I rode the QEW Hamilton Express last Saturday, armed with a bottle of wine, and a small Elizabeth Lennie painting in hand. The destination: a bright and beautiful condo near Locke St., home to newlyweds Erika Woods (former Art Interiors' Manager!) and Brenden Desjardins.

Their approach to buying art as a couple:
Erika: I have to fall in love with a piece before I decide to take it home. I think it's important that Brenden and I each have a few art pieces that we absolutely can't do without. We would never get something that both of us just "like" when we could each have something that we "love" (and the other can at least live with)!
Brenden: It's all about creating a collection through compromise. When your home is decorated with artwork that you each love, it's really tough not to feel good about it, even if it wouldn't have been your first pick! We usually take turns with buying pieces, and finding new places in our home to show them off.
How do your aesthetics differ?
Erika: My style is very eclectic. Two of my favourite pieces in our collection are the very graphic silk screen by Jason Cantoro, and the abstract oil on canvas by David Lee. Brenden gravitates towards more surrealistic pieces. His favourite artist is Renee Magritte so he loves Marcelo Suaznabar's work.
What attracted you to your most recent acquisition? Why did you place the work where you did?
The instant I saw "Jumping Jack" by Lennie on the A.I. newsletter I knew I needed to have it! Brenden and I are both dog people and you can't help but smile when you look at this piece and see the spirit captured in this little dog. I placed the canvas with two small paintings I had by Erin Vincent and the grouping sits in the middle of our living room. The grouping epitomizes three of our favourite things - travelling, the cottage, and family.