You Can (and Oughta) be an Art Collector: Part Three

By Kayla Edgar

Kayla is a Colorado Artist/Illustrator. I bought this at a show we were in together called Monkey Business; at Valkarie Gallery. It's an 8" x 8" artwork that holds its own on any wall in my house.

Continuing from the previous post Collecting Art: Part Two

By David Thierree

I use Facebook for art inspiration--that's where I saw this. Luckily, I enthusiastically shared David's post with my family, and they later got the drawing for me as a Christmas present.
Also lucky--it happened to fit perfectly into this nice old frame.

By JB Monge

Etsy is great for inspiration, and a gift or two to myself. This drip-nosed goblin sketch was sized to fit into a 10" x 8", ready-made frame.

My taste in art doesn't suit everyone. Yours shouldn't either. Disconnect your fear of buying art by remembering that you aren't trying to please your guests; you are collecting to please yourself.

I hope these three posts on collecting art have given some incentive to become an art collector and support living, working artists. My aim was to show that great art can be found in a variety of places. The media focuses on the huge, million dollar art sales in NYC, and that seems intimidating to lots of folks. But everyone can and should enhance their life with original artworks, hand-made by real people, not the stuff churned out on foreign printing presses.

Check out more of the aforementioned artist's works here:

Kayla Edgar

David Thierree

JB Monge

 Next post: Great digital art to collect!

Thanks for reading!

You Can (and oughta) be an Art Collector: Part Two

By Irwin Peralta

Irwin Peralta is a Colorado artist. I found this landscape at his booth at the Art Student's League Summer Art Market.

Continuing from the last post  Collecting Art: Part One:

Myth Four: Posters are cheaper.

Not always. Often by the time you shell out the money for framing a poster, your cost ends up being the same or more than buying an original. Yeah, a poster-sized original might be expensive--I get that. But for me, a group of small originals is more satisfying than a big piece of paper from the local mall.

Myth Five: No difference between a poster and an original; both are just decoration.

Sorry, I'll never believe that. Original art is more than decoration. I'm a collector of many things, but having original artworks in my home and in my studio space has added the spirit of the artist to those places. You don't get that from a poster. Yes, when I was a kid, I bought posters to decorate my dorm room and apartments. They ended up faded and yellowed and in the landfill.

(Also, I'm not talking about prints carefully made by artists--digitally or otherwise. I have digital prints of my works, and immensely admire and respect digital artists and their works. I'm talking about posters made in China and sold in stores and places like allposters.com--with no regard for the artists who made them.)

 By Frank Moss Bennett 

Bennett was an English watercolorist.

I had my eye on this piece at a local, trusted gallery for years. Because it was an unsigned painting from the artist's estate, it was not expensive--it cost no more than a night on the town. And I didn't want it because of the artist's name; I just loved the painting. I suppose if I were accumulating pictures for a museum or a public collection; or I cared about status, I'd need to worry about signatures, or the artist's name or fame or something. But I hang artworks on my walls that resonate for me.

And I love landscapes. They add a peace to a room. You need calming? Just gaze at a favorite landscape--maybe study the brushwork and mood--lose yourself in it. That's as good as meditation. Believe me, a poster from Z Gallerie won't give you that.

Click on the names below for more art and info from these guys:

Irwin Peralta

Frank Moss Bennett

Thanks for reading, and for supporting the arts and artists.

Next week: More sweet originals!

You Can (and oughta) be an Art Collector: Part One

By Elliot Lang

(Elliot's an artist/illustrator in Colorado. I bought this at his show at a local coffee house a few years back.)

This post, and the next few, are about the joys--and ease--of collecting original artwork. Living with original art enriches your life, the lives of your friends, and the lives of working artists,

The pieces you see are from my own collection. And I'm going to kill a few myths along the way:

Myth One: You have to be wealthy to afford original art.  

Nope. I am far from wealthy. 

Most of  the art in this blog-post series, while not huge pieces, cost less than dinner and drinks at a restaurant.

Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites are great places to get acquainted with artists and the work that they do. But few of us really examine art on the internet. Scrolling quickly past a variety of images--and liking some of them--is a pleasurable pastime for me, but there's nothing quite like owning original pieces that I really get to know in-depth.

By Bernie Petterson

(Bernie Petterson is an animation artist from California. Got this one via his Etsy store.)

Myth Two: Art has to match your couch/interior/wall color.

Nope. It only has to please you. 

My couch is green. Bernie Petterson's cool sketch pleases me very much. 

I saw the piano player-piece after discovering the artist on Facebook.

By Justin Gerard

(Justin Gerard is a studio artist and illustrator in Georgia. I bought this fantasy sketch at his booth at Spectrum Live, 2015)

Myth Three: Art on your wall has to be a painting.

Nope. Justin Gerard's sketch is on my wall. Sketches are amazing things in themselves! You get a peek into the artist's thoughts and work process, for one; and two, they are often much more affordable than a full color painting.

What are you waiting for? Go find some some art to own and love--you won't be sorry!

And an added benefit: Your support of working artists allows them to make more art for you see and live with!

Please check out the sites, art, and stores of these featured artists by clicking on their names:

Elliot Lang

Bernie Petterson

Justin Gerard

Thanks for reading, and for supporting living artists!