Art History Guide

Author: Dan McDougall

For any art enthusiast, picking the right painting to invest in is a very detailed and rigorous event. If you are spending thousands of dollars for a work of art you want to pick that perfect piece that fits into your home and inspires you. When you invest in Fine Art you are not only investing in the moment but into the future as well. Not only do you want the painting you buy to be appealing in the present but down the road when you are looking to sell your painting to the next lucky buyer. So how do you make a decision as big as this without any guidance? If you follow the tips below you will be sure to pick just the right painting for you that will have value for years to come.

Tip #1: Buy a painting you like. The first tip that I offer you is to buy a painting you like. Do not simply look for a painting that will bring you the most profit in the future but buy something that you will be able to look at day after day and feel a connection to. Philip Guston, an American expressionist artist once said, “Look at any inspired painting. It’s like a gong sounding; it puts you in a state of reverberation.� This is the feeling you want to search for when finding the painting to mount on your wall. There will be no greater disappointment then if you wake up one day to find that the attraction to your painting has disappeared.

Tip #2: Look for good quality and subject matter. Just because a painting is by a particular artist, don’t assume it will be easy to turn over when the time comes to sell it. Make sure the painting is of good quality and subject matter. This assures you that, in the long run, you will be able to sell the painting to another art seeker and get a great return.

Tip #3: Ask the right questions. Make sure you ask the right questions — Who is the artist? How important is the art? What is its provenance, history, and documentation? Or more simply, where has the art been and who has owned it? This is the most important thing you need to know. An art work’s provenance provides information about the origin of the work and its previous owners. Provenance serves as the key evidence of a work’s authenticity and its rightful ownership.

Tip #4: Make sure the asking price is fair. You want to make sure that the asking price is fair. Compare and contrast your art to records of public and private sales of related works of art that have already sold. You can obtain price information on works of recognized artists from the art departments of most major institutional and public libraries, art reference bookstores, the internet, certain art galleries, and auction sales records (the most important auction records for this purpose are works of art that are similar in size, subject matter, medium, date executed, and other specifics to the one you are interested in buying). You also want to research who you are buying from. Whether it is from an art gallery, art dealer or auction, make sure they are reputable and have a knowledgeable staff to help you out. Ask to see recent sales results for art by the artist you’re interested in. Make sure that the artist has a good track record of selling works of art similar to the piece you are looking to buy for a comparable amount to what you’re being asked to pay.

Tip #5: Insure your art. After you make your big purchase, make sure to insure your art for its full replacement value. Remember to insure for casualty loss (fire, flood, etc.) as well as for theft. Continually have your work of art revalued by a certified appraiser to be sure you will be able to recover its full value upon its loss.

I wish you the best of luck on your exciting journey ahead.

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About the Author:

Dan McDougall is the owner of McDougall Fine Arts Galleries, which has been serving the discerning collector for over 40 years, specializing in American oil paintings and watercolors of the 19th and early 20th centuries, with particular expertise in American Impressionism, marine paintings and Cape Ann painters. They are currently expanding their offerings of American Contemporary and European artists. Located north of Boston in Gloucester, Massachusetts, they are firmly established in the heart of Cape Ann, America’s oldest Artist Colony, where both famous and undiscovered artists have been finding their inspiration for over 150 years. Visit their website at http://www.mcdougallfinearts.com

Author: Maigida Africanarts

You may already have a number of reasons for choosing contemporary African art. But if you’re unfamiliar with this type of work and want to know more, you will want to recognize several different techniques, colors, and styles that set this art apart from the rest. When you understand what makes contemporary African art something special, you will certainly want to bring a piece or two into your home.

One of the common words used to describe contemporary African art is ‘Natural.’ By focusing on simple brush strokes and shapes, the overall effect is much more organic than other pieces of modern art. It evokes a sense of having been painted outside in the brush, rather than in a cold, sterile studio. This natural feeling also creates an inviting tone that allows it to grace a home’s living room or entryway or even the kitchen or bedroom. And when you choose this kind of natural piece, you can accent the decorating themes that you’ve already established instead of having to recreate a room around a piece of art.

Rich colors pervade African American art and this is a design quality that is much admired by many owners of this art. The deep colors allow the warmth of the painting to come through and also engage a curious view as to the content of the scene. With vibrant reds and oranges, these pieces of art can be used to accent a monochromatic room or can be the central feature of a location. And while the colors vary from image to image, there is no lack of brightness or vitality – even the blues and the greens are striking.

What sets contemporary African art apart from other collections is its ability to depict the sense of struggles having been overcome. While you could say that these paintings reflect too much on the past, it’s more of a celebration of triumphing over a history that sought to defeat their spirit. You may see somber eyes in the works, but they’re full of hope at the same time. Though not every painting includes a setting in the past, you can see that there is no forgetting the history of the African American either.

Inherent in contemporary African art is also the feeling of simplicity, of no stroke without a definitive purpose. Whether this stems from a need to use only what the artist could find or if it comes from wanting to be as simple as possible, no one knows. But what you can sense is that this African art is created to be straightforward in its image, adding nothing that doesn’t belong or doesn’t need to be seen.

In choosing contemporary African art, you will find that there are many desirable qualities that make it stand out from other collections. And while you can find hundreds of artists that have created thousands of pieces, there are some that will appeal to you personally – as though they were created with only you in mind.

Mr. Moyo Ogundipe has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. His talents in Traditional African Art and Modern African American Art are well-known. He has created numerous beautiful African Paintings. Buy African paintings Online.

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About the Author:

Mr. Moyo Ogundipe has a Bachelors of Arts degree in Fine Art from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He is experienced in Traditional African Art, Modern African American Art . He has done many African Paintings and aftican art.Buy African paintings Online.