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Arts & Fine Crafts

Surrounding Ourselves in Beauty

Since man arrived on this planet, there has been a desire to surround ourselves with art.

Original Oil Painting 'Cosmos'

Ancient man painted the walls of his cave, not merely to decorate it, but also to journal his and his tribe's history.

Many cultures to this day use paint and tatoos on their bodies to make themselves attractive to the opposite sex, to denote rank or valor or to make themselves look fierce in battle,

Today many of us collect graphic arts - photographs, lithographs, drawings, wall hangings and oil paintings to decorate the walls of our dwellings.

We also buy fine crafts for their beauty and usefulness.

Wall Art

Like ancient man, we also use wall art to both decorate and commemorate.

Bronze Sculpture, 'Charming Woman'

We display family photos and art made by our children in school. We buy or make our own paintings, murals, sometimes even our own wallpaper.

There are many different styles and schools of art. A painting could be either representational, like the pear reproduced here, or abstract, forms and colors depicting only the imagination of the artist.

Art can be extremely expensive, affordable to only a few or it can be quite reasonable in price.

But even if you can't afford an original Renoir or Monet, you can buy reproductions - either prints or real paintings made by modern artists.

Nothing livens up a space like a picture. A well done oil painting can create the impression that you have installed a window in your wall opening up to the view created by the artist.

Fine Crafts

Fine crafts can be colorful decorative additions to your home. Some, like the Mexican watering can on the right, can also have utiliarian uses.

Crafts add dimension and tactile feel to your home decor.

Sculptures, crystal paperweights with fanciful designs encased inside, pottery, ceramics all add beauty wherever they are displayed.

One Pear

Again, crafts, especially ethnic crafts, need not be expensive.

Collecting

Some people like to base their collections on a theme - for example horse paintings or elephant sculptures. Everything will revolve around that theme, be it pictures, sculptures or carvings.

Others, like myself, will buy whatever strikes their fancy and will have many different styles and subjects represented throughout their collections. There is no right or wrong way, just follow your instincts.

Will You Get Rich Collecting

Maybe, maybe not.

It depends on your skill in picking unknown talent. It also depends on what you collect. Finally there is an element of luck.

Anyone who is a fan of the "Antiques Roadshow" on PBS knows that a plastic toy from the 50's can be worth much more than truly handcrafted antiques. So the best advice is to buy what you like and forget about profit.

If it comes, it comes. In the meantime you have a beautiful hand-made work of art to admire and enjoy.