As I enter my thirties, it’s time to focus on building my own personal art collection. I am the kind of person that is extremely affected by my surroundings, and nothing compares to the happiness that an original framed hand-picked piece of art gives me (besides my loving husband and beautiful children of course). So for me, investing in art, as well as making my own art on occasion, is an investment in both my home and my health as well as a statement of my identity. I once read that “Art speaks, and it’s important that it says exactly what you want it to,” and I completely agree with that!
For me the key has been narrowing down exactly what it is that I love deep down in my soul (because I actually really “like” a lot of genres). Is it vintage oil portraits? Lush landscapes? Bright colorful abstracts? Paintings of interiors? Nudes? Moody neutral abstracts? So to rein it in, I started my own private Pinterest board called “Art That I Would Buy.” This is different than my other “Art” Pinterest board where I pin anything and everything that looks interesting to me. On my “Art That I Would Buy” board I pin works, both available and unavailable, at all different price points (even if I could never afford them), of works that greatly move me and that I would be honored to display in my own home.
And you know what happened? I came up with an entire Pinterest board of bright, colorful abstracts–a few with some black in them, abstract florals, still lifes with citrus fruit in them, impressionistic scenes featuring ocean and lake landscapes, and Matisse-inspired pieces of the female figure and female faces. This was an extremely helpful exercise and helped me narrow down exactly what I should collect in the future. So I’m going to listen to my inner id and roll with it!
Through Instagram, Etsy, online art galleries, and apps like ArtCloud, I’ve discovered some of my favorite artists. Here are some artists whose work I am following, have purchased from, and/or hope to include in my personal collection some day in the future.
Laurie Fisher
I discovered Laurie through Serena & Lily’s art collection and have fallen in love. You can see one her small works in my bedroom. Her abstract oil paintings are made of layers and layers of oil paint that she constantly adds and subtracts to with objects like credit cards. I love running my fingers over my piece to feel the beautiful texture of the surface – I wish I could see what the previous layers looked like underneath! Laurie and I have developed somewhat of a “creative minds love affair” and she has now become one of my e-design clients!
Renee Bouchon
I discovered Renee through Instagram and she has quickly become one of my favorite abstract artists. Her mixed media works exude incredible energy and youthfulness and she has an such a keen eye for sophisticated color palettes, likely stemming from her love for fashion and photography spreads. If you can believe it her works are even more beautiful framed. I used Framebridge’s whitewashed Monterey frame to frame two of her works on paper to bring out a beachy vibe and I’m positively obsessed with them! See here. You can purchase Renee’s work via her site, the Gregg Irby Gallery, the Shain Gallery, the Stellers Gallery, and even her Instagram page!
Michelle Armas
Michelle’s work is high on my must-own-one-day list! Her ethereal poured paint pieces bring you to another world – a world that I would certainly not mind daydreaming in!
Wayne Pate
Wayne Pate is a modern day Matisse. I love following his daily drawing exercises on his Instagram and seeing sneak peeks of his home which is filled with the objects, pottery pieces, and books he is inspired by. I am especially drawn to his colorful paintings of the human figure amidst magical foliage-filled landscapes.
Paige Kalena Follman
I found Paige through Instagram and have since purchased two of her black and white painted face pottery pieces. Her Matisse-like works make me so happy every time I walk by them and look especially cheery when filled with spring flowers – see here!
Catherine B. Jones
I found Catherine through her prints on One Kings Lane and fell more in love when I saw her work on Instagram. Her color-blocked works make me feel cool, calm, and collected – isn’t that a feeling we all want to have? Catherine even sells work directly through her Instagram page if you direct message her! Now THAT is instant gratification. :)
Sally King Benedict
Sally’s works sell out in seconds. Talk about girl power. I would just loooove to get my hands on one of her face plates one day and display it on a bookshelf. I want to create a vignette like this!
Kayce Hughes
I found Kayce through the work of other designers and purchased my first piece through her $100 small works Instagram page (see here) and I’m hooked! I would love to add one of her larger squiggle works to my collection some day. To top it off, she just seems like the nicest, most down-to-earth working artist and mom ever.
Christina Baker
Christina Baker is also at the top of my must-own list. Her abstract paintings exude youthfulness and energy, and her use of color, especially her blues, is spot on. I definitely would not mind designing a whole room around one of her beautiful works.
Billie Bourgeois
I randomly discovered Billie on ArtCloud and I positively adore her use of color and abstraction in this still life! There’s something about chartreuse that just gets me every time…
Alex Mason
I found Alex while searching for fabrics for a project, as she is the designer behind the textile line Ferrick Mason. Her abstract florals feel like an escape through a lush garden and there is something so romantic about the spontaneous quality of the drips and random strokes. And can we talk about this lavender and forest green color palette in the painting above? GORGEOUS!!
What kind of work are you most attracted to? And do you have any favorite artists that you think I should know about? Share in the comments!!
Great article, informative & educational. Discussing the artist and showing an example of their work is a nice touch.