Beginning the Art Collection

My New Year's resolution this past January 1st was that this would be the year I would start collecting art. Art--particularly local art and artists--has long been an interest of mine and I love perusing the galleries and shows, but I did not have the confidence or the knowledge to think I could ever actually purchase and collect it. After all, when you think of "art collectors" or collecting art, a person thinks of famous painters and pieces costing thousands of dollars--definitely not my scene or my budget.

I started with a trip to the book store and the library and finally found a great little paperback called "The Intrepid Art Collector: The Beginner's Guide to Finding, Buying, and Appreciating Art on a Budget" by Lisa Hunter. It has become my bible or my handbook in starting this adventure. I decided that I would start with the parameters of purchasing only Pacific Northwest artists but be open to media and such--going where my passion took me.

So far, I have acquired two beautiful photos from an ex-coworker of mine who is also a talented photographer, a couple pieces that I fell in love with and discovered at thrift stores and garage sales, and last night I made my first "gallery" purchase. I stumbled across these two paintings in one of my favorite local galleries (Opus6) while waiting for a friend to join me for the First Friday Art Walk. Ever the cautious skeptic when it comes to love and purchases--I fell in love HARD at first sight. Who knew? The pieces are by a local artist named Erin Bucklew and no one working at the gallery knew much about her. I tried to sound experienced as I drew on the advice I'd read in the book--asking questions to find out as much as I could about the artist. In the end, it came down to the fact that I loved the paintings and knew they were meant for me. So, I'll have a little less spending money on my trip to Michigan and Indiana, but the paintings are on the wall (Lilly helped me hang them as soon as I got home--she was relieved to see that they were not of naked women.) So, the burgeoning little collection is developing and I am discovering that I am so enjoying the process.