@Manon Floreat Seems like my idea of "wildlife" is lost in translation when I search - here's one wearing glasses AND blowing bubbles!

^Oooooooh! I can't take it . . . what in the world??? Abby, I will have you know that you just challenged my breathing and swallowing functions with that one.

Yes, that is interpretation to the extreme. Hahahahaha!

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I just had an idea. Abby, what if you took an art class and made something for above your mantel? Even if you didn't mount it, it would certainly expand your artistic network. Heck, you'd even learn something in the process! (And probably meet some really interesting people.)

I took a watercolor class at a not-for-profit art center in my area and learned a great deal. (Watercolors are sooooo hard.) Anyway, I now get monthly newsletters about upcoming events and featured works. Something else to think about for your 2020 art adventures.

Ebay,Chairish,Juniper Print Shop, & etsy.

Saatchiart

Unsplash. It has many, many thousands of photographs that are copyright free. Yes, photographers of all kinds and level of talent and experience share their photographs. You just download high-resolution images you love--all free! Here is one I love:

Not a Pro.

Try Libraries, some have art you can borrow.

Borrowing art for a time, may give you a feeling for what you are looking for with out the purchase. You can keep borrowing till you get a feel of what you like and what will work for you to make a purchase that may not be so budget friendly, but it will be a piece you love.

Check out the Library of Congress free to use/reuse images. Many different genres. https://www.loc.gov/free-to-use/

I can't find the link now, but there are other USA gov't sites with older photos free to download large enough TIFF or jpeg files to have printed. I know I've seen such a site with building the Hoover Dam, e.g.

Not sure if these links help - just found via google:

https://www.archives.gov/research/alic/reference/photography

https://guides.ucsf.edu/c.php?g=100979&p=655138

Looked on eBay, never would have figured that artists would be trying to sell that way, but there are some:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/ORIGINAL-Watercolour-Painting-ANIMALS-FOX-IN-THE-WINTRY-WOODLAND/383337313168?hash=item5940af3390:g:NHUAAOSwP8leAizJ

If you can figure out historical artists that you like, you could probably get a reproduction.

You could take pictures of animals and print them out in black and white yourself.

An artist I know was selling his stuff on Facebook, or so it would appear.

You are either looking for decor, in which case winners, home sense et al should serve your needs or you are looking for actual art, in which case, putting strict definitions of what you are looking for, will make your search Much more difficult.

Here is a painting I found on Facebook:

I actually encourage my clients to buy from galleries and something they love and not to worry about if it goes with the decor. If they are not interested in owning originals I like Art.com

Etsy.

Daily Paintworks showcases some wonderful and affordable smaller originals.

https://www.dailypaintworks.com

Another vote for Etsy, esp because I live in a remote location with few local artists.

I collect wildlife art. At a typical wildlife art show you will have 30 or 40 artists working in acrylics and oils and you may or may not find one working in graphite. Normally the pen and ink / charcoal / graphite drawings are tiny and very, very detailed. It takes a long time to draw these detailed pieces of art that can stand on their own without color and that makes them expensive. It is the least profitable medium for wildlife artists.

I love one of the artists who sells reproductions of his wildlife graphite art on Etsy, but most of what he sells is 7"x9".

https://www.etsy.com/shop/artandwildlife?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=558104460

He can produce 2 pieces a week at that size. The size needed for over your mantle may take a month to produce and the artist will need to sell enough reproductions to make it profitable. That is not easy.

One of my other favorites that does quality pen and ink is Ray Brown, but I can't afford anything bigger than a post card by him. 12" x 12" runs $1700. Larger work can run $4 k - $10 k.

I would google graphite wildlife art, charcoal wildlife art and pen and ink wildlife art and see what you find, but expect a limited selection. If you really want black and white wildlife art, you may need to look at photography.

Several of the artists I know have sold work through Wild Wings catalog. I don't remember seeing any black and white in the last catalog, but it is a good source for affordable wildlife art.

Abby, what size are you looking for? And what kind of wildlife?

Yep, I was thinking along the same lines, professional artists don’t often do black and white paintings, but they will do monochromatic or very subdued palettes, and subject matter will partially determine this.

Robert Bateman, easy to find prints of:

Based on what you're looking for, I would try art.com , for perhaps something like this,

https://www.art.com/products/p48404726734-sa-i10908119/grace-popp-deer-line-ii.htm?upi=Q1BFBWM0&PODConfigID=4986682&sOrigID=1823

https://www.art.com/products/p47795842013-sa-i10652890/grace-popp-coastal-covey-ii.htm?upi=Q19BR440&PODConfigID=9436090&sOrigID=1823

https://www.art.com/products/p45890989781-sa-i10488796/grace-popp-inverted-whale-i.htm?upi=Q12ZQBA0&PODConfigID=9436090&sOrigID=1823

Wall decor doesn't have to be "art". My favorite wall decor items are things related to my life and family. Nicely framed maps of places that are special to us, antique signs related to our travels, groupings of framed illustrations from favorite books, framed prints related to family interests, etc.

