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How to buy art like an experienced collector

August 27, 2019 Leave a Comment

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Historically, the art world has been a rather highfalutin, impermeable space that seemed open to just a select few. But I believe that is changing – the online world now easily connects artists with buyers and the amount of affordable art seems be increasing by the year – and it’s a sentiment shared by the creators of the upcoming Affordable Art Fair.

“Here, at Affordable Art Fair we’re firm believers that anyone can collect art. But, for those of us who aren’t au fait with the ways of the art world, dipping your toe into the market can feel like a daunting experience,” says the fair’s Australian-based director Stephanie Kelly. A global expert in art procurement, we caught up with her recently to help demystify the process.

Art by Jasmine Mansbridge, courtesy of The Gallery by Fenton & Fenton and The Affordable Art Fair
Art by Jasmine Mansbridge, courtesy of The Gallery by Fenton & Fenton and The Affordable Art Fair

Explore your options
“Take some time to research and try and define your taste. Get to know galleries on Instagram, get behind the scenes of an artist studio on Facebook and brush up on art terms online,” says Stephanie who believes that exposure is key. Like any matter of personal taste, the more art you see, the more you will know what art you like (and don’t!).

A previous Affordable Art Fair

Get to know the artist and their inspiration
“One of the most exciting parts of collecting contemporary art is learning about established artists or discovering rising stars,” says Stephanie. From their backgrounds to their inspirations, motivations, techniques and preferred materials it pays to do your research before you commit to purchasing a piece. Galleries should be able to provide all of this information and the upcoming Affordable Art Fair provides a unique opportunity to connect with a host of galleries and art advisors in the one place.

A previous Affordable Art Fair
A previous Affordable Art Fair

Buy for love
While research and due diligence should form the backdrop for a purchase, it’s best to proceed with a visceral approach when it comes to finally choosing a piece. “Buying art should be led by your heart, with your head taking care of the detail. It is good to have ideas of space, size, medium and concept in your mind but on many occasions, people arrive looking for something quite specific and leave with something completely different,” says Stephanie.

And when it comes to art, there’s nothing wrong with making an emotional purchase. Often kept forever, artworks can be some of the most meaningful purchases people make and often come to represent a significant time in a person’s life.

Art by Jasmine Mansbridge, courtesy of The Gallery by Fenton & Fenton and The Affordable Art Fair
Art by Jasmine Mansbridge, courtesy of The Gallery by Fenton & Fenton and The Affordable Art Fair

Styling your piece at home
From which room to specific location details, it pays to think about exactly where you will house a new art acquisition. From available light (natural or lit), to the size of the room, there are lots of practical things to consider before making a purchase and that’s before you even consider your specific interior style.

“When it comes to styling, are you hoping your piece will contrast with your existing furniture, or complement it? Remember that opposites attract. A bold, bright abstract work can look amazing in a clean, white space while similarly, a busy room can really benefit from a monochrome or minimal piece that oozes calm,” says Stephanie.

Jasmine Mansbridge
Art by Jasmine Mansbridge, courtesy of The Gallery by Fenton & Fenton and The Affordable Art Fair

Free tickets to the Affordable Art Fair

The Affordable Art Fair will be held at Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building from 5-to-8 September. Over 50 galleries, from Australia and abroad, will be exhibiting works ranging in price from $100 to $12,000. Many participating galleries will offer a ‘try before you buy’ scheme and the fair also partners with Art Money which allows art buyers to buy art with 10 payments over 10 months with no interest. 

Register here for a free general admission ticket (limited numbers)

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Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than F Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than French onion?

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Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

✔️ I'm English 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008😆 

✔️ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. 🛁 

✔️ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) 📓 

✔️ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London 🚔 

✔️I had an interview at Oxford (didn't get in!) but chose not to go to uni at all after being offered a job on the local paper #universityoflife 😁

✔️ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK ❤️ 🇬🇧 

✔️ At school, my favourite subject was French 🇫🇷 and I was head girl 🤓🤓

✔️ I'm addicted to ☕️ , long hot baths and💄 (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

✔️ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message 😁

✔️ My favourite cuisine is Japanese 🍣 🍜 and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

✔️ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

✔️ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or🍷 

✔️ Cheesy as it sounds, 💁‍♀️being a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life 🧒👦

✔️ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view 📖 

✔️ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

✔️ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker 😯 🅿️

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better 😘

📸 @vanlowvanlow
Blue, green or lilac? 🎨 @nood_co coloured con Blue, green or lilac? 🎨 

@nood_co coloured concrete basins is a great Aussie business success story. Although co founder Matt Di Costa first found fame as one half of Matt and Kim on The Block, he hasn't relied on this to build his brand.

