Your Art Auctions Questions Answered

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By: MIKE SELVON

Most people look forward to hanging their prized artwork on the walls of their home. It is something that starts conversations. It can be appreciated for its aesthetic value. Not all art has to cost you an arm and a leg to own.

Some are worth millions of dollars and some worth only pennies. Knowing how to buy a piece of art can make the difference between getting ripped off and finding a true one of a kind piece. Art does not have to be confined to just a canvas. It can be anything you find attractive and wish to own.

In this article we will discuss one of the most popular ways to find artwork: the art auction. Hopefully by the end you will have enough confidence to venture out to visit some art auctions and find the piece of your dreams.

Are all art auctions the same?
There are some very huge differences in art auctions. There are world renowned art auctions such as Sothebys or Christies and art auctions held at estate sales. You can also find art work on Ebay. Where you bid plays a huge factor in what you are going to receive.

There are auctions where you must be invited to attend. There are absentee auctions where you review the listing and place a maximum bid. The world of art auctions is extensive and unless you are very familiar with the art world, it can seem a bit confusing.

What do I need to do if I want to sell a piece of art?
The first thing you need to do is get the piece appraised. Once you have a relative value for the piece it does not hurt to get a little bit of background information on the artist. This will be very helpful if you are trying to sell the piece yourself.

If you do not want to sell the piece yourself or want to reach a wider audience, consider letting an auction house sell it for you. You can get their opinion on the opening bid price and go from there. You will have to give them a percentage of the sale.

What can I expect my art piece to sell for?
That is an impossible question to answer without knowing exactly what you have. A DaVinci will sell for a whole lot more money than your neighbor's daughter's finger painting.

No one can give you an accurate estimate of your art work by just going on a description. It takes the trained eye of a professional in order to determine what it is worth.

Can I use Ebay to sell my art work?
Yes, of course you can use Ebay to sell your art work. If it is a rare piece of art you may want to reconsider. Ebay is known for bargains and this is one time when bargaining may not be in your best interest.

For less expensive prints, paintings or pieces you can receive a fair deal. Just make sure to give a very accurate description of the piece and also make sure and demand that the winner pay for insurance. That way no one will be out of money should the art work be damaged during shipping.

I bought a painting at a local auction and it needs restoration. Can I do this myself?
It would not be recommended. Paintings are delicate things. Over time they can accumulate dirt, grime and the colors can fade if the painting was not properly cared for. A professional restorer is your safest option if you want to ensure your art work is not ruined.

Author Resource:-> Enrich your knowledge further about art auctions from Mike Selvon portal. We appreciate your feedback at our fine art auctions blog where a free gift awaits you.

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Should I Try Another Auction House?

Q: I tried to sell a group of late-19th century etchings by known American and European artists at a local auction. They failed to sell as my reserve was $1000 and the high bid was only $700. The auction house said they'd put them up for sale again, but only if I lower my reserve to $500. I still want the $1000-- the total of the individual values of the prints exceeds that. Should I try another auction house? What do you recommend?

A: The auctioneer's request is perfectly reasonable. To begin with, the prints are damaged goods, in a sense, because they were offered at a public sale and failed to sell. The perception among potential buyers is that no one wanted them. If you put them up again at the same house any time soon, using the lower reserve would be an excellent idea.

You could try another auction house, but collectors are pretty sophisticated these days and those who are the most serious about acquiring your prints will probably recognize that they've seen the lot somewhere before. The bad news is that if they fail to sell again, they'll be devalued even further. If you continue to insist on too much money, over-shop the prints, and repeatedly fail to locate a buyer, you'll end up being unable to sell them at any reasonable price.

Another mistake you're making is basing your reserve on what the individual prints would sell for. The only times that lot prices either equal or exceed the sum of the individual prices is when the pieces are related, are part of a series, form relatively complete collections, or would take years to assemble piece by piece. The one common aspect of your etchings is that they date from approximately the same time period. Other than that, they're little more than a miscellaneous group of unrelated images. The reason why they sell for less is that serious buyers only want specific images, want the lot based on what they'd have to pay for only those images, and want get rid of the rest without too much trouble or financial loss.

If you insist on sticking with the high reserve, thoroughly research the marketplace before placing them up for sale again. You may get lucky and locate a particular sales venue that consistently sells such prints for higher prices than the competition. But don't get your hopes up. Chances are much better that the $500 reserve suggested by the auctioneer is the way to go, whether you consign to his auction house or another.

Another possibility might be to have the auction house contact the high bidder and attempt to arrange a private sale of just a portion of the lot. If he's willing to offer a good price without taking too many prints, you may be able to auction the remainder at a lower estimate and come close to your $1000 asking price between the two sales.

Proper Presentation

Q: I attended a collectibles show in a large unheated building on the outskirts of the city where I live. The quality of the merchandise was uneven, but some was pretty good. At one booth I saw a group of etchings by a known artist lying in a pile on a table. I expected to hear a reasonable figure when I asked the price, but was instead quoted top retail. I thought this was ridiculous, considering the circumstances, and walked away without saying a word. What do you think?

A: I would have probably done the same thing. In any segment of the art, antique, or collectibles businesses you pretty much have to know your place on the food chain. If you're selling a painting out of the back of your van or at the local flea market, for example, it should be priced less than if you're selling it out of your $50,000 a month gallery space on 57th Street in Manhattan-- even if it's the identical painting!!

Four of the most important aspects of selling art at top retail are proper presentation, credibility of the seller, access to the right client base, and service. To elaborate, the art has to be for sale at the right location and framed and displayed in a way that maximizes its dramatic impact. The gallery must offer a full range of services such as delivery, installation, appraisals, research, and moneyback guarantees. It must have an established track record of selling quality art to experienced collectors. Obviously, this is not the same as shuffling through a pile of etchings on a table in an unheated building.

Overpricing for one reason or another will always be a problem and will probably only get worse due to the increased amount of information available to dealers at all levels. In particular, price guides and the Internet are having a greater and greater impact. People can locate dollar values of just about anything in price guides, auction record compendiums, websites, newsgroups, databases, or mailing lists and compare it to what they have for sale. Unfortunately, they can't as easily locate or acquire the knowledge and experience necessary to understand why those prices are what they are and under what circumstances the merchandise must be offered in order for it to sell at those figures.

All of The Data Gathered Within DaVinci

a la mode, inc., one of the real estate industry's largest and most mission-critical technology companies, announced today that its DaVinci product is the first real estate appraisal program in the US to receive the Certified for Windows Vista logo, ushering in next-generation reliability to the real estate appraisal process. DaVinci also runs on Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

DaVinci allows appraisers to easily create floor plan sketches, either at the office using a desktop computer, or in the field using a Tablet PC or UMPC and a digital pen. When used on site at a field inspection, DaVinci allows appraisers to also gather required information, take freeform notes, and manage photos, in addition to sketching the floorplan.

a la mode's companion desktop formfilling software, WinTOTAL, is overwhelmingly the most popular appraisal program on the market, with more than half of all real estate appraisers nationwide utilizing it. All of the data gathered within DaVinci, including the sketch, stays organized in a single file that is saved in a native WinTOTAL format, which makes it seamless and simple to transfer to the final appraisal report.

Until now, appraisers typically used pencil, paper, and a traditional clipboard to sketch the property and gather data, but that process can easily introduce errors. It's possible using manual methods to overlook measurements, be unaware that a measurement is incorrect, or even fail to note important features of the property being appraised. DaVinci guides the appraiser through a completely customizable onsite inspection, and provides an interactive checklist of critical data which needs to be gathered before leaving the site. An appraiser in the field can also drive by comparable properties and complete the appropriate sections of the report directly within DaVinci, ensuring the best comparables are used and that the comparable data is as accurate as possible. Data is saved in the appraiser's Digital Workfile, storing a full audit trail of the work done and ensuring compliance with government regulations and professional standards.

In addition to improving the reliability of the information gathered, DaVinci enables the appraiser to go directly from the field inspection to the final report without retyping data or sorting through the subject and comparable photos, saving the appraiser substantial amounts of time and effort.

"The real estate industry is undergoing massive technological transformation, and appraisers are at the leading edge of it," said David Biggers, Chairman and founder of a la mode. "Microsoft's rigorous standards and independent laboratory testing allow companies such as ours to provide the innovative tools appraisers now require, while simultaneously assuring them that they'll have a positive experience with reliable software."

"Microsoft is pleased that a la mode has earned the Certified for Windows Vista software logo for its DaVinci application," said Jeff Price, Senior Director of Windows Client Product Management at Microsoft Corp. "This highlights a la mode's commitment to providing its customers with higher quality applications that deliver a more secure, reliable and compatible experience with Windows Vista."