For instance, my children love narwhals. I found an antique book plate print of a narwhal and framed it and put it in their bathroom. If your family likes to ski or fish or sail or hike, think of large items that would look interesting mounted on the wall. Nautical flags, crossed skis, etc.

Think outside the box for wall decor. Your space will be more interesting and personalized.

Love my greatbigcanvas.com art and my etsy.com original art. Antique shops, and arts festivals are great places too!

Not your style, but they have all subject matter.

Etsy:

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Greatbigcanvas:

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Go to auctions or second hand shops never buy *art * on line

I‘ve looked at art on eBay and Etsy, but I just cannot buy without seeing IRL. The couple times I’ve done it, I’ve been disappointed, though they were not expensive purchases so it was not a big deal. So I agree with the posters here who said go to local galleries, fairs, art shows. Alternatively, wildlife photographs sold on places like art dot com will be more of a certainty of what you will get IRL though I realize you said you didn’t want photography. I also feel that if you are going to hang art portraying wildlife, it should be in color, as one of the glories of wildlife and Mother Nature are the colors. It somehow negates the animals’ beauty by removing the color. I am sorry, just my $.02. I apologize if I am being offensive, I just love animals.

Some of us don't live in areas with lots of good local artists, galleries, art shows, fairs, etc.

I've bought art from the following artists on Etsy sight unseen and can recommend them all wholeheartedly and unreservedly,

Elizabeth Moriarty

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/ElizabethMoriarty

Kathryn Bondy at GoldenAge Botanicals for amazing paper art; I had her make some custom items for our particular region of Canada and couldn't have been happier with the pieces,

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/GoldenAgeBotanicals

Matt Underwood, original woodblock prints,

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/mattunderwood

Zoe Badger, original linocut prints,

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/Zebedeeprint

Sarah Young, letterpress prints and other works,

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/sarahyoung5

Emily Gillmor

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/EGillmor

Ukrainian artist Inna, original paintings and pencil drawings (she seems to be doing mostly custom work, but I have some lovely landscapes by her),

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/MissBlackEyes

Sarah F. Burns

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/SarahFBurns

I will say that for me art is art and not furnishings, and I never pick something based on whether it will go with the furnishings : ) .

On eBay, they are selling a Franz Marc for less than $200?? Some of the listings seem too good to be true?

@J Williams - I don’t know which listings you are talking about, but I would read the descriptions carefully. Sometimes the piece is tiny, or sometimes the word “reproduction” is buried in the description. Be careful on eBay about the word “lithograph” which can be used loosely at times. Is it a signed and numbered lithograph? Is the lithograph run 200 or 2000? Was the lithograph authorized by the artist—that is a notorious problem in the art world. Having said all that, if you are just looking for the art for decorative value, and you love it, and $200 is what you want to spend, then don’t worry about that stuff and enjoy your purchase.

That's totally bad advice from Snaggy. In an age when one can successfully buy practically anything online, good quality art is no exception. I've bought art many times from online sellers and can't think of a single time I was disappointed.

" Some of the listings seem too good to be true? "

Prices of art have dropped so much over the past 10-15 years. People don't have the money to buy and trade art the way they used too. Antiques as well.

I only buy what I love.

I am having a hard time believing it is legitimate, doesn’t name artist in title for one thing, but it says it is a gouache...

I am having a hard time believing it is legitimate, doesn’t name artist in title for one thing, but it says it is a gouache...

Perhaps a good time to go with your gut.

It helps a great deal to know that you're looking for something approximately 46" square. Do you want it to be 46" square with or without a mat?

The deer picture does seem to be a photograph, fyi

http://www.celadonart.com/mod-farm-maternal-vigil-mini-white

@Manon Floreat It's a fun idea to take art classes, but 'd have to take MANY MANY MANY art classes. I can barely draw a stick figure. By the way, someone suggested the art site dailypaintworks.com and I barely started scrolling before I came across another llama wearing glasses! I'm not saying I don't like them... they're fun... but not for my living room! And they're everywhere!! Everywhere! lol

Prices of art have dropped so much over the past 10-15 years. People don't have the money to buy and trade art the way they used too.

I do not agree. The economy is very good right now, and that means people have money for art. Just for fun, this sold last month for $8.46 million. I like it a lot, but $8.46mm, not sure about that, but what do I know?

This sold a few months ago for $91mm:

And then there is the banana installation. Three editions of it sold for $120,000-150,000 each. So evidently people have lots and lots of money to spend on art!

Okay. Wow! I didn't know that llamas with glasses and bubbles were a thing. I need to catch up, lol.

