Start your own original art collection #originalart #collectart #buyartonline

You'd like to own some original art but you don't have much money. You don't want posters or cheap prints.  So what do you do? 
You go to art school end of year shows, you contact local artists in your area, you go to local exhibitions and there you will meet artists of all ages who work in different styles and in various mediums. 
If you like their art, you talk to the artists and you can often negotiate an original work of art for a very reasonable price. Many big collectors of art started like that. By going  to art school shows you meet up and coming artists. Maybe one day they will be a big name and you will have bought their work for a fraction of the price that it would be worth when they are famous. 
Ok, so not all students will become famous. However, you should buy art because you like it not because you think it's a good investment. 
By meeting the artists at these shows, you get to discuss their inspiration, their motivation, their ideas and what they want to achieve in the future.  Remember to make sure it's signed, dated and if it's a print, then it should be numbered with the edition number.  Has it got a title? What medium is it, oil, acrylic, watercolour, pencil! pastel, gouache, etc? Is it on paper, canvas, board, metal etc? Is it a mixed media, is it a sculpture? If it's a print, how many are in the edition? Is it an etching, a lithograph, a screen print or a mono print?  Do you know the difference? If not, then look up the definition in a dictionary or online.  
Many artists sell on line or through the hundreds of art online sites. If you like someone's work, why not contact them directly and you could possible get their work for a better price. Ask about their inspiration, the medium, the size of the work. Is transport included or not? 
Go to the well know sites like Etsy, EBay and see what's available and what sort of prices they are asking. There are thousands of works on show. So it's probably best to decide whether you want abstract, representation, landscape and so forth. A one off painting or mono print or print from a small edition will be more expensive then from a big edition. 
Remember to make sure it was printed or painted by the artist themselves, that it's not a copy. It should state that it's an original work of art. Lots of people buy online. Don't be afraid. Just be wary and check things out for yourself. Where is it coming from, the USA, Europe, the Middle East, or from China or Taiwan, Thailand. You will be able to suss out if it's not authentic by asking a few questions. 
Lastly if you like it and if you can afford it, well, hey, go ahead and buy it. You will then be the proud owner of an original work of art. However, you are the owner of the piece but not the owner of the copyright. Therefore you cannot reproduce the art in any form, unless you have bought the copyright too. That is worth another article all by itself. A further article will be about where to hang your work and where not to display it. 
Buy because it pleases you, not because you think it's an investment. It can be, it may turn out to be worth a fortune is twenty years time, who knows? In the meantime put it on your wall and sit back and enjoy it. 


Blue Moon Art