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Addicted to Art
by Pat Tanumihardja

Nine years ago, real estate agent Jan Sewell started selecting original artwork to hang in houses that were on the market as part of a staging business she founded. It was this business that led to her first art purchase – a Betsy Eby painting she had rented more than a dozen times from the SAM Gallery, Art Sales and Rental.

“I just couldn’t stand to give it back; I fell in love with it,” she explains. Sewell has gone on to collect work by a wide range of artists, always following her own instincts and preferences. “I would love to have a Fay Jones painting, not just because she’s Fay Jones but because every time I see her work it makes me happy.”

If you aspire to have your own collection of original works, however big or small, you don’t need to know everything there is to know about the art world. Gallery owners, collectors and artists alike agree on one thing: Buy art that you love.

“I personally buy art because I love it and I want it around me,” explains Microsoft marketing executive Tamara DiCaprio. “My requirements are that the artist speaks to me through their work and that the art itself connects with my own soul in some special way.”

DiCaprio began collecting art 25 years ago when she commissioned “The Voyager” from artist Curtis Steiner. “I wanted to support him in his work and so we worked together on his project and defined a sculptural piece to fit how I was feeling at that time in my life.”

The peach-colored marble sculpture of a man’s torso emerging from a globe and leaning forward into the wind, his left arm reaching back like a wing, reflected DiCaprio’s desire to focus on moving into the future with hope, expectation and courage. “When I saw the piece … it was so beautiful and represented so much of how I felt,” she says. “What’s really important is the extra layer of connection with the artist – which I feel with Curtis – that brings meaning to a piece.”

Working within her budget – “The Voyager” cost $1,500, but some “great-to-have” pieces ran about $500 – DiCaprio continued to buy art from galleries and to seek out emerging artists who were not well represented. Over the years, her collection has grown with her through the different phases and stages of her life. “It reflects my life, my travels and my own personal growth,” she says.

There isn’t a single piece of art DiCaprio doesn’t like in her eclectic collection. But the collector does have her favorites. One is a music-in-action acrylic painting by Nancy Peacock of jazz musician Keith Jarrett and his trio. “The painting is so vibrant with the colors and the dynamic figures, I can feel music coming from the piece,” she says. “Invite and Ignite” is an abstract painting by local artist Laura Castellanos that DiCaprio loves for its bold, vibrant energy – perfect for revitalizing a staid space; while Linda Davidson’s paintings on woodblocks, “Blue Sky” and “The Night Time Series,” have changed DiCaprio’s perception of reality. “They are so representative of the sky that they have actually changed the way I looked at the sky,” she enthuses.

Besides works by Northwest and other American artists, DiCaprio’s collection includes pieces she has picked up from her global travels, often traditional artworks that reflect their culture of origin. “I would seek out art that spoke to me from different parts of the world … (art) that I could identify with the artist in their perception of the world and their work.”

DiCaprio considers her art collection money well spent, but she doesn’t believe in putting pressure on artists to improve her investment portfolio. “I personally buy art that I love to keep. I don’t buy art with the thought of selling it,” she clarifies. “It’s not an (investment) transaction where I will keep it for a few years then pass it on and make some money.” If a work of art by chance increases in value, so be it, but she has never sold a piece of art to make a profit. On occasion, DiCaprio has had to downsize and sell some of her artwork – but she did so at a reasonable price.

Although Sewell doesn’t buy art for investment, she has made some shrewd buys. “I knew that if I didn’t buy the (artworks) now when they were still affordable, the prices would get crazy.” Her very first purchase, the Betsy Eby encaustic painting “Exaltation Sans Egg” has already quadrupled in value since she bought it.

Another example is “Epigram,” a Michael Schultheis painting Sewell bought five years ago at the Phinney Neighborhood Association for $400. An artist and a mathematician, Schultheis layers his oil paintings with mathematical notations and illustrations. “Over the years he’s gotten more and more impressive,” says Sewell. “He’s got eight galleries around the country. He’s had a show at the National Academy of the Sciences and a big opening in Chelsea.” She estimates “Epigram” is now worth about $1,500.

One of Sewell’s more recent acquisitions is a series of colorful abstract oil paintings by emerging artist Melinda Hannigan. “Her paintings had only been hung in the gallery for an hour when I walked in and said I wanted all four of those paintings!” says Sewell. Just after one year, the artist’s prices have spiked.

Developing one’s personal aesthetic doesn’t come automatically. Even though Sewell knew many artists and admired them, she wasn’t completely confident of her own art sensibility and personal taste in the beginning. “But the more I looked at art, the more I picked art, the more I learned what I liked and the more discriminating I got, but not necessarily in any formal way.”

Sewell advises beginning collectors to expose themselves to art as much as possible. “Find things you have a connection with. You can learn what you like. It’s not that you’re either born with it or you’re not.” She likens it to learning about real estate. “If you just immersed yourself in the housing market and looked at as many houses as you could, it would naturally create this knowledge.”

Now, Sewell knows what she likes and doesn’t like. “There’s definitely stuff I don’t want anything to do with, which may or may not be great art, but it’s just not me,” she admits. “I don’t really like stylized art but I like things with a sense of humor. I love things that are layered and that you can look at over and over again and see different things.” “Girly Dog” and “Doggy Girl” by Judith Kindler are a pair of paintings that fits this bill. “They just made me laugh!” says Sewell of the two pieces, one of a dog with a girl’s head and the other a girl with a dog’s head.

