laurensmom, I have had good luck shopping online at www.overstock.com, and shopping "in person" at Tuesday Morning and Kirkland's Home for both mirrors and artwork. Also, if you have a Hobby Lobby or Home Goods nearby, they have some deals.

In addition to the ones that wodka mentioned, I like Pier One and Crate & Barrel

Another suggestion: art festivals. Originals can be expensive but many artists will sell numbered prints of their original pieces for a much more affordable price.

I have also bought original art from ebay.

I got this 56"X45" print at the flea market. Though you can't tell, it has a substantial and intricately carved frame. It was incomparable to one I wanted from an upscale furniture store but it cost me 1/4th the price.

mustangs, that's a beautiful piece!

I like antique stores/malls. I bought a lovely original oil landscape for $10 yesterday. The frame needs some work (a little faux paint treatment), but the actual canvas painting is lovely. There is another I found for $95, which is a huge spluge for me. I'm going to suggest it as my anniversary gift from my DH if it's still there.

Thanks everyone! mustangs, that is a gorgeous piece! We actually have an arts festival coming up in 2 weeks so I'll have to try to check it out. I'm currently trying to teach myself how to paint, but nothing worthy of wall placement yet - LOL! Maybe by this time next year :)

thanks for all the suggestions!

I've also bought some of mine at Kirkland's.

Laurie

I got this at Kirkland's. It was my mother's selection for the kitchen because it reminded her of the village she was from in Italy.

TJ Maxx, Marshall's, & Home Goods lately for me.

My mom picks up old art for me at the antiques mall's where she lives & works.

Before the whole black & white photo craze hit awhile back I had regularly been shopping flea markets & antique malls picking up old black & whites super cheap & putting them in inexpensive black stock frames.

Framing my own black & whites in the same stock frames.

As far as having something framed the closest I ever got was having a large wedding portrait of mine framed at Michael's. I got the poster sized frame at IKEA & had Michael's custom cut the mat & they put it all together w/ hanging hardware & backing for $45. I was quite pleased & that was w/o the regular framing sales that they have.

eBay. The selection is amazing, and I've found some pieces there that I really treasure.

TT, That is just beautiful!

mustangs - I LOVE that picture and your whole vignette there. That's exactly the look I'm going for. So thanks for sharing :)

tt - Gorgeous photo! I love the size of the mat - simply stunning! That's an adorable little alcove and I love how you've decorated it. Are the flowers in the vase real or silk? They look beautiful, and that purple color really compliments your walls. Thanks again!

Another thing to think about is not passing up a good painting or print because the frame doesn't match your decor . . . or is flat out ugly like this one below! It's really fairly easy to paint and/or antique a frame. I got this piece (Ebay?) for a song because the frame was so awful.
{{!gwi}}
All I used was the small bottles of craft paints from Hobby Lobby, a small bottle of their antiqueing glaze and a smidge og Rub-N-Buff.
This a close-up of the "after" frame. The gold on the inner edge is actually more muted than the camera flash makes it out to be, but you get the idea.
{{!gwi}}
The frame was nicely carved and solid wood. To buy another would have cost me over $100. As it is, it cost me less than $10 to redo it.
I've hung it in our family room over the doors to the backyard between two plates. I was going for a Spanish Colonial feel.
{{!gwi}}

Lynn, that's a really great turn around.
Antiquing glaze and Rub-N-Buff--I always keep them on hand! They have turned many items into treasures.

My choices are overstock.com or zgallerie (store or .com)

I would recommend eBay. You can get original art or woodcuts/lithographs etc. for sometimes less than a "print", with not much inherent value, would be.

That said, I've been amazingly lucky at our local Goodwill. I've found original woodcuts, lithographs, even oils, that I've been able to look up the artist online and find out that similar works go for hundreds of $$. For max $25, including frame. (I have some sentimental favorites that are paint-by-numbers (I'm not kidding-you should see them! They're unlike anything I've ever seen), as well as an original somewhat stylized landscape in acrylic, I think, but unsigned...maybe it's because my home area is extremely arty--lots of ceramicists, woodworkers, painters etc. around here--but I absolutely love some of the things I've found. For example, we have a beautiful two-color woodcut of a trillium by the front door right now; it's in rotation with a Hiroshige I inherited and a woodcarving of women on a trapeze that's charming and full of movement and done by just someone local many many years ago.

I really like the energy that original art, esp. by local people, brings to our house.