Thousands of real estate professionals have downloaded and evaluated DaVinci prior to its release from the a la mode Labs website, providing valuable input and feedback as part of the development process. DaVinci is available for download at alamode.

About a la mode
Founded in 1985, a la mode develops desktop, mobile, and Web tools for the real estate and mortgage industries. a la mode's mission-critical products are used by hundreds of thousands of appraisers, agents, inspectors, and lending professionals to complete the nation's real estate transactions. a la mode's state-of-the-art offices are located in Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, and Washington, DC. For more information, visit alamode.

Like Stylish Canaries In a Coal Mine

Featured article from Google alert about arts. Sunday Real Estate Round-Up, 4/6/08
Luxist - Santa Monica,CA,USA
There is no record of a mortgage so she may have paid cash. --Art collector Adam Lindemann and his wife, Amalia Dayan have bought a slim townhouse at 64 ...

Like stylish canaries in a coal mine, Miami's art advisors are increasingly being looked to for early warnings of the art market's collapse. Indeed, even among those previously most bullish about contemporary art's investment potential, the question is no longer if a replay of the 1990 crash will unfold, but more often when it will arrive.

''I see the black clouds over every auction,'' says art advisor Lisa Austin, ruefully describing the flurry of anxious conversations preceding the recent art sales by Christie's, Phillips de Pury & Co. and Sotheby's auction houses in New York and London. ``Common sense says there's going to be a shake-out -- there's a similarity to the run-up of the art market of the late '80s. Everybody said that incredible pace couldn't be sustained.''

And they were right. When the art market bubble popped in 1990 amid a national recession, the realignment was vicious. Art stars of the 1980s such as Eric Fischl and Julian Schnabel suddenly found their work selling for a tenth of their earlier seven-figure price tags -- if it sold at all. As belt-tightening collectors abandoned the field, scores of galleries closed, forcing waves of previously successful artists to set down their paint brushes in search of day jobs.

This time out, with Miami's post-Art Basel gallery expansion handily dwarfing the '80s boom, the correction could be even more painful. ''Look at the way Art Basel has been marketed,'' says art advisor Heather Urban. ``I hear so many people talking as much about the parties, and who they're being seen with, as about the art.''

Once the cash -- and its attendant glitz -- drains away, many expect these fickle crowds to also vanish.

IN THE WORKS
To hear art advisor Dora Valdés-Fauli tell it, the weeding-out process has already begun. ''The art market is not immune to the same factors that have touched the housing market,'' Valdés-Fauli says. Many of the local banks she's helped assemble collections, such as Banco Santander International, have ceased new acquisitions. ''Look at Bear Stearns,'' she says, referring to the meltdown of the once seemingly-impregnable brokerage firm. ``Try to convince a bank board they should be purchasing art now.''

''Now is the time to cash out,'' says Lang Baumgarten, a longtime client of Lisa Austin's dating back to her stint as art director for Southeast Bank (whose own impressive collection was scattered to the winds following the bank's 1991 insolvency). As a commercial mortgage broker, Baumgarten has a quick metric for judging the market's peak: ''At the height of the real estate business, every hooker-model-actress in town reinvented themselves as a real-estate broker. Now those same people are calling themselves art consultants.'' Pointing to Eliot Spitzer's notorious overnight hotel guest, he scoffs, ``I'm sure Ashley Dupré is going to be an art advisor by next year.''

Read the complete article by Brett Sokol

Another Problem With Free Appraisals

Feature this article from one of the best site about buy and sell art. It's about free appraisals, arts, buy arts, sell arts. Enjoy.

Q: I never pay for an art appraisal. When I find an interesting piece of art and need an appraisal, I usually take it to a local auction house and have their appraiser tell me what they think they can sell it for. I hardly ever sell through them though. I either keep the art for myself or sell it to collectors on my own. I get the best of all worlds by saving on appraisal fees, auction house commissions. Is this a good idea? And what about those appraisers or dealers on the internet or in the phone book who advertise free appraisals? I'm thinking about starting to use them too.

A: A "free appraisal" is never free, and they're bad ideas for several reasons. The obvious one in your case is that you're repeatedly using the same people for free advice at the auction house. The auction house offers free appraisals to attract merchandise to their sales; they're not a public service or a price research service for your personal dealing and collecting needs. They very likely know you're taking advantage of them and that nothing will come of the time they spend with you, so as a result, they move you in and out as quickly as possible with minimal efforts on their part. They won't bother performing in-depth research or fine tuning the accuracy of their initial figures unless you consign the art. Why waste time with you when there's nothing in it for them?

The less obvious problem with so-called free appraisals from auction houses is that they're not really appraisals at all. They're only quick approximations of what auction houses think your art will sell for at their sales. The estimates do not necessarily reflect how the art might sell at someone else's auction or what it's fair market value might be. What one auction house can sell an item for might be completely different from what the next one can sell it for. Hammer prices at any particular auction house more accurately reflect the client base of that auction house than it does the market in general or the fair market values of the art that they sell.

But wait; there's more. Another problem with free appraisals is that, except in the case of the world's major auction houses, the staff people who conduct them tend to be younger, less experienced, and not necessarily able to accurately assess dollar values. Actual auction results may differ drastically from what you are told. Even the major auction houses can be way off in their estimates with art selling for either far greater dollar amounts than their estimates or failing to sell at all. Also keep in mind that auction houses try to keep estimates on the low side because that means they stand a better chance of selling the art.

Read the complete article here...

Lococo Fine Art Publisher

The following article covers a topic that has recently moved to center stage at least it seems that way. If you've been thinking you need to know more about it, here's your opportunity.

Now that we've covered those aspects of Lococo Fine Art Publisher, fine art, art, artist, listing, artwork, sell art online, buy art online, buy and sell arts, let's turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

Couldn't find much information about Lococo Fine Art Publisher, another nice site about fine art. Just found this site from link referral. Here's where you can reach them:

9320 Olive Boulevard
St. Louis, Missouri 63132 USA
Tel 1: (314) 994-0240
Tel 2: (800) 345-1764 US and Canada
Fax: (314) 994-0545

Robert Lococo
Mark Niesman
Ben Shambaugh

And the list of the artist you can browse through the site:
Joe Andoe
Donald Baechler
Ross Bleckner
Greg Bogin
James Brown
William S. Burroughs
Francesco Clemente
Peter Halley
Keith Haring
David Hockney
Christopher Makos
John "Crash" Matos
Julian Schnabel
Tom Slaughter
Paul Solberg
Donald Sultan
Ernest Trova
Bernar Venet
Andy Warhol
Liu Ye
Ford Beckman
Michael Bevilacqua
Dike Blair
Michael Byron
Ellen Carey
Sarah Charlesworth
Robert Cottingham
Raimundo Figueroa
Eric Fischl
Richard Haas
Al Held
Rebecca Horn
Nicholas Howey
Alex Katz
Scott Kilgour
Sol LeWitt
Alexander Liberman
Robert Longo
Ted Mineo
Elizabeth Murray
Louise Nevelson
Robert Risko
Lisa Ruyter
David Salle
Kenny Scharf
Christian Schumann
Barbara Takenaga
Fred Tomaselli
Oliver Warden
William Wegman
Terry Winters
Christopher Wool

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

Artspan Is Home to 2000 Artist

Would you like to find out what those-in-the-know have to say about Artspan, artist, art, arts, painting, sculpture, photography, contemporary art, modern art, artist websites, portal, featuring articles, reviews, events, extensive resource lists and links? The information in the article below comes straight from well-informed experts with special knowledge about Artspan, artist, art, arts, painting, sculpture, photography, contemporary art, modern art, artist websites, portal, featuring articles, reviews, events, extensive resource lists and links.

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of Artspan, artist, art, arts, painting, sculpture, photography, contemporary art, modern art, artist websites, portal, featuring articles, reviews, events, extensive resource lists and links is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about Artspan, artist, art, arts, painting, sculpture, photography, contemporary art, modern art, artist websites, portal, featuring articles, reviews, events, extensive resource lists and links.

Artspan is home to 2000 artist, artisan & art photographer member art sites. Visitors can use our search functions or directories to view thumbnail images, and click on the images to access the individual artist websites.

Artspan is a resource for anyone interested in contemporary art: painting, sculpture, photography, and much more. You can search for non-Artspan art sites or participate in the Forum or browse Articles.

