Hobbies,Art,Home Decor

“A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist”...

Louis Nizer quotes

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rt, Collecting,Home Decor are the expression of your own individual creativity or imagination...thus allowing the individual to express things toward the world as a whole.The "visual arts" at its simplest, is a form of communication....it may seek to bring about a particular emotion or mood, for the purpose of relaxing or entertaining the viewer. Art moves people. It stimulates and motivates the viewers. Look at how simple posters were used to promote propaganda during the war years. Look at how advertising uses visual images to market products.Art can stimulate conversation. It can stimulate thought. It can make people take pause, think and ask questions. It can even cause people to question what they think and change the way they think......

Art draws people. People travel around town and around the world to see art. It promotes tourism. It even attracts business and consumers.Art has been perceived by some as belonging to some social classes and often excluding others but this is no longer true today.With widespread use of the World Wide Web a much broader spectrum of artists entered the field, often completely independent from art institutions....

Let me start off by saying that everything I talk about in this website comes from first hand experience.I have been collecting a variety of art pieces for the last 10 years. I am a passionate art collector with a fondness for the unusual and the weird and they range widely in style and format. I am not passionate about art as an investment  I love having art in my life. .... Art Collectors usually don’t conform to fads and crazes; they buy because they enjoy the relationship with art that transforms a part of their lives. They do not buy for investment purposes; they collect because they have discovered a certain appreciation for a particular artist, a certain media, style, process, subject matter or other value they find in an art form. A happy collector seeks information and insight. Of course I have too much but I am reluctant to part with most of them.I still consider myself a novice art collector..

Art collections can be started simply from the need to fill blank walls.The art work, by its very presence, lends a sense of place to a space and that this sense should be one of beauty and balance to the casual viewer. I like a variety of items so I have no preconceived notion of what art is.A first time buyer has to develop an eye for art..I did a lot of research before deciding to do this and discovered I was very passionate about it.Whenever I visit someone's home, the first thing I notice is whether or not they have original artwork displayed. Sadly, in most cases, they do not. It's a shame...

I started out just decorating my home with original art then I branched out to my relatives and friends homes. It got to the point my family and friends were always anxious to see just what new treasures I had discovered.It was like a treasure hunt when they came to my house.My take on this is I just buy what I like. If it just sits on the wall and no one notices it then it's wallpaper, not art. If the artist does not feel a passion for his works, that fact will usually be reflected in the art.If it moves me spiritually then I will want to look at it frequently. There is always continuous feedback between the collection and its owner. .

Most people I encountered buy art,sculptures and other collectables with the hope that it will be valuable someday.Collectors also like to make their own rules.The number of items, quality, time period or medium for example, are all personally determined by the individual. I have spent thousands of hours looking, judging, determining – and collecting art.Here’s a little secret: there’s no such thing as The Perfect Picture.Buy what you like and and don’t worry about the value.You will find that you will enjoy the piece for years to come and in some instances it will turn out to be valuable...

Two 1903 paintings recently sold at auction for $590,000 - the paintings were in the famous "Dogs Playing Poker" series. 

Fox News reported how an anonymous German student found a small painting hidden inside a sofa she had purchased at a thrift shop.The painting was a rare 17th century piece by an unknown artist, and it sold at a Hamburg auction for over $27 K.

 HAPPY HUNTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hobby Business

It is easier to turn a Hobby Collecting Business into a money making opportunity because the driver is passion and to some degree obsession. The dream of many would-be entrepreneurs is to slide seamlessly from their passionate, enjoyable pursuit of a hobby into the passionate, enjoyable establishment and operation of a company based on their favorite pastime. Nothing is better to do for money than something you already enjoy doing for free!You'd much rather start a business based on a hobby than something else, right out of the box, because you're connected with it."It gives you an unfair competitive advantage..

Some questions you should ask yourself are....Are you skilled enough at this hobby that other people actually will pay you for your service or knowledge, or do you just enjoy the heck out of it? Do you have the commitment and disciple to fully pursue this venture when it starts to feel like a job instead of fun?Figure out how to standout.But if the only thing you can rely on is to underprice the competition, you might want to keep your day job. Before mixing a hobby and work, be certain you've planned it out so the fun doesn't get lost!

Art Collecting Tips

The hobby of collecting consists of acquiring specific items based on a particular interest of the collector. These collections of things are often highly organized, carefully cataloged, and attractively displayed. Avoid playing the competitive game with other collectors, racing to buy "new" work by the latest "hot" artist. Usually the best pieces are the ones that are left over.Look for art that is universal and timeless. Small sized originals are excellent starters for collecting art. Gradually your confidence in choosing art increases as you relate to each colorful painting you purchase. Then you'll have the courage to buy larger pieces...

