What to Look For
When it comes to buying art you just have to trust yourself. Look at the work, find out about it and ask questions to learn more.
To make sure a piece enriches your life, take it home. Many galleries will give you a week or so to see if the piece is really for you. Most galleries will give you a few months to pay. And unless you have fallen in love with an established hot selling artist, ask and you might receive a ten percent discount. When you are shopping see if you can get into the back room. Galleries usually have way more art than they can hang all at once.
A less expensive way to have original art is to rent pieces from your public art gallery. A monthly rental is about 3 percent of the painting's value. If you decide to buy, the gallery will apply 3 months rental to the purchase price. One thing you probably cannot do is save money by going directly to the artist. Galleries regularly charge a commission of around 50 percent.
What's Out There
There is all sorts of art out there and the best way to know what you like is to go and look. You can purchase prints, copies of original art, or originals. There are workshops and classes that claim to teach you how to invest in art. The truth is that investing in art is a real long shot and is not the reason that most of us should purchase a piece. Buy art based on your instincts. Trust yourself, ask questions and most importantly look at a lot of art. You will only know what’s out there by going out and finding it.
Buying It
One way to learn about art is to get on a gallery’s mailing list. Then every month or so you will get a post card from the gallery inviting you to an upcoming show. Openings are fun and often include some food, drink and socializing – not to mention the art. There are a few things to keep in mind when touring art shows. Shows are good places to buy original work but there is often competition for the favourite pieces. Call the gallery before the launch and ask to take a look before the crowds. On opening night, you will already know your favourites and be ready to buy.
Remember:
- Red dots beside a painting mean it has sold.
- If you see a blue dot it means someone has expressed an interest in buying the painting.
- If you also like the work, then get in line – ask the gallery to add a second dot for you.
As a very general rule paintings that are done in oil, watercolour, or acrylic go for more than drawings and prints. Pieces done on canvas go for more than those done on paper. Like all good rules, this one too is meant to be broken. And when it comes to shopping for art there are no strict rules.
After You Buy
Hang it on your walls and enjoy it.
All of us hear about art from the great masters selling for millions. For most of us, buying art like this is well out of our reach. However, Picasso, Van Gogh and other masters were once young, unknown and often dirt poor. Someone purchased their paintings when they were only emerging artists and you can do the same today.
Emerging artists who sell affordable artwork are everywhere. But as a general rule, The Shopping Bags do not recommend buying art as an investment. If you choose to buy art, it should be because a piece speaks to you and because you enjoy it. If a painting or other artwork you buy increases in value, consider yourself lucky!