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Thread: Buying art

  1. #1
    Senior Member
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    Buying art

    I have a hard time buying anything that isn't "usable". However, there is an art show at our local library and I am really drawn to some of the artist's work.

    Our condo is pretty spare and the artwork on our walls consists of either framed photos we've taken at national parks, or photos we've purchased at the gift shops.

    This artist's paintings range in price from $40 - $120 and they pictures I like are somewhere in the middle. The artist uses an "acrylic pour" method which creates beautiful swirls of color in shades that are very pleasing to my eye.

    Now that I'm on my "no clothing purchases for a year" challenge AND I have some money from eBay sales I can afford this, yet I still hesitate because it isn't practical.

    What about you? What type of art do you have or purchases that are just to look at? What is your philosophy on buying art?

    (And yes, I'll probably buy but feel guilty about it)

  2. #2
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    I buy it if I can afford it and I totally love it, and I don't do it very often.
    I've never been unhappy that I did so.
    One time I feel in love with a painting at the hospital-- they had art work hanging in a gallery space and when it sold, the hospital got a charitable donation. I bought the painting and then I ended up singing in a choir with the artist--that was a cool coincidence, and it was nice to get to meet her.

  3. #3
    Senior Member KayLR's Avatar
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    If it speaks to you and evokes pleasure, joy, emotion, whatever, that is not really an impractical item. It has a purpose, bringing you happiness, peace, etc.
    You are worthy of having such an item.
    My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished two bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake. I feel better already!

  4. #4
    Yppej
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    I have southwestern prints that were cheap enough though it cost money to have them professionally framed and artwork of family members.

  5. #5
    Senior Member SteveinMN's Avatar
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    A home should be more than a place in which you sleep, eat, and use the bathroom. You should find it to be a welcoming spot. If that piece is something you would long for whether or not you had the money, then get it. Know that you have beautified the place where you live and that you are supporting someone (the artist) who can then go on to create other beautiful things.
    Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington

  6. #6
    Senior Member razz's Avatar
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    Art is a combination of appeals - colour, shape, size and price. It takes a lot of practice to create unique art using costly materials and the price seems very reasonable to me. I would be concerned that you get the size that meets the room's dimensions and space for display. Watch how the daylight unfolds in your room. Will it highlight the painting or bury it? Will you rearrange furniture impacting where the painting is mounted? Dream a little imagining the piece/s in different locations.
    As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

  7. #7
    Senior Member Teacher Terry's Avatar
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    I have a few oil paintings that I love.

  8. #8
    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    I buy mostly crafts. I don’t buy much fine art, but that which I buy is always images of architecture—houses, castles, city scapes.

    I tend to buy pottery that I can use in flower shows. The last one I bought was around $250 and I looked at that artist’s work for two or three years before I took the plunge.

    I do like that acrylic pour method, there’s some great colorful pieces that come out of that.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Teacher Terry's Avatar
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    The art I have is mainly homes and the countryside. I have a Tuscany theme going on. Most are prints professionally framed. My tastes have changed through the years. The things I have now I bought about 12 years ago. I tend to see something I love and buy it. But definitely don’t need anymore pictures.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Rogar's Avatar
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    I think buying art from local artists helps support the art community in general and beats buying some mass produced things, even if it's not as attractive.

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