How to Buy Art

[Cappy]

Hi everyone,

As the title suggests, I am interested in purchasing some original art.

I have an artist that I have been following for a long time and think I am finally ready to buy a piece; however, As a beginner "collector" I am wondering if anyone has some advice on the process.

The artist in question has work that is usually presented in Galleries in town and throughout Canada. Also, it appears to pop up in auctions every so often.

Are these the best way to purchase?

Any suggestions appreciated!

[topfiverecords]

I have no valuable advice to add beyond give them your money and they give you art. But this thread makes me wonder where OMG!WTF! is? Can’t say I’ve seen him post in a while. He seems like either in the art business world or a collector.

[CaptainCrunch]

I'm assuming that you're not looking at collecting art as an investment.

I wish my dad was still in the art game because I would put him in touch with you, he worked galleries as his retirement job.

I'm assuming you're looking at buying originals and not prints as well.

Do your research on the artist and the art, make sure that all of his work matches what you want or are interested in.

Make sure you get a certificate of authenticity, so your not getting a reproduction, if your going to buy art or collect art you want originals (Just my opinion). You'll pay more, but if the artist has a life span it'll retain some value.

Don't buy fad art. There's too much of it out there, and people will buy it on impulse and then just as quickly move it to the basement man cave.

Just to give you some ideas.

There were two artists that I outright loved. Steve Hanks and Fabien Perez. I really also really liked Pino, but the problem is I bought pieces of all three, and then I'm looking at it and realizing there were too many similarities in the three artists.

When I talk about popular art that slides, I look at a guy like Michael Godard. When his stuff came out people bought it like crazy because it was bright and weird and had a lot of character. He did a lot of gallery tours and people made a fortune. But eventually all of the gallery's were carrying his work and people moved on to the next big things and his work went for discount rates.

A good gallery display will allow you to invision the art in your house. For example with the gallery that my dad worked in they had variable lighting on the high end show items, so you could adjust the lighting to your home. A bright painting will look faded in bright light, and darker painting in darker light will lose its detail.

Make sure its art that you really like and won't one day look at it and it doesn't resonate anymore. Why do you like it? When you look at it what do you feel? Does it give you an emotional response? Does your wife like naked lady pictures on your wall?


No there are not hidden sailboats in all paintings. Unless its Ferjo, and then you replace sailboat with egg.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Cappy

Hi everyone,

As the title suggests, I am interested in purchasing some original art.

I have an artist that I have been following for a long time and think I am finally ready to buy a piece; however, As a beginner "collector" I am wondering if anyone has some advice on the process.

The artist in question has work that is usually presented in Galleries in town and throughout Canada. Also, it appears to pop up in auctions every so often.

Are these the best way to purchase?

Any suggestions appreciated!

If you are buying a lithograph you always want to buy a low number in the print run 2 or 3 of 150 or what ever as the reproductions lose crispness and so are lower in value the more prints are taken.

other than that buy something you like as it is very unlikely a local western canadian artist is going to appreciate in value, we are an artistic backwater and few few artists 'make it' from here

[firebug]

Originally Posted by Cappy

Hi everyone,

As the title suggests, I am interested in purchasing some original art.

I have an artist that I have been following for a long time and think I am finally ready to buy a piece; however, As a beginner "collector" I am wondering if anyone has some advice on the process.

The artist in question has work that is usually presented in Galleries in town and throughout Canada. Also, it appears to pop up in auctions every so often.

Are these the best way to purchase?

Any suggestions appreciated!

Oh fun! It's a great environment to be involved in. I'm no expert, but I've started collecting over the last 3 years. What kinds of work do you like?

My first recommendation is to look at a lot of art and visit with the staff in the galleries - they are usually knowledgeable and passionate about the artists they feature. Buying in a gallery is the most expensive option but gives you the luxury of choice. Staff can keep you appraised of new releases coming from your preferred artist so you can have the widest choice.

Some artists will sell direct as well, but usually it is no less expensive than what they would sell for in a gallery - you just get a chance to meet and build a relationship with the creator and maybe find some pieces that are outside of their usual oeuvre.

Auctions are fun too. I created a small database of the artists i like that tracks the sizes and prices their pieces have gone for in the local market. Remember that at most auction houses you'll pay 15 - 20% fee on top of the hammer price plus GST. Typically auction prices are about 1/3 of what the same size pieces go for in a gallery - the down side is that there isn't much selection (some artists i follow only have 2 -3 pieces a year that are auctioned). If you are YYC local, Hodgins has an auction currently going - they feature a range of local and Canadian art and typically have a lot of affordable pieces (i suspect 90% will close for less than $3k and I've picked up several nice pieces for less than $500). There are a few other local houses that I've purchased from as well, but they tend to have higher prices and have events less frequently.

[surferguy]

Does the artist have an Instagram account? Approach them directly - potentially commission a piece?

[troutman]

All I know - don't buy art to match the decor of your home.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by surferguy

Does the artist have an Instagram account? Approach them directly - potentially commission a piece?

