Who hasn't felt a twinge of envy upon seeing a beautifully furnished home with an equally well-curated ‘gallery wall’ of artworks that ripple seamlessly through rooms on a wave of warmth and soul? Creating an art collection is a form of psychology that reflects much about a household, says independent gallerist Katherine Kittoe of Kittoe Contemporary: ‘These artworks are not just decorative objects, but things that are going to bring joy to your life over many years. Pictures are the backdrop to family life, with meaning and interest gathering as your taste evolves.’
So, an art collection tells a personal story, but how to begin that narrative? ‘A wonderful thing for budding collectors to do is to go to as many exhibitions as possible to be amongst paintings, prints and drawings; to become engrossed in it and refine your taste,’ says Caroline Lay of Lay's Auctioneers in Penzance. ‘View auctions, too, even if they are completely out of your budget, to familiarise yourself with what's selling for what price.’ For Hugo Barclay, director of the twiceyearly Affordable Art Fair in London, fairs are the place to begin your adventure.
