Tips for Purchasing Artwork You Will Love

This is a Summary of the Longer Blog below:  

If your room needs a large to XL wall art to define the space and pull the room together, concentrate on that single piece.  Choose the colors you like, with a subject you like, in the style you like.  If your print requires moderate lighting and you have two or three places in your home where you think you will like it, and none of those places are on the same wall as the only windows in a room, and it is in your price range…you have probably found an artwork you will love.  (No, I did not forget there may be two decision makers in your household.)

What is the price range of a large or XL wall art  The regular price of a 30w x 40h wall art is $433 for an unframed stretched ready to hang canvas, & $835 for the framed canvas.  If you look at any of the Birds of Paradise or Twisting Sands, you will see that all the priced large and XL sizes are on sale for those wall arts.  (This is because these wall arts were created only for this size art.)

This doesn’t take into consideration the additional 10% which newsletter subscribers will receive on every purchase, so subscribe before you buy!

How long will the special pricing be in effect?  Early December.  

Here is the full length blog.

First, a disclosure.  You may have a decorator whom you trust to make these decisions for you.  In that case, I will be happy to provide as much information as he or she asks of me.  The only thing I ask for is the assurance that you will stand by the decorator’s choice, or you will make sure he or she understands your preferences.  The following is written as if you do not have a decorator.

1.  If it feels like a gamble to you, please avoid purchasing.   

2.  Use colors YOU like.    If your partner or spouse has delegated the purchase of art to you, or has shown little or no interest, first determine what you would like to see on the wall or tabletop and then show your spouse or partner what you have selected and why.  See if you can come to an agreement before you resort to offering selections for them to choose from.  If you have handled this tactfully and your partner or spouse gives you the go ahead, ask him or her to hold an opinion until you have formed your own.  

Friends and family should stay out of this decision because you don’t want to purchase an artwork your best friend promises you will love, then open it, hate it, but then let your best friend talk you into keeping it.  Do you see the point?  After you have formed your opinion, tell your partner or spouse what it is and ask if they are comfortable agreeing.  

After you clear that hurdle, don’t ask anyone if they like your chosen artwork.   If you like it, let the family and friends get used to it.  

3.  Sizing is important.  Oversizing is as problematic as undersizing.  If you have a place on a wall in mind, and you contact me for advice, expect me to ask for a photo of your space…before anything is removed.  Your stuff can tell me a lot about you.

4.  The subject and style of the artwork should be something you like and provide the type of energy you would like in that room.  Translation:  Over your bathtub, your sister said you need to hang a wall art of sailboats on a tranquil sea.   Many would find this to be calming: however, you are afraid of water and/or boats.  You would have chosen differently without outside influence.  

5.  Lighting.  None of the above mean anything if you cannot provide good illumination for your wall or table art.  Natural lighting changes during the day, which makes it the best lighting some of the time.  Each of my artworks has information regarding lighting needs. If I say an artwork requires a minimum of moderately high indirect light, you can count on that being true; however, the room and placement in the room are also factors.  If you place your new wall art on the same wall as the windows that provide the light, you will have a problem to overcome, either with lamps, or more expensively with the installation of special fixtures, like track lighting. This is like buying a dress or suit then having to purchase shoes, handbags, coats and other accessories.  You do not want to buy a versatile and flexible artwork that has the perfect colors, size, subject and then not be able to see it due to insufficient lighting.  Why does the specific room make a difference?  I have five of my more light loving wall arts in the same room.  It gets great light during the day; however it is not used in the evening.  That is when those light lovers take a nap because they have been gorgeous all day long.  Another example:  don’t plan for natural light in the TV room.  Think lamp light and track lighting.   

6.  Versatility and Flexibility:  There is nothing like the satisfaction of purchasing a wall art or accent piece you can always find a place for.  When you absolutely love your accent art or wall art, you want to be able to move it from wall to wall, room to room and house to house.  Do I dare say generation to generation? A beloved artwork has family heirloom potential.  

The ability to rotate an artwork so that you can hang it from at least two sides is highly desirable.  Colors that coordinate, and slight changes due to placement can give the area around the artwork a fresh new look.  Think you want to rotate and not sure how to go about it.  Send a message.  When I call back, you will be talking to the “Art Rotation Queen.”  We move several pieces of art around the house every two to three months.  (My husband looks at me and says, “We?”)

7.  The most discouraging form of customer unhappiness is the one I never knew about.  There is no way I can help if I don’t know there is a problem.  If you bought without talking to me, send me a message anyway.  Let’s see if we can work out the problem.