Emma Howell
26 October, 2017
Do you buy original art for your home or work space? If you do, that’s great – thank you for supporting our practice as artists. If you don’t, I’m going to talk you through a few reasons why you should.
1. It’s One of a Kind
When you buy original art, it’s a one of a kind- no one else has it.
Think of clothing- when you go to a party, the supermarket or wherever, it’s not ideal when you see someone else wearing the exact same outfit as you. So, why not take this ideology and apply it to the interior design of your home and/or office? Granted, it’s not embarrassing to have a mass produced art print hanging on your wall- I’ve bought many myself because obviously I can’t afford an original Frankenthaler or Picasso. However, what about original artwork that is within your budget? Nowadays, a lot of original artwork is really quite affordable, especially work by emerging artists that you typically find on social media.
Many artists, like myself, also offer commissions. A commission is a bespoke piece of art tailored just for you and only you. My process involves a lot of back and forth with my customer, where we talk about colours, themes, energy, emotion etc. in order to create the ideal artwork for their space and personality.
It’s pretty much impossible to recreate the same artwork again exactly, so having an original artwork hanging on your wall is pretty special.
2. It Sparks Conversation
This may not relate to everyone, but I think that having a beautiful piece of art hanging on your walls at home sparks conversation. Whether it be a guest, your parents, your children, whoever- behind every artwork is a story, a theme and a reason of purchase. When it comes to abstract art, quite often, people have varying opinions about what is seen/felt upon viewing the work, which I always find fascinating. Opinions of artwork always differ from individual to individual and in my experience, debates do happen. Heated or not, talking about art is still a great way to find out more about someone.
So, buy original art for your homes to open up minds, inspire and stimulate creativity!
3. It Brings a Room Together
So, this one is a bit of an obvious one and the reason why a lot of people prefer having commissioned artwork- it brings a room together and provides an instant colour palette. When you move into a new home or you redecorate your house, you have a variety of things to think about- design wise. What about the colour of the walls, the curtains, the sofas and the cushions; the layout of the television, the mirrors, the side tables and the lamp? There are many things to consider when you’re trying to make your home a more beautiful place to live in. Having an original artwork as a statement piece in any room can quite often be the cherry on top of the cake- whether it’s added in first or last. Give it a go- have a look around your home and see whether you find a wall that is crying out for a colourful/large/small/emotive piece of artwork.
4. It Personalises Your Home
Just like how we dress ourselves or how we wear our hair, owning original artwork can be how you style your home. Sure- you may have a print of Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss”, a poster of The Rolling Stones and a family photograph up in your house (which is perfectly fine), but what about a real painting, with tangible textures and vibrant colour. You can chose an original artwork that not only matches your living room to bring the colour scheme all together, but also one that reflects your personality, whether it be dark and gloomy, peachy and floral or explosive and alluring- your style, your home, your choice.
Having artwork up at home can also be very beneficial to your mood and mindset. When you view your artwork, you may experience feelings of happiness or provide you with a moment of zen after a stressful day, it may also make you feel proud if it was something you saved up for and treated yourself with.
5. It Supports an Artist’s Practice
This is an important one.
You know when someone is good at mathematics and they become an accountant, or fantastic with their hands and become a mechanic? Well, us artists are born with a need to create, our ‘talent’, if you will, is to express ourselves, to put paint onto surface and to make things. The problem is, a lot of us are unable to translate our talent into earning income. I can’t tell you how many times people have said ‘..and what else do you do?’ after I’ve told them that I am an artist. Unfortunately, quite often it’s not acknowledged as a ‘proper job’ and many people resist spending money on our work, especially when it’s abstract, the ‘easy’ work that ‘looks like a child did it’. Abstract art is very misunderstood and sometimes, I feel that we have to work even harder to find people to purchase work of this kind- it’s crazy!
This needs to change. For us to be able to use our talent to earn money in the way we feel we are destined to, we need you to support our practice. We need you to help us top up our supplies, keep up with the rent of our studio space and to enable us to work. Yes, to work– just like how a hairdresser, a plumber, a doctor or a teacher would.
Musicians- they’re artists. Have you ever bought a CD or a song on iTunes? I’m assuming at some point you have. Well, buying music is like buying artwork. You’re not just paying for an awesome song to listen to, you’re also paying for the musician to continue their work. It’s the same for us- visual artists!
6. It could be an investment
A lot of money flies around in the art world. So, if you were to buy original art, particularly from an emerging artist, it could be a sound investment. The artist could very well go on to be a renown artist, which in turn makes the artwork you have bought a lot more valuable. Obviously, there is no guarantee that this will happen but it would be worth keeping on the look out and following along with the journey of the artist’s career because you never know what might happen!
You can view my original artwork here.