What kind of art should you collect?
The short answer: Any kind you damn well want to.
The longer answer needs to take a few things into consideration. If you love being a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of free spirit, then please just throw caution to the wind and indulge your whims whenever you see something that speaks to you. I am married to one of you. Don’t crush your spirit.
However, if you are more of a planner, there are some things to keep in mind.
Lifestyle
Are you single? Paired? Do you have six kids and four dogs?
If you have lots of little people and animals running all over your house, avoid sculpture and pottery displays. Toddlers, flying balls, and hyper puppies all create chaos and shattering glass. Go for wall art.
On the other hand, if you don’t have those critters, and somehow have a podium and curios cabinet collection, go ahead and go 3D and breakable.
Personality
Are you a minimalist person constantly seeking peace? Do you hate visual clutter? Or are you a maximalist who collects everything?
If you’re on the minimal spectrum, avoid clusters of small works and go for a larger piece of art. One large piece covering a huge section of wall, will cover as much as several smaller works without creating much visual clutter. Or go opposite for maximalist style! A huge vignette of small, coordinating pieces can be very dramatic and adorable.
Budget
I’m no art snob. I’ve purchased paintings from garage sales, estate sales art fairs, etsy, etc.
My favorite art hunts are at estate sales in old relic homes where the owners passed from old age and the grown kids just want to get rid of everything. You can find great pieces from no-name artists. Someone has to buy Aunt Ethel’s seascapes.
I have a fun bird pastel from a vintage furniture shop. A voodoo pin-doll oil painting from a garage sale. And some quirky Dolan Geiman original collage paintings from an art fair before anyone had heard of him. If your budget is bigger and you don’t want to spend as much time on a more….eclectic collection, head to a gallery. Galleries exist for a reason. And not everything costs many thousands either. There is more moderately priced art at smaller galleries.
So, keep these things in mind when you decide to begin your obsessive addiction to all the art. There are other considerations, but I decided to highlight the few common issues for most average people. I have Nerf balls flying through my house, a constrained budget, and with so many people living in our home, I tend to value a simplistic, minimal style.
Now when it comes to your style of art, there is no plan as far as I’m concerned. We have suicidal rabbits, vampire penguins, funky abstracts, whimsical flowers, and everything in between in our home. You can mix all kinds of styles and then create continuity in other ways.
IF you want continuity that is.
Also:
Are You A Big Art Person, Or A Tiny Art Person?
5 Tips For Displaying Your Art
