Looking for that perfect gift? How about something lovely and unusual, and handmade. The internet has made it super easy to buy directly from artists and creafters. Many sites allow you to buy directly from the artist themselves, giving you a chance to know a bit about them, sometimes ask questions, and definetely to find something truly special. Buying directly allows you to save money too, and usually means a fairer price for the artist!
Find International Artisans
- Novica
- This is one of my favorite sites for buying gifts, because it's almost impossible to go wrong. And the mission of this website is to connect international artisans with a worldwide audience, allowing them to recieve a fair price and prestige for their work. They have seemingly searched the globe for amazing work, and the prices, for the quality are quite good. This site has been around for a while, and is in association with the folks at National Geographic.
Some of the categories of work they have include:
Jewelry
Home Decor
Masks
Wall Hangings and Tapestries
Amazing and Eclectic Craftiness
These are not items you would find at the local church craft bazaar... there are some very hip, often off-beat, and quite original offerings by artisans using traditional and non-traditional craft techniques.
- Etsy
- Etsy is the most wonderful site for finding unique, and often quirkily delligtful crafts. Great for young people, and often some very low prices (it is clear many sellers here are doing this as a labor of love!). You will find pottery, clothing, art, knitted items (one of the best places online to find great hand knitted stuff).
My favorite category is definetly the Toy Category, which has some bizarre and wonderful creations, including a ton of the charming hand knitted and crocheted "amigurumi" creations. If I get a minute I will make a lens just about these creations.
Great places to buy Paintings, Drawings, and Prints
Buying art online can have a lot of benefits, including the ability to find that piece that really spehttp://www.squidoo.com/images/icon-reorder.gifaks to you, at an affordable price! Many sites and sellers offer a guarantee. My recommendation is if you are wary of buying art online, but have found an artist you adore, buy something small first to determine the quality and reliablity of the artist. It's not the same experience as buying art through a conventional gallery, but it is a non-intimidating way to buy affordable, orignal pieces.
- ArtByUs
- This website is only a couple years old, but is a wonderful alternative to large auction sites for finding art. Very artist-friendly, it has some incredible and often very low priced art.
They Art By Us sellers have a fair presence on Squidoo... check out some of their lenses here: ArtByUs Group on Squidoo. - Self-Representing Artists on eBay
- Many individual artists have been selling their artwork on eBay for years, with great success. The Self-Representing category on eBay offers only art sold directly from the artist, allowing buyers to avoid the customary 40-50% markup from traditional galleries. Again, find an artist you like and consider buying something small first to see the quality of the work (although most artists DO offer a refund if not satisfied). This is a great place to find great deals on original art while supporting the work of an individual, living artist. The ACEOs and ATCs (Art Cards that are the size of baseball cards - little mini paintings and drawings) are available in great numbers so try searching for those acronyms to buy a tiny original artwork of your own!
Unusual and Original Art Prints
I am including some links I have found to some special sites that sell unique prints from various artists. There are tons of sites online that sell millions of prints... as this is my "handmade" lens, I am adding only sites that I have found to offer unique, hand selected print offerings. I know they don't really fit in the handmade category, but when done well, limited edition and giclee prints are a wonderful way to start adding some art in your life quickly.
- Thumbtack Press
- This site has a small, carefully selected group or artist's prints. The style falls into the "low-brow" illustration art popular in magazines such as Juxtapoz. Some very cool, bizarre, and trippy artwork here.
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