Why invest in original art?

What if I want to move my mural?

What is required to create an original?

What is a Giclée?

What is hand embellishing (H.E.)?

What is a limited edition (L.E.)?

What is the difference between
oil and acrylic paint?

Investing in art takes taste and business savvy
By Robbie Woliver • Bankrate.com

In the colorful world of art, the business of investing is black and white. You buy a piece of artwork and hope the artist's work goes up in value. Experts say you might not need to wait long. It can happen within hours of your purchase.

Marion Kahan, of New York City-based Kahan Art Management and exhibition manager for the Guggenheim Museum, bought a limited-edition photograph by Michael Kenna at a show in 1993 for $500. By the end of the next day, when the entire edition was sold, it had become hot and scarce -- so the laws of supply and demand sent its worth to $750.

To invest wisely in art, Kahan says, you must have both good taste and business sense.

"Investing in art is investing in your own aesthetic," she says, "you have to want to live with the artwork, but you also have to educate yourself on the business end. Also, be careful, because tax laws are constructed in a way where if you buy art as an investment, you cannot 'derive pleasure' from it. In other words, it can't hang in your home. Just lock it in a vault."

But for the everyday art-enthusiast who buys a piece of art to display in the home or office, the work can still grow in value.

"Collecting art", Kahan says, "can be one of the most enjoyable ways to spend your money. An engaging work can provide its owner with a lifetime of visual pleasure -- and then fetch cash. As with any other field, you must do your homework before investing. Art's unpredictable value makes it as easy to lose as to profit."