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| Our Saturday Evening (November 1st) Concert at St. James Anglican Church in Gravenhurst will feature country singer Zachary Lucky. Tickets available at Currie's Music on Muskoka Road. |
GRAVENHURST MUNICIPAL ELECTION - A FEW WORDS TO START US ON OUR NEXT FOUR YEAR JAG, WITH FOLKS WE HOPE WILL PROVIDE LEADERSHIP
I DON'T PLAN ON OFFERING READERS, RESULTS FROM TONIGHT'S MUNICIPAL ELECTION WRAP-UP. THERE ARE NUMEROUS MEDIA SITES THAT ARE BETTER TO CONSULT FOR ELECTION RESULTS, THAT ME TRYING TO POOL IT TOGETHER, AND POTENTIALLY FUMBLING THE BALL, SO TO SPEAK; POSSIBLY MAKING A TYPO AND AWARDING THE MAYORAL RACE TO THE LOSING CANDIDATE INSTEAD.
THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN WAS DISAPPOINTING. A LOT OF FOLKS I'VE TALKED TO, IN THE PAST MONTH, HAVE ROUGHLY THE SAME OPINION. THERE WAS A VOID, A HOLLOW, A VACANCY OF ENTHUSIASM, WHERE AN ELECTION CAMPAIGN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE UNDERWAY. BUT THE CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE HAVE TO LIVE WITH THEIR PERFORMANCES, AND IF THEY DIDN'T WORK HARD ENOUGH, - WELL, THAT'S SORT OF WHAT SUCKS. THEY STILL MIGHT WIN. BUT WHAT THE ELECTION WAS MISSING IN ACTUALLY "ELECTIONEERING," CAN BE MADE UP, BY ENTHUSIASM SHOWN FOR THEIR COUNCIL POSITIONS. WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT, TO SEE COUNCILLORS VISITING MAIN STREET BUSINESSES, AND ATTENDING COMMUNITY EVENTS ON THEIR DIME, INSTEAD OF OURS, AND WORKING TO BRING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER, VERSUS DIVIDING IT WITH MISPLACED POLITICS. ALTHOUGH THEY DIDN'T SHOW A GREAT DEAL OF ENERGY RUNNING FOR THIS TOP JOBS IN OUR HOMETOWN, HOPEFULLY IT ISN'T WHAT WE CAN EXPECT OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. HERE'S A CHANCE NOW, TO PROVE THAT A LUKE WARM ELECTION CAMPAIGN, CAN ALSO HERALD A HELL OF A FIRST YEAR OF LEADERSHIP; WHEN CONSTITUENTS WILL LOOK AT ONE ANOTHER, WHILE TALKING ABOUT THE WORK OF LOCAL COUNCIL THUS FAR, AND NOT WINCE, OR MAKE A GAGGING SOUND. OR, INCITING ANGER, BECAUSE THERE'S BEN A LOT OF THIS FLOATING AROUND. IN MANY WAYS, THE ANGER WITH COUNCIL, HAS SHOWN UP IN THE PREVAILING ATTITUDE, "ONE IS AS GOOD AS THE OTHER." THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR REGARDING AN ELECTION IN THIS COUNTRY, WHETHER ON THE FEDERAL, PROVINCIAL, OR MUNICIPAL LEVEL. WE'RE BLOODY LUCK TO LIVE IN A COUNTRY WHERE THIS PRIVILEGE IS GUARANTEED. BUT THERE IS A PROTEST REALITY TO THE 2014 VOTE. IF YOU STUDY MUNICIPAL POLITICS LIKE I DO, YOU'LL BE REMINDED OF THIS GROWING DISCONTENT IN THE VOTES THAT WERE CAST. I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF LESSONS TO BE LEARNED, BASED ON THIS YEAR'S ELECTION. BUT MOST OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE POST-ELECTION REALITIES. THIS IS GOING TO BE A TOUGH FOUR YEAR HAUL, AND WEAK COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE GOING TO PUT THROUGH THE RINGER, ESPECIALLY IF THE PROVINCE FINALLY DECIDES TO POUND IN A FOR SALE SIGN, TO SELL THE FORMER MUSKOKA CENTRE. THE ONGOING HOSPITAL DEBATE SHOULD BE FRONT AND CENTRE, AS WELL AS GETTING THE ACCURATE NEWS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF GRAVENHURST HIGH SCHOOL. WHAT ARE THE ENROLLMENT NUMBERS THAT PUT THE SCHOOL AT RISK OF BEING CLOSED? IT WOULD BE GREAT IF COUNCIL WAS PRO-ACTIVE ENOUGH, TO STAY ON TOP OF THIS ISSUE, BEFORE WE FIND OUT IN THE LOCAL MEDIA, THE SCHOOL MAY NOT SURVIVE THE COUNCIL TERM. THERE ARE DOZENS OF PRECARIOUS SCENARIOS THAT COULD PLAY OUT, THAT WOULD FORCE TOWN COUNCIL TO UP THEIR GAME, FROM YEARS OF STATUS QUO OPERATION.
WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO GIVE THESE NEWLY ELECTED COUNCILLORS THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT. WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? WE HOPE THEY WILL REMEMBER CONSTITUENT RIGHTS, AFTER THEY TAKE THEIR OATH OF OFFICE, LATER THIS AUTUMN. I WOULD HOPE, THAT THE WHOLE ISSUE OF TRANSPARENCY, AND LACK THEREOF, WOULD BE ADDRESSED, AS WAS PROMISED IN PRE-ELECTION STATEMENTS MADE BY COUNCIL HOPEFULS. TALK IS CHEAP AS THEY SAY. QUITE A FEW CONSTITUENTS TODAY, HAVE LEARNED TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST TOWN HALL, BY ORGANIZING SMALL ACTION GROUPS, TO PETITION FOR THE CHANGES THEY FEEL ARE REQUIRED IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. I THINK THIS WILL WORK WELL IN THE FUTURE. COUNCIL SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON IN THEIR TOWN; NOT RELYING ON WHAT OTHERS EMPLOYED BY THE TOWN ARE TELLING THEM IS GOING ON. I'VE HAD THIS ARGUMENT WITH COUNCILLORS PREVIOUSLY, AND I'LL MAKE IT ONE MORE TIME. I CAN NOT ACCEPT ANY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE WHO ADMITS TO ME, THEY ARENT'T PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE TOWN. DAM-IT, THAT'S THEIR JOB, TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE MUNICIPALITY THEY REPRESENT, WHICH BY THE WAY STRETCHES EACH AND EVERY DAY FOR THE ENTIRE FOUR YEARS. IT'S NOT A PART TIME JOB. IT'S A TASK ACCEPTED UNDER THE OATH OF OFFICE, AND AT THE WILL OF THE ELECTORATE, SO WE, THE CONSTITUENTS OF THIS TOWN, EXPECT OUR CONCIL WILL BE ON DUTY WHEN WE NEED THEM; NOT JUST AT THEIR CONVENIENCE. DISASTERS DON'T OCCUR ON A SCHEDULE. TERRORISM DOESN'T ONLY OCCUR IN BIG CITIES. WE ARE, AS I NOTED PREVIOUSLY, IN NEED OF LEADERSHIP BEYOND WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST TWO TERMS OF OFFICE. THIS IS THE CHALLENGE. TO BE BETTER THAN IN THE PAST, BECAUSE THIS IS A CHANGING WORLD. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT A WEEK AGO, THAT A CANADIAN ARMED FORCES SOLDIER, STANDING SENTRY, AT THE NATIONAL WAR MUSEUM, WOULD BE SHOT TO DEATH IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, AMIDST CITY TRAFFIC, BY A HOMEGROWN TERRORIST. YES, THESE ARE DIFFERENT TIMES, AND IT'S FAULTY LOGIC TO THINK THAT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IS JUST A NECESSITY FOR CITY COUNCILS.
I WISH THE NEW AND RETURNING COUNCILLORS THE BEST OF LUCK. THEY'RE GOING TO NEED IT!
