Art

Every so often I receive an email asking me to document the current value of a piece of
artwork that I painted years ago. In theory the public has been ingrained with the idea
that artwork increases in value as years go by, and to some degree that may be true.
But is it a liquid investment? Can you readily find a buyer if you chose to do so
tomorrow?

Buying artwork is not like buying stocks. It really makes no difference how you
come by artwork. You can purchase a painting in a gallery or find it in a
garage sale; the most important thing is how it speaks to you.

Do you find a connection? Do you like it? The optimum value is how
much enjoyment do you receive by hanging a painting on your wall.
I liken buying artwork for your home to purchasing a ticket to the
movies. It is entertainment in the purest sense of the word.

Okay, okay. Art dealers and gallery owners may be quick to disagree
with my assessment, and I am not about to argue. For the serious
collector, art can be a great investment, provided you are well advised
and knowledgeable on the subject. But most of us are not in that
category, nor is an investment our main purpose when dabbling
in a growing market of art for sale to the public. The average
“collector” or potential art buyer is interested in owning a piece of
artwork they can relate to on a personal basis. So where do you
go to find artwork for sale. Galleries. Art Fairs. Virtual Galleries
online. Artists Websites. As virtual galleries multiply
online, and artist websites increase, the
availability of fine art has been placed
at our fingertips like never before.
No longer do you need to travel to Scottsdale,
Jackson Hole, or Santa Fe to find your favorite artist
in a gallery of your choosing. You never need leaving the
confines of your own living room. You can do a Google search
and find both an image that you like and an up-to-date bio on the
artist. Check out ArtprojectA at https://www.artprojecta.com/.

Whether you are a procurer of fine quality reproductions or a collector of original work only, a little research can land you in the right location on the Internet without stepping out the front door. The price that you pay is tempered only by your own budget.

Prints.

You will find that the artwork presented on my own artist website is of the highest quality. I print my own reproductions of my originals using the newest digital technology and commercial printers. They are printed on 100% cotton rag paper with museum quality lightfast inks. This is not an inexpensive process, but the final product rivals the originals in clarity and color intensity. I am proud of what I do, and I print every print myself before I sign and number each print.

I have saved the best for last. I have spent years working in and around the commercial printing industry. Because I process the printing in my own studio, I am able to pass on a great value. I believe that these images are primarily for entertainment purposes. They may eventually find a secondary market, but that is not my primary purpose and I do not hype them for anything more than paper and ink. You are paying a nominal fee for my artist license and the finest quality printing available. Judge for yourself. By cutting out all of the middlemen, I have no need to charge the higher prices that most artists do.

Original Artwork.

My original paintings are planned, drawn and painted on Arches rag watercolor paper using the finest tube watercolors. I also apply gouache in some instances to portions of the paintings, as well as egg tempera. Gouache is an opaque watercolor medium. Egg tempera is a pure powdered pigment that I grind further using a glass palette and pestle before mixing it into an egg emulsion that I prepare using the yolk of an egg and water. Egg tempera is the oldest form of paint known to man, dating back to the pyramids of ancient Egypt. My technique is similar to pure transparent watercolor in that the whites of the paper are saved. That is the traditional technique, but there are no rules when it comes to making art. In order to push the edges of the envelop I continue to experiment and develop my own personal thumbprint to my work.

You will find a gallery of current originals available for sale on the website, WWW.LARRYSTEPHENSON.ORG.

Come by for a visit. Whether you purchase an image that you find that you cannot live without, to linger only to tempt your senses, the site is definitely worth the price of admission.