Buy Original Art
by Sharon Hudson
Oakland, San Francisco Bay Area, East Bay, northern California
You can buy original fine art from the ART GALLERY, including sensual and intriguing figures, still lifes, portraits, abstracts, and decorative pattern abstracts. This contemporary art comes in many media, including painting, drawing, pastel, graphite, colored pencil, collage, mixed media, and sculpture. Currently the gallery includes about 600 art works.
Owning original art is a great way to enhance your life. But if you don't have the money or space for more original art in your home, enjoy your favorite art with art prints or products!
How do I buy a work of art?
At present, simply contact me by e-mail, and I will respond by e-mail or phone. Due to email scams, I don't generally enter into transactions without telephone contact following an initial email inquiry.
I have tried to provide the most accurate sense of the original art through my enlarged images and close-ups. Nonetheless, the computer screen adds a slick, poster-like look to the images that they necessarily lack in the flesh. These are, after all, expressive handmade objects and bear the traces thereof; you have to both expect and welcome irregularities in the originals.
My original art work is always much more dramatic, interesting, sensual, and impressive than the online reproduction. In addition, the compressed online images cannot capture the delightful, fine details of the original art, nor the lively variations created by metallics and other reflective media. Therefore, in spite of the uncertainties of buying art without personal contact with the artist or exposure to the original work, I am sure you will be very pleased with your purchase.
Once we have arranged for the purchase, my customers usually pay by check or money transfer. We can also use Paypal, which provides protection for both parties.
Testimonials
Hi Sharon,
Finally, I was able to hang your beautiful painting. My friend who came to help me said, "Wow, it is so beautiful." We talked about the details, color, theme and more. Your piece has lit up my room . . . Art pieces allow our living spaces to have their unique characteristics. Thank you so much for selling me this piece."
Sharon,
I received the art in the afternoon on Tuesday . . . and opened it and am terrifically pleased -- my co-workers in corporate communications are delighted as well! . . . I'm very happy with the art -- a beautiful piece, and will be treasured for a lifetime. The gold adds a terrific brilliance. Thank you again!
Dear Sharon,
We just received the painting and it's much more colorful and interesting than the digital image! We'll be framing it in the next few weeks, along with a few other pieces, and it will be displayed at our campus. Thank you for working with us.
Dear Sharon,
It's arrived, and it is absolutely gorgeous! I was expecting it to be wonderful, but it is a whole lot better than that. My wife pounced and said it is going up in the sitting room immediately – there is no greater compliment. Thanks so much.
Dear Sharon,
. . . We enjoyed meeting you and were very impressed and delighted with your art. We wish that we could have taken more home. . . . We have not yet framed [our female figure] and are living with her first before we commit to a framing scheme. She is beautiful in our red room, which highlights the colors and depth of the piece. We love it. . . .
Art Prices
Prices are based in large part on the time involved in creating the work of art. Therefore, some works cost much more than other works of the same size; for example, a quick figure study takes much less time than a detailed painting, and that is reflected in the price. However, pieces of similar size, media, and style are priced similarly. Prices are somewhat flexible, and time payments are possible, as is occasional bartering.
I sometimes do trades with other artists and photographers.
Alameda County/California sales tax is 10.25%. No sales tax is paid on works sold over the internet and shipped out of state.
If you pay for a work in any currency besides U.S. dollars, extra charges (loss on the exchange rate, wiring money, etc.) usually add up to about 3% of the total, to be paid by the purchaser.
Shipping of Art
Most works on paper, if unmounted, can be rolled and shipped in a shipping tube, or shipped flat, for a modest price.
For a mounted art work, the mounting has been done. The piece needs to be shipped flat. The shipping and handling charge will depend on the size.
A work on paper labelled "+mount" is one which is not presently mounted but will require mounting to look its best. This is almost always the case for mixed media works on paper. I usually do not mount my artwork until it is required. You should add $40 or so to the listed price for museum-grade mounting.
For a framed work on paper, the price of the picture frame is included. This is a custom frame designed by me; in some cases I will sell the work unframed for a lower price. A large framed work under glass may cost $200 to $250 to ship.
Most works on canvas, if framed, are in simple wooden edging. These works have no glass, so shipping should cost less than for a framed work on paper of equivalent size.
Framing of Original Art
When thinking of buying a work of original fine art, don't forget to take into account the additional expense of framing. A well-designed custom frame is always worthwhile and adds greatly to the work--but shop around for price! On the other hand, a bad framing job can make even the best artwork look cheap and tasteless. Most of the work for sale on this site is unframed. For medium to large pieces, allow at least $200 to $450 for framing under glass, depending on size, media, and design. For works on stretched canvas, framing could cost almost nothing to $200+, depending on how you do it. If you are in the San Francisco area, I can frame your work for you if you like. In any case, before buying your frame, don't forget to read my tips and information on framing and art conservation.
Online shopping
There are some potential practical problems with online shopping: shipping, returns, etc. I usually sell my work from my studio, so if you live nearby you can see my work in person and pick it up yourself, which is obviously the ideal situation. If you live outside the San Francisco Bay area, fortunately many of my pieces are on paper and can be rolled and shipped in a shipping tube at little cost; it will cost more to prepare works that cannot be rolled, although the price is modest for unglazed pieces. I will communicate by telephone with buyers of my work, and we will arrange things on an individual basis.
2022