“We are very honoured to have been a part of The Block, and all they have done for us. I am, however, a believer in letting the product take centre stage,” he says.

Read our interview with Matt via link in bio now.

🙏Share your favourite colour basin in the comments!

#colouredconcrete #noodco #colouredbasin #blockheads #the block #bathroomtrends2022

Pic 1 by @naibudesign_ and 2 by @twostyleinteriors
I'd love to see more colour in Aussie interiors! I'd love to see more colour in Aussie  interiors! 🎨 

At the end of the day though, it's a matter of personal taste. I love pops of colour but it's not for everyone. 

We couldn't resist featuring this Canadian house tour today. The amazing Kelly Green  hutch (swipe) was an upcycled $200 find 🤗

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see the rest including one of the best playrooms we've seen in ages!

Project by @in.house.design
📸 @philcrozier
Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis o Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis on light and nature.

That was the brief for the conversion of a corner shop and a warehouse bakery into a luxury family home in Sydney's Newtown. And how about the library?!

Take the tour of this very special @annacarindesign project on the blog now, via link in bio.

Pic: @justinalexanderphoto
The things that excite me as a 40 year old 🤭 N The things that excite me as a 40 year old 🤭

None of us enjoy laundry (OK, there are a few of you out there who do. Weird!) but we have to do it. And often. So if your laundry bin can be as good looking, functional and space saving as this, then why wouldn't you?!

I've lost track of how many baskets I've thrown out because they've gone soggy or mouldy. They look pretty, sure, but they're not fit for purpose and they're often messy and overflowing.

Here's what I love about his @brabantia_australia one:

✔️ ventilation holes
✔️ no need to remove the lid for small items plus it hides your dirty laundry from view
✔️ easily removable and washable inner laundry bag that velcros back on 
✔️ corrosion resistant so fine in bathroom or laundry 
✔️ Brabantia make things as sustainably as possible
✔️ compact, sleek, European design
✔️ 10 year warranty
✔️ tall and skinny so takes up less floor in my tiny laundry

The Rolls Royce of laundry bins? I think so 👌🏻

TOLD you this was going to be exciting!

Now I need to know, do you have your laundry basket in the bathroom, the laundry, every bedroom? We used to have one in each bedroom but moved to the laundry-only situation which I much prefer (one for colours and one for whites). My boys know to put their used clothes in the bin in the laundry each night and they're 7 and 3!  #raisingfuturehusbands

#gifted
"Living rooms are important spaces where our publi "Living rooms are important spaces where our public and private lives intersect."

So says stylist @nataliewalton in her gorgeous new book Style, the Art of Creating a Beautiful Home.

"They are where we gather to welcome guests and entertain. But they are also where we decompress and relax at the end of the day. Increasingly, they are open-plan spaces and need to work within a greater scheme. Bringing all the elements together cohesively requires care and consideration. And, if you want a space that lives up to its true potential, make it personal and create with conviction."

Read an extract, the chapter on elevating your living room, on the blog today via link in bio.

Published by @thamesandhudsonau Pix by @chriswarnes 

#livingroomdesigns #nataliewalton #coffeetablebooks #designbooks #interiorsbooks #livingroominteriors #elevateyourspace
Kids and husband messing with my vignettes again🤨

PS. The coaster was RIGHT THERE 🤪
#weatherforit 🥶 Need a new blanket? Look no fu #weatherforit 🥶

Need a new blanket? Look no further than these gorgeous South African blankets from @baobabcollective, sustainably sourced, ethically crafted and imported by a Southern Highlands couple.

On the blog now via link in bio.
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Amy Collins Walker

About Amy Collins Walker

Amy is our regular feature writer, an experienced journalist and interior stylist living in Perth, Western Australia. Find out more about her styling work at http://www.amycollinswalker.com/

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