LOOKING FOR ART IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES - I LIKE THIS PAINTING
LATE 1800'S, VICTORIAN ERA, FEEL-GOOD ART WORK, FOR MANTLE, PUB WALL, OR ABOVE THE VICTORIAN SIDEBOARD
ART IN ALL ITS FORMS, FROM PAINTING TO SCULPTURES, ABSTRACT TO FOLK ART, IS HUGELY DIFFICULT FOR GENERAL DEALERS IN ANTIQUES TO RESEARCH AND EVALUATE. MOST ARE NOT TRAINED IN ART IDENTIFICATION, AND PROBABLY NEVER TOOK AN ART HISTORY COURSE IN HIGH SCHOOL OR UNIVERSITY. I DIDN'T EITHER, BUT I STARTED BUYING ART THE DAY AFTER I FINISHED UNIVERSITY, IN THE SPRING OF 1977. I HAD ENOUGH MONEY TO INVEST IN THREE MODEST PIECES OF ART, I PURCHASED FROM A GALLERY IN MUSKOKA, AND WITH THE BALANCE, I TOOK A THREE DAY TRIP TO OTTAWA, AND ATE REAL WELL; AND SEEING THE SITES CAME SECOND. TWO WEEKS AGO, SUZANNE TOLD ME, AFTER BALANCING THE DAY'S ACCOUNTS AT OUR ANTIQUE SHOP, THAT TWO OF THOSE THREE INVESTMENT PAINTINGS HAD SOLD THAT AFTERNOON. THE THIRD ONE SOLD TWO YEARS AGO. AS A FLEDGLING ART INVESTOR, CONSIDERING THE TIME ELAPSED FROM 1977 TO THE PRESENT, THERE'S NO CANDY-COATING IT; I FAILED TO MAKE A DECENT PROFIT. BUT, FOR MOST OF TWENTY FIVE YEARS, YOU SEE, MY PARENTS, MERLE AND ED, HAD THESE SAME PAINTINGS HANGING IN THE LIVINGROOM OF THEIR BRACEBRIDGE APARTMENT, AND THAT MADE ME FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE CHOICES I HAD MADE, PRETTY MUCH AS A KID IMAGINING THE POTENTIAL YET TO COME. THE THIRD PAINTING, A SMALL, DARK LANDSCAPE, DONE BY A CONTEMPORARY ARTIST, SOLD FOR EXACTLY WHAT I HAD PAID FOR IT, IN 1979, AND THE PAIR OF BRIGHT LAKELAND SCENES, HAD EARNED US A SMALL TEN PERCENT PROFIT. CERTAINLY NOT AN ART INVESTMENT TO CROW ABOUT, YET IT WAS A STARTING POINT.
I'VE PUSHED MYSELF TO LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ABOUT ALL TYPES OF ART, AND HOW TO IDENTIFY PIECES FOR SALE, OUT AND AROUND, THAT WILL EARN A BETTER MARGIN OF PROFIT. WE SELL A FAIR AMOUNT OF ART EACH YEAR, AND IF I WAS LOSING MONEY, THE ACCOUNTANT, MY WIFE, WOULDN'T HAVE ANY HESITATION REMINDING ME ABOUT THE GOOD BUSINESS MOTTO, PROFESSING THE VIRTUES OF NOT OPERATING "IN THE RED." MEANING DEBT OF COURSE, OR IN HER MIND, LOSING MONEY ON A PURCHASE, THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SAFE INVESTMENT. I CAN'T REMEMBER LOSING MONEY ON ART IN THE CONTEMPORARY SENSE, CERTAINLY IN THE PAST TEN YEARS, WHEN I'VE BECOME MUCH MORE BUSINESS-LIKE, AS A RETAILER, VERSUS, AS A LONG TERM INVESTOR WITH DECADES TO SIT TIGHT. A RETAILER HAS TO GET TURN-OVER OF INVENTORY, WHICH NEGATES HANGING ONTO THE ART PIECES FOR A QUARTER CENTURY, LIKE I USED TO, IN ORDER TO GET A VALUE INCREASE. I'VE GOT ONE FOOT ON A BANANA PEEL MY FRIENDS TELL ME, BECAUSE OF ALL THE DRINKING MATES I'VE LOST IN THE PAST FEW YEARS; AND MY LOST I MEAN HAVING LEFT THIS MORTAL COIL. I NEED TO THINK SHORTER-TERM I SUPPOSE, ALTHOUGH I'M A FINE SPECIMEN AT PRESENT. I COULD GET HIT IN THE HEAT WITH A PIECE OF FALLING ART, YOU KNOW, AND WOULDN'T THAT BE A FITTING EXIT?