Artspan is introducing a series of Portals to serve as gateways to genres, media and regions. See the categories below for portals featuring articles, reviews, events, extensive resource lists and links to individual websites. For more portals, go to the Portals Menu.

Since its beginnings in late 1999, the mission of Artspan has been to serve the visual arts community: both contemporary artists looking to create and consumers looking to purchase original contemporary art, contemporary art prints, art photography and more.

Artspan provides its fine artist members with easy-to-update low-cost elegant artist website templates. These fully customizable websited enable members to put their art online in minutes. These full member sites, along with the associate member sites, benefit from the top search engine rankings and resulting high volume of traffic artspan.com receives every day. This means more people will view your art - everyday.

Visitors use Artspan's fine art search functions or artist directories to find art of interest to them. Whether they are looking for abstract paintings, landscape paintings or still life art, art photography, sculpture, ceramics or other works of fine art, it will be found at artspan.com.

Search for artwork by genre, medium, style, region or keyword with our advanced search functions. Or browse our many distinct directories - regional (state or country), category (and subcategory), or alphabetical. Explore the extraordinary variety of contemporary art found on our network of thousands of artist websites. We invite you also to participate in the art Forum and to take a look at the Articles section as well as the Calendar.

The year 2007 saw a further evolution of Artspan as we began to introduce multiple portals to serve as gateways to contemporary painting, art photography, sculpture, mixed media, fine art prints, ceramics, art jewelry, fiber arts and many more. These portals serve to introduce the different categories of artistic expression, giving each a distinct portal. They feature news and exhibits and also incorporate alphabetical directories of the members whose work corresponds to that particular portal. We invite all who are interested in contemporary art to visit us frequently, to follow our continuing evolution.

Knowing enough about Artspan, artist, art, arts, painting, sculpture, photography, contemporary art, modern art, artist websites, portal, featuring articles, reviews, events, extensive resource lists and links to make solid, informed choices cuts down on the fear factor. If you apply what you've just learned about Artspan, artist, art, arts, painting, sculpture, photography, contemporary art, modern art, artist websites, portal, featuring articles, reviews, events, extensive resource lists and links, you should have nothing to worry about.

Art is a True Storyteller

If you're seriously interested in knowing about arts, buy art, story teller, personal side, artwork, fine art, authentic originals, you need to think beyond the basics. This informative article takes a closer look at things you need to know about arts, buy art, story teller, personal side, artwork, fine art, authentic originals.

I trust that what you've read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

There are many reasons to buy art. You may want to decorate your home, buy a special present for someone who loves art, or you might be an independent collector and just wish to invest in art. Some people buy art because they think owning it will improve their social standing. Some people buy art because it reflects their values or philosophies of life. Regardless of your reasons for buying art, the reason you buy certain art will be no doubt be personal.

When you buy art, you will likely buy based on intuition. Certain pieces will evoke a feeling or a mood almost immediately upon viewing them. That feeling will either be good or bad. Studies indicate that art makes people feel a certain way and anyone who creates, views or collects art knows that is true.

An artist experiences their work differently than a collector; who experiences it differently than a gallery viewer. That is one of the reasons art is so interesting. Art can preserve memories and create dreams. A painting truly is worth 1,000 words. Buying art that makes you feel good feeds your spirit and makes you healthy. Art can reduce stress by adding to the beauty and tranquility of your environment and by projecting certain and appropriate moods.

Art is often important to individuals because it compliments existing surroundings or memorializes someone or something dear. Art can be healing, motivational, endearing or upsetting. It can move people to tears, to laughter or to rage. It is an outlet of expression void of words but deep in meaning and symbolism.

For some, art personifies strength and honor. Animals are a popular subject and certain animal artwork gives status to the owner, much like owning a fancy car would. Art as a means of pleasing the senses has undoubtedly been stimulating imagination and creativity for centuries. Meanings are often buried within symbols, colors and textures.

Civilizations, cultures and individuals use art as the depository of their history. Art makes people proud to live, work, and play where they do. They point to their museums, public monuments, and cultural institutions with pride, as they should. Art is a true storyteller of life through the ages.

No matter why you are buying art, feeling and intuition will play a major role in your decision to buy any particular piece. So now you know a little bit about arts, buy art, story teller, personal side, artwork, fine art, authentic originals. Even if you don't know everything, you've done something worthwhile: you've expanded your knowledge.

The Story of Buying Fine Art Online

The following article covers a topic that has recently moved to center stage at least it seems that way. If you've been thinking you need to know more about it, here's your opportunity.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on arts, buy art, artwork, fine art, authentic originals now have at least a basic understanding. But there's more to come.

Now that’s someone who has fallen in love with what must surely be a fine piece of art. It's to be admired. I am not sure if that kind of thing is common and though for some it may seem slightly extreme, it is the sort of thing that any emerging artist selling fine art online, or even offline for that matter, would certainly love to hear.

If you are looking to buy fine art online make sure you do your homework. I don't mean to make it sound as it if it is a chore because it certainly is not. In fact, buying fine art online comes down to just following out on a few basic steps to ensure that you get what you're looking for and ultimately plan to pay for.

First it’s a good idea to establish as to whether you are buying art to match the couch or buying art so you can buy a couch to match the painting. In other words, are you looking to buy fine art online for investment purposes or to simply have an original oil painting to enhance the mood in your lounge or dining room? If you are looking for investment purposes then it is wise to do some homework and get yourself some education on the subject – is the artist emerging into the higher ranks of the art scene and destined to stay there?

Obviously the most effective way of telling the authenticity of a piece of work is if you can witness it in the flesh. If this is possible and you happen to live within the vicinity of the artist's studio or gallery, then you will benefit greatly from being able to view the painting first hand and up close. There is no better way to buy art.

As in a lot of cases when looking to buy artwork online, the painting is not so easily accessible. So in this scenario its good idea to contact the artist or online gallery web master. Get on the phone to speak to them personally. Send them an email. Get as much information as you can from the people or artist hosting the site in relation to the painting. The more information you can get from them the more confident you'll feel about your decision to purchase or not to purchase.

Ideally, you want to buy fine art online with an emphasis on the enjoyment a particular piece gives you. You must first really like a piece of work. Then it's a good idea to do an assessment on the artist to see if there is a growing vibe about him or her throughout the online and offline media. This is not so important if you are purchasing for decorative purposes but definitely for potential investment purposes.

Another factor to look out for when buying fine art online is to find out if the painting is a limited edition. As technology gets better so does it’s ability to easily reproduce work to make them look like authentic originals. See if the artist is issuing out certificate of authenticity papers with each piece of work. This also show the artist's credibility and integrity he or she maintains in their work. You don’t need to know everything about art in order to buy fine art online. All that really matters is that you follow through with some due diligence and most importantly; you buy something you really like and not something that you think is going to be popular.

That's the latest from the arts, buy art, artwork, fine art, authentic originals authorities. Once you're familiar with these ideas, you'll be ready to move to the next level.

Art Insurance Preview

Have you ever wondered what exactly is up with art, art and money, artist, collectors, insurance, art insurance, The Scream, Madonna? This informative report can give you an insight into everything you've ever wanted to know about art, art and money, artist, collectors, insurance, art insurance, The Scream, Madonna.

See how much you can learn about art, art and money, artist, collectors, insurance, art insurance, The Scream, Madonna when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don't miss out on the rest of this great information.

"The Scream" and "Madonna," two major paintings by famous Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, were recently stolen from the Munch Museum in Norway by armed robbers in broad daylight. The significance of the art theft is notable, but what's really shocking is that the art was not insured against theft (although it was insured for fire and water damage, for restoration costs that would be incurred to repair the paintings if they were damaged). According to a BBC news story, John Oyaas, managing director of the museum's insurers, said of the paintings, "They are not replaceable so you can't buy "The Scream" on the street and put a copy up there. The focus is on other issues than insuring them. To a certain extent this is common practice because these items aren't replaceable."

Now let's take a close look at that statement. Oyass appears to be saying that the paintings are so valuable that they're not worth insuring, or put another way, since the paintings are not replaceable, insuring them is a waste of money. This thinking makes absolutely no sense. The museum should have had theft insurance (assuming that's permissible in Norway); all museums should have theft insurance, as should all art galleries and private collections. Whether or not a work of art is "replaceable" is not the issue. The issue is getting compensated if the art is stolen. What's better a stolen painting and a $5 million insurance settlement or a stolen painting and a $0 insurance settlement?

"But theft insurance is way too expensive."

