How to Buy Art You Can Afford That Still Looks Great

Posted on by
1

If you want to buy art to decorate your home, or as an investment for the future, but aren’t sure where to start, then here are some tips to know what to buy and how to buy it:
Where are good places to buy art?

buy art

Art Galleries

One of the great places to start out looking for great art pieces is at an art fair. These are galleries where many artists from those first starting out to the more established artists place their paintings or sculptures and other art types. You should try a few different art shows to find out which places have the kinds of art that you like and that are in your price range. One advantage of buying art at an art gallery is that sometimes they will let you bring it home on a trial run to see if it fits the décor of your home before you purchase it.buy art

Public Sales Venues

You can also check out the yard sales, estate sales and garage sales in your area. Don’t scoff at this advice, as you never know what might turn up in these locations. There have been times when someone found a painting at one of these kinds of sale that ended up being worth far more than they paid for it.

Even if that doesn’t happen, you could find some really nice art that you like and can use to d decorate your home for inexpensive prices. Flea markets or consignments stores are similar locations where you can sometimes buy art. It can be fun to go to these types of sales and bargain with the dealers to get the art that you want for the price that you want as well.

Online Auctions
Another good place to find art to buy is at online auction places like eBay, craigslist, eBid or onlineauction.com to name a few. You need to be sure of what you are buying if you choose to buy art online, so be certain to have seen a good picture of it, and know its condition, age, and approximate value before buying it sight unseen.
In Person Art Auctions
Art Auctions being held in person are also good for finding art pieces that you may not be able to find in the art galleries. All you have to do is a little research and you can also get some good deals at art auctions. However, one disadvantage of buying art at an auction is that you will have to pay a commission percentage of about 10 or 20 percent to the auction house. That means you have to be sure to calculate that in to see if you are paying a good price or not for the piece of art you desire to buy.
College Art Departments
You can also go visit a college or university near you that has an art department. There are bound to be proud beginning artists that are selling their paintings. These may be just starting out, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find some fine pieces of art and they will most likely be offered at lower prices than those at an art gallery too.
Advice from Experts
You can also get the advice of an art advisor. An art advisor will sit down with you and discuss your likes and dislikes, and can even take a look at your home and see what kinds of art will look nice. The services of an art advisor may or may not cost you anything, depending on if they are employed by the art galleries or not.
These experts can also help you to know if you are getting a good price on a piece of art and if it is a good investment for the future if that is the reason you want to purchase it. If you would rather figure out the price for a piece of art yourself, or check up on the expert’s recommendations, then you can check previous prices for similar art on big auction websites like Christie’s or Sotheby’s.
What Should You Be Aware of When Buying Art

buy art

Meeting the artist is rewarding
If you are able to meet the person who actually created the piece of art you intend on buying, then this can be an interesting and rewarding experience. You can get to know their motivation for creating the piece and if you really like it, they may also give you information on other things they have painted or otherwise created. They may even give you a discount or create a piece especially for you if you desire.
Don’t be Fooled
If you intend on buying an art piece by a supposedly famous artist, you should be sure that it is actually worth the price the seller is asking. Also, you need to be sure the piece is authentic and should consider getting it appraised and checked out before you actually buy it. In addition, if you are considering buying from what appears to be a new up and coming artist, see if he or she has a good track record and if their previous work sold well. If they have had their pieces appear in galleries, shows or museums, then you may be on the right track for purchasing an art piece that could be a good financial investment for the future.
The bottom line is that art collecting involves more than just going to the art store and buying a painting or sculpture off the shelf. It means doing your homework and figuring out what the best type of art is, how valuable it may be in the future, how well the piece will fit into your collection or just how nice it will look to use in decorating your home. So, no matter if you want to buy art as an investment or as just a decoration, you can find some nice art pieces in many places.

buy art

Abstract Art Prints Shopper’s Guide

Posted on by
Reply

When it comes to buying abstract art prints, forget every rule. Forget about artist names, forget about shapes and strokes, and forget about what you feel like you “should” be buying.

Art is ultimately about what moves you. When it comes to buying a work of abstract art, the first and most important thing to remember is to choose something that you love. That abstract art print, sculpture or painting will likely be with you for a long time — so if you’re going to make an investment in a piece of art, it should be something that moves you, or changes your perspective, every time you glance at it.