IF THERE IS PROVENANCE ATTACHED, TO AN ART PIECE, WHATEVER IT REPRESENTS AS A OUTPUT OF CREATIVE ENTERPRISE, AND YOU KNOW WHO OWNED THE ART-WORK PREVIOUSLY, YOU WILL HAVE A MINOR CHANCE OF FINDING OUT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, BY SIMPLY EXECUTING AN ON-LINE SEARCH. THE PAINTING ABOVE, IS ONE OF THOSE HORNS OF THE DILEMMA, AS FAR AS RESEARCH AND IDENTIFICATION GOES. THE MID TO LATE 1800'S, VICTORIAN PAINTING, (PICTURED ABOVE), PROFILING A GENTLE, SENTIMENTAL, ROMANTIC WATERSCAPE, FULL OF RECREATION, WITH FIVE ROWBOATS, THREE SAILBOATS, (TOP RIGHT) TWO WATCHERS FROM THE SHORE, FAR LEFT, AND THE INTERESTING CABINS ON THE UPPER LEFT SIDE, IS IDENTIFIED ONLY BY THE FACT THERE IS A REFERENCE TO "RELIANCE MOULDING COMPANY, TORONTO," PRINTED ONTO A LABEL PASTED TO THE FRAME. THERE IS NO SIGNATURE, NO IDENTIFYING INITIALS, A PENNED-IN LOCATION, WHERE THE ARTIST GOT THE INSPIRATION FOR THE PAINTING, OR EVEN A DATE IN WHICH IT WAS CREATED. THERE WERE TWO MINOR REPAIRS MADE, WITH CANVAS RE-ENFORCEMENT, AND PAINT-OVERS THAT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN CRAFTED BY SOMEONE WITH ARTISTIC EXPERIENCE. POSSIBLY EVEN THE ARTIST, IN LATER LIFE, WHO HAD PAINTED THE SCENE. IT IS A WELL EXECUTED ART PIECE, AND DESPITE THE SHRINKAGE AND CRACKING OF THE PAINT, THE AGING OF THE COLORS IS RICH AND HISTORIC; REMINDING ME THAT IT SHOULD BE HUNG OVER A FIREPLACE IN A RUSTIC COTTAGE, SURROUNDED BY PINE AND GIVEN LOTS OF ILLUMINATION; THE LIGHT OF DAY (BUT NOT DIRECT SUN) SHOWS IT OFF BEAUTIFULLY, AND SOFT ELECTRIC LIGHT WILL DO ITS HERITAGE PATINA JUSTICE, IN THE EVENING HOURS.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT MOST, IS THAT IT TELLS A STORY. IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT FOR YOU, STARING UP AT IT, FROM THE COMFORT OF A FIRESIDE CHAIR, THAN WHAT I GARNER FROM THE SCENE UNFOLDING IN FRONT OF ME. THAT'S THE MAGIC OF ART. I LOVE ART GENERALLY, BUT I ESPECIALLY ENJOY ART PIECES THAT KEEP ME ENTERTAINED AND PERPETUALLY INSPIRED. WRITING AS MUCH AS I DO, EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR, I COUNT ON PAINTINGS LIKE THE ONE ABOVE, TO REMIND ME OF THE TRULY BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN LIFE AND OUR PAST. DEPENDING ON WHAT TIME OF DAY I LOOK AT THE CANVAS, AND HOW I'M FEELING AT THE TIME, THE STORY CHANGES A LITTLE BIT EACH HOUR. I THINK A NOVELIST COULD WRITE A BOOK BASED ON A PAINTING LIKE THIS, ALTHOUGH IT WOULD HAVE TO BE HISTORICAL IN CONTENT.