I think that this is great advice and that way you get something that you want, but also an original piece from an artist that you already like the work of. I also think that the gallery is fine.

My wife is an artist and she sells her pieces both direct and she has her art in some places as well. There's not a huge variance in the pricing between the direct route or through a gallery or store.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Art collector here. But sadly I’m not going to be much help since I exclusive source my art from museum heists.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Art collector here. But sadly I’m not going to be much help since I exclusive source my art from museum heists.

I loved you in Zorro Catherine Zeta-Jones.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

If you are buying a lithograph you always want to buy a low number in the print run 2 or 3 of 150 or what ever as the reproductions lose crispness and so are lower in value the more prints are taken.

other than that buy something you like as it is very unlikely a local western canadian artist is going to appreciate in value, we are an artistic backwater and few few artists 'make it' from here

It can be incredibly hard to find the lower number prints.

Also if you're looking at a painting check to see what its painted on, canvas or paper.

Oh and watch for the Robert Bateman mass production style work.

Its hard to collect art for any kind of value strategy. You have to find the right artist at the right time. Buying art for enjoyment or meaning is a fun hobby.

Also dogs playing poker on black velvet is fracking timeliess. Don't buy art with lighting in it, it looks tacky, and Disney cells were the worst investment pieces ever.

[surferguy]

My other advice is - follow artist/makers on Instagram and twitter. They post stuff all the time and it’s a real uplift when scrolling. You may even learn something or be inspired yourself.

[CaptainCrunch]

I want to add to that, sometimes the artists lives and stories themselves are interesting. Sometimes knowing about their upbringing or their journeys or their experiences really adds to the art you're looking at.

[Cappy]

Thanks for all the great advice. It’s very helpful.

In response to some of the questions related to the type of art, I’m looking at originals for David thauberger. I would say it’s both due to me liking the artist as well as the investment side. His stuff isn’t cheap but it also moves if it needs to. I would like to look at owning original art pieces as opposed to heading to ikea for some generic pieces

I’ve seen his stuff in a lot of galleries. Masters runs quite a bit. Plus I’ve looked in galleries in Canada and in US.

I just started looking at auction sites but unsure which ones are more legit or likely to service his work

An honestly if some art snobs want to tear him apart or suggest other artists with similar styles etc. I’m all years.

[you&me]

Originally Posted by Cappy

Thanks for all the great advice. It’s very helpful.

In response to some of the questions related to the type of art, I’m looking at originals for David thauberger. I would say it’s both due to me liking the artist as well as the investment side. His stuff isn’t cheap but it also moves if it needs to. I would like to look at owning original art pieces as opposed to heading to ikea for some generic pieces

I’ve seen his stuff in a lot of galleries. Masters runs quite a bit. Plus I’ve looked in galleries in Canada and in US.

I just started looking at auction sites but unsure which ones are more legit or likely to service his work

An honestly if some art snobs want to tear him apart or suggest other artists with similar styles etc. I’m all years.

I didn't know David Thauberger's name, but recognize his work when I searched.

I'd suggest spending time browsing through Artsy to keep an eye on what's available, where. I've also found their "related artists" feature to be quite good and generally shows me other things I like.

Definitely interested in following this thread, as this is something I've wanted to get into for some time and haven't yet taken the plunge.

[David Struch]

I really like the bright colours of the David thauberger paintings.

I collect Native Woodland Art.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=nativ...w=1093&bih=500

[Amethyst]

I tend to follow artists I like, on Facebook or wherever. Some of them I might follow for a couple years before they post something that really catches my eye. I love to buy pieces from local artists I can meet and learn about their work. I don't have anything really famous or expensive, but everything I own has some kind of story behind it (whether it be the artist's story of inspiration or just how I came to discover it).

[redforever]

Art is very personal...so buy what appeals to you. Don't care what anyone else thinks. The art is for you...not others.

Most artists have contacts on their websites so you could ask the artist questions as well...like if a certain size is not available in your price range, what could he suggest instead?

Your house should not look "decorated". It should look "collected" in a way that shows your style.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Cappy

Thanks for all the great advice. It’s very helpful.

In response to some of the questions related to the type of art, I’m looking at originals for David thauberger. I would say it’s both due to me liking the artist as well as the investment side. His stuff isn’t cheap but it also moves if it needs to. I would like to look at owning original art pieces as opposed to heading to ikea for some generic pieces

I’ve seen his stuff in a lot of galleries. Masters runs quite a bit. Plus I’ve looked in galleries in Canada and in US.

I just started looking at auction sites but unsure which ones are more legit or likely to service his work

An honestly if some art snobs want to tear him apart or suggest other artists with similar styles etc. I’m all years.

If you like his work that's enough reason to buy, the one thing I would warn you about though is, as much as we assume an artists death will increase their value it often doesnt, in fact it often does the opposite, without regular shows and an agent promoting them dead artists can just fade into insignificance, his work is lovely but at 71 thinking of it as an investment is not a good plan, it could lose most of its value within a few years of his passing

[AC]