Starting your own personal art collection can be daunting. You want to fill your home with art that reflects your unique personal style. But where do you begin?
Decide your art style
For starters, think about the kind of art that you like. Is it modern and edgy, or are you a big fan of pastel watercolor prints? When you visit an art museum, are you attracted to Monet’s Impressionist works, Picasso’s modern paintings, or a group of etchings?
Tips for buying art
Whatever your preference, an art collection does not have to be completed in a month or even a year, and your home can reflect different tastes. Here are a few suggestions for finding art from different sources:
Attend local art fairs.
Pick up unique pieces of art during your travels.
Visit art museums to purchase framed or unframed art.
Frame it
Use your imagination when it comes to filling your home with art. Almost anything can be framed and put on a wall in your home.
In fact, Paul Hamer, the owner of the Frame Warehouse in Oak Park, Illinois, often frames out-of-the-ordinary objects for customers. (Want more framing ideas? Hang frames like an artist.)
“I frame sports jerseys, tickets from sporting events, and lots of historic family letters,” Hamer says. “I’ve even framed two antique Chinese child carriers (papooses). And the father of one of my customers was walking past a Louis Sullivan-designed building in Chicago that was being torn down. We ended up framing some ornate light green tiles from the balusters in the building.”
Start Your Art Collection
By Karen Schwartz
Starting your own personal art collection can be daunting. You want to fill your home with art that reflects your unique personal style. But where do you begin?
Decide your art style
For starters, think about the kind of art that you like. Is it modern and edgy, or are you a big fan of pastel watercolor prints? When you visit an art museum, are you attracted to Monet’s Impressionist works, Picasso’s modern paintings, or a group of etchings?
Tips for buying art
Whatever your preference, an art collection does not have to be completed in a month or even a year, and your home can reflect different tastes. Here are a few suggestions for finding art from different sources:
Frame it
Use your imagination when it comes to filling your home with art. Almost anything can be framed and put on a wall in your home.
In fact, Paul Hamer, the owner of the Frame Warehouse in Oak Park, Illinois, often frames out-of-the-ordinary objects for customers. (Want more framing ideas? Hang frames like an artist.)
“I frame sports jerseys, tickets from sporting events, and lots of historic family letters,” Hamer says. “I’ve even framed two antique Chinese child carriers (papooses). And the father of one of my customers was walking past a Louis Sullivan-designed building in Chicago that was being torn down. We ended up framing some ornate light green tiles from the balusters in the building.”