Wanting art for your home that makes you buzz!

What we all want from art is much discussed… Is it something ‘to go with the sofa’ or something that makes us feel rested, or something that challenges us and makes us see things in a new way?

Perhaps all of these.

Certainly it’s different for different people, which is why it’s wonderful that there are so many different artists in the world.

Sometimes people feel nervous about what they ‘should’ look for in a piece of art they are going to buy – they think they need to be an expert in order to be able to judge. But after my recent art fair, I’m more convinced than ever that there is only one way:

What do you feel?

It doesn’t matter if you know what you are looking at, how it was created, how long it took to make or where it started.

All these are questions that people ask – and I understand why.

Making art can be a mystery –  even to those of us who make it! We have to learn to trust in the process. If it’s all set out at the beginning then you are just painting by numbers.

As a viewer you can learn to trust too. If you know what to listen to, it’s not that hard:

You know what you are drawn to, what intrigues you, what feels good but also exciting. Like a dress that fits really well and makes you feel wonderful anytime you put it on.

Look for what lights you up. Listen to that feeling that makes you stop.

At any art show some people pass on by and that is absolutely fine. I don’t take that personally – we don’t all like the same thing after all and art is no different. But those who ‘get’ it…

…well, they stay around – they get excited, they share their own experiences, they tell me what they are thinking, how it makes them think of a place that’s familiar… it brings them alive!

It’s such a pleasure to watch… to be responsible for offering people that experience.

Considerations of cost and size will often come into your decision if you are looking for art for your home.  You may need to be a little practical and think about where it will go. But, please, make the decision with your heart and you won’t go far wrong.

I know buying original art isn’t a cheap option but it brings such life and energy into your home.

Having something that you look at with love each time you see it is, in the words of a fairly famous advert, priceless.

Please comment below with how you choose art for your home, and what you think it brings to your space… And if you’d like to come and visit me at home in London you can find out about Artists at Home here.