We just love the work of designer Christopher Patrick of Christopher Patrick Interiors! That’s why we’ve brought him on to the blog to share some of his favorite art interiors with us! Check out his picks below.

As an interior designer I’m often asked to select artwork for my clients.  It’s a tough task considering that artwork can be so personal; but a challenge I’m willing to undertake.  I’m a firm believer in pairing works of art that you love with interiors that you love.  Not everything has to be matchy matchy.  Whether its traditional or contemporary, abstract or realism, photography or oil on canvas, artwork can make a space more engaging and dynamic.  I’ve chosen a few examples that explore different ways designers have added artwork to their spaces to create a cohesive look.

Victoria Hagan uses an over-scale photograph in sepia tones to compliment her tailored interior.  Anchored by a large velvet sofa, this piece of art becomes like a portal into a different world.

Jamie Drake has never been one to shy away from color, and this project is no different.  Using a collection of Gene Davis paintings to add even more color to an already bold entry hall, Drake has managed to turn an otherwise feature color into a “neutral” background color to set off the artwork.  I love the way he’s gathered this collection into two groups of three with a third group of four at the top; one more way to add drama to the space

Frank Roop added artwork in this space that compliments the interior’s overall color scheme.  The nature inspired color palette is only further enhanced by photographs of landscapes.   On such a graphic focal wall, Roop has paired out of focus photography to balance the crisp horizontal stripes.  In white frames and white matting these works of art are set apart from the colors on the wall.  It’s a perfect combination.

Sara Story has combined a graphic piece of art to compliment the bold nature of her interior.  The warm tones in the brick are repeated in the artwork which becomes a focal point over the sofa.

Don’t forget your kitchen!  I love adding artwork to kitchens, it makes them feel more like a living-room and less like a utilitarian-space.  Its a way of visually softening the space without adding tactile objects that can be ruined by the goings on in a kitchen.  Magdalena Keck has created a wonderful collage that does exactly that.  Using a monochromatic scheme as her backdrop, she softens the harshness of the space by adding visual interest in dramatic photography.

Be creative.  Jonathan Adler uses a multitude of mediums to add art to his space (and in a creative way to boot)!  Porcelain sculpture lamps add visual interest to the end tables.  Graphic pillows create a collage of color and pattern on the sofa.  Vintage glass bottles add color to an otherwise neutral space.  And the unusual placement of the paintings (in front of windows) add an unexpected twist to this space that becomes a foil to the traditionalism of the symmetrical space planning.

These rooms are incredible! Thanks for joining us today, Christopher!

There’s no better way to discover amazing interior designers than in The New York Times Home Section. When we stumbled upon UGallery art in a DUMBO residence designed by Tilton Fenwick in the paper, we fell instantly in love. As a thank you to Tilton Fenwick for using Autumn Rose in their project, we invited the Curators of Chic to curate their very own UGallery art collection. Below are three of my favorites from the collection. You can view the rest of their collection here.

Three Women by Jee Young Choi

Rock and Roll by Valerie Chiang

Molten by Alaina Sullivan

If you like what Anne Maxwell Foster and Suysel dePedro Cunningham of Tilton Fenwick selected, you are not alone. The art in this collection is creating quite the buzz in the twittersphere. Don’t let another design-savvy collector snatch the art before you!

There’s no better way to welcome spring than cherry blossoms, lovely ladies, and beautiful birds. Collete Wirz Nauke, a UGallery veteran, has been showing her nature art on UGallery for over four years now. We’ve selected her as our Artist of the Week because she has been with us for quite a while AND she is still active and prolific. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Colette has an exhibition coming up, “The Harbingers of Spring.” If you’re in Kew Gardens, New York, stop by and see her work in person. Her opening reception is April 11, 213 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at The Center at Maple Grove. Here’s a little sample of her work:

Like what you see? Check out her full portfolio here.

Every week, UGallery releases new art and welcomes new artists to the community. We love seeing what each new week will bring. Say “Hello” to Weldon Ball, Geoffrey Gersten, and Michele de la Menardiere. These are UGallery’s newest artists! Read on below to learn a little bit more about their work.

Weldon Ball. Huntingdon, Tennessee.

Forest Pond

Weldon Ball abstracts landscapes to create new, uncharted territories. By simplifying a panorama into its fundamental lines and colors, he creates new worlds to explore. With palette knife in hand, Weldon spreads thick layers of oil into dramatic and energetic compositions.