Small paintings, small watercolors, small mixed media paintings are so easy to pop into a ready-made frame for a special gift for someone. Giving them as gifts gives you the opportunity to share something unique with someone else.I have bought artwork against the opinions of everyone.Since collecting depends on the interests of the individual collector, it may deal with almost any subject. The depth and scope of the collection may also vary. A collector seeks meaning and self-expression through the treasure, and, therefore, is very picky about what he or she collects and displays in their home. Buying an original piece of art does not have to be a hard or scary process. Anyone can buy and collect art intelligently.All you need is a love and appreciation of fine art, a desire to collect, and a willingness to learn.

Make sure the art you're looking at is in good condition and built to last.Also, it should not be expensive.Original Art refers to art that is created by the artist's hand and is not reproduced mechanically. How do you detect fake art?Some mediums that artists may work in to create their artwork include oil, acrylics, pastels, watercolors and mixed media (a combination of materials). Some collectors choose to focus on a specific subtopic or artist within their area of general interest: for example, 19th Century postage stamps,Rare Books,Manuscripts,African Art has always been a rather private affair....the domain of a tiny minority of passionate collectors and savvy dealers...These works are unsurpassed in rarity and uniqueness.

Vases,Sculptures-other ART

 Have you ever explored other forms of art besides drawing/painting?I have...I still have the same philosopy when it comes to buying...I buy what like....I do tend to gravitate toward unusual shapes and sizes.Make sure to examine the piece very carefully for cracks and missing parts.I bought this handmade vase simply because I LOVE  the abstract design, it's so unique, fresh and beautiful to look at! ...it is also a great conversation piece and there are lots of places to put it in my home due to the neutral colors....I do have some with a lot more color but this is one of my favorites...

Art Collectors

The art collector has to own the work, not just observe it.That way they can look at it over and again at their leisure because each canvas has a soul that can only be appreciated in person.I also like to touch the art.The brush stokes give me a sense of the emotional state of the artist.Heavy paint gives me a sense of intense and strong emotions while light brush strokes(mostly in watercolors) gives me a feeling of happy,light and carefree.

A completist, unlike a collector, gathers without meaning and indulge obsessions past any reasonable point. The tasks and trophies have meaning only in the completion of the task itself.It is about satisfying a deep desire to have the complete collection of a particular set of items.Money is of little concern to the completist and they will travel to the ends of the earth to find what they are looking for. ? It’s a harmless enough urge, maybe even a healthy one, until it becomes so intense that it comes at the expense of other experiences or people.....I have decided this is not for me...Isn’t it a little sad when the collection is complete and you discover there’s nothing left to find?

The active art collector Buys all the time, no matter where they are or what they are doing..They tend to go to  and own art museums and galleries and have traveled widely . Finding the best art means learning who the best most qualified dealers are, and understanding how to interact, communicate, and negotiate with them to Get pointers on art dealer etiquette, how to spot the best dealers, who to trust, and who to watch out for. They learn how to favorably position themselves in the art market  in order to get special considerations when fresh new art comes onto the market... They work hard at creating relationships and friendships with dealers,galleries.The active collector seems to be more concerned with  what the market will bear or what is popular at the moment....money is definitely a driving force behind each purchase...He views his purchases, in part, with a banker's eye: Each brings great pleasure, and each adds value. .Personally I have never bought a piece from a gallery...I do go to look sometimes.....

Casual art collectors tend not to go looking for specific artwork and often find it while out looking for something completely different. Paintings and prints are sold in a variety of places from garage sales to malls to antique shops to auctions and street vendors.I fall into this category.Color catches my eye first, then shapes and form in art..

  Art collecting is more of a favorite pastime for me and therefore no pressure.I can take my time and look..if I don't buy no big deal ....maybe I will the next time..it just depends on what mood I am in and if I find art that really moves me.The most important point to remember if you fall into this category of collector is to buy what appeals to you. 

ON A PERSONAL NOTE:

All true collectors have a passion for art. Today, it is self-evident that art is not dead ... Contemporary art gives expression to how we welcome, ignore, resist ourselves.This is what art of the moment always tries to do: capture a point  in time and make it burn as bright as the night is long.The collector likes the thrill of the chase, the search for the perfect addition to his or her collection. The process of viewing, learning and buying art is a joyful one and doesn't feel like work. If it does, it's not for you... 

Most people will not trust their own judgment as to what is art. They believe people whose job is to criticize art . These critics tell you when a work of art is good, when it is bad.Art is too personal to rely solely on another person´s judgement. One must experience art first hand, not solely through the point of view of someone else.The second that anyone tries to place a strict definition on art, art itself is destroyed but pointing out shapes and images of a work is possibly helping others to understand the work. Collecting is about using visual art to explore feeling and emotions.....it’s about seeing feelings, making them visible to yourself and others.The collectors who really matter are not necessarily the very richest or even the ones with the most pieces.....They are those who encourage interest in the art they collect and share their treasures with the public.

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A Penny for your Thoughts......