Closer to home, especially in large urban areas, you really can buy enjoyable original artwork at starving artist prices. Do not expect these purchases to ever become truly valuable. There are tens of thousands of good artisans who will never get much recognition. But, buying from one of these folks fills that bare spot on the wall. Too, you will not have to worry that your neighbor will buy the identical artwork at the local discount store - for half what you paid for it!

A practiced-eye is your best resource. Do a lot of looking, before you do any buying. It will not take long for you to discern the better quality artwork. Another hint, picture your would-be purchase on that wall - for years, looking at it every day! One of the big advantages of buying from a gallery is that you can take a painting home for a tryout, hang it and see how it wears on your sensibility. Some initial favorable reactions often turn sour with the passage of time.

There is no reason to limit yourself to oil and canvas. Art comes in many forms. And one last hint: Art needs no excuse, but many neo-artists do.

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Note: Click on a thumbnail display to view an enlarged graphic. The number of bites, colors and the file format of the lager graphic are annotated beside the smaller counterpart. The WEB page containing the larger graphic also notes the artwork's vital statistics and may include a link to a biographical sketch of the artist. Links to other types of media that make up the collection are located at the bottom of the page. TC = true color.

JPG,32k, TC

GIF, 44k, 256

JPG, 21k, TC

JPG, 25k, TC

JPF, 17k, TC