Garden Tulips

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These garden tulips originally came to me from a florist’s shop planted in a painted bowl but in full bloom!  I enjoyed them immensely and painted several canvases of them.  This painting is sold but you can see others by clicking here.    This painting is on a panel.

Panels were used by many of the Old Masters and are often preferred by many artists because of the rigid, smooth surface.  A  panel is easy to fit in almost all standard frames and framing a panel can be a do it yourself project.  It can also be mailed easily.

Stretched canvas, on the other hand, can fit into standard frames only with special clips. Many people hang stretched canvas without a frame.  “Gallery wrap” canvas is stapled to the back of a two inch wooden frame and hung just as it is.  Artists often paint the sides of gallery wrap.

Wild Roses

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This is an oil painting on a 6 x 6 inch linen stretched canvas. For more information about the painting, click here.

Many people think that oil paintings are better than acrylic paintings but this is not  true and I would not worry about acrylics v.s. oils when selecting a painting.  Many acrylic paintings are hard to tell from oil paintings and can often be painted exactly like oil paintings depending on the skill of the artist.  Both kinds of media are long lasting and can be framed without glass.

You should also not be concerned about whether the painting is on stretched canvas or on a panel.  I will write about this in next week’s blog.

Baroque Roses

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This painting sold before I could show it on my blog but I found a photograph of it and wanted all of you to see it anyway!  Click here to go to my online gallery and see other paintings.

In addition to floral art, there is an endless number of paintings of other subject matter.  The good thing about beginning a collection of small paintings is that if your interest later changes, your small paintings make wonderful gifts to family and friends or donations to charity for auctions.  Collect a painting that you love, no matter what it is and you can’t go wrong.

“With Love”

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Valentine’s Day is coming up in February so I am posting a lovely painting of two roses.  It is available by clicking here to go to my online gallery which has details including price, size, and free shipping!

If you are beginning to collect art, you might consider collecting one or two special categories.  Florals, for example, or landscapes are always popular.  You can have a wonderful collection of paintings of all different types of flowers or you can specialize in roses, or pansies, or leaves!  I have friends who collect paintings of dogs  and a friend-of-a friend has built an entire collection of small paintings of turtles!   Love what you collect and you can’t go wrong!

Queen of the Garden

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This painting is 8 x 10.    I like to think that small paintings are 8 x 10 and under.  Many artists paint even smaller works–those that are called miniature are often 2- 1/2 ” x 3- 3/8″.  I have even seen tiny works  1-1/4″ x 1-1/4″  by artist Karen Libecap in her book “The Big Book of Tiny Art.”  I don’t think that I could ever work that small, but I am experimenting with 5×7″ sizes.  You can see a few of my 5 x7″ paintings by looking at my animal category in my on line art gallery Dailypaint works.  Click here to go see.

Cat on a Quilt

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This painting is 8 x 10 is part of a series of cats and dogs I have painted.  To see others click here. I have offered pet portraits as a donation to the Pulaski County Humane Society for a number of years and will be showing you some of them later this year.  Two commissioned portraits  sold at their November fund raiser, Reigning Cats and Dogs.  The Humane Society is a wonderful organization and a no kill shelter that operates entirely on donations.

Here are a few ideas to think about as you begin or develop your art collection.   Think Small!!  Why should you start a collection of small paintings?  Small paints are easy to carry, to move, or to mail.  They are more affordable.  You don’t need a big space to showcase your collection.   You can easily hand many small paintings in one area, making that area a focal point for a room .   Frames for small paintings are often easy to find and less expensive than frames for large paintings.  Next week I will write a bit more about small paintings.

Falling Leaves

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This painting, on stretched canvas is already sold but I wanted to show it to you! You can see other paintings in my online art gallery by clicking here.

Since it is the beginning of January perhaps you are thinking of doing something new .  Maybe you are interested in art.

Why should you collect art?  I think collecting things is built into our human nature!  Our ancestors were hunter-gathers and those instincts are still with us!  The hunt for an object of beauty that attracts our attention  and then bringing it into our homes is part of our nature.

Next week I will give you a few ideas to think about if you wish to begin an art collection.