Beauty in eye of beholder
Investing in original art is not the intimidating exercise it used to be
MOST of us wouldn’t think of ourselves as art collectors. The types of people who frequent art galleries often give off an air of sophistication, not to mention wealth, as they select the right artwork in which to invest.
However, with the advent of social media sites like Instagram, following artists and building up a knowledge of their work is easier than ever.
Like other facets of interior design, art is subject to trends and fashion. Right now, brightly coloured works in oils and acrylics, particularly still life paintings, are proving popular with designers keen to inject colour into neutral interiors.
If you are decorating and furnishing a room from scratch, you can use artworks to provide the colour palette, which will instantly ground the artwork in the room.
I know what I like
You don’t need to be an expert to buy an artwork. If you love it and you can afford it, that’s a great place to start.
Retailers such as Fenton and Fenton and Urban Road offer original works and prints, often by local artists. Use the search tools to find works based on the colour in the room you’re looking to place it in. If you’re beginning to find your feet, start following artists or galleries you like on Instagram where you can talk directly to the artist about prices and sizes.
Hanging around
Unless you are planning on grouping artworks together — called a salon hang — bigger is often better.
If you’d rather start small, buy a few artworks and place them on a wall where you can add to them over time. This less formal approach works well in casual interiors or, line up works in the same colour and shape for a more structured look. Just as artworks go in and out of fashion, so too do framing styles. While the traditional look of a work mounted behind glass in a frame is still popular, the strong brushstrokes of acrylic and oil paintings trending now lend themselves to canvases framed in timber for a fresh, contemporary result. Above all, you should only buy what you love.