BARE NAKED WALLS

Are you suffering from bare naked walls? You’ve been looking at the same walls for years and years believing they’re just fine. They don’t need dressing. It’s an artistic endeavor you shy away from because you don’t believe you have the talent to put it all together.

Don’t underestimate your creativity in this matter. Putting together an artistic office display is a matter of basics.

Recently I worked with Congressman Rob Wittman’s Fredericksburg office to create such a display. Their office didn’t lack in creativity; they wanted to update their look and knew they wanted local works of the Fredericksburg area. The start of the project was generated through a third party, so the scope wasn’t entirely clear. I put together a portfolio of local shots I took in the area, and while viewed well, and some chosen for the display, the office was interested in local buildings and landmarks. I put together second portfolio for review and we hit the mark.

So how do you dress those naked walls? It’s really quite simple.

START WITH A THEME

Working with Congressman Wittman’s office, their theme was Fredericksburg’s historic district. We put together some local landmarks including City Hall, the Circuit Court steeple, St. George’s Episcopal Church and a view of the city from Chatham Heights. The display also included local bits of the community itself: the horse and carriage ride that tours downtown, a cannon from the Fredericksburg National Cemetery, a sign along Charles Street. It is Fredericksburg to those who know Fredericksburg and it is a representation of the city for those new to the area.

FIND A PHOTO THAT INTERESTS YOU AND BUILD AROUND IT

There are nine galleries on the Studio website. If one particular photo catches your attention, take that photo and find others that compliment the image either through theme, color or design. Or go completely eclectic and create a menagerie of images.

FIND SOMETHING THAT INDENTFIES YOUR PERSONALITY

Say you’re a Civil War buff. Select photos that represent the local battlefields. Presenting a personal interest to a client may open a link to a similar interest and break the ice. Or, it may just make your environment a bit more comforting to work in.

THE JOY OF COLOR; OR NOT

Many offices walls are bland; tan or white and often faded from years of neglect. This isn’t your fault. You have little control over what your landlord allows. Find photos with color and display them around the office to enliven the atmosphere. You’d be surprised what a little color can do to enrich the look of your surroundings. You can even create a theme based solely on color.

Another option to color would be a black and white or a tinted theme. Lack of color sets an atmosphere that often takes the viewer into another world. Lack of color can create an emotional display that may play into your business standards.

Once you start thinking about dressing your walls, the process takes on its own life. Variety not only comes from the photo itself, it’s further highlighted by size, frame and mat choices. The possibilities are endless. Open up your creativity and you’ll find the perfect solution for the bare naked walls of your business or office.

Kerri Williams owns and operates Magpi Studios, a creative studio specializing in photography, graphic design and fine art to meet your businesses marketing needs.

Magpi Studios offers an affordable alternative to purchasing art through ArtLease. With ArtLease, you make the decisions on the art with the guidance of Magpi Studios, all while working within your budget. You also have the option to change the art within the terms of your lease and experiment with different images or update your look. Learn more about ArtLease and the possibilities of creating an inviting environment for your clients, your staff and yourself.

HISTORY IN THE 'BURG

I've spent the past month tromping around the battlefields of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania. It's not the first time I've been to these historic sites. I've hiked the trails of Wilderness Battlefield, been to Chatham Heights many times (the view of Fredericksburg is breathtaking), tripped out to Slaughter Pen Farm and walked the fields, and I've taken to the hills of Marye's Heights and the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. In those days I wasn't always shooting.

But it came to my attention how important this area is to those who've spent their lives here. I'm not Virginia home grown. I'm Pennsylvania home grown and lived close enough to Gettysburg to understand the importance of its history. I've also visited Gettysburg on occasion and felt the deep loss of those who fought there. While touring the battlefields of our area, again, I felt that loss.

It becomes highly apparent when visiting such sites as the Confederate Cemetery in Spotsylvania and the Fredericksburg National Cemetery at Marye's Heights. All the stones; all the losses. The ones that always tug at my heart are the Unknown grave markers.

Unknown Confederate Soldier at Spotsylvania Confederate Cemetery

To see the number of those markers astounds me. I think of family who never knew. I think of comrades who weren't there to identify the loss.

But there's so much more to this history than the loss of life. There are elements of the war that stand to remind us. The cannons at Chancellorsville; Ellwood (part of the Battle of Wilderness and Spotsylvania Courthouse); Chatham Manor at Chatham Heights; and the Angel of Marye's Heights at Marye's Heights.

Cannon at Chancellorsville Battlefield

Ellwood

A scene of Generals Gouverneur K. Warren's headquarters at Ellwood

General Andrew Humphreys
Fredericksburg National Cemetery

 

Angel of Marye's Heights

This last one, the Angel of Marye's Heights tells a compassionate story of Richard Kirkland, a confederate soldier who aided wounded Union soldiers on the battlefield.

While these icons of history serve as a reminder of our bloody past, their images serve an artistic view of that past.

While working with the showcase for Congressman Wittman's office, it occurred to me how important these images are and how they serve our community, as well as preserve our past. It created a different view in my mind of the importance of our area; reminders of who fought and why they fought; sacrifices made; the joining of our country. The Civil War, known as one of the bloodiest and deadliest wars of our time, represents so much to so many and it's important to keep that history alive - as a remembrance; as a reminder; as a memorial to those who sacrificed their lives.

House by Fredericksburg National Cemetery

Statue at Chatham Manor

All photos are available through ArtLease.