WE PURCHASED THE PAINTING IN THE ORILLIA AREA, AND THE INFORMATION WITH THE PAINTING, PROVIDED BY THE VENDOR, INDICATED IT WAS LIKELY A LOCAL PAINTING. I WOULD LOVE IT TO BE CANADIAN, AND MOST CERTAINLY, TO FIND OUT IT WAS A DEPICTION OF THE WATERSCAPE OF ALGONQUIN, HALIBURTON, OR EVEN MUSKOKA, WOULD BE FABULOUS. THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL HILLSIDES ON THE HORIZON, WHICH PRETTY MUCH REMOVES MUSKOKA FROM CONTENTION. THERE IS A GENTLEMAN STANDING WITH A LADY, ON THE SHORE, AT THE BOTTOM LEFT, WEARING A STRANGE HAT, THAT REMINDS ME OF ANOTHER VICTORIAN ERA PAINTING I OWN, DEPICTING THE SCENERY OF LAKE WINDERMERE, IN THE LAKE DISTRICT OF ENGLAND. I SUSPECT, THE ORIGINAL FRAME MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED AT SOME POINT, AND REFRAMED, MAKING THE PAINTING MUCH OLDER THAN THE EXTERIOR WOOD TRIM. THE STRETCHERS AND THE WEDGES USED TO FIRM-UP THE CORNERS, SEEM TO INDICATE THE PAINTING IS INDEED MANY YEARS OLDER THAN THE DECORATIVE FRAMING, BUT THEN AGAIN, I HAVE NO EVIDENCE THERE WAS A PREVIOUS FRAME. THERE ARE THUMB PRINTS LEFT BY THE ARTIST ON THE STRETCHER BOARDS HOLDING THE CANVAS, AND THIS COULD BE IMPORTANT DOWN THE ROAD, TRYING TO IDENTIFY THE PAINTER.
WITHOUT PROVENANCE, SIGNATURE OR INITIALS, IT CAN BE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY THE ARTIST OF A PIECE LIKE THIS; UNLESS YOU HAVE SUSPICIONS AND CAN FOLLOW-UP WITH REFERENCE MATERIAL, IN BOOKS AND ONLINE. MAKING COMPARISONS TO OTHER PAINTINGS, LOOKING FOR SIMILARITIES OF STYLE, COLORATIONS, AND BRUSH STROKES. IT IS ARGUABLY MUCH MORE EFFICIENT THESE DAYS, TO SEARCH ONLINE, AND WE HAVE A SUCCESS RATE OF THIRTY PECENT NOW IN INFORMATION GATHERING; MEANING, THAT OUT OF TEN PAINTINGS, WITH VERY LITTLE INFORMATION TO CONDUCT ANY RESEARCH AT ALL, WE ARE SUCCESSFUL IN PINPOINTING THE PAINTER FOR THREE OF THEM. NOT A GREAT AVERAGE IF YOU'RE A BASEBALL SLUGGER, OR A HOCKEY CENTRE, BUT FOR US, WORKING WITH VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF PROVENANCE, IT'S A PRETTY GOOD STAT.
