Originally posted February 16, 2022
When you go to a gallery or search art for sale online, the experience can be overwhelming. Sure, you can find plenty of art you’d like to take home, but how do you decide how to use your art budget?
Luckily, there are some great established strategies to help you decide which artwork to buy. With these tips at your disposal, you’ll be able to bring artwork into your home or office that you know will work with the space and will create a wonderful experience for years to come.
Location Is Everything
Just like with real estate, location is key to understanding what makes a work of art right for you. It all comes down to:
● Size
● Context
Let’s break these two factors down.
Size
When you are looking for a fine art painting or photography for sale, you almost always need to know the space you are trying to fill.
Do you have a big blank area on your living room wall? Buying a large format painting will help fill the space, while also giving you a conversation starter while entertaining. On the other hand, if you are looking to add a little pop to a cramped kitchen or bathroom, you’ll want something a little smaller.
Now, to figure out the right size, you’ll need to measure the space exactly. Take these measurements with you while shopping at galleries or art fairs and have them handy when going online.
Context
An abstract painting filled with bold lines and colors can make the right statement in a loft apartment with industrial features, but it might fall flat in a cozy cottage.
The furniture, wall color, materials, and other art in your space will all inform what kind of painting is right for you, and what isn’t.
Follow Your Heart: Only Buy Artwork You Love
Now you know the size you are looking for and the style (and maybe even subject matter) that works for you. But this isn’t everything. There is still one test that every work of art has to pass, and it is the most important: find what you love.
Artwork can stay with you throughout your lifetime, and it can even be an important part of the legacy that your future generations will inherit. Once you bring it to your home or office, it will become a part of your everyday life.
That means there is no sense buying something that you don’t absolutely love.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to narrow down all the amazing art available to buy. And you’ll be able to confidently make your purchase knowing that the piece matches your space and resonates with you on a deeper level. And that’s the power of art in your life.