Do you have that young man in your life that you find it simply impossible to shop for? The gifts for that artistic signifcant other or relative are always difficult. Here are some general rules in shopping for your creative man. 1. Always be original; the artist thrives on creativity and originality and is not going to be satisfied with a typical gift picked up at the mall. 2. Always buy high quality; again your artist is not going appreciate mass produced gifts of low quality material-think fabric, wood, metal or glass. 3. The older the better; some of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten came from thrift stores, garage sales or antique shops. Even homemade crafts or stuff from the garbage can make a great gift (don’t laugh, if you live in a city the garbage can be a real score)-if you know your artist and you choose carefully. Here is a list of gift ideas for the artist in your life. Happy hunting!
1. Books-If you don’t trust your judgment in choosing a gift you can never go wrong with books. A gift certificate for a chain like Barnes and Noble is a no brainer. Your artist can pick out whatever they want for their growing library. For the more ambitious gift giver you can try a first addition of their favorite book or even an autographed copy-you can pick up either on ebay.
2. Anything Ikea-Almost all young people love Ikea. The store itself can be an adventure on a day when you have nothing better to do. There are literally thousands of fantastic low cost gifts to be found at an Ikea outlet. Ikea sells furniture items that are not reasonably priced at most other furniture stores such as entertainment centers and wardrobes. Once again a gift certificate to Ikea is a quick and easy gift that the artist in your life will definitely thank you for.
3. Asian Lamps-Young people in America have developed a fascination with Asian culture, cuisine, furnishing and architecture. The popularity of Asian lettering in tattoos, stickers and decorations, the incredible popularity of sushi and its implements as well as Asian teas all underscore how much people have come to love various trappings of Asian culture. Asian cultures have made great use of paper in furniture in many different ways. The origin of paper’s popularity stems from the frequency of earthquakes in Asia which has historically created a need for a substance in building and decorating that is easy to replace. Asian paper lamps are elegant, beautiful and inexpensive. They come in colors, shapes and sizes that are prohibitive in any other material. Pearl River Market on Broadway in lower Manhattan has a fantastic selection of hanging and free standing lamps of all different colors and sizes.
4. Stationary-Other paper goods that are perfect for any young artist are various high quality stationary goods. Parchment and vellum have always been elegant and popular alternatives for regular white paper. Hand bound parchment journals are a great stationary idea as they are luxurious and have a classical feel to them which is perfect as a medium for the young artist to express their innermost thoughts and ideas. Writing parchment is another cool idea for letter writing, poetry writing or sketching. Many stationary stores also have fantastic varieties of antique writing pens and inks which go hand in hand with your stationary gift.
5. For a more modern gift a good idea is a new speaker set. With the modern conversion from stereos to i-pods, laptops and personal computers playing music, the gift of a powerful and crystal clear speaker set is a great way for any young person to play their favorite electronic media. The Bose Sound Dock marries the revolutionary sound of Bose speaker systems with the easing docking convenience of an i-pod creating an instant powerful stereo system that also harnesses the memory capacity of the i-pod. The sound dock is fairly expensive but there are many highly powerful alternatives available at lower prices. The JBL Monster speaker system offers a powerful bass producing subwoofer and tiny yet potent satellite speakers that can be plugged into any PC, laptop, i-pod or stereo system.
6. Another great electronic gift idea is a digital camera. Digital camera’s are revolutionizing the way people think about photography. Digital photographs allow people to see and keep or erase what they photograph while still on location, which allows people to take perfect photographs. Memory cards and electronic storage on computers also allows people to take far more pictures than they used to and share them with friends and family almost instantly. Digital cameras are becoming more and more inexpensive. Photoprinters are also becomming less expensive. This is a perfect gift for your visually inclined artist.
7. Messenger Bag-Messenger bags have become extremely fashionable in recent years as a slim and fashionable alternative to bulky back packs or formal brief cases. Messenger bags come in all different materials at different prices. Recently my own girlfriend bought me a gorgeous black leather bag made by coach which is perfect for my job as a tutor of high school and college students. You can pickup a messenger bag in most men’s fashion stores or a more unique bag in an antique shop or high fashion boutiques.
8. Record player-Vinyl records are unique in the history of modern technology. Rarely have people clung so nostalgically to a technically obsolete technological medium. After a brief period when their manufacture was discontinuned following the debut of the CD, record companies have resumed producing vinyls on a limited basis. In addition vintage record shops and ebay do a strong business in selling old records. Many people claim that records sound better than CDs. I do find that records of music that has been digitally remastered since the advent of CDs often sound fuller on vinyl. A record player can be acquired at most record shops. In addition many electronics manufacturers produce high-tech turntables and wooden reproductions of antique record players.
9. Retro clothing-In keeping with the retro theme, most young artists at some point or another develop a strong love for retro clothing. During the late 90’s the popular retro clothes were 70’s style bell bottoms and jeans. In recent years 80’s clothes have come back into vogue. The most recent craze has been army clothing of different varieties. Of course choosing clothes for people is often difficult so only buy something for your young artist if you’re really sure. Some great ideas are vintage watches, belts, cufflinks or shoes. With these items its easier to choose something that is perfect for the personality and wardrobe of the recipient not to mention the fact that is much easier to get the size right.
10. Retro furniture-One last retro suggestion is antique and retro furniture. Again this suggestion requires you to really know the person to whom you’re giving your gift. Yard sales, antique shops and thrift stores are a great way to get a hold of some really cool antique furniture. Some people like Depression glass, others Art Deco furniture and fixtures. For as long as I can remember I have always wanted a 70’s era pod chair-like the one you can see in Dazed and Confused. Always keep your eyes peeled for cool tables, chairs, lamps, clocks or mirrors. Recently antique wood frame windows have enjoyed popularity as picture frames or decorations in their own right. Be careful in your retro shopping though, you can become addicted yourself.
