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Buying Art on a Budget
 Steve Young
Frank was sold on the apartment because of the loft, but the high ceilings left his tall walls noticeably bare. His few family pictures barely made a dent in the decorating, and the fact he had just turned thirty meant it was no longer acceptable to use beer posters for wall covering.
He hunted downtown for what he thought would be stylish paintings, but was immediately priced out of every gallery he entered. The mall and the big chain stores offered no solution since their paintings and art pictures were dull, and all alike.
When he finally thought to try craigslist, he hit on a winner right away. A 4 x 3 oil painting of a young blond woman languishing at a table with two empty wine bottles was being advertised for fifty dollars. He called the seller and was told to hurry, as there were numerous people on the way to see it. Frank bought the painting and hung it high in the dining room.
It was perfect. He was hooked.
Frank learned quickly that this quick hit on a cheap, large and beautiful painting was a rarity. Combing craigslist turned into a part time job, and obsession. He found many wonderful paintings over the course of six months, but only with tireless diligence.
He met a seventeen year old in a fast food parking lot to buy a small art picture of a tragic looking woman hanging from a noose in a dark forest.
He met a wildly rotund woman in a Starbucks parking lot to buy a beautiful outline of a womans face, done in black on a red canvas, with gold paint and real jewels decorating her neck and ears.
Guests to his home always admired the sometimes strange, but always interesting paintings and art pictures he had found on craigslist. Many tried to find some for themselves, and would call Frank frustrated over their lack of success.
He told them all the same thing. Keep trying, and dont hesitate to pull the trigger and buy. If you dont buy the piece fast, someone like Frank is coming right behind you to snatch it up.
Buying paintings and art pictures on a budget is a lot of work, but when you do find a piece you love, the effort seems a small price to pay.
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