Sewell’s collection comprises more paintings by Drake Deknatel than of any other artist. Her favorite: “The Art of Love,” is an abstract charcoal drawing on paper of two bodies entwined around each other. “I feel the complexity of relationships, the conflict and resolution all in one,” she reflects. Currently, Sewell has about 80 paintings, photographs and sculptures ranging from the figurative to the abstract in her collection. However, she says her tastes are ever-evolving. “There are some things that I liked 10 years ago which I think are still okay but they’re not pieces that I want to live with.”

Barbara Shaiman, director of the SAM Gallery, Art Sales and Rental, tells people to look at as much art as they can. Going to museums and galleries is the most fun, but if you don’t mind putting in the time and energy, Shaiman recommends reading art books and watching documentaries such as the PBS series “Art:21- Art in the 21st Century” (available on DVD) which features U.S. artists.

The greater Seattle area has a wonderful collection of museums where you can view permanent collections and special exhibitions (see sidebar). Pioneer Square, downtown Kirkland and the Greenwood neighborhood also have large concentrations of galleries.

Catherine Person, a veteran art consultant in Seattle and owner of Catherine Person Gallery in Pioneer Square, recommends visiting Pioneer Square during “First Thursdays” when there are lots of people around and it’s less intimidating. Sewell agrees. “Go to as many (gallery walks) as you can, and you’ll get a feel for galleries and their sense of taste, and who kind of echoes your basic aesthetic. You’ll know who you connect with. Often, you’ll find several artists at one gallery that you’ll like.”

The SAM Gallery, Art Sales and Rental is also a great place to start. “We have work from basically every gallery in Seattle plus Portland and Vancouver. It’s the best opportunity to see a large variety of work at one time,” says Shaiman. Plus, a mix of emerging and established artists makes the gallery’s group shows exciting, too. “That’s really fun for the artists as well as the client to see a show that mixes artists who are just out of graduate school and artists who have been working in the arts community for 40 years.”

Trained staff and volunteers are also on hand to offer guidance. “We will listen to clients…to get an idea of what they want. We know what we have and can make recommendations. Then we pull things out and show them,” explains Shaiman.

For some, galleries can be intimidating “One of the things I try to do with our business is to diffuse the intimidation,” says Person. “When people come in we ask, ‘Do you have any questions? Would you like to know more?’”

Once you find a gallery you like, get to know the owner and staff and trust them to be on your side. “Building relationships with the gallery owners is important because you’ll be immersed in the whole environment, including getting to meet artists in person,” says DiCaprio. “Speaking to artists about their work and what they felt in creating it helps me deepen my appreciation of the art and the artist.”

Shaiman says this kind of accessibility is one of the big attractions of working with local artists. “You can meet them and follow them (and their work) over the years. When we have shows and openings, all the artists come and we also do previews when the artists talk about their work. It will give you a better idea of what the artist is doing and what their work’s about.”

Having traveled widely – everywhere from Paris to London, Rome to Russia, and New York to L.A. – Person can safely say that Seattle artists are of an extremely high caliber. “We have a lot of talent here and we can be very proud of our artists,” she says. “It’s like the kid next door but no, these kids are very attractive.”

By seeking out local and/or emerging artists, you are also more likely to find something within your budget. Regardless, it’s not impossible to find affordable art. When people say they can’t afford to buy original art, Person tells them, “Our artworks start at $200.”

In fact, many galleries have a wide range of prices. Greenwood’s Francine Seders Gallery carries $200 prints right up to $50,000 paintings. At the Lisa Harris Gallery in the Pike Place Market, Northwest artist Thomas Wood’s prints go for as little as $100 while paintings top off at $8,500.

Another option for beginners is to rent art. “It’s nice to not make a huge investment for a little while until you feel more confident,” says Shaiman. The SAM Gallery, Art Sales and Rental allows you to do that. You can rent artwork for three months at a time, up to a maximum of six months – a low-pressure way to start collecting art. “It’s great for people who don’t have a huge amount of money to make that commitment,” she says.

Renting also offers a great opportunity to try art at home before you buy. Many times, people will take a painting home only to find that it doesn’t work in their space or they discover that the painting doesn’t grow on them. “So it’s an opportunity to really make sure that that’s what you want,” says Shaiman.

Most galleries offer payment plans, often interest-free. “I’m happy to make a transaction go through,” says Person. “It helps the artist too. Any money coming in for them is good!” The SAM Gallery, Art Sales and Rental offers payment plans with up to a year and a half interest-free. You can even take the piece home with you right away; you don’t have to wait till the end of the payment period.

Once you start collecting art, you just might become addicted. Even with over 75 artworks to her name – everything from bronze, stone and wood sculptures, to acrylic and oil paintings – DiCaprio is not about to stop collecting anytime soon. Her home and her office are like personal art galleries where she rotates her artworks every six months. “When I find something I like, I find it so hard for me not to have it,” she says. “Just like some girls are with shoes – I gotta have it!”

Pat Tanumihardja is a Seattle-based freelance writer who writes about food, culture and the arts. She is a former arts administrator.

©2006 Caliope Publishing Company