There are no easy rules to follow since everyone is looking for something different. There are some common sense guidelines recommendations that will make your initial purchase or the adding to your collection much easier.

Buy something that appeals to your emotions. Don't worry if you have never heard of the artist or that it is a graphic and everything else you have in your home or business are watercolours, or acrylics.

Another quick tip for you is to take some “string” with you into the auction, gallery, artist’s studio. With your string labeled for the specific wall in your home you measure the width. Put a knot in one corner and the other to get the correct size. Hold this piece of string next to the artwork you are considering to see if it will be the correct size space. You should be able to have your entire home or office in a small plastic sandwich bag. I use this string trick if I am traveling for my suitcase dimensions so I know if any artwork will fit inside. If it larger then I will ship it.

Take a photo of your wall space showing it’s colour and texture.

LIGHTING: This is always a challenge. When I was in the art business I would strongly recommend the viewing art in the person’s home during the day/ night. View it with your light on / off in the room. If the gallery has florescent lighting and you have LED in your room the colours “could be very different”.

Buy artwork that is original. The more original a work of art plus the more established the artist equals a higher cost. Always try to buy your artwork unframed. Frame it to your taste if possible. Frame the artwork to itself NOT to match your room or furnishings colour.

REMEMBER THESE RULES BELOW:

Remember, you get what you pay for. A reproduction or a poster has no value compared to an original lithograph, serigraph, or etching. A one-of-a-kind work on paper or canvas could be more valuable.

Be open minded and willing to try an emerging artist or a new art school. Artwork should be bought with any eye towards the artist's reputation not because he/she is going to die or everyone else has one.

INVESTMENT ART PURCHASING is misleading. I would tell my “art collector” that if they bought the artwork from me and called me up in six months or a year to find out how much it was worth I would hang up the phone on them. Then, I would tell them that they needed to ask me another question before purchasing “their investment artwork”. They would ask me: “What question?” I would answer: “ If this artist is such a great investment than why am I selling it? I should keep it for myself. “Investment art” means that it is an artist who has an international /national following or a reputation.

The biggest mistake that I encountered is that people get hung up over PRICE and SIZE. A small letter-sized signed pencil sketch could be pricier than a larger international original acrylic or oil painting. Remember that a painting or drawing with numerous colours IS NOT necessarily more expensive than one with less colours.

It takes people a lot of time to look for something for their home or office. Sometimes, a grouping or diptych (two pieces that go together) can make a space more visually appealing. A vertical work of art framed can make a room look “slimmer”. But art over a horizontal space such as a sofa or fireplace mantle will balance the width.

DON”T GIVE YOUR ART A “SUN TAN”. If you have a work on paper then you do not want to hang it on a wall that has direct sunlight on it. It will get a “sun tan” and fade. Moreover, if you are hanging some art over your fireplace please make sure it is protected from the heat or possible smoke.

When working around a colour or texture it is suggested that you work with:

(1) One or two predominant colours or colours from the contrasting or opposite spectrum. Lighter colours will make a room look larger, while darker colours make a room look more contrived and feel smaller.

(2) Don’t buy art with patterns or textures that “fight”each other. (geometric and animal).

(3) Visual Art follows the Rules of the Elements of Art with the Principles of Design. (Read my other blog.)

Framing can be used in a number of ways:

ACID -FREE OR MUSUEM MOUNTED or conservation framing ensures that works on paper are framed without acid or glue coming into contact with the paper or image.The acid-free mat colours are colour fast and will not bleed onto the graphic or work on paper.

A DISPLAY READY MADE FRAME is good if you do not want to spend a lot of money or if you are constantly hanging different works of art within a room.

SHRINK WRAPPING is inexpensive framing that allows the artwork to be temporarily framed.

Reputable galleries should be able to provide you biographical information, and Certificates of Authenticity for original art or photos on paper. Most galleries specialize in certain areas of art. Find out if your taste matches the work of the gallery you are visiting.