Grant’s guide to buying art

A client emailed me over the weekend to ask about recommended art sources.

It really got me thinking about this and where I like to go for my home. To me, art is a very personal experience. What I might suggest for a client might not precisely coincide with what they would pick for themselves. For larger projects, clients often bring in art consultants that source from galleries around the world. But where would I suggest that clients look for art that isn’t going to break the bank? Where could they casually search on a Sunday afternoon? I decided to make a list (I am a big list maker!) and the list kept getting longer and longer. So I thought I would share my list...

Where do you purchase art for your place? Do you have favorite sources? I would love to hear what you think and if you have any great suggestions.

Here is my short list (there are FAR too many fabulous sources (online and some in San Francisco and New York), so please don’t take it personally if I didn’t add you to my list). In no particular order, here we go…

20x200 (limited editions x low prices) + the internet = art for everyone

Founded by Jen Bekman in 2007 with two core goals: They want everyone to collect art, and that they want to enable an economy that allows more arts make a living by making art.

Walker Pickering

Christian Chaize

Craig Damrauer

Michelle Vaughan

UGallery A unique online gallery offering affordable art. You can search by price, colors and sizes.

Kimia Kline

Mark Elverson

Alexandra Henry

Jennifer Ament Last year when I designed the kitchen for the Elle Decor Concept house in New York, I worked with Seattle artist Jennifer Ament (who does limited edition linocut prints). I just love how her art worked perfectly for the space that I was designing with Chinese menus as the backdrop...

I found artist Sally King Benedict (who lives in Charleston, SC) around a year ago, and I have been trying to find a spot in one of my projects ever since. I just love her use of vibrant colors.

Samantha French- A New York artist who paints swimmers (underwater and above) based on her childhood memories of lakes of northern Minnesota.

Lost Art Salon- is a fine art collection comprised of over 5,000 works of rediscovered, historically significant and contemporary artists. It reflects the major styles and movements of the 20th Century. Every collection is researched, reconditioned and catalogued for art historical records at the Salon in San Francisco.

Dolby Chadwick Gallery, San Francisco- featuring established, mid-career and emerging artists whose work randes in media to include painting, photography, sculpture and museum quality prints.

Sherie’ Franssen

Alex Kanevsky

Marshall Crossman

Chelsea James

Walter Kulman Studio, Sausalito. Kuhlman was one the pioneers of the San Francisco School of Abstract Expressionism as well as a member of the "Sausalito Six" – a ground-breaking group of young painters exploring the newly emerging “abstract expressionism.” (the other five were: Richard Diebenkorn, Frank Lobdell, George Stillman, John Hultberg, and James Budd Dixon).

(here is a grouping of monotypes that I am working on)

Paulson Bott Press specializes in limited edition intaglio prints. The press emerged from the San Francisco Bay Area’s rich tradition of fine art printmaking. Paulson Bott Press’s philosophy is to facilitate rather than direct an artist, creating an environment where artists can do their best work.

Amy Kaufman

Squeak Carnwath

Tauba Auerbach

Why not RENT to own? Check out art from Hang Art or SF Moma Rental Gallery. Its a great way to take a few pieces of art out on loan for a few months and see if you really want to commit to buy. A portion of your rental goes toward the purchase. Lots of great emerging artists.

Peter Dimick

Gail Ragains

Catherine Palmer

Anthony May

Now if all else fails and you can't find exactly what you are looking for...you can always paint something of your own. This was something that I painted (I was inspired by Franz Kline). If you are not up for a project on your own, I am sure that many artists would love to work on a custom commission.