With that in mind, here are a few more tips for buying abstract art prints, including where to start, where to look, how much to pay, and how to find a print that works great for you, looks great in your home, and will last you a lifetime.

abstract art prints

Where to Start

Once upon a time, art was a status symbol. In the Renaissance, art was seen as a reflection of the wonders of creation, and a glorification to God. The wealthiest families began to support artists and sculptors, and the work that their patronage gave us has remained some of the greatest today. Without buyers of art, the world would have no Michelangelo, da Vinci, or Botticelli.

Fast forward to modern times. Artists are still well known, but it is only rarely that their work impacts society on the same level. The abstract artists believed that art could be a form of “visual language,” blending line, color and shadow into something that conveyed something more beyond the canvas. This was a dramatic change from the reality of perspective and form in the Renaissance, and the abstract artists began to focus on evoking a feeling, or thought, rather than portraying a message.

This is why choosing an abstract art print that you love is so important. You’re the one who will have to look at it day after day. When you do, it should say something to you. It should move you.

abstract art prints

So, if you’re looking to buy abstract art prints, here’s where to start:

1. Find your space. You may already know this, but you’ll want to pick out a place to display the abstract art print before you purchase it. The print should pull together a room or a color scheme, and not be dramatically apart from it. Knowing what mood you want to evoke, and even what colors you want the abstract print to highlight, will help pull an entire room together. It will also ensure that you’ll get the most out of your print.

2. Set a budget. Just because something is a print doesn’t mean that it has to be cheap or poor-quality. You can purchase limited edition prints of a number of great works of art, if you have the cash to spend on it. Price will also dictate the size and framing of your print.

3. Pair More than One Piece. There’s no need to limit yourself to just one print for a certain space. Be open to looking for pieces in a set that go together, or for multiple prints that might cover the space you need. If you can’t decide between two pieces, maybe it’s best to find space for both of them. Better yet, find who pieces that compliment each other.

 


abstract art prints 4. Make a Statement. With abstract art you can be as bold as you want, but remember the importance of graphic elements and the design of your home. The Spartan lines and colors of Mondrian may not work with a child’s room. The harsh, post-World War II feelings of Schwitters may not be the kind of piece you want hanging over your dining room table. Remembering what feeling you want to evoke will help you decide of an abstract art print you’re considering is really right for you. Finding an artist who uses the kind of geometric shapes, whimsical colors, or fluid lines that you enjoy will help you narrow down your decision.

5. Buy Online. Buying abstract art prints online will ensure that you’ll get one of the best prices for a high-quality print. When you shop for an abstract art piece online, you’ll have the option to choose from hundreds of prints by great artists. These can be prints by artists you might already be familiar with, or they can be pieces that strike you or inspire you immediately. Using search engines or abstract art websites that specialize in selling abstract prints, you can search for a variety of qualities you’re looking for, whether they’re colors used, a “feeling” you want to evoke, or a certain motif you love like trees, flowers, landscapes, or anything else you can imagine. Buying abstract art prints online opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

6. Go with What You Feel. If you can’t seem to decide, then get to an art gallery or spend an afternoon in a museum, and just look at the art. Stand there for a moment and try not to think, but take in the way that the painting or sculpture makes you feel. This will help you get a better idea for the kind of art that you like, and the kind of art that moves you. You might even see a painting that you love, and can then begin searching online for an affordable print of it.

When it comes to buying abstract art prints, the most important thing to remember is to have fun. Buying art shouldn’t be a hassle or a negative experience. Take your time with it, and find something that truly moves you. If you do that, you’ll be sure to have abstract art prints that you’ll want to keep for a lifetime.

abstract art prints

Ten Things You Should Know About Abstract Paintings

Posted on by
Reply

You might be shopping for an abstract painting that catches your eye. Whether you have years of experience in the art world, or whether you find yourself completely oblivious and overwhelmed by trying to choose, there are a few key things you should understand about abstract art.

