Everyone knows one. The parent who says they don't need anything. The friend who buys every gadget the week it comes out. The partner whose wish list is empty because they dealt with it themselves in March. Buying for them is the hardest shopping of the year.
The problem isn't that they have everything. Nobody does. It is that they already own everything they know they want. So the answer is to give them something they didn't know to want. That rules out most of what is in the shops, and it points toward a few kinds of gift. Art is one of the best.
Why the usual gifts fail
- Things they need: they bought them already.
- Things on trend: they have the better version.
- Expensive things: they can afford their own.
- Gift cards: an admission of defeat.
What is left is a short list: experiences, things that get used up, and things that are personal. A piece of art falls in the last group. It is chosen for one person, by someone who knows them, and that can't be bought by the recipient.
Why art works for this person
- They won't already own it. Original art from a small studio isn't in every shop.
- It can't be compared on price or features. There is no better model.
- It shows thought. Choosing a picture for someone means thinking about who they are.
- It lasts. It will be on the wall in ten years.
- It doesn't add to the clutter. It goes on a wall, not in a cupboard.
The key: choose for who they are, not what they lack
You are not filling a gap. You are saying: I saw this and thought of you. So start from the person.
What do they love?
- A place. The city they grew up in, or the one they miss. See Chicago skyline art.
- An animal. A cat person, a birdwatcher, someone with a soft spot for foxes. See art for cat people and fox symbolism in art.
- The night sky. An amateur astronomer, or anyone who looks up. See what a nebula actually is and Black Hole.
- The outdoors. Mountains, forests, quiet. See Blue Mountain Fog.
- Science fiction, games, technology. See gifts for a programmer.
What are they like?
Animals and symbols carry meaning, and a piece that matches someone's character is a compliment.
- Wise, bookish, calm: an owl. See Frost Owl.
- Loyal, devoted to family: a wolf. See wolf symbolism in art.
- Sharp, observant, a little dark: a crow. Blue Crow shows one perched on a railing, its black feathers shot with blue and violet.
- Bold, a leader: a lion. See CRT Lion Retro Wave.
- A dreamer: Astronaut in the Clouds, a helmet filled with sky.
Tell them why you chose it. The reason is the gift.
Choosing a format
People who have everything usually have full walls too. Think about where the piece could go.
- A framed poster, small to medium. The best choice. It arrives finished, with hanging hardware, and a piece of 12 × 16 or 16 × 20 inches will fit somewhere in any home: a study, a hallway, a bedroom. See the framed posters collection.
- A canvas. For someone with space, or who has just moved.
- A desk mat. For someone whose walls are full and whose desk is bare. It is used every day. See desk mats for work.
Avoid very large pieces as a surprise. A person with a finished home has no empty wall for a five-foot canvas.
If their taste is very particular
Some people have strong views about what goes on their walls. For them:
- Choose something small and quiet. A modest framed print can go in a spare room without disturbing anything.
- Choose black and white. It suits every scheme.
- Choose something for a private space, such as a study or a desk, where it doesn't have to match the living room.
- Or give a useful object with art on it: a desk mat, a keychain.
Small gifts that still feel chosen
- A keychain in a design that suits them, at about $15.
- A pair of pins, at about $6 each.
A small thing picked with care does better than a large thing picked without. See gifts under $20.
Make it more than an object
- Write a note saying what made you choose it.
- Offer to hang it. For a parent or grandparent, a picture that goes up the same day is a better present than one that leans against a wall for a year.
- Give a pair. Two small pieces that go together, for either side of a bed or a doorway.
By budget
Approximate prices at the time of writing.
- Under $20: a keychain or pins.
- $20 to $50: a desk mat or a poster.
- $70 to $100: a framed poster.
- $100 and up: a canvas.
More in art gifts by budget.
Timing
Everything is made to order: 2 to 7 business days for production and 3 to 7 for US delivery. For the holidays, order by December 3. See holiday order deadlines. Returns are accepted only for items that arrive damaged, defective or incorrect, so take a moment over the choice.
The person who has everything doesn't have this, because it didn't exist until you picked it for them. Browse the full collection.