Artist in her studio.
They say when you get married you also marry your spouse’s family. Well, how lucky am I to have not only gained more people to love, but to have also benefited from their talent and smarts? Take my wonderfully skilled Mom-in-law, Roseann Munger, who not only has the command of a pen as a fantastic writer, she is also a masterful colorist, with a unique abandon and passion for creating richly pigmented oil paintings. As a decor nerd and future art collector, I immediately appreciate the value Roseann’s paintings bring to a space, especially when there is an emotional connection to the piece. As a songwriter, I’ve been fascinated by her process of starting with a blank canvas and what inspires her to choose the hues and shadings that bring the subject matter to life.
“Mostly, the colors I use are determined by the subject matter in many of my paintings. Since many of them are depictions of dancers, or “People in Motion”, as described on my website mungerart.com , the colors are reflective of their costumes and of the stage world in general – sometimes showing the effects of colored stage lighting, as in ‘Flamenco Flame’.” She also adds, “It might surprise you to know that nearly all of the colors in my paintings are mixed from a base of only six colors on my palette, plus white. When I ‘create’ a color, I feel like a Mad Scientist!” Recently featured in Tucson Lifestyle Home & Garden, Roseann’s fervent splashes of color, like in the “Silk Kimono” study below, is quite evident of an artist who paints from the truest part of herself.
Silk Kimono-study, by Roseann Munger, mungerart.com
As a former and successful real estate broker and a kindred decor enthusiast, Roseann has great taste in design and offered some fantastic tips on ways and where to hang meaningful paintings. “A unique way to hang a painting is on a mirror.” Regarding the image below, she goes on to explain, “The hook was already professionally installed in the bar mirror when we purchased the house, but one might be able to use one of those sticky-type picture hooks
Painting mounted onto bar mirror.
Image on bar mirror-“Flamenco Flame”, by Roseann Munger, mungerart.com
Art can complement our home’s natural architecture, and Roseann, who displays various sized paintings throughout her house agrees, “[With regards to] paintings displayed alongside a stairway, I have found that displaying them in a similar stair step manner works well. With this method, if I can, I try to pick medium to small paintings that have either color or framing (all black or all gold, for example) in common. ‘Lady in Black’ is displayed on a tall narrow wall, which conforms nicely with the shape of the painting itself. I placed a plant on a plant stand underneath it to fill the wall space underneath the painting and to add a contrasting color.” In addition to the plant’s pop of green that sets off the painting’s vivid red, I especially love the thrown shadow of the leaves that seems to mimic the ruffles of the dancer’s skirt. Wow.
“Lady in Black” on wall.
“Lady in Black” by Roseann Munger, mungerart.com
“Personally, I think that a person should pick a painting because he or she loves it…not “to match a sofa”. Placement of that painting is probably the most important part of adorning a home with art. Small paintings can either be grouped together with other small paintings to create a larger impression, or they can be put in a smaller, but still important area in a space. We, of course, display a lot of my own creations in our home. However, we also collect the works of other artists, whose style and subject matter can be very different. I try to group together those paintings that have some commonality, such as subject matter or color scheme – at least when I can. Otherwise, just think of nature: colors, both strong and muted, are thrown together in a happy hodgepodge. Just try to balance them out and enjoy them. And, if you can, provide appropriate lighting to illuminate them.”
“La Princesa” and “Fire and Ice” flank the credenza and mirror.
“La Princesa”, by Roseann Munger, mungerart.com
To purchase specially selected and sized prints by Roseann Munger, visit our HomeJelly Sweet Shop!
Photography courtesy of Roseann Munger.
