How to Start an Art Collection: A Beginner’s Guide to Buying Original Paintings

by Roberta Heslop October 4, 2025

I still remember the very first time someone bought one of my paintings.
It was a vibrant, extra large oil painting - 48" x 48" - a piece I had lovingly poured myself into. I was deeply connected to it, so much so that parting with it felt almost impossible. When the collector saw it, though, something magical happened. They fell in love instantly. They didn’t hesitate, didn’t question the price — which at the time felt like a very large sum to me. They simply said yes.

What moved me most wasn’t just that they wanted the painting — it was that they wanted to live with it. To give it pride of place in their home. Over the years, they’ve written to me again and again to tell me how much it means to them, how it still radiates beauty and connection in their space.

That experience taught me something essential: buying original art is not just a transaction. It’s an exchange — an act of giving and receiving. The artist offers something of their soul, and the collector gives it a new life by cherishing it. Both sides are enriched, both sides changed.

If you’ve ever thought about starting an art collection but felt unsure where to begin, I'd like to guide you. It doesn’t need to be complicated or intimidating. In fact, it can be one of the most joyful, empowering choices you’ll ever make. Here’s how to take your first steps.

1. Begin With What Moves You

The most important rule of collecting art is simple: start with what you feel.
Stand in front of a piece and notice what happens inside you. Does it light something up? Does it calm you, stir you, challenge you? That is where the magic lies.

Whether you’re drawn to the strength of a figure, the softness of colour, or the energy of a brushstroke, what matters is that it speaks to you. A painting you’ll live with becomes a mirror of your own story. It reflects something of who you are, even if you can’t explain it in words.

I always tell people: if a piece makes you feel something, that’s enough. That is art doing its work.

2. Notice the Mirror

Art is never neutral. Even when we dislike a painting, it reveals something important. I often think of my own reaction to Salvador Dalí — his work disturbs me deeply. But even that disturbance is a mirror, a way of seeing myself more clearly. By contrast, when I stand before Rothko’s paintings, I feel unbelievably good — almost ethereal, as though I’m dissolving into colour and light.

When you collect art, you are not just decorating your walls — you are choosing mirrors. Each piece becomes a reflection, a companion, a reminder of the parts of yourself you wish to honour. I explore this idea of art as a mirror more deeply in my Trilogy of Painitngs - Celestia, Persephone and Athena

3. Consider Practicalities (But Only After Feeling First)

Once you’ve found a piece that moves you, then it’s time to think about the practical side. A few gentle considerations can help you choose with confidence:

Size & Shape: Does a portrait or landscape orientation suit your space better?
Colour: Notice how the palette makes you feel. Does it uplift, soothe, energise?
Framing: My works are painted on deep-edge gallery canvas, which means they’re ready to hang as they are, with paint wrapped around the sides. But they can also be placed in floating frames for a beautiful, refined finish.
Harmony: If you’re considering more than one piece, think about how they will interact together in a room. Sometimes collectors share photos of their home with me so I can guide them on how a painting might fit into their space.

Remember: these are simply details to support the deeper truth — the most important thing is always how the painting makes you feel.

4. Explore Commissions as Co-Creation

If you can’t find the perfect piece, or if you long for something deeply personal, commissioning a painting is a wonderful option. For me, commissions are not just about creating something to specification — they are about co-creation.

I love to get to know the collector (or couple) who commissions a work. I listen to their story, their space, the colours that surround them, and — most importantly — what they want to feel when they see the piece each day. Together, we shape something unique, something that belongs to both of us. It’s a collaboration, and an extraordinary experience for both artist and collector.

5. See Collecting as an Act of Self-Expression

View Celestia

Starting an art collection is not only about appreciating an artist’s work — it’s about claiming your own role as an artist of your life. Each choice you make is an expression of who you are and what you value.

The paintings I create are born from liberation, celebration, and feminine energy. To choose to live with one is a powerful act — a daily reminder of your own authenticity, a nudge to live your truth boldly and beautifully.

Even if you aren’t conscious of it all the time, the art around you whispers to you. It reinforces what matters most. It holds space for you to come home to yourself, again and again.

Final Thoughts: Start Where You Are

Collecting art doesn’t require expertise, a huge budget, or an encyclopaedic knowledge of movements and styles. It begins with a feeling. It begins with noticing what resonates in your body and spirit — and trusting that.

Original art brings something rare into your life: connection, presence, liberation. And when you choose it, you’re not just acquiring an object. You’re creating a relationship, building a collection that will grow with you, reflect you, and perhaps even outlive you.

So if you’re curious, begin. Let your heart guide you, let the practicalities support you, and let the journey unfold.

✨ If you’d like to take your first step, I invite you to explore my available originals — perhaps one will speak to you and become the first piece in your story of collecting.