The Art of Thrift for Thrifty Art

I'm a firm believer that everything I need, and desire will come to me in it's time exactly when it should, so I'm usually pretty patient when it comes to things entering my life. Everything I've ever needed has somehow come. I'm in no rush usually, and I almost prefer it have some dust on it. I'm certainly not the kind of girl who has to have everything sparkle. If I find something that speaks to me in my travels, but it needs a little TLC, I'm never afraid to take it home with me, and provide it the care it so desperately deserves. I enjoy what I call, "My misfits". 

That's what's happened in the case of this piece of art pictured above. I found this beautiful watercolor (lovingly inscribed from a student to his teacher on the back) about six years ago at some thrift store or another.

It was framed, but really cheaply, so I brought it home and removed the artwork. It then sat on a shelf for almost two more years. Yes, it took that long for it to come together. It was at that point I was perusing the clearance shelf at Joann Etc. and found a 16 x 20" white matte clearanced for $4.00. SOLD!! I came home and attached the artwork to the matte. There again, it sat in the same place on the shelf, looking moderatly more appealing.

Well yesterday while at work, almost a year later, I wandered down a hallway, and there in a garbage can across from a lab being renovated, is a very expensive black frame! Now I've been on the search for a frame like this at every thrift and garage sale I've gone to and could find nothing black this size and quality, but there it was, in the garbage! It was missing a screw and the glass, but I didn't let that deter me. I had spare screws at home, and the plexiglass I could cut myself when i got around to it. It was the exact size I needed, 16 x 20", and just a little sad with a few knicked edges. It all came together with a new screw in the frame, and some black sharpie therapy on the knicks. It looks amazing!

Once it was hung, VOILA, thrifted art that looks amazing for less than $6.00. It should do very nicely until I find a Renoir at some random estate sale. (Laugh) Well, you never know, right?

HAPPY THRIFTING!