There are countless examples of art available for purchase online. So much so that, it can often feel like ‘information overload’. Here are some tips to help you wade through some choices you’ll need to make to narrow it down, and find the art you’re looking for. Here are the “best tips for buying art online Canada”

1. CHOOSE A CATEGORY

Art comes in all sorts of styles, colors, materials, sizes, and themes. These are the categories you’ll need to consider. The first order of business is to narrow it down, by filtering out what you are not looking for. Let’s assume, for instance, that we’re talking about paintings, and not drawings, or sculpture, etc. So the main category will be ‘paintings’. Next, you’ll need to consider the style.

2. CHOOSE A STYLEFIGURATIVE ART

Artistic expression has been directed by a great many styles, or ‘movements’, throughout history. For the most part, Realism was the dominant style right up until the 19th century. However, rapid changes in science and technology, which had began during the Renaissance, accelerated through the Industrial Revolution. New inventions, discoveries, and techniques presented artists with new tools and sensibilities to interpret the world around them. Abstract Art

Thus began the age of Modern Art. Artists no longer felt the need to exactly reproduce what could be seen with the naked eye. Advances in technology played a major role in implementing this change. Artists were able, for instance, to move out of their studios, and paint outdoors (en plein air), simply because pigments began to be available in easy to carry, metal tubes. Now, painters no long needed to concentrate on portraits or ‘close-ups’. They could venture outdoors and paint grand landscape scenes of the forests, mountains, rivers and valleys.

The late 19th and early 20th centuries spawned new artistic styles, including Impressionism, Expressionism, and Cubism. Painters like Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, and Vincent van Gogh experimented with new ways of describing the world. As the century progressed, artists like Picasso, Modigliani, and others, began to alter the realist approach, and to distill the images down to their basic forms. By the late 40’s, artists such as Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock abandoned realism altogether, to produce what became known as ‘abstract expressionism’ – basically, color and design. As Marshall McCluhan later wrote in the 60’s, “the medium became the message”.

So, although there are numerous ‘style’ periods, it comes down to either ‘Figurative Art’ – art that resembles something ‘real’, or ‘Abstract Art’ – art that is basically just color and design. Put another way, figurative art tends to emphasize the image of something, while abstract art tends to emphasize the medium itself. Of course, these define a spectrum, and most art falls somewhere along the line between the two. However, deciding on either of these two extremes will, at least, start you in the right direction.

3. CHOOSE A DOMINANT COLOR

From the standpoint of ‘decor’, the colors of a painting can be incredibly important in determining whether the painting will ‘fit’ your intended space. Your wall and furniture colors will need to be considered. You’ll want to choose either colors that match or colors that complement your room colors. It might be worthwhile to consult the color wheel to assist you in determining what colors will ‘work’ in your particular environment.

4. CHOOSE A SIZE

A painting is often meant to be the primary focus of the room. Choosing the right size is important, since a paintings size will determine whether the painting feels ‘balanced’ in the room space. But it will probably be the easiest part of this whole process since your available wall space will likely dictate the parameters of the art you should be considering. Just be sure to get the approximate dimensions of the area where the painting will be hung, so you’ll have an idea as to what will ‘fit’.

5. CHOOSE A THEME

Admittedly, this will be the hardest part of the job. Once you have narrowed down all of the above, that still leaves countless examples of really great artwork that will fit your ‘mold’. Yes, you made your decision regarding the spectrum of figurative to abstract art. So presumably, you know whether you want your painting to recreate some recognizable image, or to function more as an introspective focal point for the decor of the room. Much art, though, lies somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. And this plethora of choice is what makes your decision more difficult. The good news is, some galleries, like SamsOriginalArt, help to make this last decision easier for you!

Sam's Original Art is a gallery located in Vancouver, BC. They represent Canadian artist, Sam Siegel. In addition to his original oil and acrylic paintings, they also sell giclée canvas prints of his originals in a variety of sizes. Consider taking advantage of their FREE ‘Superimposing’ Service. You just email them a photo of your wall space, with the approximate dimensions, and they’ll return your photo showing you a few examples of art they think will go with the look of your room. They offer this service absolutely free, with no obligations, and it can really help to make your final decision that much easier!