Buying art and prints for gifts and presents

Buying original contemporary Irish art, paintings or Limited Edition Prints as a gift or present for someone else can be difficult. However, if you can choose the right piece of Irish art the recipient will get years of pleasure and appreciation from your art gift. At Red Rag art gallery we are always happy to give advice on Irish art present and limited edition prints buying but we hope you find this art article a helpful start point:

Buying the right contemporary art gift involves thinking about a number of factors, so before rushing out and buying art or paintings as a present or gift consider these basic questions:

What type of art gift or present?

It is important to select the right art present or gift for the right person. If you know the person and have seen art works in their home you should know the style of art or art prints they like. Think about the type of paintings and sculptures – impressionistic or realistic? Do they prefer some genres of paintings such as Landscape, Still Life, Portraits or Marine more than others? Also consider if they have predominance for particularly colours in paintings and art prints.

If you do not know the person well choosing art as a gift or a present is much more difficult. The personal style of the person may be very different to the art at their home. Unless the person is an enthusiastic art collector, the original art or Limited Edition Print present is going to need to fit in with their interior design and taste. So generally it is a good idea to talk with someone else who knows the recipient’s art interest well before selecting an art gift.

The overriding criteria is to know and choose an art present they will like. Even when you know art tastes well, finding exactly the right art gift can be incredibly difficult. The art market is large and diverse, so you need to limit your initial search to a manageable size.

How much do you want to spend on an Art Gift or present?

Naturally the greater your art budget the better the choice of present. Your budget will probably be the deciding factor in what art gift you choose. For example: if you are looking for minimal expenditure on an art gift then you should start looking at Red Rag’s Limited Edition Prints or Ceramic Sculptures. If your art budget is higher then Original Irish art and Bronze Sculptures would make a great art gifts. Remember always start by knowing how much you are prepared to spend on your art present.

Small art gift or large?

Once you have decided on the budget and style of art the next thing to consider is what size art piece should you buy as a gift. One good thing is that you do not have to buy the biggest and most expensive when it comes to art presents. People generally appreciate a smaller piece of original art as a gift that meets all of the previous requirements just as much as a large art work. The same is true of Limited Edition Prints. It is obvious that it is much easier to find a suitable space at home for a small art work than a large piece.

If you are buying for a specific space in the home of someone you must have the measurements. Contemporary paintings and sculptures can end up being stored rather than being on show simply because they do not fit in anywhere else. You must also think carefully about the room and how the painting and frame would look when buying an art gift or present.

TYPES of ART GIFTS and PRESENTS

Art Gifts can be used for a variety of occasions such Birthdays, Christmas, Retirements, Business and Leaving presents. Choose subjects of interest to the recipient. Here are some ideas:

• Anniversary Gifts and Presents ideas
• Favourite places – Architectural paintings
• Birthday Gifts and Presents
• Commission a Portrait painting
• Retirement and Leaving Gifts and Presents
• Sailing and boating– Marine paintings
• Walking and Gardening – Landscape paintings
• Food and Wine – Still Life painting
• Wedding Gifts and Presents ideas
• Favourite places – Architectural paintings

Remember you usually have the opportunity of finding out what the intended recipient appreciates in art. This can be done discreetly or directly, depending on how much of a surprise you want the gift of original art, Limited Edition Prints or Sculptures to be. It is better to check what they want, rather than buy the wrong present.

Finally if you find the above a little too much and want to be totally sure the recipient gets the right art gift then why not buy an Art Voucher from Red Rag Gallery. You simply decide how much you want to spend on your art present and we will provide an Art Gift Voucher which can be redeemed against payment for any of the Irish art, paintings, prints and sculptures on our websites or in the gallery. For further details of Art Voucher scheme contact the gallery