Over a Glass of Cristal Puffy and Minotaur Chat

I was pretty proud of myself when I bought my first piece of real art at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit a couple years ago - it was by a local artist called Louis Cohen and yes, featured both Puffy (or, if you like, Puff Daddy, P.Diddy, or Sean Coombs) and icon of Greek mythology, the Minotaur. And they were drinking champagne together in the piece - Cristal to be precise. How very clever.

I couldn't resist and despite the fact that maybe the piece will eventually date itself (assuming that Puffy perhaps doesn't have the cultural staying power as the Minataur - or maybe he does, only time will tell), I still love the piece - it makes me laugh and still generates conversation for all of those who use our washroom where it is displayed above the toilet (sorry Louis).

But now that Archer is here, I don't have the luxury or the financial wherewithal to source out art for myself. Or do I?

Although the weekend is almost over, if you have time, try and hit this year's Toronto Art Exhibit while you can. And of course, bring your little art lover - we had great fun yesterday (ok, it looked like Archer was sleeping most of the time but I could tell he was contemplating art in the modern world). There is art for all price points and tastes.

Since I'm still working on Archer's nursery, I was particularly drawn to the art of KuKuCaJu by Judy Anderson and Camilla Willings. Take a look at the cool sock puppet art featured above - their stuff is very retro and *extremely affordable. I didn't see anything over $100 and most pieces were around the $50. If you can't make it out to the show this weekend, check out their website at http://www.kukucaju.etsy.com

If you're not in the Toronto area, keep an eye open for your own outdoor art fairs where because you can buy from the artists directly, you can usually get a deal. Also, look out for student artists in particular.

I bought this piece - "I Know You're Strong" - a couple years ago for under $50 from a student artist and framed it with a $20 ikea frame. I sorta thought about putting this in Archer's room to inspire him on a daily basis but I've decided that it would more likely put undue pressure on him. Because we all can't be strong all the time - especially when you're as little and cute as Archer.