwith Force, Westmorland, 1800-1820 by Robert Hills via Unsplash
The other thing, I often have to do, is color-correction.
For instance, in the photo image above is color-corrected. Below is how the original photo looks.
Very important. When you download, be sure to choose the highest resolution available.
(note: This is for print. For the web, the res may be much lower, and it’ll still look great.)
Here, you can see when you click to download the image; it’ll ask you what size file you wish to save the image. The image’s original and largest size is 3291 x 3999. So, for printing, that is the one I use. FYI, for my blog, using the medium size is sufficient. Sometimes, I do save it at a larger size and then reduce it.
I also have a plug-in that compresses the image files. Image compression is critical for bloggers who use a lot of images. The reason why is large files of photos can take a long while to download. And, then your reader has to wait for your site to come up. A slow website is a big problem for Mr. Google. He is going to passive-aggressively cyber-flog you for doing that.
Laurel, how large can you make an image in print so that it looks good? Is there a formula?
Good question! Yes, there is.
But, it’s a little complicated to explain the whole thing with resolution, pixels, pixels per inch, etc. However, this guy does an excellent job.
Though, all you do to get the sharpest resolution is to change the dpi from 72 to 300 dpi (dots per inch) if it isn’t already. And then, you change the setting from pixels to inches. (please see the article for more about that)
Of course, you can also download photographs that are not of paintings. There are zillions of them. And, so beautiful on Unsplash!
But, another thing you can do is turn a photo into a watercolor.
There is a terrific blog post on Remodelholic that explains how they turned this photo into a watercolor.
Then, they demonstrate how to turn their digital watercolor into a large, beautiful piece of wall art.
Above, a digital watercolor I created with the Sketcher app for MacBook.
Frankly, I would have no problem sitting here ALL day turning photographs into watercolors. haha
Remember my Downton Abbey color palette series? I used Sketcher to create all of those images as well.
Here’s one more, just because it’s so much fun!
Above is a photo from the San Francisco post. Can’t believe I was there just two weeks ago. If it were this week, the trip wouldn’t have happened.
Of course, you can use photoshop or some other program that your device uses. I believe that there are many more apps on i-pad. But, I use my MacBook for everything.
Let’s look at some other great sources for free art (or almost free)
Their collection is huuuuuuuuge! And, it will require a lot of research, but it can all be done online. One thing here. You may need to download the tiff files, which are also huuuuuuuge. I am not an expert about printing. But, their jpeg files are not large enough for your free art print.
In fact, the printing of free art is a separate topic. Of course, the printing is not free. But, below are some sources to explore, in terms of printing. They should point you in the right direction.
Wikihow – Printing Digital Art
There are some excellent suggestions on this Flickr forum discussing printing art.
In addition, these two youtube videos have a wealth of information.
Okay, that should give you a good overview of how and where to get your digital art printed.
Before I go on with more great sources for free art, I’ve been thinking…
First of all, how blessed I am that I have this internet business.
I’ve had the interior business and made it through two massive recessions.
However, the one in ’08-’09 nearly killed me. But, I realized then that the internet had taken hold and that it was the new frontier and the key to making at least a partial living.
At the time, I had no idea how to do that. But, I also knew that if I became incapacitated and could no longer work as an interior designer or if there was another disastrous downturn, I’d be screwed.
My point is that I found a way out. And, I was thinking about how many millions are looking to find another way to make a living. One, they have more control over.
There’s no quick fix. But, maybe you could start an internet business too?
Maybe some of you could even sell digital art? Maybe start an Etsy shop?
However, you should always have your website.
Of course, I think that everyone who wants to use a website to get more business should have my website/blogging guide.
As a gift, I include for today, a webinar I did the summer after the guide came out in 2018.
There is a wealth of information that you don’t know you don’t know.
And, it’s all told in non-geek-speak. Or, else, it’s explained in plain English. If I only had this guide eight years ago, I’d have not lost so many months not going anywhere. And, I wouldn’t have left so much money ON the table instead of in my pocket.
I want everyone to prosper!
Okay, back to more excellent sources for free art.
And, please know this is not a completely exhaustive list. I could probably come up with 100 sources. Oh, BTW, I know that some of you will link to your. Please try to avoid more than one or two links in your post. The reason is that it makes more work for me.
One of my bestest sources for free art is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Huuuuuuge, gorgeous collection.
