Do you ever watch the program Love It or List It on HGTV? Well, I titled this post Love It or Leave It because you may either love this piece or you would have left it.
When I was shopping at The Liberty Antiques Festival I had glanced in a booth and spied two old paintings leaning against a table that were rather tattered, but beckoned me to look closer.
Something about this very old canvas struck a chord with me.
The painting is very dark and deteriorated, but I still loved it.
I didn't mind that it is barely hanging onto the frame.
I like that it is signed.
There was a price tag hanging off it and can you guess how much (even though some of you are probably saying I wouldn't have even looked)?
Sold.
There was another old painting of a lady next to it for $15, but the canvas was in much worse shape that this one and I decided to pass it up.
So for the painting I bought would you have Loved It or Left It?
You won't hurt my feelings if you say left it. We don't all love the same things.
Have a great week!
Have a great week!
The only thing that matters is that it spoke to you so of course you should take it. Our homes should be filled with things that speak to us. It's what makes a house a home.
ReplyDeleteI think it looks perfect in that space so even if I personally would've left it, I'm glad you loved it! :-)
ReplyDeleteI probably would have left it...for one reason, there is no way I can bring a piece into the house without hubby wanting to spend $300 to get it framed...lol Great find. I love it too :)
ReplyDeleteIt is different. As long as you love it that is all that matters. I love the vintage charm it ads to the space.
ReplyDeleteI probably would have left it too and i hate Love It or List It. they need better programs like Fixer Upper.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. The shows on HG have gotten pretty sad!!
DeleteI agree too and have never liked or really watched Love It or List It. HGTV please no more reruns:(
DeleteYep Fixer Upper is excellent!!! Love it or List it is contrived nonsense.
DeleteWell considering that I have zero pieces of art hanging in my house, (photography all the way here) I would have left it. BUT I do like it, and I think it looks great where you placed it. It fits with the vibe of that room, and I think the tatteredness of it adds to its charm. I will echo what Chris said. The important thing is that it spoke to you.
ReplyDeleteLove it! No question.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I LOVE it!!!! And I'm so glad you left it as is to use. It looks fabulous in your room, Kim.
ReplyDeleteMary Alice
I like it because it's something different that you don't see in everyone else's house. Originality gets big points with me, so I think it's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI love the old frayed look to it and it looks perfect in your home Kim.
ReplyDeleteYou know I LOVE it Kim frayed look and all!!
ReplyDeleteAs a horse lover, I definitely love it (especially with that price tag!).
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, for me this is a no brainer. I would have bought it! It has so much character and fits your decor perfectly. Great find!
ReplyDeleteFondly,
-Lisa
Honestly...love it. There is something about it that is eye catching and it looks great where you have it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with one other poster I can't stand Love it or List it :)
My son has a similar painting of his great-grandmother that I gave him. It is in a bit of rough shape, too, but we all love it. I think we should all buy pieces that speak to us.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got it. It's a really lovely piece and for the price, you could not go wrong. The dog is adorable. Glad you got it!
ReplyDeleteI love it! You definitely wont run into another. I do believe it is one of a kind. Enjoy
ReplyDeleteThe important thing is that you love it! It's not my sort of thing...but it looks great where you placed it! ;)
ReplyDeleteI love old paintings showing their age, so I would have loved it.
ReplyDeleteI love it, but something about the formality of the composition begs for a frame.
ReplyDeleteI would have snatched it up in a heartbeat! I have an old unframed oil painting of the sea and I paid quite a bit of money for it and have never framed it! I like that the little nails show on the edge but the colors are what drew me to the piece. Yours is a beautiful piece....I love the heart hung around the horses neck:o)
ReplyDelete~Des
If the painting spoke to you then that's all that matters, it was meant to come home with you and it looks perfect in the room. I love that there is so much detail in the painting that tell's a story of a time and place. By the way the painting is signed it also shows the artist was very proud of it.
ReplyDeleteI love this painting, it is very "you". It is a painting of you back in that era. When I am out antiquing and see old paintings I rarely can "see" them working for me ... however, all of the pieces of art you purchase work beautifully. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteKim,
ReplyDeleteI actually like it and I think the shape it is in gives it lots of character and history. I love that you re loved it into your home and gave it another chance at "life". Hey I think if you love something and it speaks to you then it is perfect! You never know that painting could be worth a lot of money just sayin!!!! Anyway I love it and glad you re loved it.
Kris
I would have left it, but like everyone said, if you like it then that's what matters. And quite honestly, it looks good in the space you hung it in, but I personally would not have been drawn to it.
ReplyDeleteWe may admire a gorgeous new piece/painting, but they will never cause us to stop and think. Pieces that are worn reveal a history and makes you wonder where it hung last and who may have owned it in the past. I love historical pieces! I have a quilt hanging in my entry hallway made from special occasion/wedding dresses from my family. It is extremely old and has many holes, but I love it!! It makes me feel connected to my past. Enjoy your new piece! It is gorgeous and I would have paid more for it!
ReplyDeleteHi Kim, I love it! It has a certain charm about it to me. Glad you didn't leave it.
ReplyDeleteI would have bought it, for sure. I love these old paintings with tattered canvases showing off their nail head sides. A lovely addition to your home, Kim.
ReplyDeleteI like it and would have bought it too. I wonder which City Park it is?
ReplyDeleteI love it...for 20 dollars I would of bought it to...
ReplyDeleteI like it although the painter is not that good but it has a certain primitive charm. So it goes in your space!
ReplyDeleteNanci, I like that it is a crude painting and done probably by someone who just loved to draw and paint, but wasn't a pro. I have several of these paintings now. I think that is what I like so much abut them.
DeleteLove it, if it speaks to you then you will always find a space for it.
