My Own Art Story: Making Space for Art in Everyday Life
For Kirsty, collecting art isn’t about status or investment – it’s about connection, joy and making creativity part of the everyday. Over the past seven years, she has built a deeply personal collection through Own Art, transforming her home into a vibrant reflection of the artists she admires and the beauty she surrounds herself with.
Kirsty has always loved arts and crafts, a passion she inherited from her mum, whom she describes as incredibly creative with a wonderful sense of style. Growing up in a working-class northern family, her mum’s artistic sensibilities were considered unusual, but they instilled in Kirsty a deep appreciation for creativity and beauty that shaped her aspiration to be “a collector of beautiful objects”.
Image above: Kirsty beside a painting by Carol Douglas
A regular gallery-goer, the emotional impact of being surrounded by art never gets old for Kirsty, describing the experience as something that “can transport you to another world, even take your breath away”. Whether it’s a painting, a ceramic piece, jewellery, or homeware, encountering a beautiful object brings her instant happiness. She is particularly drawn to craft-based artists and those with a folk-art aesthetic, finding endless inspiration in the creativity and skill of the makers whose work fills her home. Collecting these pieces allows Kirsty not only to express her own style but also to support the artists she so deeply admires.
Although she can’t recall her very first purchase through Own Art, Kirsty shared that for the past seven years she has “continuously had an Own Art on the go”. The scheme has enabled her to acquire and cherish “the most wonderful works”, while supporting both artists and the galleries that represent them.
Images: (left) Kirsty beside print by Mark Hearld, (right) close up of Raucous Invention, by Mark Hearld
Her most memorable Own Art purchase is a collage by Mark Hearld, an artist she had admired for many years. When she finally saw the piece, she was blown away – not only by the artwork itself, but by its beautifully crafted frame. Although she had always assumed his work was beyond her reach, Own Art allowed her to spread the cost. Even though the monthly payments were higher than she was used to, she was able to plan and budget for them. “I paid it off years ago now, but it will continue to bring colour, happiness and vibrancy into my home forever,” Kirsty shared.
Kirsty’s most recent Own Art purchase was a painting by Carol Douglas. While she had admired Douglas’ work for some time, it wasn’t until she encountered it in person at Yorkshire Sculpture Park that she fully appreciated the subtlety of the colour and the masterful brushwork. She was instantly drawn to a painting of a bowl of lemons – an unexpected choice, as it wasn’t her usual style – but she immediately envisioned it as the perfect focal point above her fireplace. “I have a bold colour scheme, and it needed something more muted, and I knew it was just perfect”.
After waiting patiently until the exhibition ended, Kirsty finally brought the work home. Once it was installed above the fireplace, she felt it “made the whole room come together, and it never ceases to make me happy when I look at it”. Beyond her immediate connection to the painting, Kirsty also feels a strong affinity with the artist herself. “I love that Carol came to art later in life – she is based in Yorkshire, like me, and her style is extraordinary. I hope to own more of her work in the future, with Own Art!”
Image: artworks by Carole Douglas (left) and Mark Hearld (right) in Kirsty’s home
Kirsty first encountered Own Art while working in an art gallery and recalls that the process felt so “smooth and seamless” it almost seemed as though she was getting the work for free. “I could choose the date the payment came out – always payday – and so I never really missed it. It never felt like a loss of funds because the payment was so manageable and there was no interest, so it wasn’t costing me more than if I had purchased it outright”.
Although art is central to Kirsty’s life, she acknowledges that she doesn’t have the luxury of making it a financial priority. Instead, Own Art has become her creative indulgence. She explains that “Own Art is solely the reason I am a collector”, adding that without the scheme, “there is no way I could have purchased any of my pieces outright, I just don’t have that kind of disposable income”. By spreading the cost into manageable monthly payments, Kirsty has been able to fill her home with artworks she will treasure for life -and eventually pass on to her children.
Images of artworks in Kirsty’s home: (left) Alison Milner, (middle) Janine Burrows and Emma Lawrenson, (right) Melvyn Evans
With the cost of living continuing to rise, art is often viewed as an unaffordable luxury -but Kirsty challenges this idea. “But why shouldn’t we?” she asks. “Why should art only be available to the rich?” At the same time, many artists struggle to make a living from their work. By enabling more people to buy original art, Own Art creates what Kirsty describes as a “win, win scenario”.
“I could not afford to support artists and craftspeople without Own Art, but with it I can budget monthly, splitting the payments over 10 months is easy to calculate and buying a work for £200 equates to £20 a month, which feels really manageable”.
For Kirsty, art is fundamental to who she is and how she expresses herself. An avid gallery visitor, she finds immense joy in discovering new artists and craftspeople, noting that “an exceptional exhibition is rivalled only by the tantalising prospect of owning a work”. Taking a piece home, finding the perfect place for it to “shine, light up a dull corner and make it part of your everyday life is infinitely satisfying”.
In a time when original art can feel out of reach for many, Kirsty’s story shows how passion, careful budgeting and accessible support can turn admiration into ownership. Reflecting on her ever-growing collection of art and craft, Kirsty shares:
“Owning these works means so much to me – they give me joy every single day. Their monetary value is immaterial – it is the happiness that they bring, not only to me, but to my family, visitors and the powerful statement they make in my home”
Image above: sculptures by Yukihiro Akama
Discover the artists and galleries mentioned in this article
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Website: www.yspshop.org.uk | Instagram: yspshops
Mark Hearld
Instagram: mark_hearld
Carole Douglas
Instagram: caroldouglasyork
With thanks to Kirsty for sharing her story with us. This interview has been edited for clarity, length and readability.