An art/living space theme seems to be developing lately, so why not continue it this evening?

When I got home from work today, I had a sudden inspiration to hang pictures that have been leaning against our walls for weeks. This is par for the course, as I tend to live with bare walls for months before I reach a breaking point and rush to hang pictures everywhere. Right now I'm waiting for my husband to come home and admonish me for not measuring to make sure everything is evenly spaced.  I was just too excited!

Centered on the wall or not, it makes a lot of sense to populate your living space with your art work and images that inspire you. I once had a drawing professor who, aside from making my life miserable, gave some pretty good advice: hang your work up on the wall – even (especially) if it's unfinished – and live with it for a couple weeks before revisiting it. Seeing a piece from varying distances, in varying lights, and in a setting that's not your studio/work space can open your eyes to aspects you may never have seen otherwise. Seeing your own images “displayed” alongside postcards/prints of work you deeply admire can also teach you a lot.

Now, there are some occasions when putting stuff away for an extended time is necessary to the creative process.  Take those year-old photos I just dug out, for example.  Overall, though, hanging your art up not only gives you bonus decorating points when company comes over, it allows you to evaluate it on a longer term than “this is done, let's stow it and begin the next project."

While photos usually require less process than drawings or paintings, that makes it easier to put them out of sight and out of mind. If you've got framed work, hang it up! As soon as I get some cash together for prints, I'm going to hang up as many raw pictures as I can. Like a good song, you should notice something different, new, and intriguing about a photograph as you look at it more often. And how better to get to know your photos than hanging them in the hallway?

Do you agree, or are you put off by the idea of living and breathing your art work to the point where it nags at you while you're brushing your teeth? How do you evaluate your images and make sure you're giving them enough face time?