Art as a Gift ASK THE artsperts

Dear Artsperts,

Would purchasing a painting be a good gift for someone special for the holidays?

Signed,
Holiday Shopping

Dear Shopping,

“Poppy Study” by Gary Bukovnik, watercolor 14″ x 10″, 2023

Fine art is personal because it is about how the viewer relates to the images and colors in a work and the feelings the work evokes. With the unique nature of art, it does make for an excellent gift for someone special – a spouse, children, or dear friends – someone close to you, whom you know well.

In most cases, works that are purchased as a gift tend to be small works. Not only are these works less expensive, but their size makes them easier to wrap and give. Small works are also easier to receive because they can fit anywhere in the recipient’s home. There is always room for a small work!

When purchasing for children, a good choice is a 10”x 8” Hunt Slonem rabbit. These are the most popular works that are purchased as gifts for children (both young and adult). Hunt Slonem is well known for his rabbit paintings and the small 10”x 8” rabbits come in a variety of colors and techniques, such as diamond dust and metallic paint. No matter how many he has painted, each rabbit has its own unique personality. FEATURED PHOTO: “Mark” oil on wood 10″ x 8″, 2023.

With gifts for a dear friend, clients have purchased small watercolor flowers by Gary Bukovnik. A noted watercolorist, Gary Bukovnik has works in the permanent collections of many top museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian, Chicago Museum of Art, and Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. His flowers are beautiful and make for a very special gift for a dear friend.

“Laurtrec Sketch” by Reynier Llanes, coffee on paper, 9” x 11”, 2023

Reynier Llanes is a young artist who is gaining popularity and creates many small works. Each of his paintings has many layers of meaning and therefore intriguing to the viewer. He works in a variety of media, most uniquely coffee. He discovered painting by coffee by accident in Cuba when he spilled coffee on his paper. However, with coffee being more abundant and less expensive than paint in Cuba, it became a medium he mastered.

When purchasing for a spouse, there are many options for choosing a work that reminds you of your spouse. The trick is keeping it a secret from your spouse! In one case, a client purchased a work for his wife as a gift. He knew she loved the work, so it was an easy purchase. It became tricky when his wife came in to purchase the work for herself. We are normally extremely honest at Harmon-Meek Gallery, but in this scenario, we had to come up with a quick lie to keep the purchase a secret!

Each year with holiday gifts in mind, Harmon-Meek Gallery features a small works of art show. This year’s feature runs November 21 – December 30 at 382 12th Ave S.

Sincerely,

Juliana Meek and Kristine Meek

The Artsperts

599 NINTH STREET, NORTH, SUITE 309 | NAPLES, FL 34102 | 239.261.2637