My partner and I have been binge buying art online during the lockdown. Pre-Covid, we dined out regularly and went on a few vacations each year. That’s all stopped, so we have saved money from staying at home, at least there has been one benefit! Like most people, we have been stuck inside, staring at walls, so buying art online seemed appropriate. Besides, looking at lovely art does cheer me up. Here are some of the fantastic pieces of urban art we’ve purchased and a few pointers if you are thinking about investing in art yourself.
Well Hung Teddy Print from the Well Hung Teddy Facebook Page
Recent Contemporary Urban Art Purchases
Since moving to a converted warehouse apartment a few years ago, I thought about buying one of Anna Laurini’s paintings. Anna is known for her bold female faces, inspired by Picasso and Matisse. She often uses red and blue in pictures which works well with my living room interiors. We purchased the Classica Original Painting, which happened to be on sale, which was handy.
Anna Laurini Classica Original Painting from the Anna Laurini Website
The kitchen seemed bare, so we bought two red and black Ben Eine prints from Jealous Gallery. Ben Eine is a street artist known for his graffiti letters. The Last Days of Shoreditch (limited edition of 125) and Mad(e) in Britain (limited edition of 25) had similar fonts so they look amazing in the same room. We paid to have both prints professionally framed by the Gallery. Jealous Gallery is a brilliant place to buy high-quality limited edition prints by contemporary urban artists.
Ben Eine The Last Days of Shoreditch and Mad in Britain Limited Edition Prints from the Jealous Gallery Website
A blank wall in the bedroom was crying out for a large canvas. I’d been eyeing up the work of Tim Fowler for a while, so he was the obvious choice. I fell in love with his Basquiat canvas because of the subject matter and the bright colours. The bedroom interior has hints of pink, so the Basquiat artwork was ideal. I bought the canvas via Rise Art, but you can also purchase it directly from the artist.
Tim Fowler Basquiat Canvas from the Rise Art Website
We had space in the hallway for a couple of small pictures. We discovered SAKI & Bitches, a Tokyo-born street artist who is based in London. We bought two art pieces from Saki, Our Lady of Sushi painting on wood and the She Devil oil painting. Both are hung in the hallway close to each other for company.
SAKI & Bitches Our Lady of Sushi and She Devil from the SAKI & Bitches Website
We bought a few pieces from local artists. Graeme Ross, otherwise known as grohs, is a Scottish artist living in London; he has a graphic design and music background. Graeme’s recent collection comprises dogs reacting to music and beats. We bought three speaker-style canvases from him.
Grohs Speaker Canvas from the grohs website
The Well Hung Teddy artist lives in the same building as us. He sold a few limited edition prints that we bought, and we are big fans of Well Hung Teddy!
Buying Art Online Tips
Buying art online does take time, but it is a pleasurable experience. Locate websites that feature the type of work you like, urban art, illustrations, photography, etc. Bookmark the websites so you can view them regularly. Besides the websites I’ve mentioned above, I also like Artfinder, Artsper, Artspace, Artsy, Artnet and the Saatchi Store.
I also look at the gallery websites such as the Tate Modern and Serpentine and often collaborate with artists to create limited edition pieces to support an exhibition. Keep an eye out for winners of esteemed art prizes and read articles about up-and-coming artists. Follow artists on Instagram, where you can see their recent works and gauge their popularity.
Set up a Pinterest Board for the art you like so you can review it when you have the funds to make a purchase. Bear in mind that art can be an investment. Unless you are wealthy, I’d advise that you buy art that you love, which suits your interiors. Seek out limited edition prints and original pieces of art such as canvases which will be more valuable should you wish to sell in the future.
SAKI & Bitches She Devil from the SAKI & Bitches Website
Always cross-reference the artwork’s price on different websites and with the artist’s website to ensure you have the best price. Some websites allow you to make an offer to the artist so you may acquire the painting at a lower price. Keep an eye out for sales when the price could be significantly lower.
Ask for a certificate of authenticity for the artwork you purchase. Make a screengrab of the painting and keep this with the certificate of authenticity and the invoice. You may need this paperwork if you wish to sell the piece of art in the future.
I hope you find some artwork you love!
You may be interested in reading about more Shops and looking at pictures on my Pinterest Boards.
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London.
