The other day, in a fit of energy, I moved furniture around the house kind of like a kid with a doll house. Unsatisfied, I moved it all back, then tried again with more subtle moves. Feeling better about my “space”, I looked up at the walls to get a full scope on the new “still life” I had created. I move paintings around the house once a month or more as my home is also my personal gallery space. Usually there is a general flow of new pieces into the major living areas as older pieces move to more remote places in the house and others sell or are sent to shows and galleries. But, this time I concentrated on getting individual still life settings perfect …furniture arrangement and paintings on the wall together with corners of rooms, windows, halls, lamps, antique artifacts, distant view and comfort. That evening, after hanging a large painting over the fireplace, we toured the house to enjoy our newly designed rooms over a glass of wine, obviously. The contentment and rapture we felt was overwhelming! As collectors of art work, do you rearrange furniture, artwork and artifacts around to renew your appreciation of what you have purchased? May I suggest that you do so today! Forget what the interior designer said, just do your own thing and make still life settings all over your house. Add all the things that are important to you into the settings, make your house your own HOME, not a designer’s dream. You will be amazed at how happy it will make you and how much your guests will enjoy and comment on it, too. I understand that some, maybe many, of you have never purchased original art. Some who have made purchases find it difficult to know just where to hang them. Should I group them? Should I just hang one large one on that wall or a grouping? Should I mix mediums or technique or genre on a wall or even in a room? Should the frames match? Should the colors match colors in the room? Should the art hanging together or in a particular room be themed? But first, let’s buy art. I suggest you begin by understanding what kind of art you prefer. Purchase a couple of magazines specifically for art collectors (not for artists); visit your local galleries and art fairs. Most of us have budget constraints, so begin your search for a purchase from local galleries, art students’ leagues, artist co-op galleries, art guilds etc. and stay within the limits you set. As your eye for artistic quality matures, you may not be overly pleased with some of your initial purchases. That is why I recommend you start with purchases from emerging artist, students and local art fairs. If you are a seasoned buyer, you understand the dynamics of falling in love with a painting and the rising excitement as you declare your desire to purchase. Always purchase a painting you love – never purchase it because someone told you to or because it goes with the sofa! The fun begins when you bring the painting into your home. Remember all those questions I asked about where and how to hang? Well, there are no rules and the answer is, “Do what you like”. If you purchase large paintings they are harder to move around and group, but they are dynamic. Please don’t match frames or subject or color. Do hang them gallery style instead. You can stack them, hang them individually, rest them on furniture, hang them beside the toilet and over the kitchen sink; put them in every room. Then sit back and admire your skill at choosing such a perfect piece and placing it superbly where you can see it every day. Don’t forget to move your art collection around.

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