Jacquie Severs

My second column for the Oshawa Express ran today. Funny what the topic is, because I just recently discovered my boss, the gallery CEO was one of the experts on the Canadian Antiques Roadshow. Despite quite a lot of time on the net searching (and the inadvertent download of at least one worm) I haven't been able to find her clips online. Hurry up and post them CBC! However, I did find this gem:




Here's the Article. They apparently did not like my colons or semicolons. Oh well.

Investigating original art
By Jacquie Severs

Setting the scene.
It’s Saturday morning around 8 a.m.

Curbside.

A yard sale is already in full swing and you’ve got your eyes on a piece of original art for the low price of $20.

Sound familiar? Now you face a decision.

Is purchasing the item a good investment?

Here’s the quick answer.

If you love it, and want it on your wall, it’s the best investment you’ll ever make.

Art, like antiques, can change in value based on desirability.

While it is fun to discover that the item you picked up for a steal is actually an original item that has commercial value, the joy of purchasing art work, be it second hand or directly from an artist, is the feeling you get when you look at it on your wall.

Original art is truly one of a kind.

If you want to purchase the yard sale find for any other reason other than liking it, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

Sure, we’ve all seen the televised antique shows with tall tales of attic finds and everyone has a ‘friend of a friend’ who found a Group of Seven original in their garage.

Let’s keep the dream alive and keep that in our minds as a possibility.

However, it’s much more likely that you’ve, at best, found a decent replica or study by a student. And if this is the case, you should be sure that you’ve purchased something you actually like, because in the scenario that the item isn’t genuine, you are still left with something you can live with.

With that said, there are numerous resources online and in libraries to help you research the art you’ve found.

The first step is to investigate the piece to see if you can find an artist’s name. Having the artist’s name can dig up many tidbits of information that will help you piece together its history.

Your next step is research.

Libraries offer computer commons for “googling” while another avenue is to make an appointment to visit your local art gallery’s archives.

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery has an extensive archive and library with information on Canadian and international artists, galleries and styles.

Most of all, enjoy the search for answers, and enjoy your purchase of original art.