WHAT ABOUT CONSULTING AN ART EXPERT? OF COURSE. BUT THEY GENERALLY GET PAID TO CONSULT. OR THEY WILL ASK FOR FIRST REFUSAL; MEANING THEY COULD EVALUATE THE SUBJECT PIECE, BUT WILL WANT THE RIGHT TO PRESENT AN OFFER BEFORE IT IS SOLD OTHERWISE. THERE ARE HIGHLY QUALIFIED ART EXPERTS OUT THERE, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, EVEN FOR SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF, BUYING ART ITEMS REGULARLY, THERE ARE ONLY A FEW TIMES EVERY YEAR, WHEN I FEEL THE NEED TO CONSULT AN AUCTION HOUSE. THE ART WORKS WE LOOK FOR, ARE WHAT WE CONSIDER "SLEEPERS," MEANING THEY ARE QUALITY PIECES, BUT UNDER-RESEARCHED, AND UNDER-APPRECIATED FOR THEIR HISTORIC VALUE. THUS, IN MOST CASES, THEY ARE PRICED LOW ENOUGH AT ANTIQUE SHOPS, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR US TO MAKE THE PURCHASE, AND THEN INVEST THE SWEAT EQUITY (RESEARCH WORK), TO PROPERLY IDENTIFY THE PAINTING. FOR EXAMPLE, FINDING OUT WHERE IT WAS PAINTED, AT AROUND WHAT DATE, AND WHO MAY HAVE PREVIOUSLY OWNED THE WORK. IN MOST CASES, WITHOUT HAVING TO PAY FOR AN ART CONSULTATION, WE CAN GET AN APPROXIMATE VALUATION, BY CHECKING OUT PREVIOUS AUCTION RECORDS ONLINE, AND IN SOME OTHER CASES, IN OLD ART AUCTION CATALOGUES. THIS OF COURSE, DEPENDS ON IF THE ARTIST RESPONSIBLE, IS ACTIVELY "TRADED," MEANING, THE ART THEY CREATE IS WORTHY OF AUCTION INCLUSION IN THE FIRST PLACE. I HAVE ONLY OWNED A FEW PAINTINGS IN MY LIFE, THAT WERE WORTHY OF SENDING TO AN AUCTION HOUSE, BUT I KNEW ENOUGH ABOUT THE EVALUATION, TO SELL THEM PRIVATELY.
WE HAVE FOUND QUITE A FEW "SLEEPERS," OUT THERE, THAT NEVER MADE US THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, BUT HAVE MADE US ACCEPTABLE PROFITS, IN ORDER TO STAY IN BUSINESS. OBVIOUSLY, IT DEPENDS ON THE ASKING PRICE, AND OF COURSE, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, IF WE HAPPEN TO FIND THAT A SKETCH WE ARE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING, AT A FLEA MARKET, IS ACTUALLY A WOOD PANEL OIL, PAINTED BY CANADIAN LANDSCAPE ARTIST, TOM THOMSON. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SIGNED BY THOMSON TO BE IDENTIFIED AS ONE OF HIS ORIGINALS. THOMSON GAVE AWAY MANY SMALL SKETCHES HE DID IN ALGONQUIN, UNSIGNED, AND SOME OF THESE WERE SMALL SCALE STUDIES OF WHAT BECAME LARGER PAINTINGS, DONE OVER THE WINTER MONTHS, IN HIS LITTLE CABIN ON PROPERTY OWNED BY LAWREN HARRIS, FUTURE GROUP OF SEVEN ARTIST, IN TORONTO. SO IT'S ALWAYS POSSIBLE, THAT ONE OR MORE OF THE SKETCHES HE GAVE AWAY TO ADMIRERS, BACK IN HIS ALGONQUIN YEARS, EARLIER IN THE 1900'S, MIGHT GET THROWN INTO THE GENERAL MIX OF ESTATE ITEMS, OR A GENERAL ESTATE (FARM) AUCTION, WHERE REGIONAL ANTIQUE DEALERS CONGREGATE TO BUY THEIR INVENTORY. IF YOU KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT ART, AND CANADIAN ART SPECIFICALLY, YOU PAY ATTENTION TO PANELS SHOWING GROUP OF SEVEN INFLUENCE, SIGNED OR NOT. IF THE LEVEL OF COMPETENCE IS HIGH, AND YOU CAN TELL THIS, BY STUDYING THE PAINT APPLICATION, AND VISIBLE BRUSH STROKES, BALANCE AND OVERALL EXPRESSION, IT'S NOT ENTIRELY UNWISE TO MAKE A SMALL GAMBLE, BY MAKING THE PURCHASE. WITH A GOOD WORK OF ART, YOU CAN AT THE VERY LEAST, GET YOUR MONEY BACK; IF OF COURSE, IT CAN'T, BY ESTABLISHED PROVENANCE, BE HUNG OFF THE BRUSH OF A WELL KNOWN ARTIST. IT TAKES YEARS TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTES INVESTMENT ART, AND WHAT WILL REMAIN IN THEIR OWN PERPETUITY, NEAT, FUN AND INTERESTING PIECES; THAT ALTHOUGH SALABLE FOR GREATLY REDUCED PRICES, IN YOUR RETAIL SHOP, OR AT AN ANTIQUE MALL BOOTH, WILL SATISFY THE INTERESTS OF HOME DECORATORS IF NO ONE ELSE.