Yes, the cost of insuring a museum's entire collection is prohibitive, but thieves don't normally steal the entire collection. They only steal part of it, and usually a pretty small part. So insure only a part of it. Theft insurance covers "incidents," not specific works of art, unless the insured specifies individual coverage for specific works of art in the policy. In other words, if you purchase theft insurance, you're insured for the coverage amount no matter what gets stolen. You may not recoup the entire amount of the loss, but at least you'll have something.

"But insuring even our few most valuable paintings is still too expensive."

So that's a rationale for not insuring anything? How about this idea pay for as much insurance as you can afford, maybe $1,000,000, maybe $10,000,000? That way, if art gets stolen, at least you have enough money to hire top quality private investigators to try and recover it, get publicity for the theft, or perhaps even pay a ransom. Or use the money to buy a state-of-the-art security system for your museum (or gallery or private collection) so that theft doesn't happen again. Forget about whether or not art is replaceable or unique or iconic; receiving compensation for a theft is what counts, and using that compensation to either recover the art, offset the loss in revenues that may result from the art being stolen, or make life more difficult for people who steal art, so difficult, hopefully, that many will stop stealing it.

Insurance tips for anyone, public or private, who owns expensive art:

* Photograph and document your collection, or at least the most valuable works in your collection. Include current appraisals, original sales receipts, and any additional paperwork that speaks directly to the value of your art.

* Buy as much insurance as you can comfortably afford, whether or not that amount covers the entire value of your art. Most loss, damage, or theft affects only a portion of a collection, not the entire collection. To repeat-- receiving some compensation is better than receiving no compensation at all.

* Make sure you understand your insurance policy. This means reading the fine print, and asking every question about every conceivable loss or damage situation that you can think of. You don't want to find out after a loss that you were not covered for that specific type of loss.

* Theft/damage insurance for art, added onto your home insurance, generally costs $1-$2 annually per $1000 of coverage (less if you have a good security system in place). Several insurance companies specialize in covering art and antiques exclusively. Coverage details can be discussed and/or negotiated with your insurance company.

There's no excuse for not insuring an art collection. If you can afford the art, you can afford the insurance. And remember you don't have to insure for every last penny of value in your collection. Loss or damage rarely affects an entire collection, and you'll find that in the large majority of cases, even partial coverage will reimburse you for a substantial percentage of the dollar amount involved in most occurrences.

I hope that reading the above information was both enjoyable and educational for you. Your learning process should be ongoing the more you understand about any subject, the more you will be able to share with others.

About Art And Money

When most people think of art, art and money, artist, collectors, what comes to mind is usually basic information that's not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there's a lot more to art, art and money, artist, collectors than just the basics.

You can see that there's practical value in learning more about art, art and money, artist, collectors. Can you think of ways to apply what's been covered so far?

What is it about art and money anyway? Artists agonize about how to accurately price their work. Collectors anguish over whether the art they buy is worth what they pay for it. Even dealers perplex about which side of the fine line their price strategies come down on reasonable or preposterous. In fact, we all have moments when we wonder whether art is worth anything at all.

The relationship between art and money can indeed be confusing, especially if you're not familiar with the business side of things, but if you look carefully at how the pros assess and evaluate art and its markets, you sooner or later realize that methodology almost always triumphs over conjecture. In fact, the art market is overwhelmingly orderly no matter which side of the creative equation you're on-- producer or consumer. Sure the routine goes a little haywire every now and again, but it returns to vibrant health each and every time. And yes, pesky itinerant opportunists are always on the lookout for neophytes to flimflam, but not even the most virulent among them can survive that transcendent one-two punch-- connoisseurial concurrence and the passage of time.

The art and money affiliation starts out innocently enough, pure and virginal; the easiest art markets to decipher being those of artists at the outsets of their careers. At these early stages, values are based primarily on physical considerations like studio rents, costs of equipment and materials, how long art takes to make, what size it is, and the like. Geography also factors into the equation somewhat as cost of living varies by region. Simply put, if your cost of living is low, all else being equal, you can afford to charge less for your art. Additionally, certain insular regional scenes may layer on entry-level surcharges, for example, in locations with uncharacteristically high percentages of galleries like Carmel, Scottsdale, Laguna Beach, or Santa Fe.

Beyond the beginning, however, the artscape complicates fast about as fast as dealers, curators, collectors, prognosticators, and critics insert themselves into the paradigm. Suddenly in addition to concrete facts about the art, you have third party concerns to contend with including opinions, politics, connections, influence, who owes who, who has access how many dollars, and fuzz like that. So begins a wondrous period of market mayhem mild style that interval which starts when an artist first "gets noticed," continues as the artist determinedly endures year after year of making and showing art, and hopefully concludes with that artist proving his or her mettle to the extent that cognoscenti who count declare them "here to stay." In the meantime, clarity of perspective remains elusive, and about all anyone can do is speculate on what might one day be, based on what's happened so far.

In a sense, all art is priced speculatively. Since art has no tangible value, significance can only be ascribed, never quantified. But there are degrees of speculation ranging from realistic and fact-based to incomprehensibly incongruous. For example, under normal circumstances, price levels for artists at various stages in their careers increase orderly and incrementally according to convention, i.e. according to how prices for artists who preceded these artists increased orderly and incrementally, according to advances in their careers, and so on and so forth it's kind of like tradition. Of course any artist can change direction or even stop making art at any time, career moves like that constituting the wild side of the speculation game, but generally, the chances of unanticipated occurrences decrease the longer an artist is around. And generally, prices rise predictably according to each successive success an artist racks up including notable one-person shows, museum exposures, published monographs on their work, and so on the amount of any given price increase proportionate to the significance of the respective accomplishment. You follow me? Good. The boring part of the article is now officially over. Time to get twisty with a little comparative art market analysis from a speculative perspective.

Take Banksy and Shepard Fairey, two undeniably influential urban talents, both with careers firmly rooted in outdoor art, both active for about the same periods of time, yet the makeup of the current markets for their respective work could not be more different. Now I don't claim to be an authority on the evolutionary intricacies of either artist's career, but maybe that's a good thing, kind of an unaffected outsider-looking-in kinda thing. Because when I look at these two, I see the entire speculative continuum of art and money in microcosm with one artist securely ensconced at each end of that continuum.

On the Shepard Fairey end you have a market that proceeds about as orderly as any artist's market can, progressing gradually, show after show after show, with no abrupt price fluctuations, no radical shifts in philosophy or in the art that's presented always on point, on message, on topic, on target, and most importantly, on audience. Yes, prices have increased over the years, but predictably so, and special added bonus pretty much anybody who collected Fairey in the late 1990's can still collect him today. In other words, by playing to everyone who shows any level of interest in his work, from fresh converts to steadfast devotees, he retains, solidifies, and grows his collector base. Reasons for the controlled rational nature of the Fairey phenomenon likely revolve around the artist and his core beliefs about art, but could also include guidance from dealers, collectors, his fan base in general, and related qualified "advisors."

This isn't so much about Shepard Fairey, by the way, as it is a classic example of art market stability. Fairey's produced (and continues to produce) an abundance of art, made thousands of sales at a variety of price points, has a proven track record, and certainly appears committed to the lifestyle for the long haul. His sales history and career progress are easy to document, the market for his art is a picture of health, and his creative legacy is practically a foregone conclusion. In other words, speculating on the subsequent course of Shepard Fairey's career is about as close as you can come to not speculating at all.

Now hold on to your hats 'cuz here we go. On the opposite end of the continuum is Banksy, the art world's speculative acme-du-jour. As little as three years ago his art was selling for pocket change and today the ante is well into the tens of thousands of dollars just to play a hand. But what's the game?

Banksy backers point to Angelina Jolie's recent patronage to the tune of some hundreds of thousands of dollars. But does this mean anything? Does it lend credence and durability to the market for Banksy art? Not really. It's little more than Hollywood headline news. Jolie is not known for her art collection, and her acquisitions certainly don't impact the mindsets of art world stalwarts. Maybe if the buyer were Steve Martin, a world-class collector, things would be different.

Oh wait... you don't know what art world stalwarts are? They're loyalists of the highest order, people who would rather buy art than EAT, who devote their lives to collecting art and supporting artists, who understand what they collect as well as anybody out there, who continually contemplate and reflect on day to day developments with artists in particular and with the art world in general, and who are in the thick of the hunt until the ends of their days. And do you know how many people that represents? Not many. The truth is that only a small percentage of people who buy art do so in large enough ways to influence the course of collecting (and perhaps even of art history) as well they should. We like that level of experience, commitment, and dedication at the helm. The flip side, however, is that this small percentage can only support (and subsequently deify in perpetuity) a small number of artists. Furthermore, the deification process is slow and methodical, no matter who the artist, requiring decade after decade of accomplishment after accomplishment and success after success each and every instance subject to acute unforgiving scrutiny. Nothing ever happens fast at least nothing enduring.