One of the best sources of public domain – free art and super high res, usually is the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Forest Stream ca. 1660 Jacob van Ruisdael Dutch – Metropolitan Museum, NYC
The Reverend John Brodhead Romeyn ca. 1817–20 Samuel Lovett Waldo – Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met museum’s images are usually shot already in 300 dpi. Quite handsome, this man is. I’m pretty sure I saw him on Bumble the other day. ;]
Another source for the Met Museum is archive.org
The Museum of Fine Art (MFA) in Boston is another fabulous source for free art
The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit
John Singer Sargent (American, 1856–1925) 1882
Yeah, you could have a Sargent for free. How does that sound?
Now, I have been to the MFA, which is an exquisite museum. Please note and also other places, that while their art is free and you can put it on a blog to discuss its merits. Or, you could make a copy of it to put it in your home. However, you cannot have a company put it on a t-shirt and sell it. Or, of course, the same goes for a print that you might want to sell.
So, please read all of the terms and conditions before doing something unlawful.
One thing about this painting is that it is life-size and therefore, my favorite word of the day— huuuuuge! (87 3/8″ x 87 5/8″) You will not be able to get a high-res image that large. Furthermore, except for a company that prints things like billboards, it would be difficult to acquire.
One other thing is that I believe there is a way to blow up an image without losing resolution.
And, yes, I found the software that helps you create a high res file when you don’t have the file size to support it! I don’t know anything about this program. But, it sounds like it is possible to blow up your images to be very large. As for printing, the image, that is another issue. But, the thought of having
Alright, those are the free sources of art; again, just a few. There are dozens, if not hundreds more. If you go to this post and read the comments, you’ll also find some others there. Some, however, are not free. One of those is the New York Public Library. From what I can tell, there is a cost per print.
Okay, I was going to continue and talk about some more sources that aren’t free but are some great sources for terrific downloadable digital art.
please pin to your Pinterest boards for reference
So, I think I will do another post where I talk about these sources, and I’ll add the framing info to that post.
As always, I encourage all to support local artists, if possible.
And, of course, if you enjoy hunting for art and other home furnishings, you can also go to flea markets and estate sales, etc.
Please know that I love you all; together, we will get through this crisis. It’ll be something we’ll be talking about for the rest of our lives. We’re making history. Hopefully, it will be kind to us.
xo,
PS: Please check out the newly updated HOT SALES!
Please also consider purchasing my new 333 Hard to Find Rules & Tips You Need to Know Guide. It’s only $49.00 (for the time being) and over 200 pages filled with my best advice.!*** (please note this is a PDF file that gets downloaded to your computer.)***
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45 Responses
Wow – you’re posts are a refuge in these trying times. I would love more beautiful design eye candy. Beauty is a welcome distraction and you are such a good curator of beautiful things!
Thank you too, Brenda!
Dear Laurel –
I would send you my Banana Cream Pie if I knew your address. My kids will attest it’s second only to my World Famous Coconut Cream Pie (officially so, since my daughter married a guy from overseas. but I digress.)
Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge on your blog. I found you on New Year’s Day, when I decided our living room needed a refresh after (gulp) 15 years, and “oh, what about those hotel curtains on truncated rods?” A quick Google later, and there you were.
I purchased your 333 Hard To Find Decorating Rules & Tips You Need To Know – boy did I need to know! The refresh is coming along, with a custom 139″ curtain rod on order. Your guidance, from your 12 Step Plan to gallery wall art instructions to lamp dimensions have transformed our living room into a seriously beautiful space.
But I was thinking last week, the living room flows into the dining room, which looks a little blah … Is there any way that I can find those gorgeous prints on Ben Pentreath’s Old Parsonage dining room walls? I searched, no luck.
And then I was furloughed.
And now here’s your blog post! I can’t believe it! Sources for FREE high res art files! Just when I need FREE!
I so enjoy your blog, and the lovely community of people that add their own creative voices in the Comment section. Thank you for keeping it real – and for adding so much beauty to this world.
Oh wow! Thanks for making my day, Kate, even before it’s started! haha.
Hello Laurel and my fellow LB Devotees,
I have 2 thoughts for blogs while we are stuck inside.
How about we discuss things we did right when we built/remodeled our homes and things we would do over if we could.
The second idea takes us outdoors. We could share landscaping insights and success or failure stories.
Laurel, this and so many other topics that you have covered on your blog are so wonderful, informational and good. Thank you. I feel as if Ive got a friend that also happens to be an Interior Designer. I look forward to reading you as often as I can now that I’ve found you.
But, I am currently involved with a half cross country move of ginormous stuff, from Texas to Alabama. Bought another home and gettjng the one in texas ready to sell. Thank you so much for all of your painting advice.