ReplyDeleteArt is a very personal thing, so you liked it and you bought it.
ReplyDeleteI love it Kim! It's unique, one of a kind, original art. I think it's great
ReplyDeleteGREAT decision, Kim!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny what speaks to us!
ReplyDeleteI love that it is tattered and worn and you have the knack of taking something questionable and turning it into a must have.
Kim,
ReplyDeleteI like using "Horsey" and hunting dog type paintings in Fall so I think loving it was a great choice! The tattered edges just add character. I found the cutest little English setter print last week and it looks so great in my fall décor.
I like it! And what I love about it is that you didn't pay a fortune for it so if you tire of it then you can rotate it out with something else and not feel guilty. My BFF has a portrait painting of an old woman that I tease her about because it is not my favorite but she loves it! We have named her Matilda... LOL
ReplyDeleteI would have left it but the important thing is that you love it and you chose to purchase it. We all have different tastes. It is perfect in the space and I'm sure you're going to enjoy it for a long time to come.
ReplyDeletexo
Pat
I love it and I love that it speaks to you. It is unique. And btw, I don't like the show Love It or Leave It - in fact there is hardly anything left on HGTV that I watch anymore! I do like Fixer Uppers and I do like Rehab Addict, and HH International. I used to love the morning line-ups of craft and home decor shows, like Design on a Dime and Decorating Cents (my FAVORITE). I miss those shows!!!
ReplyDeleteI miss those shows as well. Wonder what's going on at HGTV.
DeleteWell, you know I love it as I tried to steal it out of your wagon that day and I've been patiently waiting for you to see it in your home.
ReplyDeleteGreat find, you're a good "digger."
Well, you know I love it as I tried to steal it out of your wagon that day and I've been patiently waiting to see it in your home.
ReplyDeleteGreat find, you're a good "digger."
I probably would have left it because it's just not me. Then again, if I knew it would look good in my BFF's home, I may have gotten it as a present for her. I have to admit, art isn't something I really put up in my house. I like to hang collections (like plates and trivets), chalkboards and things I have made myself.
ReplyDeleteThe strange thing is it is the perfect piece for that wall. I'm sure you did not know where you would hang it when you bought it, but the dark hues against the light wall really stand out and looks like it should have been there all along. Would I love it or leave it? Being an artist I would have examined it and looked at it very carefully thinking where would I hang it in my home. I think I would have left it only because I don't have that much wall space and I don't think I would have any place to hang it. I find interesting as an artist perspective, art doesn't have to be perfect. It certainly was a bargain!
ReplyDeleteI love it!! I don't like the cookie cutter look from one house to another we see way too often--and this painting is one of a kind and brings it's personality to your room. And for $20--I would definitely have brought it home with me. And I love that it is worn and a bit tattered--don't you just wonder where it lived before? Great find for your home...
ReplyDeleteLove it Kim - I bought something similar, tattered and torn and probably got wet, but I love the picture.
ReplyDeleteThat's a charming painting. I like the fact that it's really old too.
ReplyDeleteKim you have a good eye so I wouldn't doubt myself if I were you. Everything you choose always fits with your home.
ReplyDeleteIt looks great there....love it - especially since it has a cute dog...
ReplyDeleteShelley
I love it, Kim! I also love your cute new picture:-) Your haircut is adorable.
ReplyDeleteLove it! I would have bought it for sure and it goes perfect in your home.
ReplyDeleteNita@ModVintageLife
Ok, I just had to talk about that painting some more. It's got a wonderful primitive style. The city park gate is wonderful. The composition is pretty good...love the way the dog is looking up at the woman and horse. I think its quite nice. Great buy!
ReplyDeleteWho wants boring perfection? Love it, of course!!! And I love your new profile photo!
ReplyDeleteI love it! It's perfect in the room too:)
ReplyDeleteKim, I love your old "new" painting. Since I've taken a few art lessons, I have really developed an appreciation for all the hard work that goes into a piece. I have picked up a few pieces of signed art at the auction that I attend for next to nothing. I always feel like I'm rescuing the artwork.Today I found a wonderful signed oil painting from the 60s that was beautiful to me, but I had to pass on it because we've had some unexpected expenses this month. Love your piece because it has character!
ReplyDeleteIf it called out to me, I would have had to have it! In the case of this find, I would have loved it for the price, the character, the fact that it is unique, the colors.....but then I would have to spend months and months finding the right frame for it, for the right price. Probably become my life's work, and another "project". I think that It deserves a frame.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely would have loved it..and I did and as you know, I thought it said $250...not $25...you got a great deal!!!...
ReplyDeleteHi Kim,
ReplyDeleteI think your painting is beautiful and I am definitely on the 'love it' side. I like to add some time worn pieces throughout our home. I think they have a story to tell and add character and personality to a room. The wear and tear only mean that it has been loved and will hopefully continue to be.
Thanks for the inspiration,
Suzanne
Pieced Pastimes
Love it. AND Love your new photo, skinny girl. : )
ReplyDeleteWhen it speaks to me I take it! Looks like you found a good one!
ReplyDeleteI would have grabbed that in a flash Kim. I picked up a great painting of a little boy (it will be on my gallery wall) that has that same feeling. By the way have you ever tried Cotton Cleanser on old dirty oil paintings, or old dirty painted furniture for that matter. It does wonders!
ReplyDeleteNo, I have never heard of Cotton Cleanser. I figured this painting is just dark from being so old.
Deletethanks!
An item must speak to you. Evidentally this one spoke to you and that is all that matters! It doesn't speak to me but that is what makes us all unique. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteA gaited horse and a dog!!! on canvas!!! I love, love, love it. So glad that you bought. Let me know when you decide to sell.
ReplyDeletewww.kottonklenser.com
ReplyDeleteLove it!
ReplyDelete