Original Art from the Original Artists

Art collectors from around the world spend millions of dollars each year to get their hands on original art. They may buy a piece for their private collection or arrange to buy or sell a piece for a museum or other public display. No matter what you are looking for in a work of art, chances are it's available from somewhere – for a price.

The key, however, is finding the art that you want. You can sign up notifications from the auction houses, scour EBay, and spend time at estate sales trying to find the one piece of original art that will set your collection over the top. However, you may have better luck with using an art broker and you'll save a lot of time and energy, too.

Some of the most sought after pieces aren't only the grand masters that you would think of, such those by Pablo Picasso or Andy Warhol, although, they are available, too. The art that is in very high demand today are many of the modern and contemporary artists of the past 150 years. Original art from the likes of Norman Rockwell, Peter Max, and Romero Britto are quite in demand and some of their works are quite rare. Peter Max, for example, is one of America's most popular living artists, and his work is found in the private art collections of five United States presidents. He redesigned the NBC peacock and was the Official Artist for the 1994 World Cup. Peter Max original art can be found in museums around the world, but there are many pieces up for private sale, too.

Romero Britto is an artist who's easily identified because of his use of bright colors and composition qualities of cubism. Much different from Peter Max, but almost as popular, these works grace the walls of many museums and private homes around the world. His work in the art world has been the inspiration for other artists and continues to grow in value with each passing year.

An art broker is certainly your best bet for finding some of the rarer pieces. You can even use one of the online brokers to find original art. It's a huge industry because of the high demand and brokers must now keep their prices very competitive. However, you must ensure that you use only a reputable broker. Some have been in business for decades and those are the online art brokers that you should consider. A certificate of authenticity should accompany any original art.

In closing, if you're looking for a new piece of art to add to your collection, consider contacting one of the online art brokers. You may pay less for their services and some off you the option of a "best offer" instead of the retail price. In many cases, you could save thousands of dollars for a Peter Max or Andy Warhol piece that you couldn't even find for sale in a traditional gallery.

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A Blessing and a Curse: Music and Lyrics From the Grammy Award Best New Artists Winners

Awards are supposed to be prestigious and much-sought after, no matter what field one is in. In music, awards serve as the validation for an artist’s talent. More than a hit song or a best selling album, an award proves that an artist (or just about anyone involved in the production of the music) has got what it takes to last in the business. Regardless if it has something to do with local talent, writing lyrics, creating music-awards are obviously important. But one award in the music industry is considered both a blessing and a curse: the Grammy Best New Artist Award. This category in the most prestigious award in the business is for artists (solo singers, groups, or bands) who attained public recognition for a particular year. The award cites general achievement-the talent of the artists and the quality of the music and the lyrics of their songs, among others. So whether an artist excels in one of these areas (music, talent, lyrics) or an artist excels generally, this category recognizes them.

Yet, in the history of this category, not all winners ended up being successful in the business, despite the fact that the winners of this category are arguably talented and exemplary. In fact, a quick look at the list of winners in this category would reveal that most of them are better than some of the popular artists today. While their local talent may be subjected to criticism, their music and their lyrics were impeccably created, and the production value of their albums almost always amazing.

Lauryn Hill, for instance, became a famed artist because of her first-and only-album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which won the Grammy Best New Artist Award. A former member of The Fugees, her songs and lyrics are marked with unbelievable quality. Note, for example the lyrics of her most famed hit as a solo artist, “Doo Wop (That Thing)”: “Talking out your neck sayin’ you’re a Christian / A Muslim sleeping with the gin / Now that was the sin that did Jezebel in / Who you gon’ tell when the repercussions spin.” Although, she never followed her much acclaimed album, Hill’s songs and lyrics are still remembered until today.

On the other hand, Milli Vanilli is perhaps a textbook case of artists who experienced the curse of this award. To be fair, their songs and lyrics did show sparks of brilliance. The lyrics of their song “Blame It On The Rain” used simple metaphors in more unconventional but acceptable ways. Of course, their failure later on was probably caused by the fact that the two fronts of the group did not do the actual singing.

But not everyone received the awards experienced this curse. The artist who won the award after Milli Vanilli became the third best selling female artist of all time-no other than Mariah Carey. The recent recipients of the award were more privileged too, since most of them are currently having spectacular careers-Maroon 5, Norah Jones, Alicia Keyes, Carrie Underwood. These artists have great sounds and artistic lyrics for their songs. This goes to show that while an award may be important, talent (not to mention great lyrics and music) is what matters to the listening public.

Differentiating Original Art from Reproduced Art

Denying the appeal of art is like . . . well, denying your existence. Through the ages, every generation has enjoyed the power and entertainment of art, as it has been around since time immemorial. With so many different styles and types of art, there’s always something for everyone. Art continuously captures the hearts of people around the world and hooks them into a long life love. Art is at the heart of everything we see and feel in our daily lives and without it our world would be so dull and unattractive!  It is not possible to imagine a world without the beauty of art.

If you are one of those people entrapped by the beauty of art and are looking to purchase a piece for your home or office, consider this: not all art is original art. What, you didn’t know that? There are many companies out there that take a popular piece and mass reproduce it to make more money. These pieces are usually referred to as “cookie cutter” or “motel art”. Most reproduced art can be found in motels and other similar places that purchase from the same companies.

It is something to keep in mind. If you are looking to buy art for any reason whatsoever, whether it is for personal satisfaction or for display and decoration in the office, you will need to be attentive in finding out if the art you want to purchase is original art, or reproduced. Original art is one hundred percent original; one-of-a-kind, painted once, never reproduced, and not found anywhere else. Oh, sweet satisfaction.

The value of original art increases over time and if kept for several years, you could have a small fortune on hand worth thousands, or more, especially if the piece was created by a popular or up and coming artist. So remember, buy art that’s original and it’ll ultimately pay for itself over time.

So, how can you tell original art from a reprint? A lot of novice art buyers believe that art they find on websites is original unless the word “reprint” is included in the description. Wrong. Some people lie about pieces being original art to try and gain more money. That’s why you must find reliable web resources that have a strict policy of only branding art as original, if it is in fact, truly original art. Resources with clear and specific information regarding their art is really the only way to go.

Buying art for the first time can be a little nerve wrecking, but as long as you are sure of the source you are buying from, you shouldn’t have anything to fear. Take advantage of those new artists (most of them do not have anything reproduced yet), and you can be sure the art you purchase is original.

Remember to always do extensive research before making an expensive purchase, unless of course you’d rather have a reprint.  Spending some time in research will certainly save you lots of money in the end!