Geoffrey Gersten. Tempe, Arizona.

Mr. Lemonhead

Geoffrey Gersten is a painter who creates his palette of colors from his surroundings. Born and raised in the radiant desert of Arizona, Geoffrey infuses his surreal paintings with vibrant, saturated colors. While adhering to the techniques of the classical art masters, Geoffrey offers refreshing works that are the “genesis of creative power and original vision.”

Michele de la Menardiere. San Francisco, California.

Meditative Musings 8

Michele de la Menardiere creates her own language using texture, iridescent colors, and unique shapes. In her highly-stylized, visual language, Michele communicates the complexities of human emotion. For Michele, painting is a cathartic process that allows her to meditate on universal themes ranging from loneliness to harmony.

If you like what you saw today, let the artists know by leaving a comment on their UGallery profile page. I’m sure they’d love to hear from you.

Are you on Instagram? Are you craving some art? If so, get your cameras ready because UGallery is hosting its first hashtag contest and you could win $200 to art!

Hashtag Competition: #Loveyourwalls

Win $200 to UGallery and a consultation with an art expert by taking a photo of a room in your home in need of some art. Is there a blank space above your bed? Does your kitchen need some color? Share a photo with us and make sure to use the hashtag #loveyourwalls and #ugallery to enter.

Read More

About the Curator

Keren Veisblatt is a savvy art lover living in New York. Her blog, The Walkup, is a smorgasbord of all things art and design. She caught our eye with her “This Art = This Room” series, which is a way for Keren to pair a piece of art with a beautiful interior. She pairs jewelry and purses with interiors as well. Placing art and other objects in the context of an interior is a great exercise in creativity. Keren Veisblatt is the perfect person to kick-off our Guest Curator series because she levels the playing field of artist and designer. At UGallery, we believe that interior designers who fill their rooms with art are equally as important as the artists who make it.

Drink of choice? Something with Gin - I particularly love a Gordon’s Breakfast, Red Snapper, and other takes on Bloody Marys.

Stolen artwork of choice? I am graciously willing to accept anything from the catalogue raisonné of Kees van Dongen or Balthus.

Star Wars character of choice? I went through a phase in my life (and let me openly admit that this phase might still be happening) where Star Wars and its surrounding universes were an obsession. I have always been in love with Jawas, those hooded rodent like creatures with beady eyes who deal in the robotics trade on Tatooine. You probably know them best for crying “wootini”! Here’s a favorite quote from a wise Jawa chieftain of the Old Republic who lived during the Jedi Civil War: “Sand stays. All else changes.”―Iziz

Read More

Every Thursday, we welcome a batch of new artists and artwork to UGallery. This blog series highlights our newest artists. The pair this week reach back to their roots to give our new art a nice retro feel.

Say hello to Terence Donovan and Megan Marden. Below is a snippet of their work. If you like what you see, let them know by leaving a nice comment on their profile pages and welcoming them to UGallery!

Terence Donovan. Cold Spring, New York

Terence Donovan is a classicist. His paintings of suburban elements and symbols of capitalism are at once vintage and modern. Terence’s fascination with the intersection of nature and man is demonstrated in his meticulous and intentional marks. Mansions, old cars, and good ole landscapes turn Terence’s collection into an iconic and extensive survey of American life.

Megan Marden. Danbury, Connecticut

Megan Marden ensures her childhood memories will never become extinct with humorous renditions of plastic dinosaurs. She plays with reality through a loose interpretation of these common children’s toys. Digging up the emotions of her past, Megan paints dinos in order to ease the growing pains of getting older. She paints the most colorful and provocative objects laying in her studio in order to experiment with scale, color, and the nostalgic sentiments innate with such an ubiquitous motif.

“I already know it’s priceless, but I’m hoping I’ll get twice that.”

Watch as Stephen Colbert talks art with esteemed auction house owner Simon de Pury.

Last week - for the first time in a long time - political support swept the news. President Obama gave British Prime Minister David Cameron a red, white and blue lithograph called “Column With Speed Lines,” (above) by native Nebraskan Ed Ruscha. The official White House statement worte that Ruscha was  “one of the most influential American artists of the 20th century Pop art movement.”

David Cameron also got in on the art swap,  presenting Obama with British street artist Ben Eine’s circus fonted “Twenty First Century City.” For more on this piece and the Ben Eine, check out the video below: