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Art Collection Guide

A guide for choosing art that helps you slow down and create a home full of meaning.

Nicole Hanson

7/15/20255 min read

Some art collectors are nervous that if they start buying art, they’ll end up with hundreds of prints!

So they buy low-stakes art, trendy pieces, or nothing at all.

They could be filling their space with meaningful, carefully chosen art that helps them slow down, live into their values, and create a home full of meaning.

But that can feel pretty complicated from the outside, so I created a free resource for you; a small 4 page PDF that walks through some tips on picking the art that resonates. It includes my free Print Curration offer, as well as links to five other artists who may have the piece you’re looking for.

Download the PDF here, or read the same content below!

Happy Art Hunting!

Art Collection Guide

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Art Collection Guide

If you’re reading this, I’m assuming several things about you:

You care about beauty, not just mass-made art
You are interested in collecting art to create a home of meaning, not a financial investment
You are interested in the stories behind art
You want the art in your home to have meaning, not just fill a wall

And also

You are looking for a little guidance in choosing art for your space.

Unfortunately, I won’t pick art for you. I believe that for someone like you, choosing art is too deeply personal to be outsourced.

However, I can offer some questions and guideposts to help you narrow down your search, and still trust your own gut to purchase the art.

At the end of this guide, there are two additional resources.

My curated print list. This is an obligation-free service I offer to help you narrow down the over 50 pieces on my website to the pieces that most fit what you’re looking for.
I’ve listed a few artists for you to check out. My paintings may not be what you’re looking for, but I may know someone who has created it.

But first, the guide.

How do you choose what art you’re going to collect and display in your home?

What speaks to you?

For a literal thinker like myself, this question is as annoying as heck. But here are some questions to help you narrow it down.

What art draws your attention?
What piece do you keep thinking about?
What piece can you not take your eyes off?
What piece instantly reminds you of a good memory, or a value you hold dear, or the person you’re becoming?

These are the pieces that speak to you, and any of them are great candidates.

These are much, much better than a random, trendy piece to fill a space.

What size painting are you looking for?

Use the scale of your space to determine the size of your painting or print to narrow down your options.

A small space (a nook, a small wall, or the space on a shelf) limits itself to small art. You still get to be creative here, and consider the style and meaning of the art you’re looking for.

If you have a huge space you’re looking to fill with art, you may consider a larger piece, or a gallery wall of smaller and medium pieces.

Consider the feel you’re looking for. A grand statement? Opt for a large painting (or print). Or tell one unique story with lots of pieces in a gallery wall.

You get to decide the feel you’re looking for, and how to make it happen.

Budget considerations.

As a budget-conscious person myself, I always recommend setting your budget first and looking for art second. If it turns out you find a piece you love that’s above your budget, you can choose to find the second-best option, or to continue saving for the piece you have your heart set on.

There are no rules for artists pricing their art, which you’ve probably figured out. Some artists charge five dollars for small original pieces, and others charge hundreds of dollars for the same size piece.

Generally, artists price their art based on their years of experience, the time it took them to create the piece, the price of their supplies, and the size of the piece.

That said, the most expensive items will usually be larger original paintings.. Originals will be more expensive than prints. And larger prints will be more expensive than smaller prints.

The smaller your art budget, the smaller prints you’ll be looking for. As your budget increases, you open yourself up to larger prints and originals.

What do you want the art to represent?

I recommend you consider what you want your art to represent.

Picking art because the theme is trending, or because the colors match your room, are okay. But I think it’s much more memorable to also choose art that represents something important to you.

Perhaps something that brings to mind a spiritual truth.

Or something that reminds you of your values, whether travel, family, legacy, peace, independence, a strong work-life balance, diversity, friendship, or something else.

Or even art that keeps you focused on the qualities you’re developing within yourself, such as compassion, commitment, responsibility, generosity, and so on.

When you display art like this, you surround yourself with daily (and moment-by-moment) reminders and conversation starters.

Print Curation

If you are interested in my print curation service, all you need to do is email me! Just copy and paste this into an email, and fill in your answers. Then I’ll send you a list of my pieces that meet your specifications, and there is no obligation for you to purchase.

I have over 50 pieces on my website, and I know that’s a lot to sift through. Let me sift through it for you! I will even add pieces that are in storage and not on the website, if they meet your specifications.

To: nicole@nicolehansonart.com

Subject: Print Curation

Tell me about the kind of art that generally speaks to you, or the pieces you’ve already purchased because you resonate with it.
What size paintings or prints are you interested in? And how many?
What is your budget range per piece, or for all pieces together?
What do you want the art to represent?

Other Artists

Perhaps the art I have available to you isn’t the right fit for you at this time. Maybe one of these artists has something that does!

Lily Deutsch

Joyful and nostalgic landscapes and seascapes https://lillykdesigns.com/gallery/

Josephine Cora

Watercolor landscapes on woodburned panels

https://jcorastudio.com/collections/original-artwork

Kelly Averback

Vintage, repurposed, up-cycled furniture and decor. Architectural salvage

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057509505776

Emma Olstad

Acrylic nature paintings, inspired by the introspective