AS I'VE WRITTEN ABOUT PREVIOUSLY, THE LEARNING CURVE IS A LIFELONG ONE IN OUR BUSINESS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE A GENERAL DEALER, WHO HAS TO BE GOOD IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS, IN ORDER TO KEEP THE SHOP DOORS OPEN.
THERE ARE PAINTINGS THAT HAVE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE BEYOND BEING PRETTY; THE KIND OF THOUGHT PROVOKING PICTURES OR SCULPTURES, THAT YOU JUST LIKE LOOKING AT, FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT OF EYE AND MIND. CANADIAN MARITIME FOLK ARTIST, MAUD LEWIS, IS A CASE IN POINT. HER WORK IS NAIVE, COLORFUL, A LITTLE PRIMITIVE LOOKING, BUT CARRYING A BIG ART VALUE. FINDING AN ORIGINAL MAUD LEWIS ART PANEL, FOR A COUPLE HUNDRED BUCKS AT AN ANTIQUE SHOP, REQUIRES THAT YOU PERFORM WITH GLEE, A LITTLE HOP, SKIP AND JUMP, ONCE OUT THE DOOR, AND POSSIBLY A LITTLE JIG TO AN IMAGINARY FIDDLE; LIKE THE ONE MAUD UNDOUBTEDLY HEARD IN HER NEIGHBORHOOD MANY YEARS BACK. IT MIGHT NOT LOOK SEEM AT FIRST GLANCE, A GREAT WORK OF ART, BUT LIKE THE AMERICAN FOLK ARTIST, GRANDMA MOSES, THERE'S A HUGE CULTURAL RELEVANCE WITHIN EACH PAINTING, THAT RUN INTO THE HEAVY, HEAVY THOUSANDS, IF YOU WISH TO PURCHASE ONE THROUGH A PUBLIC ART AUCTION. SEEING AS MY APPETITE FOR ART, SURPASSES WHAT MONEY I HAVE IN MY WALLET, I HAVE NEVER HAD THE OPTION OF BUYING THROUGH AUCTION HOUSES. I DON'T MIND FINDING ART BY SCROUNGING, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN DOING IT ALL MY LIFE. I'VE BEEN ACTIVELY HUNTING ART FOR THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THIS ANTIQUE PROFESSION, AND I'VE UNCOVERED SOME WONDERFULLY HISTORIC PIECES TO ENJOY, BEFORE, THAT IS, HAVING TO SELL THEM OFF AGAIN, IN ORDER TO STAY IN BUSINESS. THE HISTORIC PIECES CAN INCLUDE BATTLE SCENES, FROM WAR-FRONTS, BATTLES BETWEEN SHIPS IN THE GREAT BATTLES ON THE SEA, THROUGH THE AGES, AND PROFILES OF RECOGNIZABLE HERITAGE SITES, SUCH AS MILITARY FORTS, CATHEDRALS, HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT, PIONEER HOMESTEADS, AND UNUSUAL ARCHITECTURE PROFILED ON CANVAS OR BOARD, BY COMPETENT ARTISTS. THERE ARE OF COURSE, THOSE PAINTINGS THAT HAVE BEEN COPIED FROM THE WORK OF MASTERS, THAT ARE IN MOST CASES, WORTHLESS AS FAR AS INVESTMENT ART; BUT MIGHT MAKE YOU A FEW BUCKS IN AN ANTIQUE OR COLLECTABLE SHOP, BUT NOT MUCH MORE. IF IT LOOKS LIKE A FAMOUS PAINTING YOU'VE SEEN SOMEWHERE ELSE, BEST LEAVE IT ALONE; UNLESS YOU CAN RESEARCH IT ON-THE-SPOT, VIA THE INTERNET, BEFORE SPENDING A DIME ON ITS PURCHASE.
