Thrifting Art on a Dime and My 10 Favorite Discoveries
Plus 7 Shopping Tips
My friends who really know me can tell you that I have an Art addiction. I’m always confused when I’m in a home where it’s very clearly not a priority. I get it in theory, but discovering a story in hidden treasures - from art to decor - is a vibe. I’ve collected so much that I’ve had to sell or donate many to make room for the new finds and always end up regretting it. Now I simply have pieces out on loan to friends and I’ll start rounding them up [and offering replacements] when I move to a bigger space.
Anyone can scour for art, on any budget. Have you tried it?
Many of these ranged from only $5 to $75, with the majority hovering around $25, so it’s a cheap hobby.
I’ve been aiming to fold in more lifestyle posts and thought I’d show you some of my favorite pieces to see how easy it is. Aside from the hunt, the reward is having colors dancing in your eyeline. I don’t always follow the viscom rules for hanging it, but when I was assisting the President of ABC Entertainment early in my career, LA gallery owner Paul Kopeiken (he won’t remember this), taught me how to hang art while he was adjusting a Lee Friedlander vintage TV photo, which may have been this print. I learned that the center should, ideally, land at five feet.
Here are a few of the larger pieces I’ve collected and a little bit about them.
The Elvis above - I found this enormous Steve Kaufman ELVIS silkscreen years ago, wedged between some cabinets in a since closed Studio City, CA shop. It’s signed and authenticated ‘on the verso’ and he is said to have worked under Warhol. I gasped as it was half price art day and this was already pretty reasonable. It was so huge that I eventually ran out of space for it, unless I wanted it over my bed (a hard no). I regret letting this one go just because I had no space for it. I should’ve kept it as my kitchen painting? Everyone, space will eventually reveal itself. Please learn from me and keep each one you love, regardless of spatial limitations.
I found this still life inside a $40 million dollar mansion’s estate sale. We weren’t supposed to know whose home it was, but their kids had scrawled their names in some old books, so I sleuthed that it was a well known Hollywood agent. These pieces were remnants of a high profile divorce. I eventually parted with this one and kept one of their oil paintings that will be one of my forever pieces. When I owned the one above, it was featured on a big website’s instagram stories. (Addendum: I realized I already mentioned that here, too).
Amazing, no? The page is torn from a giant sketch pad and evokes a slight Frances Bacon-esque universe. I loved this one so much and it was a mere $28. I have to wonder if the subjects were flattered or insulted.
I had rescued a half dozen of Sherry Schrut prints from her LA estate sale and there is nothing like being in an artist’s home, among her own finds. I loved that this etching was unfinished, as if the artist was distracted or disappointed mid thought. The base is abstract wax sticks with the consistency of crayons. After she covers the finished base with black, she etched a grid, then each square to expose the base colors. This might be obvious, but it’s so small here that it’s hard to appreciate the details. Before I left, I also bought her sleek white toaster, so when my sourdough pops up, it’s like our little creative connection.
I won’t share how little I paid for this (ok, $25), but I will share that it was too massive to fit in an SUV, probably almost as wide as a queen bed. My neighbor and I got it home by strapping it to the roof of his old BMW wagon. For a while, this was the painting above my couch and everyone who walked in the front door gasped. (Some good gasps, some less approving gasps). It’s definitely a statement. I hadn’t intended to ever sell it but just wanted to throw in some eye candy for a dealer I had a zoom with, to potentially consign some vintage art that was piling up. She researched on the spot that this was a known artist and scooped it up (grrr). For the record if you go whole hog at this, you’ll want to join websites to deep dive into the more known, vintage artists. This one was a casualty from the silly desire to make a good impression. This is a lesson to be confident in your finds, periodt. If you think it’s valuable, it’s valuable, but not everyone will see it. That’s ok.
Close to my birthday one year, I was lucky to find a stack of Marilyn Hoeck Neal watercolors, each about the price of an iced coffee. I considered this stack a gift to self. I re-homed all and should’ve kept the waterfall watercolor. Yes, this post’s theme is turning out to be regret. This one was featured on a big website’s ‘favorite paintings’ page.
This original landscape painting was most likely mid century modern, with a gouache texture, but I couldn’t trace the provenance. The colors and textures are so much more vivid in real life.
I rescued this Synthia Saint James limited edition print that had me hypnotized in a west LA shop. The signed and numbered bonus was a [chef’s kiss]. Saint James also painted this cover of Terry McMillan’s “Waiting to Exhale” book (there were different covers) and also designed the first USPS Kwanzaa stamp in 1997.
This was a tiny matted photo I found for $5 and you can tell I removed the [broken] glass. Does anyone know this location? I see a Ford Pinto, which was produced from around 1971-80. In the unseen edge below, they’ve just exited a walkway. I swear I can hear some feet shuffling and voices echoing when I look at this print in real time. Everyone feels purposeful in a sign of the times that no longer exists as a whole.
I remember gasping at this popsicle art and not because of the $5 sticker. I have a thing for popsicle art, having attempted my own versions and this one is a bold pop art piece, seemingly by accident, by someone unaware; a novice maybe?
Overall, I feel like a big part of why I let things go is rooted in watching my parents leave their homes for assisted living and home care - with 2 suitcases each - after a lifetime. That’s a post for another day, but I was deeply affected by this and have probably let too much sentimental stuff go as a result. (You do not always know just how sentimental it is until it’s gone.)
I’ll leave you with 7 Art Thrifting Tips:
If you see something amazing, be low key until it’s in your hands or purchased. Don’t take photos or create fanfare because someone will buy it out from under you while you are making your assessment rounds.
If you see a cool empty frame, buy it. You can and will use it for something you love later. I bought a giant white $45 frame at a flea market and added a mirror. It completely anchors my home and lights up a dead wall.
Invest in non glare acrylic vs glass when you can, especially if you have reflective art behind you during zoom calls. ;)
Don’t fuse or dry mount valuable prints to a mat or foam core. Do not. Just find something heavy to back it to avoid buckling. Once it’s fused, it’s forever and the value is tanked. Some fusing also degrades the quality of the paper, or adds a cheap looking uneven sheen to the photo texture. If you’re doing it yourself (ex: collaging) look for museum quality, archival options. I’ve got this acid free glue and this glue stick in my cart to experiment with mash ups of my photos to keep things weird.
To look up the value, this seems obvious, but take a photo while you’re at the shop and do a reverse image search. Sometimes I get transfixed on looking up signatures and forget the image search. I hate doing this in real time but my goal is to also get pieces off my mind, so I won’t obsess.
When I do need more time to research something, I’ll hide my favorites behind absolute crap or in hidden zones before I leave. It’s a pro’s trick. Scan for hiding places.
Finally, thrift for yourself and not ‘the flip.’
I have to admit that I rarely go thrifting anymore and have my forever pieces up. (Ok, there was that recent signed dolphin print). Real talk: I had to curb the addiction and the pandemic lockdowns helped break some bad habits. If you end up trying it, please “art” responsibly. ;)
I’ve been wanting to get this Big Thrift Energy book since it dropped, but need to focus right now and worry about falling into the furniture rabbit hole, but sharing it for the die hards.
Big Thrift Energy is from People Magazine journalist, Virginia Chamlee, the real OG.