Have you started your art collection?
There’s nothing like buying a beautiful piece of art, displaying it in the perfect spot, and turning your house into a harmonious creative space filled with inspirational beauty. Unfortunately, some people find the idea of purchasing paintings intimidating, citing a lack of artistic knowledge as a factor, or simply not knowing where they can go to purchase art.
Luckily there are many online options for art lovers who don’t feel comfortable purchasing at a gallery. Following the art auctions at a business like Lloyds Auctions is a wonderful way to begin an art collection – many pieces can be picked up cheaply comparatively to buying from a gallery and they include a range of artists at different stages in their careers.
Bluethumb, the largest art marketplace in Australia, also offers a variety of pieces, from paintings, drawings, and limited edition prints, all available directly from the artists’ studios. Exploring their range of artists is a wonderful way to develop a sense of your personal taste. By creating an account with them, you can browse and choose your favourites. Don’t worry about prices or names at this stage – just like what you like.
After you’ve built up a catalogue of favourites, you can sort through them and see if there’s a piece that has really caught your eye. If there is, ask yourself what it is you like about it. If it helps, try imagining how you would explain it to a friend. It doesn’t matter how simple your explanation is – your enjoyment of a piece might come down to being inspired by a colour within it, certain shapes, or the look in a subject’s eye. There’s no right or wrong way to enjoy art, after all.
Amanda Benson, National Art Manager at Lloyd Auctions, shares her tips on displaying art in the home:
1 “Paintings are always better off stored on a wall. They’re far less likely to be damaged. We’ve had people store things in cupboards, under beds, and they almost always end up worse off for it. We’ve got works in rack situations, but that’s because we’ve around 3000 artworks here at any one time and we have a very specialist racking system that your average person isn’t going to have in their home.”
2 “A lot of the time people buy works that match their furniture and that’s a poor choice because often you’ll keep that work forever. A lot of people don’t sell works, and you’ll have that furniture changed three or four times before you’ll change the artwork. So don’t buy artwork that matches the furniture, buy furniture that matches the artwork. Start with that first and then decorate around it. Especially if it’s something you love, because if it’s something you love you’re not going to get rid of it.”
3 “What I would always suggest is whether you’re buying for investment or for decoration, always buy something that you love because, at the end of the day, the item that you enjoy is always going to be a better investment than one that you don’t.”
Visit Bluethumb to explore a wide range of artistic styles and mediums available for purchase.
This article was originally published in Issue 6 – The Art of Kindness. You can purchase this issue and enjoy more enchanting content here.
