ART MUSEUM

Artist: Veronica
Medium: Linocut on Handmade Paper
Edition: 1/2
Size: About 12 x 12"
Status: In collection
Cost: $105

Thoughts:
This is my favorite piece right now, and I don't think it's because I just picked it up. I enjoy the form, I enjoy how it behaves almost illusory, I enjoy the rhythm of the repeating leaves, and I find that each leaf appears very natural in its form. It's just an overall gratifying image with a beautiful texture, no doubt because it's printed on HANDMADE paper - handmade by the artist herself! The artist is a local artist in the beginning of her career, and I think she has a ton of potential and if I could afford to buy more I would!

Artist: Jenny
Medium: Acrylic painting
Edition: Original
Size: About 24" high
Status: In collection
Cost: FREE

Thoughts:
I like this painting! I would've liked it a lot more in the past, but my taste isn't so "creepy" "surreal" anymore (even though my photography is.) Jenny is a very kind and interesting person and works as the studio assistant to another artist who I shoot photography for. Yes, that's right, one of my gigs is photographing paintings for high resolution reproduction. The majority images on this page are not going to reflect that! Anyway, Jenny is a cool person, and she gave me this painting in return for photographing her artwork! Wow! It hangs in my garage, where I shoot most of my studio photography, because it kind of reminds me of a Vogue model shoot.

Artist: Veronica
Medium: Linocut
Edition: 3/21
Size: About 6 or 7" tall
Status: In collection
Cost: Trade (for a poster of mine)

Thoughts:
This is another linocut by Veronica! I looked at it all the time, and ever since I got this one, I wanted another. This ultimately lead to purchasing her linocut print of the strange plant. The photo doesn't do it justice, I shot this with my phone in my bathroom because I'm in a rush, but I really enjoy the character, texture, form of this leaf. I believe Veronica got a bachelor degree in some environmental field (I can't recall which) and it shows in her work, but her work really captures the character of nature.

Artist: Steven
Medium: Drawing (?) on Paper
Edition: Original (?)
Size: About 11"
Status: In collection
Cost: Trade

Thoughts:
I got this drawing as a trade for some photographic work. Sometimes I think it's a print and not a real drawing, but most of the time I think it's a drawing. If I pretend it's a snowflake, I really like it! What I don't like is the repeating golden ratio patterns. I get that they're thematically connected, but I think it's kind of forced and cheesy. That being said, I really do enjoy the geometric form of the piece otherwise.

Artist: Steven
Medium: Drawing (?) on Paper
Edition: Original (?)
Size: About 11"
Status: In collection
Cost: Trade

Thoughts:
Same as above, though this one is a bit more interesting and has fewer cheesy golden ratios. Sometimes I'm really tempted to go in and remove these golden ratios, but I feel as if that would be disrespectful to the artist.
Steven is actually an amazing artist, and I've shot his work plenty of times. These pieces aren't a reflection of how talented he is. He creates some amazing sculptures as well. I think he's an interesting guy and I appreciate him when I get to see him.

Artist: Loribelle
Medium: Oil paint on paper
Edition: Original
Size: About 11"
Status: Gave it away
Cost: $300

Thoughts:
This is from an Australian painter named Loribelle. I couldn't stand looking at this piece so I gave it away. This is why you don't buy an artwork just because you like the artist's other work or because it's a popular style. Maybe just don't buy art for its style, even if you like that style, because your taste in style can change overtime. Some artworks are only as relevant as their style, and don't go much deeper than that. You should only buy artwork that you really resonate with. Loribelle is a good painter, but I don't resonate with her artwork, and that's okay. That's not a value assessment, that's just reality, and it's okay to not be a fan of everything you see if your taste doesn't align.

Artist: Robert Kipniss
Medium: Mezzotint Lithograph on Paper
Edition: 41/50
Size: 26.5" x 21.75"
Status: Sold
Cost: About $200-$300

Thoughts:
This is one of those things I can't believe I owned and that I kick myself for selling. I am a huge fan of Robert Kipniss' art, and the only reason I know about him is because I was looking to make some money by flipping art. This one I got from an estate sale for around $300 and sold it for around $570. I'm sure it's worth much more than that today. It's not the fact that I think it's more valuable now that I wish I kept it, it's that I genuinely think it's a beautiful piece by a fairly known artist. I'm not the only one who thinks this. There's a copy of this print in the Detroit Museum of Arts. Even when I was selling it, before I realized how much I appreciate his work, I was sad to let it go. I would've gotten much more enjoyment and therefore value over the years had I kept this than the measily $300 (or less) in profit I made by flipping it.

Artist: Robert Kipniss
Medium: Color Lithograph on Paper
Edition: 14/120
Size: 12" x 11"
Status: Sold
Cost: About $100-$200

Thoughts:
This is the other Kipniss I owned. I ended up selling it for about $515. Again, kicking myself for not keeping this. Kipniss' work is beautiful, I'm a huge fan of prints, and this piece is so contemplative and calm. This one doesn't hurt nearly as much as selling "Chair & Leaves", but still... Wasn't happy to let it go. That being said, this was a smaller piece, I didn't resonate with it as much, it wasn't as rare, it was older work, and the profit margin was helpful for me at the time (I needed the money.) Selling this is probably what lead to me overlooking the value and beauty of the Chair & Leaves print.

Artist: Greg
Medium: Oil painting
Edition: Original
Size: About 18"
Status: In collection
Cost: Free

Thoughts:
This is a dark and grungy painting and I'm sure it won't appeal to many, but I think it's absolutely beautiful. The colors and textures are very rich. It was given to me as a gift from a local artist named Greg, just because I said I liked it. Over the years, this painting has changed in appearance to my eyes. Not literally, but my perception of it, and that's the cool thing about art - over time, as you change, the artwork can change with you. Greg and I both want to rent a studio to work on art together, but neither of us can afford that.