How should I handle this??

My opinion wasn't referring to you, your business nor your art collection. More so the OP and another poster who have flooded this board as of late with their inquires regarding art purchases and potential purchases. You, Alec and a couple other members have provided the OP on a number of occasions with what I thought was sound advice in respects to art, the purchasing of art and art collecting.....all which seem to have flown right over the OP's head.

OP, my advice and words of encouragement: stop buying art (paintings, print and drawings) immediately and start buying art books and visiting art museums......immediately! Signature chasing ain't gonna leave you nothin' but broke!

Yes, we all had to start from somewhere and that somewhere for me wasn't a discussion forum. It started with the first piece of artwork I've ever purchased, and guess what? it wasn't signed! After a bit of research and a couple of phone calls, that unsigned work later went on to re-sell for nearly $50K. That find and sale drove me and my husband to almost every book store and art museum within our area. With no mind, eye, experience or discussion forum (only heart, will and determination to help guide us) we made it our business to learn as much as we could in a short period to silence the naysayers.

As much as I would like to elaborate on that, I will not. And by all means, please listen to the advice some of these more experienced members are freely giving you. Not meaning myself....I'm a nobody.

 

I don't know how I should take that.

How can you be certain that the info they provided me, has flown over my head??

Good for you on the no sig artwork, congrats...


You did the trick.... You won't hear about me getting more art...I don't chase signatures....I chase what I like!

So, if it so happens that a piece that I like is not from a listed artist, who gives a rip.

If the piece that I do like is from a listed artist, after finding out by researching, freaken awesome.

So forgive me for "Flooding" this forum....if it wasn't for Brad or Alec, I would know half the stuff I now know.

So, tell me, would a gallery owner waiste their time with someone to explain all this in person, probably not.

I'll read up on paintings and visit galleries and museums...next time you hear from me about art, hopefully it's a piece that makes you wish you had it.

I'm not meaning to sound harsh.

Thank you Brad and Alec!!

 

Oh please, you don't sound harsh, you sound determined! That's the push, drive and passion I want to hear. Awesome!

 

I didn't think the forum was for experts. I thought the forum was for folks to say, "I found this. What is it?" kind of discussions. Most of us have a modicum of information on a wide variety of subjects. We post here to share what we know and get opinions from others.

 

Armando0831, I dredged up the following comment (by me) on this very Art Board back in early June of this year. I hope you will find the humor in it. If it doesn't elicit at least a chuckle from you well . . . it's the only thing in my bag of humor for today.

"Oh my goodness. I bought a "Pearce Bates" print a long time ago (early 1970s) and still have it although it is "stored" in a spare bedroom. I enjoyed it but had never really paid close attention to the artist's name. Went back a couple of years later to the same art shop and asked (honest, folks, this is true) the owner if he had any other "Peevey Babs" prints. "

Is that a chuckle I hear from you Armando????? (Save your guffaws for when I 'fess up to some other past events.)

 

Yes, there was a chuckle over here. That's something I would do.

Please, don't stop...I need to read a little humor right about now.

 

I'll just say, a button was pushed.

 

Ya want humor......many years ago I was sitting on my front porch and saw a truck full of junk driving up the hill. I spied an old framed painting and jumped into my car and followed the truck. He approached the city dump gate so I jumped out of my car and asked him if I could have that painting?

He looked a bit surprized but gave it to me. The oil had a tear in the corner but was so beautiful,a portrait of a lady wearing pearls and a purple dress. I took it out of the frame, rolled it up and noticed the square nails. The poor frame had missing gold leaf scroll work but I loved it.

So I took the frame apart and placed the pieces along with the rolled oil into a box for a future project.

Months later I looked for it in the garage and found out my 1st DH hauled it off to the dump along with other junk....

 

That would bite a big bullet. I'm pretty sure you're not the only one that has happened to.

 

How about the case of a Native Art printer who kept the artist proofs of some of his more famous clients in large closed cardboard tubes.
When it came time to liquidate his estate...most of the tubes were thrown out along with other junk from his printing workrshop !

 

Now that is horrible.

 

They only realized it when the son found a couple of the same tubes in his Dad's basement....and opened them up !
I hear tell that he went to search the local dump....
but that could just be hearsay ....

 

The son never confirmed that to me.....

 

Well to this day I have wondered about my poor "dump" painting.

Like my Bush & Gertz piano my same husband destroyed and made into a bait box.

 

Look, the thing is, everyone's hoping to "score" with a purchase, be it an amateur, a moderately-art-educated person, an expert, and everyone in between. Everyone's in a different stage of their journey, so no one should feel bad about it. However, there is some good advice to be had in this thread by those who have been on the hunt for longer, Armando. I've bought some real stinkers in the past three or four years, but I can see how I am progressing as far as spotting saleable art, and the real stinkers are getting few and farther between. It's a slow but steady process for those interested enough to learn. You'll get there!

 

I've got tons of paintings that range from pretty awful to sort of ok. If there is a big winner in the bunch I'm un-aware as of yet. What I will say is that some of the amateur student type pieces are vibrant and alive. I like that.

I would like to name chase a bit if given the opportunity but I understand everyone wanting the most that they can get for something. Let's face it, the art market can go up up (or down) over time so no one wants to miss out, woulda coulda shoulda.

I'd probably not worry too much about the behavior of a particular shop owner. They do need to watch out for their client. Just move on (and maybe drop in there from time to time to see if they've priced it and if it sells).

 

My wife and I use to go in there quite alot, atleast twice a week. Over a year period or so, I was noticing the owner's shop was getting fuller but nothing was moving. He still has the same prints, paintings, etc that he had 3 yrs ago.

Like Brad said in another thread, I also live in art rich, well educated area. Collectors here know what to look for. I'm about to extend my search area further out into less populated areas.

I know that there's a thread about "Big Eyes" I would like to post my story here.

My wife and I were making our way along a stretch, looking for a particular store that I had seen some vintage baseball cards. While trying to find this store, we popped into a store and browsed around. Right off the bat, I seen this painting with a girl with big eyes, I loved it. I didn't know about Keane paintings at that time.

Fast forward to present time, I remembered the name on the painting as Keane. After reading the "Big Eyes" thread I was floored that I was possibly holding in my hand at that store, an original Keane painting. The possibility of it being an original, this was about a year ago, is probably low. I'm going back this weekend to see if they still have it.

If not original, it will be a good time to be out with my wife and daughters.