If you have looked at any of my previous posts you will see that my husband & I have a large collection of artwork in our home. I wanted to share my thoughts on how this was achieved & where you can start looking for art for your own space.
I have found that I have always connected with creative people. If you have a friend, neighbour or co-worker who enjoys photography & takes a pretty good photo ask to see more of their work. They may take some great shots that they would most likely be humbled to share with you if you just asked nicely. A friend of our's, who we met while seated together at a wedding reception, is a lady with many talents. She is a talented musician and a hobby of hers is photography. I asked her for a few images & she emailed them to me. She was also willing to change the size of the jpeg if needed as we enlarged one photo to 4'x 4'.
I love to check out yard sales as well. Old postcards, photographs, maps, stamps, the collections people have are endless. If you like it, buy it & then figure out how it can be best displayed in your home.
If you have children they most likely have a favourite toy or love to collect things. Legos, action figures & stuffed animals have the potential to make some interesting & affordable art for kids rooms. Or if you are a grown-up who adores Star Wars, keep the art for your office or television room.
Of course I would love it if you purchased artwork from small businesses like mine but, reality is that it can get expensive if you are trying to start a collection or fill multiple walls in your space. My rule is that if you can afford it & love it, buy it! You will find a space for it even if you are unsure where you will put it at the time of the purchase. Nowadays, anyone can take a half-decent photo with the use of a cell phone & add a filter on it to make it look unique. Have fun experimenting, you may capture an image that you want to display in your home.