Which brings us back to Banksy. Over the past several years, his art has escalated in value faster than pretty much any substance known to man. A price structure that topped in the low $1000's as recently as 2004 now exceeds $100,000 at the high end, with barely a rope footbridge to connect the two sides of the cash chasm a circumstance that's not particularly healthy for either the art market in general or for Banksy in particular. It's not the folks who buy Banksy at the bottom of the chain letter that anybody should be concerned about they've got far more money than they do ways to spend it. It's Banksy his meteoric rise to mythic status and price structure to go with it uncompromisingly intensify the pressure to perform to sustain the frenzy. Gobs of $$$ are riding on him too, many of which are fickle and prepared to go south at the slightest hitch. So here we stand, arms folded, toes tapping, waiting for his next big coup.

And let's say that next coup's a jewel and the next and the next. Where do prices go? $1 million Banksy's in another couple of years? To complicate matters, if he decides to take any kind of hiatus, there's not a lot in the way of history or stability to fall back on, to hold in the heat, to preserve the status quo. And one more irksome detail step outside the vortex for a moment, look around, and you quickly realize you can buy exceptionally serious established eternally enshrined blue chip art for $100,000, not to mention a million $$. Seems like tunnel vision's temporarily trumped reality.

This isn't so much about Banksy, by the way, as it is a classic example of a market that's spiraled perilously out of control. Banksy's a major player in terms of advancing the envelope of what art is, especially on a popular level, but his market stability and continuity from longevity standpoints are tenuous to say the least. Everybody's all caught up in the hubbub of the moment, while whoever's in charge of the big picture appears to be taking a long lunch. Will Banksy weather the storm to triumph and prosper? Will big money buyers continue to feed the machine? Stay tuned.

So there you have it. The best way to learn about art prices is to critically honestly earnestly dissect and evaluate artist markets, one by one, until you begin to get a feel for the territory. Not only is there a realistic dollar value for everything, but there's also a perfectly logical fact-based explanation to go with it. It's that simple and no more complicated. And I wish both Banksy and Shepard Fairey long and continued success with their art.

I hope that reading the above information was both enjoyable and educational for you. Your learning process should be ongoing the more you understand about any subject, the more you will be able to share with others.

Bulk Art Sales Versus Individual Art Sales

The only way to keep up with the latest about arts, art galleries, business, business place is to constantly stay on the lookout for new information. If you read everything you find about arts, art galleries, business, business place, it won't take long for you to become an influential authority.

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there's more to arts, art galleries, business, business place than you may have first thought.

Q: I tried to sell a group of late-19th century etchings by known American and European artists at a local auction. They failed to sell as my reserve was $1000 and the high bid was only $700. The auction house said they'd put them up for sale again, but only if I lower my reserve to $500. I still want the $1000 the total of the individual values of the prints exceeds that. Should I try another auction house? What do you recommend?

A: The auctioneer's request is perfectly reasonable. To begin with, the prints are damaged goods, in a sense, because they were offered at a public sale and failed to sell. The perception among potential buyers is that no one wanted them. If you put them up again at the same house any time soon, using the lower reserve would be an excellent idea.

You could try another auction house, but collectors are pretty sophisticated these days and those who are the most serious about acquiring your prints will probably recognize that they've seen the lot somewhere before. The bad news is that if they fail to sell again, they'll be devalued even further. If you continue to insist on too much money, over-shop the prints, and repeatedly fail to locate a buyer, you'll end up being unable to sell them at any reasonable price.

Another mistake you're making is basing your reserve on what the individual prints would sell for. The only times that lot prices either equal or exceed the sum of the individual prices is when the pieces are related, are part of a series, form relatively complete collections, or would take years to assemble piece by piece. The one common aspect of your etchings is that they date from approximately the same time period. Other than that, they're little more than a miscellaneous group of unrelated images. The reason why they sell for less is that serious buyers only want specific images, want the lot based on what they'd have to pay for only those images, and want get rid of the rest without too much trouble or financial loss.

If you insist on sticking with the high reserve, thoroughly research the marketplace before placing them up for sale again. You may get lucky and locate a particular sales venue that consistently sells such prints for higher prices than the competition. But don't get your hopes up. Chances are much better that the $500 reserve suggested by the auctioneer is the way to go, whether you consign to his auction house or another.

Another possibility might be to have the auction house contact the high bidder and attempt to arrange a private sale of just a portion of the lot. If he's willing to offer a good price without taking too many prints, you may be able to auction the remainder at a lower estimate and come close to your $1000 asking price between the two sales.

Now that wasn't hard at all, was it? And you've earned a wealth of knowledge, just from taking some time to study an expert's word on arts, art galleries, business, business place.

A Guide of Buying Art

The following article includes pertinent information that may cause you to reconsider what you thought you understood. The most important thing is to study with an open mind and be willing to revise your understanding if necessary.

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there's more to arts, art galleries, business, business place than you may have first thought.

The actual act of buying on the net is probably the easiest step of the procedure. It usually involves only filling a form and clicking the "send" button.

Commercial Potential of Buying Art
Prices, however, also reflect the commercial potential of the piece, and therefore well known artist can charge more than less famous ones. Here is in fact your chance as an investor: if you recognize a talented artist who is not yet well known, you can get a higher price on his/her artworks when they become famous.

Ways of Paying
The easiest and safest way to pay on the net is to fill in a confidential form and give the number of your credit card. Such forms insure that only the sellers can read the number of your card. Another way you can pay is by calling the sellers and purchase off line. Most sites accept major credit cards, including American Express, Visa and MasterCard.

Other Ways to Pay
Some sites are more flexible with paying possibilities and may accept money orders, wires, or other forms of payment. If this is how you prefer to pay, contact the sellers via email.

Confirmation of Your Order
It is customary that the sellers will send you an email confirming your purchase of an artwork within 48 hours. Check these procedures with the site you intend to buy from.

Taxes
Taxes vary according to your residence, and according to the place the artwork is sent from. For instance, when you order from an American site and you live within the European Union you will be charged Value Added Tax or its equivalent. I recommend finding out with the sellers about specific taxes before buying.

Money Back Guarantee
Credible sellers of art online offer a money back guarantee within a certain period of time from the date of delivery, so you can send back the piece if it is not exactly what you wanted

Don't limit yourself by refusing to learn the details about arts, art galleries, business, business place. The more you know, the easier it will be to focus on what's important.

Purchase Safety in Art Business

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about arts, purchase safety, business, guide to business, make money, buy art, sell art, and financials to be dangerous? Let's see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from arts, purchase safety, business, guide to business, make money, buy art, sell art, and financials experts.

Knowledge can give you a real advantage. To make sure you're fully informed about arts, purchase safety, business, guide to business, make money, buy art, sell art, and financials, keep reading.

When you choose to buy art online you will want to know how to recognize trustworthy dealers. Not many things can go wrong when you buy art online, but just to be on the safe side, there are a few precautions you can take:

Always Pay with a Credit Card
Credit card is the safest way to pay on the net. A reliable site will have an option of paying with credit.

Use a Confidential Form
Give your credit number only on a confidential form. Providing of a confidential form is an important indication of a reliable site

Choose a Reliable Site
Make sure the site you are buying art from is credible. Good signs for a credible site are when the site is well known and appears in many search engines, when it is regularly updated, when it provides many details about itself, and when it exists for a relatively long time. You can always consult our directory of sites to purchase art online. Theses sites were checked and found safe for buying art online.

Make Sure the Piece is Original
Authenticity is as easy to check in buying art online than in buying otherwise. Authentic artworks are usually signed and numbered by the artists. In cases signing the actual work is impossible, ask for a signed artist authenticity statement. The statement may include, besides the signature of the artist, the date of creation and the title of the piece, its dimensions, and any other detail you wish to include. In buying art online, like in other ways of buying, this statement may not be available if the artist is deceased, and in other rare cases. In such cases you can ask for a document signed by an independent expert that can insure the originality of the artwork you intend to buy.

When word gets around about your command of arts, purchase safety, business, guide to business, make money, buy art, sell art, and financials facts, others who need to know about arts, purchase safety, business, guide to business, make money, buy art, sell art, and financials will start to actively seek you out.

The Meaning of Original Art

When most people think of arts, art galleries, business, business place, what comes to mind is usually basic information that's not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there's a lot more to arts, art galleries, business, business place than just the basics.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on arts, art galleries, business, business place now have at least a basic understanding. But there's more to come.

