Thing to Do #92: Own an Original Piece of Art

 Geisha painting by Courtney 

This Thing to Do should be one of the easiest items to complete.  I may be biased as I majored in Art History, have friends that are artists, and was the director of an Arts Council, but owning original art is easier than you may think.

I’m not above buying prints and other mass-produced decorative pieces from Target or Pier 1.  My house is completely furnished by Pier 1 and I have several pieces on my wall that were “Made in China.”  However, I have even more that is original art…and I never paid more than $90.

My friend Courtney gave me a painting of a geisha for my birthday one year that hangs in my living room.  An diminutive painting of cherry blossoms hangs across from it; I purchased it at an art fair for $20.  One of my favorite paintings hangs in my hallway.  It was submitted during an artist’s application into an art fair I was judging and immediately fell in love with it.  When I saw it in person and saw that the artist was only asking $45, I couldn’t walk away, although I felt bad that she only charged me that much, as its pretty sizeable and obviously took some time to create. 

In the guest bedroom, we have a nice black and white photograph from Alex’s aunt and a fun screenprinted painting I bought for $25 after seeing it in a friend’s studio.  At the end of the hallway is small print that I purchased for $10.  I have a couple of pieces that aren’t even on display right now.

If you have never purchased an original piece of art, here are a few thoughts:

1. Don’t worry about what is the “right” kind of art.  What you like is right. 
2. There have been some pieces that I bought that were “impulse” buys and soon got rotated off my walls, replaced by others I liked more.  However, there have been several that I saw, and only after some thought, purchased.  And these often have become my favorites. 
3. You can find small pieces that are affordable, or, if you are in the market for a larger piece, you can still get it without spending a fortune. 

Share your story of owning art and supporting local artists!