CAMERA-PHONES FOR ANTIQUE AND ART COLLECTOR / DEALERS TODAY, HAVE BECOME, IN ONLY A SHORT TIME, INDISPENSABLE. WE CAN TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF SUBJECT ART WORK AND ANTIQUES, SOME WE SEND IMMEDIATELY TO OUR CLIENTS, WHO HAVE SHOWN INTEREST IN SUCH PIECES, IN THE PAST; AND GET APPROVAL TO MAKE THE PURCHASE WITHIN MINUTES. WE CAN ALSO SEND IMAGES TO OUR ART EXPERT FRIENDS, FOR SOME QUICK ADVICE ON WHETHER TO BUY THE PAINTING, OR SCULPTURE, OR JUST WALK AWAY; OR WE CAN LOOK UP THE ARTISTS NAMED ON THE PIECE(S), FOR QUICK BIOGRAPHIES, IF THEY IN FACT EXIST. WE CAN ALSO GET A PRETTY GOOD IDEA THE PRICES RANGES OF TRADED WORK, SO WITHIN MINUTES, WE KNOW HOW MUCH THE ART PIECE IS WORTH. SON ROB AND I ARE RESEARCHING, AT PRESENT, (ON HIS PHONE) AN ITALIAN ARTIST NOW, RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME INTERESTING BUT GROTESQUE POSTER CREATION, WE SPOTTED IN A REGIONAL SHOP. WE ALREADY REFUTED SOME OF THE INFORMATION NOTED BY THE VENDOR, AND WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE WORK WAS CREATED; AND YES IT WAS A PLACE OF MANY HORRORS OVER THE PAST CENTURY, DURING WORLD WAR. WE HAVEN'T FOUND THE ARTIST YET BUT WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN OUR RESEARCH. THIS IS HALF THE FUN OF CHASING ART ON THE CHEAP. MAYBE WE'LL BUY THE ART WORK, BUT THEN AGAIN, MAYBE WE'LL FIND THAT ELUSIVE TOM THOMSON INSTEAD.
THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE OF ART SCROUNGING, IS THAT YOU NEVER FAIL TO PERFORM THE REQUIRED DUE-DILIGENCE. DON'T SHORTCHANGE THE REQUIREMENT FOR IN-DEPTH RESEARCH, ESPECIALLY IF YOU PLAN ON SPENDING CONSIDERABLE MONEY, TO MAKE THE PURCHASE. I ONLY EXCEED A HUNDRED BUCKS PER ART PIECE, FIVE PERCENT OF THE TIME. I NEVER PURCHASE ANYTHING, INCLUDING GENERAL ANTIQUITIES, WITHOUT A GUARANTEE OF A ONE HUNDRED PERCENT PROFIT. NOT A DREAMED-ABOUT PROFIT, BUT ONE THAT IN THE PRESENT MARKET-PLACE, WHAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE FOR WHAT IS BEING OFFERED. FOR THAT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT MARK-UP, A BUYER WILL GET THE BENEFIT OF OUR RESEARCH, AND INSIGHTS, WHICH FOR SOME PIECES CAN BE EXTENSIVE.
THERE ARE NO ACCEPTABLE SHORTCUTS IN THE ANTIQUE TRADE, IF THAT IS, YOU WANT TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL, LONG TERM, PROFITABLE BUSINESS. IF YOU JUST LIKE COLLECTING ART, AND WANT EVERY SQUARE INCH OF YOUR HOUSE, CONDO, APARTMENT, COTTAGE OR BUSINESS COVERED IN INTERESTING ART PIECES, YOU STILL HAVE TO RESEARCH THE ITEMS YOU WISH TO PURCHASE, NEW OR VINTAGE, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY POSSESS THE QUALITY, AND MARKET FAVOR, TO GUARANTEE, AT THE VERY LEAST, YOU WON'T LOSE MONEY WHEN YOU GO TO SELL THEM. IT STILL, AS A BOTTOM LINE, COMES DOWN TO LIKING WHAT YOU HAVE ON YOUR WALLS. LIVING WITH GOOD ART THAT YOU DON'T LIKE? SELL IT OFF AND BUY GOOD ART THAT YOU DO LIKE.
SEE YOU AGAIN SOON.
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