A gallery wall with a little help from my friends

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When I moved into my house a few years ago, I took a few days off, and my office closed between Christmas and New Year's. This gave me time to get unpacked, hang some curtains and shades, and even put art on the walls. But the big blank wall behind my TV was too much for me to do then, and for a year and a half, I looked at that blank wall every time I watched TV and wished I had the energy and vision to hang a gallery wall.

One reason I didn't: I got my first dog, Lucy, not quite four months into owning my house, and she kept me very busy. (She still does!) Another reason: I have so. much. art. Over the years I've accumulated prints, been gifted art by friends, and in recent years I started painting. It was wonderful to finally have enough wall space to display more art, but I also felt overwhelmed, and I didn't have a clear idea of what pieces would work well together.

Last summer I mentioned this to two of my dear friends, and they offered to come over and help me out. "Help me out" ended up meaning "doing everything while Lucy and I cheered them on and offered minimal assistance." I gathered a bunch of art for them to choose from, I suggested one or two swaps once they'd made their selections, and then I handed them Command strips and tape and nails and sat back to let them work.

My wonderful friends Margo and Mialy spent time arranging pieces on the floor in front of the wall, moving everything around to get just the right pairings and spacing. They chose a mix of framed and unframed art, and asked if they could swap frames on a couple items (absolutely!). Among other things, they included 13 (!) of my own paintings, which I hadn't really considered doing, as well as two painting by a dear friend, MJ.

They also had brilliant ideas on how to incorporate pieces from one of my favorite artists, May We Fly. I've just bought my fourth calendar from Leana, and have long thought of framing several of the calendar images to hang. I haven't made it happen yet, but my friends suggested hanging one of the calendars as part of the gallery wall, allowing me to turn the pages and let that one part of the gallery change month by month. So smart! And they loved the two hand-made and painted pansy ornaments I purchased from May We Fly and found the perfect spot to hang them.

Other things I love about their design:
- The four black frames add some continuity while also having varied sizes and widths.
- The two brown frames are very different but look great paired centrally and add depth and texture (especially the one framing the Jon Muth pandas, which is three or four inches deep).
- The way they've displayed most of my mini paintings in clusters (vertical stack of four, square of four, horizontal row of three).
- The pairing at the top left of the print from Elisha Cooper's Farm with my friend MJ's painting: two complementary skies flowing together.
- Centering the gallery over the TV, which is slightly off-center because of the couch's depth, and ensuring the gallery is fully visible above the TV.

And while Margo and I have been friends since age 5, I don't think she remembered that the walls of my bedroom (and dorm room) as a teen and in college were covered with pictures I'd cut from calendars and quotes I'd handwritten from books and poems and movies I love. The density of the gallery and the inclusion of the calendar are such a callback to how I decorated 20 years ago, and I love it.

When I told them what a wonderful job they had done, they said that my having such great art helped. (Which of course was nice to hear!) But I also think they each 1. have a great eye for this, 2. have a ton of patience, and 3. had the objectivity I lacked to pull out pieces that would go well together. (I told them they could do this professionally – let me know if you agree!)

Something I've been learning over the last few years is how important it is to practice asking for help, and taking people up on it when it's offered. I'm in what one might call a tough season, and it's a lot easier to ask for help during times like this having practiced asking for it during easier seasons, for lower stakes requests.

If you also have trouble sometimes asking for help, may I recommend asking your friends to help you hang some art? You'll have a wonderful afternoon together, and every time you look at your walls, you'll remember that your friends will be there for you in every season, if you ask (and often when you don't).

All the best,
Sarah

P.S. I cope with challenging times by starting new projects, so please visit my Etsy shop! I will be adding more items, including more of the framed botanical art that was so popular at my booth, as well as more books ( including Trixie Belden!), and just added a few of my own paintings. If you're here in Rochester, send me a message before purchasing so we can save on shipping and arrange a handoff. And if there's anything in particular you're looking for, let me know! I love shopping with a goal in mind.

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