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Tag: buying art

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How to choose wall art

High Surf, 12X16, oil on prepared birch painting surface, $1159 includes shipping and handling in continental US.

As I told you last week, I’m in Albany wrasslin’ my grandson while my daughter is in hospital. My granddaughter has arrived. She’s in the NICU now, and covered with the usual tubes, wires and tapes. I can’t say who she looks like, but she cries like a baa-lamb and grasps her daddy’s finger. Her mom is being tapered off her hospital drugs, so I think we’ve turned a corner. Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers.

Buy a painting to match your sofa

“Art should make you think and feel. It doesn’t have to match your couch,” has been a catchphrase for as long as I can remember. But why shouldn’t art match your furnishings? You probably chose them because you liked them, and you’re likely to like a painting that coordinates with them for the same reason.

Surf’s Up is 12X16, on a prepared birch surface. $1159 includes shipping and handling in the Continental US.

That doesn’t mean a painting should literally match your couch, but it’s okay if they share touchpoints. Still, I’ve noticed that even the most talented designers among my collectors buy art based on how it resonates with them, rather than what it matches. Dare to be inventive; traditional painting can match contemporary spaces and vice-versa.

The famed collector Dr. Albert Barnes believed grouping paintings in terms of light, space, color and line could create a whole that was greater than the sum of its parts. (This is why the Barnes Foundation‘s indenture of trust stipulated that the paintings in the collection be kept “in exactly the places they are,” leading to years of legal wrangling.) Some paintings just look better with others, and the only way to know is to pair them and see what happens.

The pine nursery (Madawaska Pond), 12X16, oil on canvasboard, available.

Buy a painting because you love it, but when you go to hang it, consider:

Color: I once had a room with a red ceiling. It cast such a warm reflection on the room that cool colors were washed out. It made more sense to hang landscapes in another room.

Size: It would be absurd to place a 6”x8” painting in solitary splendor on a 12’ wall, and an oversized painting can dwarf a small living space. A good rule of thumb is that a painting should take up 60-75% of the allotted space, such as above your couch or bed. However, there are times when breaking that rule can work spectacularly.

Purpose: I’ve learned from personal experience that a nude in the dining room might embarrass your family. “Could we please take it down for Thanksgiving?” one of my kids asked.

Scale: While there’s some truth to the adage that a painting should read as well at 30 feet as 3 feet, there are some works (like etchings or botanical prints) for which that makes no sense. They need to be hung where they can be appreciated up close, like in an office or, yes, a powder room.

Mood: I have a vibrant multimedia piece by Barbra Whitten that’s destined to my kitchen. It’s based on a layered salad and will sing in that light, airy space. It joins a nocturne by Chrissy Pahucki of her daughter making s’mores over a fire. My living spaces have high-chroma paintings by Chrissy Nickerson, Poppy Balser, Tom Conner, Bruce McMillan and Bruce Bundock, among others. The only paintings in my bedroom are of family members.

Of course, I’m constantly shuffling paintings as I acquire new art. I have another Tom Conner and a watercolor by Barbara Tapp that need homes. I don’t consciously choose paintings that meet the purpose of the room, but it seems to end up that way.

Frames: I don’t think there’s a specific frame that matches a particular painting style; it’s more about aligning with your room’s design. If you love the painting but hate the frame, ask the artist for the price unframed. He or she will almost always accommodate that.

Pensive 8X10, oil on archival canvasboard, $522 includes shipping and handling in continental US.

Don’t forget, there’s $100 off any painting on my website, from now until the end of the year. Just use the code XMAS100.

Reserve your spot now for a workshop in 2025:

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How to start collecting art

The Pine Tree State, 6X8, oil on archival canvasboard, $435 framed includes shipping and handling in continental US.

I have a wicked TJ Maxx habit. It’s all fun and games until one of my kids pulls me into the so-called ‘wall art’ section. That’s mostly dreck, and it’s not cheap. A savvy customer could buy real art for just a little bit more money, and end up with an asset that appreciates, rather than something destined for a landfill.

Many young people haven’t a clue how to start collecting art. Those of us with mature collections can help them overcome this by giving them artwork. I’ve given paintings (mine and others’) to each of my four children. Two buy art themselves, one is saving to build a house, and one just isn’t interested. That’s not a bad result.

The Road to Seward, 6X8, oil on archival canvasboard, $348 includes shipping and handling in the continental US.

If you’ve never collected paintings, here are some tips to get you started.

