You have found a painting that makes you stop scrolling. You open it again later. You can already imagine where she might live. Then the practical questions arrive: Is she the right size? What will she look like off screen? What happens when she reaches my door?
If this is your first original painting, you do not need to become an art expert overnight. Let your physical response to the work lead, then ask a few clear questions before you buy. Here are the seven I would ask.
1. Am I looking at the original?
An original painting is the one work the artist made by hand. A print reproduces an image of that work. Both can be beautiful, but they are different things to own. Read the product title and description carefully, especially if the same image is offered in several formats. If you are unsure, ask the artist which listing is the original.
On my site, you can browse the original paintings separately from the prints. Some originals will show as sold, so check the availability on the individual page before you start making plans for your wall.
2. What are the exact dimensions, including the frame?
A painting can look generous in a close-up photograph and surprisingly small above a sofa. It can also feel overwhelming in a narrow hallway. Check the height and width on the product page, then mark those dimensions on your wall with low tack tape or cut a piece of paper to size. Step back. Look from the doorway and from the place where you usually sit.
Check whether the measurements include a frame. If there are framed and unframed options, ask for the outside dimensions of the version you want. Also check the canvas depth; it affects how far the work projects from the wall.
Reciprocity, original artwork by Nicola Bird
3. Can I see the surface and colour clearly?
Screens flatten things. An original has edges, brushstrokes, layers and the small irregularities of a hand at work. Look for a straight-on photograph, close-ups or an image in a photo of your room for scale. If something matters to you, ask for another photograph or a short video in natural light. You are allowed to be curious. I offer all of these.
Colour can shift between screens and lighting conditions, so no photograph is a perfect promise of what you will see at home. Look at the work on more than one screen if you can, and ask about any colour that feels crucial to your choice.
4. What is the painting made of, and how will it arrive?
Check the medium, the surface it is painted on and whether it comes ready to hang. If it is framed, ask what kind of frame. If it is not, ask whether you will need to arrange one. My Reciprocity listing, for example, shows a white float-frame option, along with the dimensions and hanging details. Each painting has its own particulars, so read the page for the work you love.
Then look at shipping: where the artist sends to, how the painting is packed, whether the parcel is tracked and insured, and whether delivery costs are included. If you are buying across a border, check possible import charges as well. These are ordinary questions, and asking them should feel easy.
Packed for the journey to you
5. What proof and paperwork come with it?
Ask how the original is identified. A signature and a certificate of authenticity are useful records, as are the title, medium, dimensions, date and purchase receipt. Keep them together after the painting arrives. My original paintings are signed and come with a hand-signed certificate of authenticity, as described on the product pages.
You do not need paperwork to tell you whether you love a piece. It does help you know precisely what you have bought and keep its story with it.
Certificate accompanying an original painting
6. What if it is not right when I see it at home?
Read the returns terms before checkout, including the time limit, condition requirements and any exceptions for sale items. Check how to report damage in transit and what photographs or packaging you may need to keep. My current original-art listings set out delivery and returns information on each product page; read the terms for the particular painting you are considering.
7. Will I still want to live with her when the room changes?
You can move furniture. You can change the colour of a wall. The more interesting question is whether the painting keeps drawing you back. You do not have to explain why in art-world language. Perhaps it holds a feeling you have been carrying. Perhaps it reminds you of the woman you are becoming.
I began painting at 52, around the time I lost my mum, and I know art can hold more than decoration. I write more about that on my About page. Your reason for choosing a painting may be entirely different. That is part of the joy: the meaning you bring is yours.
So measure the wall. Check the details. Ask for the photographs you need. Ask me any questions you might have - I'm friendly :) Then listen to the part of you that stopped scrolling in the first place. If she keeps calling you back, that is worth paying attention to.