Buyers' Information Page

Buying for Investment or Pleasure
Part 4

Kim Dommer, Ph.D. DD

Environmental Conditions

You wouldn't want to take an expensive oil painting and hang it in the bathroom where the steam and condensation could cause the canvas to mold and mildew. But a less expensive print behind glass or a piece of Tara Sign cloth that resists mold and mildew may be options.

Nor would you like to place a beautiful watercolor or pastel in direct sunlight where UV rays would take their toll over time. Perhaps a sculpture would be better in such a situation.

Color Elements of Interior Design

Most color in interior design is based on one or two universal flow colors. These are colors that flow from one room to the next that pull the whole abode together. Usually it is the wall to wall carpet or flooring and the uniform ceiling color, often neutral or earth tones. This creates flow.

Then each room will have two or three accent colors that help it stand apart from the adjoining rooms. Some people change these accent colors to vary to the seasons, often warmer tones in autumn and winter and brighter, cheerier tones in spring and summer.

So take into consideration these accent colors in choosing your art.

Most interior designers and artists use a primary and complementary color in their work. An example of this would be a southwest home of bare adobe interior walls with pine vigas or pillars as the universal flow colors. The complementary color to the dark reds in the clay adobe might be a forest green, and the complementary color to the golden color of the pine might be found in the blues. In a setting like described, landscapes or wild life paintings with blue sky and green foliage would fit well, as would a surreal painting with the same tones.

You may wish to change motif with the seasons. Lighter greens and blues, yellows or golden oranges could be used in spring and summer, and in winter darker greens, burgundy, and darker earth tones could be used. Review your interior changes through the seasons and look for those hues in the work you buy so the work will look uniform perennially.

Conclusion

I am not an art critic, nor am I a trained art investor. This is just one artist's point of view, developed by years of experience in the trade. I hope this article has been informative and assists you in some way in the way you look at and purchase art.

Whether you buy for business or pleasure, art is meant to make a statement and be enjoyed. Enjoy the art, enjoy the process of co-creating within it. Let it make a statement reflecting you. It makes for a more enjoyable life.