I’m happy to announce the newest (5th) addition to my art collection. I’m currently working on fleshing out the "collecting" section of the blog with the story of each purchase (including the story of this multi-layered drawing on tracing paper that I first saw in Venice), and my collecting experiences in general. I thought now would be a good time to share a small portion of what I’m working on. This excerpt is called "The Rules":

Establishing a list of guidelines has been a huge help to me – it gives me confidence in what I like without depending on other’s opinions and narrows my options considerably (a necessity when working with a small budget). This list is for my very specific collection and therefore should not be viewed as a recommendation for anyone else – I know of several great collections built on different rules or no rules at all. You may find that all of these rules don’t apply to everything in my collection – the list has been modified and amended since I started.

1. The artwork must increase in interest the longer I look at it (over days, not seconds).
2. It must look significantly better in person than in ANY photograph.
3. It must show the hand of the artist – no photos, no outsourced/manufactured objects, no "found" objects, nothing "photo-real" or overly minimalist.
4. It must be original (not an edition)
5. I must want more than one – like it "belongs" with siblings.
6. Must be an under-known artist – either "emerging" or "recently discovered". If my friends have heard of them = no.
7. The artist must be represented by a legitimate gallery with an excellent history of shows.
8. The piece must emphasize/demonstrate what is special/unique about that particular artist.
9. The artist must directly benefit from the purchase (no auctions, secondary galleries, etc)
10. It can not be self referential ("about" art) or punch-line art (see also rule #1)
11. I can’t buy it because it reminds me of another artist, or another work by the same artist – that I can’t afford or obtain.