  1. Define your interests: Visit galleries, museums, and art fairs to see what resonates with you. Don’t worry overmuch about matching your dĂ©cor; that will change over time. Instead, look at the work in its own right. Is it catching your eye because of composition, content, or color?
  2. A little knowledge is an excellent thing: I have written about the basic elements of design here. An art history or art appreciation course is a great way to start developing a critical eye.
  3. Set a budget: Determine how much you’re willing to spend on art. You might be shocked to realize that you can build a decent art collection for the same amount you currently spend on tchotchkes, shoes, or avocado toast.
  4. Beware cheap prints: These are not to be confused with fine art prints, which are made by artists in limited editions, and works of art in their own right. Prints are cheap in the short run, but they will never appreciate in value over time.
  5. Attend art events: Go to gallery openings, auctions, and art shows. This will teach you a lot about the art world, even if the wine and cheese are terrible.
  6. Buy from emerging artists: Collecting from up-and-coming artists can be a cost-effective way to start your collection while supporting new talent.
  7. Think about where you’ll hang the piece: While I don’t think you should buy art to match your couch, some idea of where it will end up is helpful. When I was younger, my furniture was terrible, and I moved it and art around constantly. Today my furniture is mostly still terrible, but I don’t bother rotating it; I do still move art around.
  8. Buy one good piece rather than a lot of subpar ones: Your mother told you the same thing about shoes, and it’s good advice. Just as there’s fast fashion, there’s fast art.
  9. Write it down somewhere: Document your purchases, even if that means sticking a note in the back of the frame. Someday, the provenance of that painting might be extremely important.
  10. Stay openminded: Just as my own painting has changed over time, so has my taste in art.
Toy Reindeer with double rainbow, oil on archival canvasboard, 6X8, $435 framed, includes shipping in continental US.

Happy collecting!

Just a quick reminder

Artworks for Humanity to benefit Waldo County Habitat for Humanity, is tomorrow.

Hiking, 6X8, oil on archival canvasboard, $435 includes shipping in continental US.

Reserve your spot now for a workshop in 2025:

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Are you intimidated by art galleries?

Spring Greens, 8X10, oil on canvasboard, is available through the Red Barn Gallery.

The first person in the door of Red Barn Gallery in Port Clyde yesterday was a lovely lady from Industry, ME. She told me she often feels uncomfortable entering an art gallery, especially since she doesn’t intend to buy. Why is that, I asked her. She couldn’t give me a clear answer but said, “this place doesn’t make me feel that way.”

I think I’m typical as a gallerist in that I like people stopping by to talk art, both at the Red Barn Gallery and my own space at 394 Commercial Street in Rockport.

Even though my job at the gallery was dusting, I skirted around Shelley Nolan’s exquisite glass. Yes, I was intimidated.

Susan Lewis Baines (who’s both a gallerist and artist) put it this way:

  • Come on in and say hi;
  • Look at and admire the work;
  • Ask about the artists;
  • Bring your coffee from Squid Ink across the road;
  • Bring me one [you can skip that step with me];
  • Come to our openings and meet our members and guest artists;
  • If you see a piece of art you really like, buy it. I have never known anyone who regretted buying a piece of art that spoke to them;
  • And lastly, don’t ever, ever, feel obligated to buy. And don’t let that keep you away from us.

There’s nothing pompous or intimidating about the Red Barn Gallery-it’s in a converted barn, above a bar. That probably helped my visitor relax, and it’s a heads-up to anyone designing a gallery space to not be too obsessed with design and fashion. It’s a pity when anyone who loves art feels daunted by galleries. I turned our conversation over, trying to think of reasons why it might happen.

Intimidation: Galleries sometimes have an air of exclusivity and luxury, which can be intimidating to those of us from more practical backgrounds. When they’re overly opulent, they can make us feel ill-at-ease.

Price perception: We read all the time about high-end art that sells for absurd prices. Art fanciers may assume they can’t afford art at all, or fear they’ll be judged if they don’t buy anything. The reality is that most art is made by middle-class artists for a middle-class audience. Yes, it’s more than you’d pay at TJMaxx, but it’s not stratospherically expensive, either. You could spend more on a handbag than most of the pieces at the Red Barn Gallery, and they’ll have far more lasting power.

My wall at Red Barn Gallery. It’s neat, well-lighted, easy to look at, and definitely not intimidating.

Self-consciousness: Some people may worry about being judged by the staff or other customers if they don’t look affluent. I have felt that myself in some Manhattan galleries, but it’s not much of an issue here in Maine, where we choose between flannel shirts and Sunday-go-to-meetin’ flannel shirts.

Sales pressure: You’re very likely to get attentive customer service in a gallery, but don’t assume that means we’re pushing you into a purchase. It’s just that (see above) we like talking about art.

If I ever get bored while working, there are fabulous views out the front and back windows. Port Clyde is lovely!

My personal bĂȘte noire is disinterested or supercilious gatekeepers. And therein lies the paradox of galleries. What’s right for a $300 or $3000 painting is probably not right for a $300,000 painting or a $3 million painting. The same thing that turns me off might make a person interested in a six-figure painting feel more pampered and exclusive.

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