Buying Art You Actually Love

For Collectors and Consultants Who Know the Difference

In a world saturated with trends, algorithms, and market predictions, it’s easy to forget the most important rule of collecting art:

buy what moves you.

Art consultants and seasoned collectors already understand that art is more than investment or design filler. It's a conversation partner, a statement, and—at its best—a mirror. But even in those roles, it’s tempting to fall into the habit of acquiring work based on what the market says is “in,” or what fits a curated Instagram aesthetic. That’s fine, for a time. But there’s something more enduring, more powerful, in collecting art that you feel.

Why Buy Art That Resonates?

Because emotional connection outlasts fashion.Because living with art is intimate.Because what draws you in will keep calling you back.

Some of the most enduring collections are built not from a place of strategy, but from obsession, intuition, and sometimes even confusion—"I don't know why I love this, but I do." That mystery is often the start of a long relationship with a piece. Over time, what first seemed strange or subtle becomes indispensable.

The Pressure to Follow Trends

Let’s be honest. There’s pressure in the art world. Pressures to stay relevant, to align with blue-chip names, to tick the right boxes for resale value. While there’s nothing wrong with smart acquisitions, the best collections often balance intellect with instinct.

If you’re an art consultant, guiding a client means helping them explore what they respond to—colors, moods, materials, even memories—rather than just steering them toward what’s selling at the fairs. The real challenge, and opportunity, is helping someone find work they want to live with, not just look at.

What to Look For

When you're considering a piece—whether it’s a painting, a sculpture, or a mixed-media work—ask yourself:

• Does this artwork hold my attention?

• Do I feel something when I look at it?

• Is there a story, or a tension, or a quiet I want to keep returning to?

  
  

Art that answers "yes" to these questions will likely mean more to you in five years than something you bought to match a sofa—or a market prediction.

From the Artist’s Side

As an artist, I never want someone to buy my work just because it’s trending. I want it to speak to you. I want it to stop you in your tracks, or slowly grow on you over time. I want it to mean something.

That’s how I paint—working from instinct, memory, and emotion. My landscapes and wildlife pieces may not always be literal, but they come from lived experience, imagined terrain, and years spent near the ocean and in the wild. If that resonates with you, then we’re already in conversation.

Final Thought

Whether you’re building a personal collection or advising someone else, remember: art isn’t just something to be owned. It’s something to live with. And living with art you love will always matter more than living with art you merely “should” have.