The Joy Of Art Collecting

Every one of us like Art but a lot of us do not make the purchase because we feel the price of great art is beyond our reach. The rest have the notion that if you can't eat it, drink it, smoke it, drive it or make love to it it ain't worth diddly!      The photo above is just a sample of Cheri and my collection of art we have purchased over the years. In this part of our home we not only display mine and Cheri's work but also the works of Gabe Gabel, Landon Lamb and (actor/artist)Buck TayLor. Other artist names in our collection that adorns the walls in our little home is Anita Klein, Vicki Keeling, Mike Scovel (Leanin' Trees #1 western cartoonist) and Doug Keith. The Landon Lamb and the Gabe Gabel cannot be replaced because they are originals. The three pictures on the wall above the chair and loveseat are Buck Taylor signed prints. Anybody can hang a picture purchased at Wal-Mart or K-Mart on their wall behind their sofa and call it art, but they are only fillers to accommodate the colors in the room! A collected piece of art not only does not lose it's appeal but it speaks of the collector.     Not only is collecting art fun it is also an investment that gains value over time. Take the Buck Taylor signed prints for instance. Because of his career in acting (he played Newly the Gunsmith on the TV series Gunsmoke)and his talent as a watercolorist his artwork is collected. Cheri and I collect our art at Western Art Shows throughout the Northwest, we purchased the Buck Taylor prints at the Las Vegas Cowboy Christmas that takes place during the NFR from Buck himself.     A lot of the times when attending a Western Art Show and you are one on one with the artist and you are discussing a piece of work you are attracted to is not always a cash deal. Some of the artists will give credit with a down payment. When we purchased the Horse painting by Gabe Gabel we did not have the cash so Gabe handed us the painting and said "I know where you live"! We were able to hang that beautiful work on our wall conducting payments. We also have a Vicki Keeling sculpture that we purchased for $1700 on the payment plan. How cool is that! I'm not saying that all artists will respond to your interest in their art in the same manner, but it don't hurt to ask! Collecting Art is fun! Try it you'll like it!