Now that I have been retired awhile I am discovering art. There are several people in a group I belong to that introduced me to lithographs, Chinese Art, African Tribal Art among other categories of art.
Not long ago a friend gave me an oil painting of a street scene someplace in France. I hung it in my hallway. It is in plain view from where I sit in my recliner. Believe it or not, when I am reading or even watching the news I eventually get drawn to that painting! Even without drinking it gives me a good feeling thinking about what is going on in the painting.
I am getting hooked. I decided to find oil paintings and hang them in the living room. I just had the interior of my house repainted and the living room walls a bare. They will remain that way until I find the paintings.
So far I have scoured yard sales as well as galleries. I have two modern paintings a young woman painted. I paid her for them but she may as well have just given them to me for what I paid her. She just wanted to get rid of the painting and they were part of her yard sale.
As you probably guessed, I don't want to spend a fortune on paintings. Some of the works in galleries that I looked at seem far overpriced. But who am I to say? I'm no art dealer. I cannot advertise for "used oil paintings" or "inexpensive oil paintings" because more than likely the artist or the dealer will be offended. Last thing I want to do is offend anyone when I am attempting to buy something from them.
Today I was tempted to buy two paintings. They too are French street scenes and they were painted in Korea. They look very nice at least they do to my eye. The salesman who is Korean himself is asking $140 each, without a frame or $250 each with the frame. Included is delivery and hanging them on the walls of my living room.
I am tempted to ask my friend and his wife to go with me to look at the paintings but they are busy and my friend might laugh!
There must be away I can obtain oil paintings without spending a fortune on them. Any ideas?