The first is: Don’t Panic. The art world is a diverse, sometimes superficial place. It can be overwhelming to try and choose a piece of art, like an abstract art print, that will stay with you for a lifetime. It can be overwhelming to think about making an investment in something that you aren’t sure you’ll like next year, or even next month.

The second most important thing to remember is this: Pay Attention to What Moves You. What strikes you, or catches your eye for more than a few moments? What pieces have the complexity, or attention to detail, that you want? What do you feel when you look at the abstract painting? These are the keys to finding an abstract painting that you love.

With these in mind, here are eight more things you should know about abstract painting, which will get you on your way to finding a painting or a piece of art that you can value and treasure for a lifetime.

Abstract Painting

1. No One Thing is Abstract. The term “abstract” is as diverse as the art that falls into its category. The main idea behind abstract art was to break away from the close attention to form and reality that dominated from the time of the Renaissance. Abstract artists focused on breaking the rules and creating something that evoked feeling, rather than reflected reality. Some of these things include throwing paint, blending colors until they resemble mud, or simply juxtaposing sharp black lines on white canvas. When a realistic replication is no longer the focus of art, that means that the freedom to determine its worth is all yours. Are you drawn to that white spot on a black canvas, or do you think it’s a load of steaming you-know-what? Whatever you think, don’t dismiss “abstract” art as something you don’t like without exploring the diverse range of work it offers.

2. Learn the Language. Abstract painting has been described as a “visual language,” in which the artists evoke certain meanings or feelings based on form, shape, shadow, color, line and white space. This means that even though you’re staring at a completely dark canvas with one white dot in the middle, the artist is telling you something. So once you can figure out what the artist is trying to say, ask yourself: Does it speak to you?

3. It’s Supposed to be Controversial. When Matisse had his first gallery showing in the United States, supposedly Teddy Roosevelt ran through its halls waving his arms and screaming, “This is not art! This is not art!” From Picasso’s Guernica to Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup, abstract art has always been the center of the avant-garde. It is supposed to break all the rules, to challenge convention, and to look, well, different.

4. You Should Feel Something. If you don’t feel something when you look at an abstract painting, then there’s nothing wrong with you — it’s just the artist who hasn’t done their job. Keep looking until you find a painting that engages you.

5. The Era is Important. Abstract art has changed over the course of history just as much as technology, industrialization, and music. Abstract artists who came of age after World War II were part of the “abstract expressionism” movement. They included the famous paint-thrower, Jackson Pollock, the blended geometry of Jane Frank, and the simplicity of Barnett Newman. The Fauvist movement included bold colors, like what we see in Matisse’s work. In America especially, art went through important waves of Surrealism and Modernism. Knowing about these eras, and the political and cultural climate surrounding a painting, may deepen your appreciation of it.

Abstract Painting

6. There’s No Trick. If you feel like you don’t “get” an abstract painting, you’re not the only one. There’s no trick to it. There’s no squinting your eyes, turning your head or attaining some level of academia-induced enlightenment in order to understand an abstract painting. These paintings just are what they are, and you should be what you are too. If you find that you don’t “get” an abstract painting, then there’s nothing wrong with that. You can read about an artist’s life, or the era in which they made the painting, but if it really does nothing to move you, then that’s not your fault. The end.

7. Spend Time with It. The best way to know if you like something that is “abstract” is to simply look at it. Major cities are flooded by galleries full of art that does nothing to “move” its viewer. More than that, they’re also full of people who just come to a gallery to drink wine, eat fancy cheese cubes, and talk to one another. People have always been drawn to art communities as a place to see and be seen, and the art has unfortunately taken a back burner to social lives. However, if you spend time walking through a gallery, carefully looking at the photographs, paintings or sculptures available, you’ll be able to make up your own mind about what works for you, and what doesn’t.

If you’re considering buying an abstract art painting, be sure to look at it more than once. Spend time dissecting its details. Spend time evaluating how it will look in your home. Spend time learning about your own reasons behind getting it. Do you want a striking conversational piece? Do you want something that engages you? Do you love a certain artist, and want a piece of their history? Or do you simply want a piece of art that makes you feel a certain way? There are no wrong answers, and when you follow these tips you’ll be sure to end up with an abstract painting that will last you a lifetime.

Abstract Painting

Abstract Painting