You did ask what we would like to see covered in the sometime future. My request would be how to incorporate some really not so valuable or especially wonderful antique and almost antique furnishings in a mid-century home that isn’t strictly an antique paradise nor am able to replace with anything.
Just where you have found ways to incorporate antiques (eg:old ladys homes) into something that looks right combimed with some traditional furnishings.
I’m looking forward to seeing and reading what you have to say if you decide this would be a topic that you want to cover.
Thanks
Dawn
Mary, you can get wonderful high-res Audubon bird prints here: https://www.audubon.org/birds-of-america
Thank you, Laurel! Yes we are using this time to keep on with some house projects. Painting my boys’ room Jack Pine right now… I love it with the wood trim! I’ll be using some of these art ideas. I wonder if I can get Audubon prints this way… the boys want an “animal room.”
You asked for ideas. Can you talk about bedding? We have a duvet but no duvet cover or decorative pillows at present, and I have no idea what I even like. Most things I see for sale look granny or cheap or just too much froo froo if you know what I mean. My husband especially dislikes tons of pillows. His parents apparently had 11 pillows on the bed and he has deep childhood wounds from this fact. But there has to be some middle ground between that and purely functional. For when I feel ok making non-essential purchases again.
Well what the heck is he thinking? Silly man. Is he seeing someone else or just cold feet? Either way, it served as great practice for when the right one comes along! ❤️
Thank you, Ellie. That is so sweet of you! But, I am the one who broke it off in early January. Of course, I can’t go into any details as to what was going on that prompted that decision. However, I truly wish only the best for him and hope he’s happy. And yes, I’m waiting eagerly for the right one to show up.
Hi Laurel. May I please use your platform to ask all your followers who are parents and grandparents to convince their Young relatives to stay away from March Break beach locales such as Ft Lauderdale, even though the state governor is refusing to close public beaches. Also, there are 19 Seniors facilities in Florida with you know what. The community spread from both these aspects will be horrendous in the next 2 weeks. Young people are also well represented in the stats of positive cases.
I agree wholeheartedly with your message. Thank you, Marg.
Dear Ramona,
So sorry to hear of your poor health! God has a plan for all of us. Today, I believe he put your post in front of me to remind me how much I should be thankful everyday. We can all find good in each day if we just look. So glad Laurelś post gave you joy. I have only been following her for a short while but I am addicted! Keep the faith and keep following Laurel, so fun!
I’m so grateful for your blog; it is a bright spot in my day! Thank you for the wonderful resources for free art. I have an empty wall in my guest room that needs some art, and I think I’ll use one of these resources. I also appreciate that you are not ignoring these crazy times, and that you “give us permission” to talk about it. Bless you, Laurel, for being a light and creating light for us in dark times!
Yes, I think it’s healthy to talk. And, I’m not one to sweep things under the rug– even when they are unsavory. This thing came out of left field. It was like a lot of things– over “there.” Until, suddenly, it wasn’t just over “there,” but over here, too. And, even though we can’t see it, it’s exceedingly dangerous. Of course, we’re scared. There’s so much we don’t know. But, I’m heartened to hear that things are much better in China now.
Laurel,
I look forward to everyone of your posts! I hope you truly realize how much you mean to all of us. You are a beautiful person inside and out. What happened with the bf happened so you are free when the right one arrives.
Stay safe and well
Best always,
Pam
Your kindness means so much to me, Pamela!
I love art! My Dad was an artist and I have so many of his prints and sculptures all around our house. My kids love to do art too (they’re little, so of course they do). I looked at the sketcher app (I use an Apple myself), but there are multiple ones – do you recommend a certain Sketcher app? I know my kids and I could have a lot of fun transforming some of their art into watercolors or pencil sketches. The skies the limit!
Hi Katie,
My version is 1.4.1. This is a link for the app I found on the Apple Website.
Love your blog, Laurel! Never fails to entertain, educate and lift my spirits.
Thought I’d share my favorite source of inexpensive original art: consignment shops and antique malls. I have bought really gorgeous oils, watercolors and signed prints, some for under $20. Framed. Can’t beat it!
Thanks for helping to keep us sane in this crazy time and KEEP OUT OF THE CROWDS! (I’m in healthcare, so you’re scaring me with your subway photo)
Thanks, Mary. That was photoshopped, you know. I’m not going anywhere near the subway at this time.
Thank you for being here and generously bringing us valuable info with your unique entertaining style!
I never tire of seeing beautiful rooms and I love how you deconstruct them and point out what was done right. That is something that is missing from looking at other sites— your insight! We are blessed to have you!
Stay safe and healthy!
