Five Questions to Ask When You Are Starting an Art Collection

It is a different experience all together being an artist and thinking about an art collection. There are somethings that I look for in art and want to know about before I buy anything that many people might not ever think about. While it can be a fun and exciting journey starting an art collection, it can also be daunting and sometimes scary. However, I think there are five basic questions to really ask yourself along your journey that can help you explore, experience, and expand your art collection in new and adventurous ways.
Question One: Where to look for art?

I believe this is a too fold question of not only where to find art to buy, but where to learn and explore art to find your unique passion. People often think of museums, galleries, and art shows as places to find art, but there are also great events like art fairs, artist’s walks through studios, and great collections online. When you are looking at art, you want to see what moves you, what styles you find interesting, and what draws you to particular pieces of art in order to explore pieces that speak to you. I would suggest viewing as much art and as many possibilities to find art as you can. Don’t just rely on museums and galleries especially when you are starting off with your collection. There is a whole world of art to explore online and during fairs and street markets that sometimes never get to galleries. Many arts in today’s technological world rely on the internet to move their works of art. There are auction houses (like www.invaluable.com ), art blogs, personal artist’s websites, and even visual tours through galleries that are available online. Be sure that while you are exploring this vast world of art that you think about question two.

Question Two: How does this work of art impact me or make me feel?

This is a vital question that you should ask quickly and often of any work of art that you come across. What do I feel in my body as a response to the art? Along with, what emotions and mood does it stir or provoke in me? These are crucial questions to think about while exploring what you love and what you want to communicate in whatever setting the art work is going to be displayed. Think about what styles you love; are you intrigued by the precision of pointillism or do you like the blending, flow of a watercolor. Also, explore what topics you feel passionate about. If you are crazy about flowers, than start exploring the world of floral still lives. Maybe you want to support and preserve animals; perhaps an artist that does Sierra Club Wildlife Sketches might be something for you. An art collection that you put your finances towards should reflect not only your personal loves and passions but also reveal what you support and want to flourish forward.

Question Three: What is the artist trying to communicate?

The question about how the art impacts you goes hand in hand with question three of what is the artist trying to communicate? This is where online blogs, books on artists’ lives and history for older pieces of art, and art fairs are so wonderful to explore. While it is often amazing that an artist has created a nature sketch that moves you, it is even more thrilling to find out what the artist was doing with the sketch, where the sketch accord, and what the artist was trying to communicate with this sketch. Often collectors do not think to explore and find Artist Statements which can be vital in learning the background and underlining meaning of many of the that artist’s pieces. Artist Statements are like many bio’s on the artist around the particular collection that he/she is displaying; it communicates some of his/her use of color, topic, and genre to help the collector connect with the artist and the works of art. Along with artist’s statements, it is so amazing to go on studio walks or attend art fairs were the artist can actually tell you about the piece. We have studio walks through our art district the first Saturday of every month were collectors can meet the artist, watch him/her work, and learn the specifics about a piece of art. Think about it, how wonderful would it be to tell your guests the exact history of how a piece was created and what the artist was trying to communicate. This brings a whole new world to collecting that is often missed.

Question Four: Where is it going?

This seems to be the basic question that you ask throughout and often first: where is the piece of art going? Is it an office, a home, a room of meditation, or a room of leisure for parties and friends. This is a question that must be answered at some point because after all, you need to know what size art can go in your space. But as you think about this question, also think about whether you want a painting or a sculpture or wood carving. Many artists work in different mediums that can accommodate any space. Also, when thinking about this question don’t be afraid to ask an artist to do a commission. Say you like the abstract someone did or the still life but need another color to set the mood of your room, ask and often times artists would love to create a piece specifically for you. Recently a woman was looking through my portfolio and loved a centering meditation piece I did, but she wanted another color scheme to set more of a tranquil mood. It was fun to explore with her what she wanted and great to create a piece just for her. Also, I have done commissions of pets, family portraits, and many others.

Question Five: What do you want from your collection?

The last question seems to be an opened nightmare that everyone gets stuck on; what do you want from your collection? But with the questions above, you have almost answered it along with way. I would not recommend thinking of this question first; I would explore the other questions to find what you love and your personal style. But be sure at some point to ask what you want from this piece of art. Maybe you want to stress conservation, make a political statement, or set a particular mood in the room you have your art displayed. Perhaps you just want to cherish an art work that moves you and that you just love. Any of those reasons and many more are good ideas for having a collection. There is a great article here that talks more about not collecting for appreciation which is worth reading.

No matter what you do along your journey in Art Collecting be sure to enjoy the process and just sit with things. Spend time with your art and enjoy it; that is the most important thing to do in any journey. Please write a comment below if you have any questions.