You can buy art online just for yourself, or as a present for someone dear to you. Another reason to buy art is as an investment in order to sell it later for a higher price. In both these cases the originality of the piece is crucial. Here are some suggestions of how to verify the originality of the artwork you intend to buy

The Meaning of Original Art
Some pieces of art, mostly such as painting and sculptures, have only one original copy. In such case all you need in order to verify originality is the signature of the artist. Other media, however, such as photography or prints, may have more than one original copy. Artists may produce a limited amount of prints of the same piece. In this case you have to make sure your copy is both signed and numbered by the artist.

Checking Authenticity Through the Net
Authenticity can be easier to check when buying art online. Authentic artworks are usually signed and numbered by the artists. In cases signing the actual work is impossible, ask for a signed artist authenticity statement. The statement may include, besides the signature of the artist, the date of creation and the title of the piece, its dimensions, and any other detail you wish to include

When an Authenticity Statement is Not Available
In buying art online, like in other ways of buying, this statement may not be available if the artist is deceased, and in other rare cases. In such cases you can ask for a document signed by an independent expert that can insure the originality of the artwork you intend to buy. See how to make sure the piece is original.

Now that wasn't hard at all, was it? And you've earned a wealth of knowledge, just from taking some time to study an expert's word on arts, art galleries, business, business place.

Art Target

Are you looking for some inside information on arts, art galleries, business, business place? Here's an up-to-date report from arts, art galleries, business, business place experts who should know.

Knowledge can give you a real advantage. To make sure you're fully informed about arts, art galleries, business, business place, keep reading.

Do you own a Rembrandt etching, a "Millenium Edition;" Marc Chagall lithograph; Pablo Picasso limited edition, heliogravure, signed or unsigned; Erte sculpture or print; Salvador Dali lithograph or limited edition done after 1970; Peter Max painting or limited edition; Thomas Kinkade limited edition or hand embellished print; a giclee print of a painting or watercolor; Leroy Neiman original or print; Toulouse-Lautrec poster; Disney or other animation art or cell; Henri Matisse limited edition; an Impressionist print by artists including Renoir, Cezanne, Pissaro; limited edition art by a famous artist published after the artist is dead (posthumous edition); or similar works by other "famous" or "important" artists? If so, this article might be of interest.

The staff spots you the moment you step through the gallery door. They can tell by the way you dress and how you act whether or not you're an "art target," and how likely they are to sell you a piece of overpriced art. As strange as this sounds, it happens all the time. Seemingly fashionable art galleries train and employ sales associates to lie in wait, approach, and then sell highly overpriced art to unsuspecting victims who fit particular art-buying profiles. The more your art buying experience resembles what you're about to read, the more likely you are to have overpaid for your art.

How overpriced can art be at these galleries? Ask Charles Sherman of california-pawnshop. He spent years working at one such gallery on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA. "Signed and numbered, mechanically reproduced posters can be marked up 100 times or more," says Sherman. "A poster costing only $10 to produce, is sometimes sold to the public for over $1000.

"Unsigned, unnumbered, limited edition etchings or lithographs by major twentieth-century artists can be marked up as many as forty times," continues Sherman. "For example, a Chagall lithograph that costs a gallery $100 might sell for $4000 including the frame. Art by artists like Peter Max, Erte, or Alexandra Nechita, can be marked up four times or more. This means that a painting consigned to a gallery for $10,000 might sell for over $40,000.

"To be fair," Sherman adds, "high profile galleries have tremendous overheads. Some pay $60,000 or more per month in rent alone." The bottom line, however, is that in the overwhelming majority of cases, 70 to well over 90 percent of what you pay for art at art-target galleries does not go to the art or to the artists, but rather to rent, utilities, furnishings, framing, staff salaries, champagne and brie for art openings, and other gallery expenses. For example, if you pay $4000 for an unsigned unnumbered Chagall lithograph that the gallery bought for $100, it's only worth $100 the moment it leaves the gallery, and you've just wasted $3900.

Sherman knows exactly who buys this overpriced art. When he worked at the Rodeo Drive gallery, he watched for people sporting Rolex watches, alligator shoes, designer handbags, and other overt displays of wealth. "Well-dressed married couples in their forties and fifties are also likely buyers," Sherman adds. "But not newlyweds, and you never talk to people with back packs or rubber shoes, or to artists. They're all wastes of time."

Sherman would typically strike up conversations with likely art-targets and start by "qualifying" them, in other words, find out whether they could afford the art they were looking at. Below are typical questions that art-target gallery sales staff (euphemistically called associates or consultants-- which are not not) use to "qualify" buyers.

"So, are you in town for the medical convention?" (A medical convention may or may not be taking place, but this is a great lead-in to finding out what someone does for a living and getting an idea of how much money they make.)

"Have you ever bought art before?" (A "yes" answer is better than a "no," but a "no" still allows the sales associate to continue the conversation by asking what artists they like the most, whether they're familiar with any of the art they're looking at, and so on.)

A "yes" answer to the above question leads to the next question which goes something like "Where do you buy your art?" (Knowing where a person buys art is crucial to making a sale. According to Sherman, people who buy directly from artists are unlikely to buy at galleries. If, however, they buy at galleries similar to the one where Sherman once worked, the chances of selling them art become much greater.)

Assuming the art-target buys at higher profile galleries or has at least thought about it, the next question goes something like "Who are your favorite artists?" (If the person mentions names of artists or types of art that the gallery sells, this is good.)

Additional ways of qualifying art-targets are beyond the scope of this article, but anyone who qualifies and shows interest in the gallery's art is given immediate attention. A sales associate shadows the art-target and either continues the conversation or remains in the art-target's vicinity making occasional remarks about whatever art is being looked at. The associate is trained to make the art-target feel important, and when combined with the intoxicating effects of the gallery's lavish interior, the art-target becomes seduced, tenderized, and readied for being sold to.

The sales person pays close attention to the way the art-target looks at the art, prepared to spring into action at any moment, and move in for the kill the instant more than a casual amount interest is expressed in a particular piece of art. The associate's goal is to remove that piece of art from the main gallery and suggest that the art-target study it close-up in a place called the "viewing room."

The viewing room is usually a smaller room off of the main gallery floor with a door that can be closed for privacy. It's specially designed for isolating art-targets alone with their sales associates, and for showing art so that it looks its absolute finest. At one end of the room is a display area with sophisticated lighting where the art is positioned for viewing. The art-target is seated across from and facing the art, usually on a comfortable couch, while the associate adjusts the lighting to perfection, all the while talking about how great the artist is and how fantastic the art looks. Under these circumstances, the art-target is most vulnerable and the associate eventually pops the question "Would you rather pay for that with a VISA, MasterCard, or American Express?"

Viewing rooms are not good places for art-targets to find themselves in unless they already know the value and significance of the works of art that they're thinking about buying, or they know and trust the gallery that's selling the art and have done business with them before. Below are additional tips, not only for avoiding viewing rooms, but also for avoiding becoming an art-target in any way, shape or form.

