Contemporary Art and Abstract Artist

Can a Painting Bought Direct From the Artist Make a Collection Easier to Pass Down?

Estate specialists on why collections are changing hands, what a collector should keep, and how a direct purchase gives the first record a clean start.

Roll Call V: Ten Voices on How a Collection Begins

UBS art advisers, a High Point designer, a collector-adviser and five writers on where a collection starts, and why one painting is enough.

Is It Wrong to Buy a Painting Directly From the Artist?

A young collector calls it 'not right.' What the worry rests on, when the studio is the honest choice, and what a direct purchase owes the artist.

Is One Large Painting Enough for a Hard Blank Wall?

How designers settle a tall or empty wall with one large painting: how big to go, what quiet it needs, and when to commission a canvas made for the wall.

Why Are Collectors Choosing Certainty Over the Auction Room?

Private sales are near a quarter of the big auction houses' business. What that says about buyers, and what certainty looks like in a studio.

What Does a Painting Cost After You Agree on the Price?

Shipping, framing, insurance, installation, tax: what follows a painting's price, what to ask before you commit, and how a studio can quote it all.

How Long Should You Wait Before Checking In on a Commission?

Last updated: September 29, 2026 In short: In a well-run commission you should not have to guess — the check-in points are set before any paint goes down. In my studio, deposit to delivery runs abo...

How Much of an Artist's Work Should You See Before You Trust It?

Last updated: September 29, 2026 In short: More than one painting, and usually more than one show. A single piece tells you whether you love it; a body of work tells you whether the painter behind ...

A Family of Studies: Is a Painting in a Series Still One of One?

Last updated: September 28, 2026 In short: Yes. A painting numbered within a family — "Study 2," "Painting 5" — is a separate original, made by hand, with no copy anywhere. The series shares a colo...

Roll Call IV: Ten Voices on Where Serious Painting Gets Made

Last updated: September 28, 2026 In short: Less than it used to. For most of the last century a painter who wanted to be taken seriously moved to New York, London or Paris; this October the directo...