Collecting / Owning Art
​Top Tips for Collecting Art
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Make Pinterest boards of all the Art, decor and styling that you love to help you figure out exactly what it is you’re looking for if you don’t already know.
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Read my design tips in the styling Art resources - these may help you when considering what colours and sizes will best suit you and your space.
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Follow Artists on social media to learn more - you’ll likely get good insight into their processes and the quality of their work and materials.
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Have something specific in mind? Enquire about commissions, but keep in mind this is often more expensive than their normal work as it's a bespoke service.
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Need more info on a piece of Art? I'm sure many Artists would love to send you more details, photos, close ups, videos and more to help.
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Trust your instinct - Do you love it? Can you live with it? Does it impress you?
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A great way to see exactly how to vision a piece of Art in your space is to use WallApp…
A helpful tool for planning Art in your space: WallApp
WallApp is a free online tool (not an app) where you can upload an image of your space and Art to help you vision how the Art will look in that specific space. To save yourself some time, why not send the Artist a photo of your space and ask them to do it for you? Just be sure to take the photos directly facing the wall and not at an angle. Click here to go to the WallApp website to check out this tool for yourself.
Taking Care of your Art
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The Artist or Gallery will be able to give you the right information on how to look after the Artwork you buy from them. Here's how I recommend my collectors look after the Art they buy from me:
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Paintings - keep out of direct sunlight and don’t use cleaning chemicals on them. Instead, use a lint free dry cloth to dust every so often. Prevent any marks or scratches by displaying it where it is unlikely to get damaged and keep away from humid environments (e.g. bathrooms) and outside spaces.
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Prints - avoid touching the front of prints and frame them for protection, keep out of direct sunlight and display where they are unlikely to get damaged.
Storing and Packaging your Art​
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If you're moving house, or, like me, you enjoy giving your home a refresh every now and then by switching up your decor, then you will need to know how to store and pack your art. Again, check with the Artist for information on this. Here's what I recommend to my collectors:
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If you are able to keep and preserve the original packaging that you received the Artwork in, then I would recommend you do so and reuse it if you think you will need to store and package it in future
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Be sure to cover the Art in acid free tissue paper / glassine paper or grease proof baking paper to protect it before adding further layers of packaging. Then you can wrap it in cushioning (e.g. bubble wrap, foam board) and pop it in a cardboard box. Of course if you're just storing it in your home you may not need as much cushioning - you just need to make sure that it's safe, protected, out of direct sunlight, not stacked and away from any other potential damage. Note: you’ll need more cushioning for stretched canvases than you would for canvas panels because they are more delicate.