If you think you saw the Reverend Romeyn recently, he must be an ancestor of Justin Trudeau, almost an exact duplicate. Romeyn’s original name could have been Romaine, which might indicate Italian heritage at some point before it became French, but the Canadian Prime Minister looks like his doppelgänger. Love these posts, you do work very hard at them.
Thank you for what you do. I look so forward to your posts like I do a good book. And by the way…HIS LOSE
Laurel,
Regarding the bf. The loss is truly his! Hoping for another that will truly appreciate you for the great woman you are.
Wishing you the best, Carrie
Thank you, Carrie. I remain steadfastly in faith.
Such a great painting of Skelwith Force with the Pikes in the background — I’ve just downloaded the high-res version. It captures the atmosphere of the Lakes on a bad day!
As always, cheap or free art involves a stash of charity-shop frames and a bit of work finding things on the internet. I recommend the British Museum and the Rijksmuseum for free images, plus of course the sources of botanicals that I’ve mentioned in earlier posts.
And as for the, er, other subject: if you want properly scientific commentary and occasional advice from a retired public health official in the UK (who is scathing about what’s happening there), I recommend the blog EUReferendum dot com.
Thanks so much Gilly!
Thank you Laurel! The digital watercolors are beautiful. I always enjoy looking at the beautiful rooms you post, such good escapism. I would love some more posts that focus on designers and dissect their work and what makes their rooms really sing. Also as most can’t afford to do every room in their homes all at once, things can get a bit eclectic. Good thing l love that look. Would love to learn more about how to keep it looking creative, while still maintaining some flow from room to room.
Thanks for the suggestions Tammy!
Hi Laurel. First 🙁 about the BF. I’ve been wondering. Cyber hug. I work in seniors’ housing and things are tough right now. No cases, but bracing for the wave and hoping it doesn’t hit too hard. Thanks for being there to keep us focused on beauty and community. Addicted2decorating turned me onto an amazing site. The Biodiversity Heritage Library. One could spend a year in their flicker account. Great pastime while social distancing. If only I could actually choose something and not just surf my life away. Stay well
Thanks for the recommendation and kind words, Gail. I need to check that out.
Laurel, I copied the link from Chrome into Safari and it worked! Thank you!
oh phew! Thanks for letting me know.
Interesting post but I couldn’t see the free webinar you mentioned – it said I needed approved when I got into Youtube.
Hi Kristy,
Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t know why that would be happening.
There’s no password. It is unlisted, meaning that if one does a search for it, it won’t come up. But, anyone with the link, it should work. I just put in the link, directly from the post, incognito and it worked on the two browsers I don’t usually use. If anyone else is having an issue, I’m having a meeting with my developer tomorrow and I’ll ask him about it.
What a wonderful, heart-filling post in this time of uncertainty. Thank you, Laurel Bern! You asked for ideas: I would like to know which counter materials are truly the easiest to keep clean and sanitary. And which are least likely to stain. I am also interested in long term care. Styles come and go, but most of have to live with our countertop decisions for a very long time. It would also be helpful to know how we can “sanitize” what we have now without damaging the surface. Thanks!
Those are some great ideas. Thank you, Gail
Dear Laurel,
Thank you for thinking of ways to keep us entertained.
I am looking forward to the framing post.
As far as the thing which cannot be named. I am in the wrong demographic, both age and
immunocompromised although not so old or so compromised.
I’m in self isolation most of the past three years because of a flare in my underlying condition which left me too exhausted to leave my bed. As one of the nationally recognized doctors treating my disease said this week: our cohort know how to live in isolation.
But watching everything out there come unglued is far from healing for us.
Having time to take my laptop to bed with me allowed me to find your site, so you have already helped me tremendously by sending me beauty and training my eye up.
Thanks for the permission to post this sort of comment.
Everyone stay positive but follow recommendations!!!
I’m so sorry to hear of your struggles Ramona. {{{hugs}}}
Oh. My. Gosh. This post about free art sources is a treasure and I am so excited to try out printing my own art. We just moved into a 1905 four square home and I have been on the hunt for era appropriate art. Thank you Laurel!
I don’t read your postings enough…this was a fabulous read. I am looking forward to
re-readng it during the next few days (or months!) in my spare time. I could use a water color right now to cheer me up! Thank you very much for the information. Stay safe, check on your neighbors and stay connected.
Thanks for another great and informative post!
As for what else that I would like to see on the blog, I want to know about the boyfriend? 😉
Thanks, Ellie
About the BF… well, this should explain.
Laurel, thank you so much for your comments about our current state of being in the US. It is much appreciated and I love learning about transforming digital art into water colors! Love love it! Stay safe and well!