Sculpture Source

You’ve browsed the Internet, visited several gallery websites and have located a piece of sculpture that you absolutely love. Problem is…you know nothing about the gallery selling the piece.

By asking yourself some questions to help gauge the overall quality and professionalism of the gallery, you’ll be more likely to enjoy a positive overall art-buying experience. Following are a few questions a potential online sculpture buyer may want to ponder:

Quality website
Is the gallery’s website well-organized and easy to navigate? Do pages load quickly, without errors? Is the content timely, without typos and out-of-date information? Are works displayed professionally with well-shot, high-quality images, multiple image views, dimensions, descriptive text, and pricing?

These are all signs of a professional gallery that takes its online business seriously. The gallery devotes staff time and resources into making the online experience easy and informative for the buyer.

Staff professionalism
Do gallery staff respond promptly, efficiently, and cheerfully to your emails and calls? This demonstrates the efficiency and organization of the gallery, and is a good indicator of whether the purchasing and shipping or delivery process will be smooth and worry-free.

Helpfulness and hard work
Do gallery staff provide detailed, complete answers to your questions? Are additional photos and information about the piece you’re interested in enthusiastically provided? Are staff willing to contact the artist directly to get clarification or more detailed information for you?

Extensive follow-up and personal assistance indicate a desire to ensure you have all the data required to make a thoughtful, educated purchase instead of an impulse buy that may be regretted later.

Mutual understanding and trust
Can gallery staff clearly articulate your needs and constraints, including your price range, time frame, desired style, and any concerns you have about art placement? Are other options in different price ranges presented for your consideration? Are staff knowledgeable about art, and genuinely enthusiastic about your inquiry? Do staff suggest sculpture offered by other venues which might also be of interest?

These are signs that the gallery is listening to what is important to you, and that your best interests and long-term satisfaction are being taken to heart.

To make a purchase you will be happy with over the long term when buying sight-unseen, you need to trust the gallery’s art knowledge, ability to understand and respond to your needs and finesse at “matching” the best piece of art with those needs.

Visit A New Leaf Gallery and Sculpturesite Gallery’s websites, or call and let us know how we can assist you in acquiring the perfect sculpture.

What may seem like a simple task can actually be quite daunting. Who would imagine that collecting a painting or a sculpture could be considered an art in itself? But take it from a professional on the other side of the table: buying art is not always easy. Here are some of the main points to keep in mind.

First of all, personal taste is foremost. One has to have a feeling for the piece one is going to acquire. In the beginning, it might be advisable to look at a number of different styles to determine what appeals. Visits to museums, galleries or perusing art history books and magazines can be helpful, as well as doing some research online or in the local library.

Once you have established your personal style, you can start making some headway. Your next step is to establish a relationship with an art professional, either through a gallery or an art consultant. This will be very helpful in your search for the right piece for the right place.

This brings me to the third point, location. Location of a piece can determine so many factors: the scale and medium, or material of the artwork being two of the most important things to consider. For example, one may have a wall space but perhaps it is inset, so could use a three- dimensional wall piece. Or it is a niche that will limit the height or width of a potential piece of art.

We must also look at indoor/outdoor placements. Some pieces just won’t work at all in an outdoor setting but will be stunning inside, and vice versa. A glass sculpture or a painting may be appropriate in a number of settings, but other settings require bronze or steel.

Another consideration is how this artwork is going to compliment its surroundings. It doesn’t necessarily need to “blend in”: sometimes contrast is just as effective. It all depends on what you are trying to achieve in terms of the end result, or the feeling you get while enjoying the piece in its relationship to the environment.

Fourth, let us not forget budget. This is a subject unto itself and must be considered very carefully in most instances. For example, one may be considering several pieces at this time, so it is a good plan to try to determine how much to invest in each individual acquisition.

Of course, there are those moments when one walks into a gallery and just falls in love with a work of art. This is a wonderful feeling. I always suggest that if the feeling is strong enough, a collector should acquire the piece and then find the optimum placement.

Sometimes, one has to try a piece in several locations before the perfect spot becomes obvious. This again is where a professional can be of help. Someone who has been in the field for a long time has certainly helped to place many works successfully. It requires listening to a client’s needs and desires, and getting familiar with the space. I personally find this to be a most rewarding experience.

These are just some of the things one can expect to experience while collecting a work of art. So, you can begin to see just how much actually goes into this artful process and why collecting art is an art unto itself!