1. Art-target galleries like the one where Sherman worked are usually found in high traffic, high profile, commercial areas that attract wealthy people. Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, the Soho district of New York City, Fisherman's Wharf and Union Square in San Francisco, and high-end tourist destinations like Carmel, CA and Maui, HI all have these types of galleries.
2. The substantial majority of art-target galleries are located at street level. Their opulent interiors are clearly visible through large picture windows and through glass doors that are often open to the street.
3. Art-target galleries typically show art by artists with high name recognition like Leroy Neiman, Erte, Peter Max, Dali, and Alexandra Nechita. They also show prints by Modern Masters such as Picasso, Chagall, Matisse, and Miro; and, occasionally, prints by Impressionists like Degas, Monet, and Pissaro; or etchings by Old Masters like Rembrandt.
4. Many prints sold at art-target galleries are mass edition lithographs removed from books or portfolios, posthumous printings (printings done after the artists are dead); some are even copies of works by famous artists done by other artists. All have very little street value. Inexperienced collectors who buy these types of limited edition prints at art-target galleries often have little or no idea of what they're really getting.
5. Art-target sales people use pressure tactics to sell art (many work only on commission, so the only way they make money is to sell you art). Anytime you feel any pressure from an associate, no matter how subtle, to carry on a conversation, talk about yourself, and, especially, to buy art, leave immediately. Questions about your credit limit or your financial situation are also immediate signals to leave. Depending on the sex of the associate and the target, pressure can even include flirting. By way of contrast, in the non-target art world, gallery personnel normally leave you alone when you look like you don't want to be approached.
6. Always ask your sales associate whether or not he or she works on commission. If they waffle on the answer, get it in writing. As stated above, many art-target sales associates work on commission. In other words, the more art they sell, the more money they make. And the more they sell that art for, the more money they make. So the goal of a commissioned art associate or sales person is to sell you as much art as expensively as possible. Recommendation: Do not patronize galleries whose sales personnel work on commission.
7. Art-target galleries often have high profile art openings with security guards, spot-lights, champagne, hors d'oeuvres, cameras flashing, and people at desks in the fronts of the galleries signing you in. Sales associates run around with clipboards, ready to sell. Likely art-targets are waited on hand-and-foot, the entire event being designed to make them feel very, very important and buy art.
8. At art-target openings, gallery personnel typically stop you at the door and request personal information, ask you to sign in, or ask how you heard about the opening. Requests for personal information are always warning signs. Non art-target galleries rarely engage in such practices. You are being sized up for a hard sell never forget this.
9. Art-target galleries typically stay open late at night when giddy revelers, out on the town and with money to spend, are likely to wander in after enjoying good food and fine wines at expensive restaurants. Two cardinal rules of intelligent art collecting, by the way, are never to buy art at night and never to buy it under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Being an art-target can be loads of fun at the moment you're buying art, but finding out what that art is worth months or years down the road when you decide you want to sell it or have it appraised is anything but fun. Of course, you're entitled to buy whatever art you like, wherever you see it for sale, and pay whatever you want to pay for it. But if you care about the value of what you're buying and how you spend your money, resist any pressure to buy, take your time, do a little price research in advance, or ask an outside appraiser to do it for you before you become an art-target.

When word gets around about your command of arts, art galleries, business, business place facts, others who need to know about arts, art galleries, business, business place will start to actively seek you out.

Advice When Buy Art Online

The following article lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with advice, buy arts, buy arts online, internet, art business.

Think about what you've read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about advice, buy arts, buy arts online, internet, art business? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs? Here are some tips when you're ready to do an arts business:

Buying Art Online Can be Uplifting
The huge variety of art offered online is amazing. Nowadays there are over 20,000 web sites that are selling art on the net. You don’t have to walk and get tired, just relax and enjoy the magnificent colors, shapes, designs and concepts of the art available for buying online. I sometimes spend hours just looking, and I love every minute of it. Moreover, When you check out online galleries you do not have to be worried about not knowing enough about the art, the artist or the materials. Online information is always available for you. You can even ask the artists themselves. To start this pleasurable tour, refer to our list of best online galleries.

Define Your Purpose of Purchase
There are a few reasons for you to buy art. You may want a decoration for your home, a special present for someone who loves art, or you might wish to invest in art. You may also be an independent collector, or an exchequer for a certain institute. These are very different purposes for buying art, and each purpose defines its own demands. Consider not only the piece itself, but the range of prices and the reputation of the artist. Once you have defined all these elements, looking for the exact piece that suits you will be much easier.

Your Personal Taste is More Important Than Fashion
Don't be afraid to trust your own intuition. In buying art your personal taste is the final test. You cannot buy something you absolutely hate just because the artist is very popular and it is a good investment. The best choice always takes into account that emotional "click" between you and the piece.

A Quality Beyond Technique
There are many artists with amazing technique. But excellent art needs more than technique. A good piece of art should always have that touch of brilliance, that ability to communicate something which is more than the subtotal. If the only good thing you can say about the piece is that the artist knows how to control his/her material, don't buy it.

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American Impressionist

The following article presents the very latest information on Mary Cassatt, American Impressionist, Renoir, Degas, Monet, Impressionism. If you have a particular interest in Mary Cassatt, American Impressionist, Renoir, Degas, Monet, Impressionism, then this informative article is required reading.

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Impressionism was the art form favored by an elite group consisting mostly of Frenchmen. Names like Renoir, Degas, and Monet are recognized as some of history's greatest artists. The fraternity of French Impressionism was invaded by a lone American woman, Mary Cassatt.

Mary Stevenson Cassatt was born on May 22, 1845 in what is today called Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When she was fifteen, Mary entered the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. (By this time, her family had moved across the state and lived in the Philadelphia area.) At the academy, Mary focused on drawing human figures.

Having studied under artists who were themselves taught in France and otherwise influenced by the frequent French art exhibits held in Philadelphia, Mary decided to go to Europe to further her studies in Paris.

In 1867, Mary submitted some of her work to be juried by the Paris Salon, a very important art exhibit at that time. She was turned down in this first attempt, but a year later, her painting, "La Mandoline," was accepted. Her first appearance in the Paris Salon coincided with the first appearance of the controversial Impressionists. This was her first connection with this art group.

Despite her first major success, Mary returned to Pennsylvania when she was 26 years old, with the intention of settling down and perhaps opening her own art studio. However, Philadelphia lacked the ingredients that Cassatt felt necessary for serious art making outstanding collections to study, exciting modern art, picturesque models. When her family moved to rural Hollidaysburg in the western part of Pennsylvania, she was forced to close her Philadelphia gallery. Living in a small town, away from the art world, frustrated Mary, and she longed to return to Europe.

With good luck, she received a commission from a Pittsburgh bishop to go to Europe and paint copies of two famous religious paintings for his cathedral.

It was during this trip to Europe that Mary decided to live in Paris. By this time, she had become an independent painter, experimenting with this modern art form, Impressionism.

She studied under the teacher who tutored Edouard Manet. Edgar Degas became her most intimate friend, and it was he who invited her to join the group of Impressionists. Over time, Cassatt and Degas worked closely together, consulting each other frequently, until it became difficult for the untrained eye to distinguish a Degas painting from a Cassatt. Mary had said that one of her greatest compliments came after Degas' death, and art critics mistook her gifts to him as his own work.

Mary Cassatt proved to be an important voice among the Impressionists in ways beyond her art. Because of her own wealthy upbringing, she was able to establish contacts with those who would become patrons of this "rebel" art group. Being the only American, she brought legitimacy to the style in the United States. She was also able to tap her family's wealth to help support her own starving artist companions.

The themes of her art were woman-centered: motherhood, girlhood, womanhood. The recurrence of these themes may have had to do with her relationship with her mother, which was very close. In her personal life, Mary remained single and childless.

Remaining in Paris for the rest of her life, Mary Cassatt lived long enough to see a new generation of avant-garde artists enter the art scene and to see the Impressionists considered Old Masters. She continued painting until 1915 when cataracts nearly blinded her. She remained vigorous into her old age, until diabetes finally weakened her. She died on June 14, 1926.

This article's coverage of the information is as complete as it can be today. But you should always leave open the possibility that future research could uncover new facts.

The Religious Paintings

When you're learning about something new, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.

See how much you can learn about Hieronymus Bosch, Dutch, religious paintings, arts, artists, painter when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don't miss out on the rest of this great information.

It was in this time of religious unrest that Bosch, a very religious man who according to a number of sources joined a group known as the Brotherhood of our Lady, painted, and his doctrinaire belief in the religion is reflected in the very medieval nature of his paintings on religious topics. However they also reflect a resentment of the church, with church figures frequently presented as corrupt and almost diseased.

Bosch's paintings reflect a vivid imagination and a strong interest in moral values, but it is uncertain exactly what views Bosch held, as his symbolism relies on its archaism for its undoubted power.

His earliest works, such as 'epiphany' or 'the marriage feast at cana' are simple depictions of biblical tales, painted in loving detail but without the eccentricity present once he began to develop a style of his own. These first began to emerge in complex narrative pictures like 'the conjuror,' where such detail was needed to convey the story, but all of Bosch's most distinctive work was on morality and themes of punishment and sin. His first classic work was a tabletop of 'the seven deadly sins and the four last things.' This featured a single circle with four concentric rings, the innermost of which showed a beatific Christ, and the outermost of which comprised tableaux of each deadly sin. There are many subtle details in each, the dogs in 'lust' for example and the contrast between the glutton and his barely furnished dwellings. The 'four last things' depict possible eventualities, the most important being hell, which was later to feature almost to the exclusion of all else in Bosch's work, and the whole collection of images is surrounded by warnings of Gods omnipotence, in Latin.

