The Art Outlet is more than simply a store to purchase works of art. Of course, customers can choose from among the more than 3,000 original oil paintings owners Ed and Susan Scruggs offer as well as frames and mirrors. But the Scruggses can meet just about any demand a customer may have.
"We are here for customer service," Ed said.
Susan said customers often ask that a painting be made based on a photograph, or colors in a painting be altered. The Scruggses meet those requests by working with more than a dozen artists from around the world, from whom the store's owners also hand select and purchase their original paintings.
Recently a representative from a local oil and gas company brought in two photographs: one of two large oil rigs entrenched in the ocean flanked by a helicopter, the second of a bluish horizon over the sea.
Ed said the customer asked that a painting be made combining the two photos—the rigs in the ocean with a blue sky in the background. The result was a seamless, original transition that Ed said would likely be placed in one of the company's boardrooms.
"People can bring us pictures and we can have them painted," he said. "There's a lot of stuff we can do."
In another instance, Susan said a customer was searching for a frame for a large 4-foot-by-6-foot canvas painting but could not quite find the right piece. Susan searched outside their stock and sent the painting out to find a suitable frame for her customer. The frames the Art Outlet does have in stock are all made of solid wood and handstained.
Customers who have a hard time deciding which is right for their home can take a few home to try them out for up to two days, Susan said.
"Then they can bring back what doesn't work," she said.
The Art Outlet opened almost three years ago and has since become a favorite for local interior decorators who often bring their clients to the store.
"I love to bring clients here. They have such a great variety," interior decorator Sheila Herreid said. "They have a treasure trove of art."
Not only does the Art Outlet offer an array of services to its customers, the Scruggses said their prices on original oil paintings are comparatively low. For example, a large canvas that would otherwise cost about $5,000 elsewhere, could run about $1,300 at the Art Outlet, Ed said.
"There's really nothing like this in the Houston area," he said.
Canvas categories
The Art Outlet offers paintings in a variety of subjects, including:
- Abstracts
- Animals
- Boats
- Floral
- Landscapes
- Mediterranean
- People
- Street scenes
- Tropical
- Wine
The Art Outlet, 27510 I-45 N., Oak Ridge North, 281-292-0498, www.artoutletwoodlands.com
Hours: Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
