“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso

The focus over the weekend here at Maul-Hall Tarboro has been hanging pictures. There are at least three elements to the challenge: 1) Plaster walls 2) High ceilings 3) The commitment to treat our art as a collection rather than randomly hanging pictures in empty spaces.

The other piece of the puzzle is the fact that we have quite a lot that we genuinely love, and we are determined to avoid the sin of consigning great art to the closet or – worse still – the storage shed.

So Rebekah has been studying the science of curating (organizing and displaying) art, including multi-piece arrangements that can be quite complex mathematically. Add in windows and doorframes and it’s time to pull out the old slide-rule.

She knows what she’s doing:

I am very impressed with what Rebekah has come up with, especially in the living room. Obviously we still have work to do in terms of clearing surfaces (mostly various tools), but getting this far this weekend makes me realize how close we are to actually being able to say, “We are ready for guests…” Just don’t hold your breath quite yet.

To address the plaster issue (and after reading a lot of often startlingly contradictory research) we have selected picture hangers with long, thin nails that go in at a downward angle and that are rated to support a minimum of three times the actual weight. Plus, where there is a fireplace behind the plaster, I am drilling into the masonry and adding an anchor.

Color, scale, genre, mood:

Then, and again this is a mixture of aesthetics and mathematics, the collage effect has helped a lot with the issue of height.

Also, we are trying to group the works in ways that would not only make sense in a gallery but also in terms of interior decorating. Color, scale, genre, mood.

Mostly, though, we are hanging art in a way that speaks to us. The vibrancy and social commentary of pop-culture expressionist Peter Max, the compelling colors of expressionist Emile Bellet, the intense and romantic tones of post-impressionist Itzchak Tarkay, the depth of detail in a Rembrandt etching, the emotion inhabiting an engraving by Dali, the profound simplicity of Haitian master Philomé Obin, the authenticity and freedom of expression in a Naomi Campbell or the evocative Florida landscapes painted by Jordan Alexander Bennett.

This house has been beautiful since well before we introduced any furniture or personal items. But now it is more than just a lovely house it is becoming our home, and hanging these pictures is a huge part of what it means to be us.

But it sure is a process! Day by day; one picture – then one wall and one room at a time. We completed the window coverings Friday evening, and now we are well on the way to getting the art in place too.

Just another ten days until our first guests roll in. At this rate, we may just be ready in time. It absolutely could happen. Regardless, we are very pleased with all the progress. I promise to keep you all in the loop with the occasional post.

In the meanwhile, enjoy this beautiful Monday, and a week full with unexpected blessings – DEREK