Tips on choosing art work for your home or office

A beautiful home deserves beautiful art. There is no right or wrong way to choose art work. Some fall in love with a piece and just purchase it, others may look for a particular piece that will match and blend with their decor. If you need a little guidance I will touch on five basic factors to consider when deciding on a painting; price, size, shape, style and color.

How much would you like to spend on a painting? Is this an investment or is it a temporary piece that will likely be changed when you change your decor? If your funds are very limited or you just want something temporary you can still get a great piece by purchasing a print rather than an original painting or by supporting a newer artist that has lower prices.

If you are ready to purchase an original, they can range from a mere few hundred to many thousands of dollars. Of course the lower end prices would be from younger or less experienced artists while the higher range is for professional painters. In the April 2006 issue of the Artist magazine Paul Dorrell listed the current market value of oil, acrylic and pastel paintings by professional painters;

18 x 24; $1,500 - $2,100
24 x 30; $1,800 - $2,800
24 x 36; $2,700 - $3,800
30 x 40; $3,100 - $5,500
40 x 50; $4,000 - $6,500
(The low range is applied to artists who are still establishing their careers.)
Watercolor paintings do not get the same price, not because they require less skill but because they're not as valued on the market.

The price of art work has a lot to do with the reputation of the artist, the number of paintings available and the number of collectors wishing to purchase those paintings. You can get a fantastic painting at a very reasonable price by supporting a new artist.

The first thing to consider about size is where will it hang? Use the wall space as well as the furnishings surrounding it as a guide. If the art work is more than you can afford or is too large for your space maybe you can purchase a smaller reproduction.

Draw a mental shape around the wall space available and that will give you the shape you need. For example, a square painting hanging on a long narrow wall is not the ideal spot for it, a vertical rectangular shape is much more attractive.

First of all, when you consider purchasing original art work you will want to make sure to choose art that won’t be out of style in a short time so you are better off to stay away from the trendy stuff and choose something you will want around for a long time.

What is your preference of style? Do you like abstract, realistic, impressionistic, contemporary ...the list goes on and on. Do a little research work to find out what you would like to start collecting. Make sure it suites your home, for example an abstract painting would look out of place in a Victorian style home.

Most art work provokes an emotional response from the viewer. What emotion does this piece of art work provoke in you? Is this a desired emotion for you? In different rooms of our house we may want to evoke different emotions.

It is very interesting to study color. Most of us don’t give color a second thought until it comes to choosing clothing or the color we want to paint a room. Color can have a huge impact on our mood, emotions, energy, memory and health.

Our preference or feelings about certain colors can depend on our past experiences, nationality, social upbringing, personal preference and experiences. Some colors can affect people regardless of other factors. Here is a brief look at some of the basic colors and their positive effects.

Red, is the first primary color of the spectrum: Red is an emotionally intense color and is associated with excitement, passion, energy, impulsively, danger, power and strength. Red objects appear closer than they are and will overrule other hues because the eye has to adjust to focus on red’s wavelengths as its focal point resides behind the retina.

Yellow, another primary color: Is the most cheerful color and is associated with sunshine, happiness and energy. Yellow is thought to have a stimulating impact on our memory. It is one of the most difficult colors to focus on if overused or used with the wrong combination of other colors. Red and yellow are the most preferred by children.

Blue is a primary color: Blue is the preferred color of both adults and children and the easiest for the eye to focus on. Light blue represents health, understanding and tranquility, while dark blue is associated with power, strength and knowledge. It has the opposite effect of red and can actually decrease a person’s pulse rate.

Green: One of my favorite colors to paint. Green is made by combining yellow and blue and therefore includes the qualities of both yellow and blue. Physiologically, green is the most restful color for the human eye as the focal point lands exactly on the retina. The color green evokes mainly positive emotions such as relaxation and comfort because it reminds us of nature. It is associated with hope, freshness, growth, nature, and good health.

Orange: Combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It triggers courage, cheerfulness and confidence. Orange is not as aggressive as red but it does stimulate mental activity and invigorates the body.

Purple: Another one of my favorites, purple is associated with blue. In our culture we associate purple with nobility, dignity and honor.

This is a very brief look at color. If you are further interested you can study its effects in depth to understand how color plays an integral part of our world.