The Antiques of the Artist

It would be quite accurate to say that I am an art groupie. I absolutely adore art, artists, art studios, all things art really. Over the last couple years I've been inadvertently building a collection of antiques related to artists. I say inadvertently because at no point did I decide "hmm, I want to collect art antiques". More that I just bought what I loved, and realized a couple days ago that there was a certain theme to it all. Here are a handful of my favorite pieces from my collection as well as a few that I missed out on. Happy Wednesday! It's sunny and bitterly cold here in Connecticut today.

This c.1900 union banner is quite possibly my favorite thing that I own. I remember the day a picker brought it in the shop about two years ago. It took six months of campaigning and begging to get my boss to sell it to me at a price I could afford. It's one of those things that makes me smile every single time I look at it. 

A close up of the detail at the bottom

And it says, "Union label; The Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators, and Paperhangers. 

I pined for this late 19th century painters trade sign that was in a friend's booth at the 2013 Wayside Antiques Show.

But I did buy this quirky c.1940s trade sign at the July 2013 Brimfield. When my workshop is complete, it will hang in there with a few of my other trade signs. 

I purchased this great set of mid-19th century sketches two years ago at the flea market. 

They're fascinating and exquisite. Look at the adorable feet!

This antique painter's palette was so beautiful, but also crazy expensive. 

But I did snag this adorable one off Etsy last winter. I like to hang it by the Painter's Union Banner in the guest room. 

Another of my very favorite pieces. I found this mid 20th century art correspondence book
at an antique shop in Maine last winter. 

It's jam packed with amazing things. 

The gal taking the course was actually quite good. All the notes are from the instructor. I love how the combination of notes, sketches, photos, and painting creates a whole new multi media art piece. There are about seven fully blown pages like this in the book. Someday I want to get all of them framed and hung on the wall. 

but for now I just flip through the book on occasion and enjoy it.

I love this one.

Look at all that beautiful handwriting too.

An of course I also have a big group of antique art that I love. I selected these pieces to show you because they also relate to the artist process, not just the end result. This piece was done by a young lady
 around 1910 as part of a lady's art club. 

And Mona Lisa was clearly an art student project. I like how the student gave up before finishing the hands. I can just picture him getting all the way through to that point and then saying, "The hell with this!"

And this is a naive late 19th century student piece. It hangs over the reading nook in the master bedroom.
It reminds me of the Shire. :)