However, outside of his hell paintings, Bosch had two symbols which were used for propagandic purposes, the owl, whose distanced observation of the Church's failings in works like 'ship of fools' symbolizes the evil of the scene it surveys, and carved heads on the end of staffs, which represent false idols, as in the ten commandments, and are always carried by the fools in Bosch's work. It is the paintings of the last judgment for which Bosch is best known, however, these comprising three giant panels, one of the fall of mankind and then two of hell. The fall of man features Eve presenting the apple of knowledge to Adam, but this is a small part of a wider tableau, where the tree is inhabited not by a snake but by a woman and God rests above dark clouds where angels fight scaled reptilian creatures with wings. Adam and eve feature three times concurrently, first at the bottom in God's grace, the fall, and then being chased from Eden by an angel with a sword. As they fall they get closer to god, but also to the owl in the tree and to the heavenly conflict above them.

The centre panel of the last judgment depicts human life, but in the same terms as hell on the other side of it. There are numerous subtle and outrageous depictions of the deadly sins, and demons are shown to walk alongside the humans, colluding in their sin. The majesty of the work in the detail, there is an unbelievable array of symbolism, all in the most apocalyptic terms. The point of this hell on earth is just that, there is little difference between it and Bosch's hell. Here the demons are replaced by humanoids in robes with the heads of swordfish and humans are pictured in great white naked huddles and burning in crucibles.

Bosch painted using this format of three panels on two other occasions, in 'the garden of earthly delights' and 'the haywain.' These are works of equal symbolic intricacy, but less wildly and imposing than those of 'the last judgment.' As Bosch matured his work became more devoutly religious, addressing contemporary issues of Church corruption rather than the general consequences of sin, but they are no less powerful than his earlier, maybe more sensational work.

Throughout his work, Bosch never questioned the sanctity of figures from the bible, but as 'christ carrying the cross' shows, he had no affection for the church. In this picture Christ carries the cross in closed-eyed serenity, but he is surrounded by blue tinged thieves, merchants, women and two priestly figures who are depicted in the harsh caricature of the villains rather than in the realistically rendered tranquility of their godhead.

Although it is almost impossible to fully comprehend the work of Hieronymus Bosch, it is possible to simply observe init a strong warning morality, and most importantly an imagination almost unrivalled in its gory genius.

The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you'll be glad you took the time to learn more about Hieronymus Bosch, Dutch, religious paintings, arts, artists, painter.

Painter of the West

Have you ever wondered if what you know about Albert Bierstadt, Painter of the West, arts, artist is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on Albert Bierstadt, Painter of the West, arts, artist.

The more authentic information about Albert Bierstadt, Painter of the West, arts, artist you know, the more likely people are to consider you a Albert Bierstadt, Painter of the West, arts, artist expert. Read on for even more Albert bierstadt, Painter of the West, arts, artist facts that you can share.

Albert Bierstadt was born in 1830 in Solingen, Germany. When he was a child of two years of age his parents moved to Massachusetts where he lived until he was 23. He early on studied the art of being a daguerreotypist. In 1854, he returned to Germany and went to the Dusseldorf Art Academy for five years of training in landscape paining. Bierstadt belonged to the Hudson River School of painting of American landscapes. He began his art career as a European landscape artist. His best celebrated work from this period is Lake Lucerne. The painting shows a grand view of Lake Lucerne with the village of Brunnen in the middle background. The mountain peaks Ematten, Oberbauen, St. Gotthard and Uri Rotstock all lay in the distance. This work was greatly praised in the United States when it was presented in 1858 and helped establish Albert Bierstadt as a great landscape artist. He studied in Germany, Italy and Switzerland until 1857 after which he returned to the United States. Between 1859 and 1889, Albert Bierstadt traveled West on six different occasions to gather material for his art work. The first trip, in 1859, was with Colonel Frederick W. Lander. Lander was on an expedition to survey a more Northern route to California that would bypass Salt Lake City. The proposed new route would lessen tension between Mormons and emigrants who were passing through Salt Lake City on their way west. Another goal of the expedition was to sooth Native American populations whose hunting had been effected by wagon trains on the California and Oregon Trails. For Bierstadt it was an excellent opportunity to sketch and paint the Western United States with the Rocky Mountains and the Native Americans. Bierstadt also used a new technology for the time: photography. Bierstadt's brothers, Edward and Charles were photographers, and so, naturally Albert took camera equipment with him on his trip. He would photograph an area and occasionally paint from the photograph. The Lander expedition went through Nebraska and up the North Fork of the Platte River into the region of Wyoming. Bierstadt sketched and photographed wagon trains and Native Americans along the way. Less than a month later Lander went on to California while Bierstadt remained in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming. Bierstadt thought the Wind River Mountains compared with the Alps of Europe. The first painting from this trip was The Rocky Mountains. It was exhibited in 1860. After this painting, Albert assisted his two brothers in setting up a photography studio. The Civil War, along with the work with his brothers' studio delayed Bierstadt's next trip West until 1863. His The Rocky Mountains, along with another painting, Lander's Peak, were exhibition successes and Bierstadt wanted to return West to garner more material for future art works. Lander's Peak sold for an astonishing sum of $25,000 to James McHenry, an American expatriate living in England. Bierstadt later bought the painting back and gave it to his brother, Edward.

During the Civil War, Albert Bierstadt painted works other than landscapes. In October 1861, Bierstadt received a five-day pass to observe Union troops. For the next two years Bierstadt painted several paintings of war scenes. In 1862, Bierstadt pained Guerilla Warfare (Union Sharpshooters Firing on Confederates. He later painted The Bombardment using newspaper accounts of the bombing of Fort Sumter in Charleston. The painting is from a viewpoint not directly above the conflict, but looking down from an angle, almost as if one was looking down upon a map of the area.

In May 1863, Bierstadt set out from St. Joseph, Missouri via Overland stagecoach with the goal in mind of reaching California. Bierstadt wanted to visit Yosemite and then travel through Oregon, Washington and then Canada. He painted Yosemite scenes profusely. He produced scenes in all of the four seasons, as well as different times of day and night. Bierstadt produced Emigrants Crossing the Plains in November 1867 from this trip. Wagons covered in white cloth with Indian teepees in the background splayed across the canvasses. He also produced a nearly identical piece but on a smaller scale with The Oregon Trail. In 1867 Bierstadt took his work to exhibit to Europe where he worked and exhibited his work until 1869.

The Western landscape paintings of Albert Bierstadt are truly masterpieces. They use light and form to portray mountain lakes with idyllic deer by the shores. Ponderous mountains fill the background with light and shadow creating grand vistas and larger than life landscapes. The landscape paintings give the viewer a sense of the immensity of the West and the beauty of its wilderness. The Yosemite painting of Bridal Vail Falls captures of sparkle of light on water while showing the power of the waterfall as it descends over the cliff. The power of Albert Bierstadt's paintings is in his ability to convey the grandeur and beauty of the 19th century American West landscape.

Now might be a good time to write down the main points covered above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you remember what's important about Albert Bierstadt, Painter of the West, arts, artist.

Primitive Folk Art Business

So what is folk art, primtive arts, arts, style really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about folk art, primtive arts, arts, style--info you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you.

Truthfully, the only difference between you and folk art, primtive arts, arts, style experts is time. If you'll invest a little more time in reading, you'll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to folk art, primtive arts, arts, style.

Primitive folk art can come in the form of dolls, paintings, handmade crafts, textiles, and functional items such as furniture. It is a relatively underground and loosely defined category of folk art that is closely related to outsider art and naive art.

Primitive folk art is a style of art that is characteristic of an earlier, less modern time period. Primitive arts and crafts usually have a simple, rough look to them that suggests a lack of (or a lack of concern for, or adherence to) formal artistic training. Folk art is the art of the common people, and is largely separated from mainstream fine art in developed societies. Traditional culture and primitive impulses influence primitive folk artists to produce distinctive styles and objects that cater to local needs and tastes.

Most primitive folk art has an antique look. Although modern primitive folk artists use new materials, they use techniques to make their materials look old or antique. Examples of antiquing techniques include tea-dying or coffee staining fabric, and sanding down paint on wooden crafts or dolls to create a worn, aged look.

Extreme primitive folk art is a subcategory of primitive folk art dolls. Extreme primitive folk art dolls are characterized by heavily stained fabrics, rusty appliques, and intentionally rough construction. Extreme primitive dolls are designed to look very old, worn, dirty, and ragged.

Primitive folk art is popular amongst people who decorate their homes in a country rustic or 1800's primitive style, and is often found displayed along with actual antiques. Primitive folk art mixes well with antique decor for a fraction of the price.

Stephanie Baker is the owner of Old World Primitives, an online business that sells primitive folk art, country crafts, vintage reproductions, and handmade goods.

So now you know a little bit about folk art, primtive arts, arts, style. Even if you don't know everything, you've done something worthwhile: you've expanded your knowledge.