Let us continue in our holiday gift giving extravaganza, shall we? I like to give gifts that are special- something that the person will treasure or enjoy or get a giggle out of- but unfortunately I don’t have the checking account to back up the oodles of cashmere and Williams Sonoma goodies I’d like to bestow on my friends and loved ones. This means that I’m left to my own devices, and I’ve found that a great gift is often artwork….artwork you say?

 I’m not talking about Picasso sketches you buy at auction, or cheap posters from college dorm-wall-poster sales. I’m talking about meaningful artwork that shows someone you really know them.

My first suggestion in the realm of artwork (because lets be honest- everyone has a different view on what is artistic or tasteful or lovely) is for the city-lover in your life that enjoys representing their home town/college town/new home: Ork Neighborhood Posters.  This is not for the floral type or your Grandmother, but it is for someone who has an attachment to one of these cities. I’ve seen both framed posters and lithographs of these Ork prints, and they are lovely. They come in a variety of colors and they are a total conversation piece in a house or office. At some point I’m hoping to get B The Great Lakes image for his office as he is an avid sailor on the Great Lakes:

They also come in a variety of sizes & price points, depending on what you want to spend and the look you are going for- the collector might want a numbered screen print, but for someone who moves a lot, the regular framed poster might be a better investment.

My other artwork idea is a bit more do-it-yourself, so if you like this idea I’d suggest you start now. Basically I suggest you scour E-bay (or something similar) and come up with a piece of paper with an image on that means something to the person you are giving the gift to…suggestions include:

• vintage atlas pages depicting a home town/college town/study abroad country (for your friend, sibling, significant other who has since moved)
• vintage medical anatomy drawings of the heart/brain/leg, etc (for a doctor or physical therapist or nurse that you are shopping for)
• vintage postcards depicting where you went on your honeymoon (for your spouse)
• vintage photos of a college sports team/football stadium/main quad (for your college roommate or freshman sibling)

After you find the image you want, bid for  it on eBay, hope you win & then get it framed as soon as you get it in the mail. For my first Christmas with B, I won an auction of vintage atlas pages (circa 1800′s) of his hometown for less than $5.00 total. They are now two lovely pieces of artwork that mean a lot to him- and that I was able to give him even on our strict gift-budget.

Happy hunting..and framing!!