Buying original art to make money is not the focus here. Displaying something you love is. It tells the world something about you. I have met so many people at art shows who have been looking for that special art piece that bursts out of the ordinary and makes a statement.
The best time to buy art is when you see something that resonates with you. Imagine how this piece would look in your enviornment, and how seeing it daily brings you to your happy place.
Of course we can talk about careers, The late George Rodrigue used to sell paintings of Cajun life in Louisiana. For years his paintings were portrayals of good times as well as hard times all of which had a style that people can relate too. When he painted the Blue Dog, his art work took a turn toward success that went viral. Those who loved and supported his art in the beginning ended up with a sizable profit margin in value. But thats not why they bought his art.
How do I find this kind of art?
2 ways...buying from a gallery or direct from the artist. Art in a gallery has a commission added to it, which is fine because it gets the artist's work out there in public. This is good because you may not have discovered this artist otherwise.
Buying direct from the artist is the best way because you can ask questions and get the meaning of the piece directly. Or better yet, you can commission a work without someone in the middle. The best place to find such artists is usually at a juried art show. These are events that are put on by arts councils or other groups that give artisis opportunities to sell their work directly to the public. Casually strolling through an art show is a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. It is a lot of fun looking at all those mini galleries that artisit's have set up showing their stuff.
So visit a art show when you get the chance, I think you will be pleasantly surprised!
Frank
