Artful inspiration: how to start a collection for pleasure or investment.

• Author: Beers, Heather
• Position: Executive Living

If you've ever strolled the galleries and museums of any major city, you've no doubt been transported by the images captured in oil, watercolor, charcoal or pastel. But when there comes a point at which you want to go from observer to owner, how do you begin collecting fine art for your home or office?

What Inspires You?

Do Rothkos abstracts challenge you? Are you transported by Monet's brushstrokes? Are you moved by Hoppers sense of isolation and yearning? Whatever the reaction, art strikes a chord in all of us. It's that emotional and visual resonance that experts encourage you to pay attention to. Clayton Williams, founder of Williams Fine Art, says before you do anything, "First decide what appeals to you so that you would be comfortable living with the piece." Leslie Schofield of Leslie Schofield Design agrees.

When designing custom homes in Park City and Salt hake City, she always starts by telling her clients, "Lets find a piece that you love, then go from there"

If you've hesitant that your instincts may not be the best judge of fine art, time art collector and local attorney Carl Barton says not to worry. "I think you collect things that inspire you and that you enjoy looking at, and over the course of time you'll get a better eye in terms of what is good quality and what is not."

What's Your Objective?

"One of the fundamental decisions you have to make about art is whether you've collecting for pleasure or investment or both," says Barton. If you're not sure, then hedge your bet on pleasure.

Schofield works closely with A Gallery (she loves its framing selection and repertoire of local artists and contemporary art) to put together art packages for her clients, and she says a good designer and gallery can be excellent resources if you're collecting for personal pleasure. But if you're serious about art as an investment, she recommends finding an expert.

Erin Under, director of exhibitions at Kimball Art Center, takes that caution a step further, saying, "Very few people get away with collecting art successfully as an investment" She recommends collecting for your own enjoyment.

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Take a Stroll

Once you've decided to take the plunge and begin collecting, how do you know where to start?

One of the best ways to find what inspires you is to go for a stroll--a gallery stroll. Margaret Hunt, director of Utah Arts and Museums, explains that gallery strolls are a non-threatening way to see what artists in each...