Here are a few items to take into consideration when thinking about buying a piece of original art.
1) Choose a painting that really calls out to you, youll know when you definitely love a painting. Unless you are spending huge amounts on a piece that will be kept under lock and key, you want to be able to enjoy your painting every day as it hangs in your home. So trust your own taste and if you love and need a particular painting, it is never going to be the worng purchase.
2) Decide whether you are looking for a painting in a particular medium. Your chosen type of piece will probably dictate your presentation options. For instance, an original oil painting would typically be framed without glass.. Works on paper such as watercolour or soft pastel paintings are framed under glass, Oils and acrylics on canvas may be framed or hung unframed, gallery wrapped (painted sides)
3) What is your budget? As original art generally holds or increases in value you are making an investment. You might acquire a piece from an emerging artist at a very preferential price before he or she becomes sought-after, and the prices go up accordingly. Or you might want to buy a piece from an established artist who is selling at higher prices, and choose to look for a smaller piece from that artist depending on budget restrictions. If you work out a firm budget before you start it will give you a clearer idea of how and where to begin hunting.
4) Where will you hang your original painting? Whether your piece is framed traditionally under glass or on a stretched canvas over a wooden frame, you will need to by mindful of temperature and humidity fluctuations as these can warp the wood. Although most modern paints and inks are very lightfast , it would still not be advisable to hang a painting in direct sunshine for a number of years just in case .
5) Measure your space carefully - if buying a larger piece, its wise to really measure your available hanging space as measuring with the eye can be rather deceptive.
6) Budget for shipping costs in needed, and for framing your new piece if thats what you plan to present the work.
7) You will need to arrange for the painting to be covered by your home insurance before you take it home.
8) Is your desired painting ready to hang or will you need to organise framing initially before you can place the piece in your chosen spot
9) Is provenance paperwork supplied with the piece. A certificate of authenticity is very nice to have and many artists will supply this for you upon purchase. Is the painting signed on the front or the back? As long as the piece bears the signature of the artist it does not really matter, but you may have a preference
10) IWhen you are intending to buy from an artist that you dont know well, you can usually find out a lot by cdelving into their website and social pages to get a feel for their practice and their values. You can check their recently sold paintings and get a feel for how well their work is selling and for what prices currently.