I'm hoping that @BeverlyFLADeziner will pop by and give you a source for the piece in the mock-up she did. You might even send her a direct message.

Here's another neat one I found. It's on the quiet side and has a natural subject matter - but is a photo manipulation. It's called Winter Kayak and is by Eva Marion. It's a print, but a limited edition. You have a great room, by the way!

Oh, Shannon_WI. I think I heard about the banana art. Didn't someone actually end up eating it??? Lol!

Yes! They just walked up to the $120,000 banana on the wall, pulled the duct tape off it and ate it! Cracking me up!

^ Me too! I'm in stitches over here between the llamas with glasses and bubbles and the $120,000 banana!

Love all these recommendations. I'm a big fan of Fine Art America - I came across it after seeing an artist's work on Cape Cod and regretting that I didn't purchase it. I googled her and FAA is where her art is commercially available. I've got about 50 pieces "favorited" to choose from once we've renovated our house. I already have art from my parents' home piled in corners and it will always be a small house so I have to be selective!

That whole banana thing is a head scratcher. Saw that as well. Can only guess that it was some kind of publicity stunt!

@Manon Floreat , I had done a Google image search and found the Deer pic but it's largest size is way too small for my wall, plus the art on the site is only available through art sales reps. Bummed!!

http://www.celadonart.com/mod-farm-surveillance-mini-grey

I like that winter scene you put in there though. Will look up Eva Marion. I like calm, pretty scenes.

Love love love that cake painting, don’t have millions to spend otherwise, an artist after my own heart lol.

I think you need something a little wider and not as high. And if you need to get custom framing, Michaels always has coupons. Even if you go to a good local frame shop, good framing is ALWAYS worthwhile and can elevate even a simple, inexpensive print.

https://www.greatbigcanvas.com/view/cotton-bouquet,2503073/?ref=home&ref=recent

@J Williams - the artist of the cakes painting is Wayne Thiebaud. A few from his “cake series” of paintings are available as inexpensive posters at art dot com and Etsy for about $30 unframed for the largest size. Perhaps the one that recently sold for $8.46 million will be available as a poster in the future; it’s become a bit famous. They make me want to reach into the painting with my fork :).

I'm another who prefers to shop locally, BUT I'm blessed with an abundance of local galleries/shows/etc. The joys of living in a resort town.

Most of the time, when you're dealing with artists selling locally, they tend to be canvasses from 18"-24" on down. There is less investment with that size, the canvases are easily obtainable/transportable, etc. Sometimes, if you see someone's work that you like, you can ask if they have larger canvasses. Or, consider hanging a grouping, rather than a single piece.

Also, there are just more materials in larger pieces, so you will pay more for them, all the way around.

I do also like Etsy for paintings, but I'm careful to watch the sizes. When in doubt, cut a posterboard the size of your intended purchase and see how it looks.

In terms of Etsy artists, I think someone above mentioned William Elliston, and I concur. His stuff is more stylized, but it might work better than a traditional piece in your room.

For more traditional, I also like Melissa Mickelson:

Karen Ilari

Thank you @Holly Stockley - will look them up too. I like both of those traditional examples. Size is definitely tripping me up which is why I keep going back to Great Big Canvas. 48x36 would probably work well although I wasn't excited about a rectangle shape considering I already have the big rectangle TV. So maybe your idea of a grouping or something would be more interesting.

There are several galleries here but I have rarely seen traditional art in them. There's a gallery that artists rent space, about 60 of them, I think, but they only have open house a couple times a year. Then again, I'm not really wanting to commission artwork, I've tried that before and I was disappointed. I'll have to open my mind a bit. Appreciate all the help!

Abby, I buy wildlife art because I am passionate about animals. I worked in the humane industries for 25 years, my idea of a nightmare vacation is going to a city, but I can spend a couple of weeks hiking through the Rockies. I can sit and watch beavers building a dam for hours, love getting photos of baby raccoons playing or a horse galloping through a meadow.

Your art should reflect who you are, not just what looks good in the space. What do you love? What are your hobbies, who are you? Do you love deer? Do you love flowers? Do you love cooking? Do you love the beach or skiing in the mountains or fishing on a river?

I grabbed both of these at a local flea market/handmade goods sale. It's a large one, with wide ranging booths. Consider expanding your search a bit?

Not deer, but thought this would be pretty for your room. It's from Ballard.

And creating art from photos is an option (obviously vet the site). Have thought about doing that with some of my own "back yard photos" but don't have a place for them right now.

Wanted to share my treasured deer watercolor. Sorry about the glare from the glass. It's a fairly large piece, matted and framed by the artist. I found it in a gallery/gift shop in a little mountain town while on vacation last year, and agonized over paying a mere $225 for it. I am so glad I did. Definitely look in out of the way places if given the opportunity. You just never know what you might find.

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