Thoughts on buying original art

Original art

I bought my first piece of original art just before Christmas. I had fallen in love with this painters style through her Facebook updates and felt a connection to her portraits. Angela Kennedy has a knack for painting whimsical girls with soulful expressions and when I saw a picture of an angel she had done I kept wistfully looking at it.

I am usually quite reluctant to buy art, (of any kind) mainly because a lot of my own work fills my walls and space is a bit of an issue in my tiny miners cottage. But this felt special and because my Nan had recently passed on, I was encouraged by my mum to buy something to remember her by.

This was the perfect thing. And it is a beautiful. It took a few weeks to arrive from the U.S. but the anticipation was exciting in itself. I unwrapped it with reverence and hope. You never quite know what something is going to be like when you have only seen it online, but it was every bit a lovely.

I love the image, but I also love being able to see the brush-strokes on the wings and the delicate handwriting on her dress. There is an 'energy' and 'aliveness ' that you only get with original art. I always think that it is as if the artists soul has permeated the canvas and imbued it with a magic that goes beyond the image itself.

I think a lot of people are hesitant to buy original work because they think it will be too expensive, and they worry about whether it is 'good art'. I think if you go with your heart though it doesn't matter whether it is critically acclaimed and art is more affordable than ever before.

With a plethora of online art sites and the ability for artists to sell directly to the public, consumers can bypass the hefty gallery commission that tends to double the price of artwork. It's always worth a conversation with an artist, to discuss what your budget is and what you are particularly interested in. 

I recently did a special commission for a special customer who I had built an online friendship with. I knew she liked my work and had bought lots of my fairy cards and a small picture: so when she asked if I could do something bigger, I jumped at the chance.

This was a challenge on a few fronts because I had become used to working on a small scale where I could add lots of detail. Creating tiny images also fitted in with my little girl as I could take my work around the house with me and even out in the car! 

Working on a picture bigger than my table meant that I had to develop my technique and made me pay more attention to composition and the use of space. It was a lot of fun and once every inch sparkled with fairy magic, I knew it was time it could fly to its new home.

My lovely customer (and friend) Lindsey said when she received it: "OMG !!! Had my husband put it in the frame before I saw it, absolutely love it, Martin and Amy too, trying to put it where we can see it all the time, worth every penny, your work is truly beautiful, it has a serenity about it, I am very, very happy, thanks Jac's XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Make sure you let everyone else see it now!"

It's so lovely to get such positive feedback and such a delight to create something totally unique for someone. I think that with commissions it's not just the energy of the artist that goes into the piece, but the energy of the person who wants it, making it even more special.

I think most artists would be delighted to hear that you are interested in their work enough to order a commission. Why not get in touch with one that you follow and see what they could do for you in your budget?