Monday, April 30, 2012

Investing in British Art

Investing in British art is very beneficial for your wallet, as well as for the joy the pieces can bring you. Although it can be a great investment, it is still wise to only buy art pieces that you truly enjoy; because unless you turn around and sell them to make a profit you will be looking at your pieces for quite a while. Even taking this into consideration, there are a number of reasons to invest in British art. Some of these reasons include to gain status or prestige, to make money, or simply for the enjoyment of building a collection that you love. The reason you decide to invest in art really isn't all that important, as long as you're having a great time doing it.

At the moment one of the best sellers in British art are contemporary paintings. Both living as well as dead artists work have recently become very popular. This popularity drives the prices for their paintings higher and brings a higher value to the pieces. One of the most talked about and celebrated contemporary artists is Ken Howard. His paintings are generally done in a traditional style in both oils and water colors, and they have seen a very large increase in both price and popularity. Ken Howard is only one of many popular artists to consider when thinking of investing in art. While he is known for his paintings, there are many other art mediums to consider, such as sculpture or limited edition prints.

When deciding to invest in British art, or art of any kind, it is important to know and understand the art market you've chosen. It is best to just focus on the area of art that you've chosen to learn as much as you can so you can find the best pieces to invest in. Some ways to do this are to find books and art magazines, search the internet, and to visit and art galleries. Art galleries are especially beneficial because the exhibition artists and staff can be extremely knowledgeable and can give you plenty of information on the art subjects and pieces you're interested in.

Two of the biggest issues when investing in any art work is cost and the art's value, both now and in the future. Although it is important to focus on buying pieces that you like, you must still focus on its quality as well. Some people are tempted to buy work by the hottest new artist on the scene, but it is best to consider the fact that the odds of their success make this a strategy that's very risky. Before making the decision to purchase pieces of this nature, there are a number of factors to consider. Think of the quality of the artist's work as well as their reputation in the art world, the subject of their pieces, and the attraction that other buyers show to the artist's work.

When purchasing newer pieces, make sure that they are of good quality and posses original framing; for older pieces, watch out for damage. You should also make sure that each older piece is documented, and any piece that you buy contains the artist's signature. Without this key piece, the work will be far more difficult to sell later on.

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