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| Isn't it Lovely? A bargain? An Original? |
I keep seeing the ads on TV: Get sofa-sized original oil paintings for only $whatever dollars. As if the garish, tacky, poorly done style is not enough to scare away a true art enthusiast, everyone should know where these paintings come from. I found some nice resources I can point you to, but I will first summarize. Many of these paintings are simply not really paintings at all, but prints that are made to look like real paintings. Even worse, the "real" paintings are usually completed on an assembly line by sweatshop workers paid very little, producing hundreds upon hundreds of look-alike paintings. Are these "original" works of art?
Before you (or anyone) proceeds to consider purchasing one of these "bargains," ask yourself, "Wouldn't I rather own a painting created by a real person, someone I can actually meet, talk to, and follow the work of?" In the "Buy Local" movement, don't neglect to include art and design among the areas we want to keep at home. We have lost so many of our jobs overseas in many industries, and it is usually NOT because we do not have the workers or materials to produce these items locally.
Never is that statement more true than with art. We have talented, eager artists, artisans, and craftspeople all around our communities. Look around. Their work is available. And it is sometimes very affordable. You CAN own original art and you don't need to look overseas to do it.
Here are a couple of links where you can learn more about the "bargain" art you can buy in hotel conference centers:
If you want a bargain, you can discover my whimsical artwork for FREE at My Website, which includes free online art greeting cards, my image gallery, pages for my cards and prints, and even interactive online jigsaw puzzles.
---Scott
http://scottplaster.com
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