Went to a great festival of art shows this weekend and was very inspired. I saw a lot of stuff that I really enjoyed and got info on upcoming shows. Very inspired to save up for a piece of my own. Even if I only purchase a print or two I would rather buy it from a local artist than posters.com. Need to set aside a little money every week to make this one happen.
How to buy original art
How I did it: Let me preface this with, I am an artist. But, I do buy art whenever I get the chance. There are so many amazing artists out there with such beautiful ways of seeing the world. Instead of buying a poster or some other mass-produced piece of crap at Walmart, look into your local community or on the internet, but please beware of the giclee. A giclee is nothing more than a xeroxed copy of the original; it may be done on oil, on canvas, may even look like real, but it is not.
Lessons & tips: Make sure when you buy that it is an original. Gallery owners are unscrupulous. They'll tell you it's an oil on canvas, etc., etc., etc. Ask if it's a giclee. Even your local art show might have giclees. If it's too cheap, generally that's what you're looking at. But, I suppose, if you really really like it... well. but don't think it's original.
Resources: My blog talks about art, so if you're interested, here it is:
http://delineatingart.blogspot.com
I used to be on yessy and they used to have great originals, but the site is inundated with giclees now.
Seriously, look at the painting up close. You should be able to see brush strokes.
People doing this are also doing these things:
Entries
sierra_dreamr planning her next trip outta here!
20×200 .com
justseeds.org
Goal: find an original piece under $500 for bedroom wall
Okay, I’m not going to list the artists because you’ve never heard of them—all local or friends.
- A “derelicts in the harbour” painting of junks
- A matched pair, one beach the other wharf
- A very large, immpressive tall-ship
- A sumi-e eagle
- A pen-and-ink “library owl”
- Poppies I and II (below)
- “Moon Walks with Me” (below)
- A couple small cafe-style paintings in the kitchen: a pear and a street scene
- The photo mentioned below still needs to be framed. \sigh\
- My one print currently displayed: a print of “Flaming June” from the Ponce Museum—current holder of that work
- Three Escher prints I’m going to hang in the library, simply because they’re Escher and I’ll never have an original Escher, so I may as well have quality prints. \grin\
I know, I know . . . I said no prints. Well, phooey. Some prints, I’ve found, are worth it.
These are the other two. I’m not sure I have a place for these, but they were so great I had to get them. When I finally stretch them, I may use them as a gift.
I bought three unstretched paintings. This is one of them—I have to stretch and hang it eventually.
I want a home filled with original art – supporting living artists, connecting with that creative moment each time I see it on my wall.
I really don’t know what I want. I’m hoping I’ll know it when I find the right piece.
Living in Laguna Beach part time and a half hour out of Park City allows me access to SO much amazing art. PLUS, my Mom’s an artist! Google Her. Her Name is “Mary Aslin” Her main medium is pastel, but she does oils and watercolors also.
She’s really good.
I bought a couple of pieces from a really talented photographer for a good chunk of change… found out later that I had supported his crack habit. Also wasn’t really worth it because I can’t afford to get them matted and framed so they are stored away for some time down the road… Oh well…