Flyleft, I agree about the occasional find at Goodwill.

While I wouldn't have it inside, I did know the look I wanted for the wall in our screened in porch and thought that GW might have a 90's style Miami Vice colors to go with my garage sale sectional and coffee table. Only $20 for this large canvas in pristine condition.

Also check out etsy.com. You could lose a whole day searching through their offerings -- different artists sell their work here, from jewelry to photography and paintings. Most of the prices are very reasonable. I have bought a lot of stuff from several different artists here and all were great to deal with.

As soon as I saw the subject of this post my mind immediately said "art festivals" and "etsy." Both have been mentioned, but I still wanted to add my plug for both.

Festivals are fun and boisterous; etsy is something you can do late at night. Well, I wouldn't actually recommend that because etsy can be addictive and you'll be up really late!

Thanks again everyone! Yes - I totally agree about etsy! I actually just discovered that site about a month ago and love it! It does take a while to surf through, but VERY fun to look at all the neat stuff from such talented sellers!

Lynn - LOVE the new frame! You have opened my eyes because I've looked at lots of art lately with less than ideal frames. So thank you! Love your plates too - where'd ya get them?

Thanks for the plug on Goodwill too! I never even thought to go there, but I think I'll schedule a trip for next week. Thanks again everyone. I love how inspiring this forum is. You all help me get off my butt and DO instead of just dream about :) thanks!

I bought a hand painted reproduction of Jaume Serra's Last Supper for my dining room from bestpriceart.com. It is beautiful. It was not cheap, but it was also not extravagant. I would not purchase all my art from them. But for reproductions, on canvas (which I prefer to prints under glass where "old master" type art is concerned), I think they are a good source.

ttodd... Wow! The photo, the lighting, the setting, the photo OF the photo. Wow.

Here is a link that might be useful: BestPriceArt.com

You guys just had to mention Etsy! I've bought numerous pieces of really cool jewelry on Etsy, but for some dumb reason (duh!) had never thought to look there for paintings! Have just spent entirely too much time there this morning, and bought this for myself (for my birthday)!

These are Native American kids on the reservation. This one really moves me.

Great buy, Aunt Jen, and it will look swell in your cottage. It is very touching.

Try local art shows. Colleges usually have arts fairs. If you have a local university or 2-year college, inquire about their art sales. They are struggling to get through school and paints and canvas are so expensive. This helps reimburse them just a small amount and can ingratiate your home with beautiful art. Attend the art fairs in your area. Support the arts, PLEASE. Etsy is a nice place to shop as well as there are many struggling artists selling some good stuff over there.

You can find some amazing things at yard sales and or flea mrkts.

Auntjen, That's a great painting; perfect for your decor.

I have enjoyed looking through Etsy.

Thanks - I love it! It's 19" x 15", watercolor on hardboard, and was a mere $40. Yeah ... Etsy rocks! :-)

auntjen, that's really a cool piece. Congratulations. Would you share the name of the seller?

Thanks! Here's a link to the seller's Etsy shop (although to be honest, I think the one I snagged is her best ;-)).

Here is a link that might be useful: Link

I like allposters.com, though when you order something online you don't really know what it's going to look like until you see it in person. I got this at allposters.com a couple of years ago. I was a little disappointed in the frame but I can live with it. They would not allow me to crop the title and the artist name from this particular print, although they will allow it for others... depends upon copyright limitations, I guess.

I've never looked for art on Craig's List, but I wonder if that might also be a possibility?

I agree with trying Marshalls/Home Goods but it is hit or miss and if you don't have a lot of time to go a few times a week it is difficult to find something.

I find great stuff online at JC Penney and they also have good sales.
www.jcp.com

Here is a link that might be useful: JC Penney Wall Decor

Ever think of hanging mirrors, rather than paintings or prints? Or how about dishes? They don't have to be antique. Just a thought.

TT what a lovely little alcove and a stunning wedding picture. Not to mention the dresser, love that.

auntjen, thanks. I'd say you got her best :)

But then I started searching under "art" there and...

OH no. Can't spend more money! But sometime soon...

Over the past few years, my family and I have completely shifted to online shopping, especially for things like art and home décor. You can browse, compare, and choose at your own pace without pressure. After trying out a few sites, the one that really stood out for me was WikiArt.

What really impressed me, though, is that they also offer the option to print your own photos. We recently ordered a large canvas of a family vacation shot, and it came out beautifully.