Fine Art for Sale

Original fine art paintings by Canadian artists, hand-painted in oil and acrylic, each one signed, dated, and sold with a Certificate of Authenticity.

Who buys original fine art, collectors or interior designers?

Both, and the two groups ask us very different questions. A collector is buying one work to live with for years, so the questions are about the artist, the surface, and how the painting will look in a room they see every day. A designer is working to a brief where authenticity is the requirement, a project where a printed copy would look wrong next to everything else in the room. Corporate and hospitality buyers sit between the two, and usually need a signed document for the file.

Every painting here is made by hand in oil or acrylic, signed and dated by the artist, and sent with a Certificate of Authenticity. If you are specifying for a client, the 14-day trial matters more than anything we can write here. The piece goes on the real wall, in the real light, and if it is wrong it comes back for a full refund with return shipping paid by us.

Moonlit Reflections: Original Acrylic on Canvas by Nahira | VanArtHub, an original painting in the Fine Art collection
Moonlit Reflections: Original Acrylic on Canvas by Nahira | VanArtHub · $723.00

What does fine art actually mean?

Fine art means work made to be looked at and thought about, judged on the maker's skill and intent rather than on a job it performs. The phrase comes from an old European split between the fine arts, painting, sculpture and drawing, and the applied arts, which existed to be used. That hierarchy is mostly gone, and good work happens on both sides of it. The test that survives is purpose. Was the object made because an artist had something to work out, or made to fill a size and colour specification? The first is fine art. The second can be pleasant, well printed, and perfectly fine to own, but it is a product. Our art glossary has the longer version of the term.

How is fine art different from wall decor?

Fine art is a unique object signed by the person who made it, and wall decor is a manufactured copy of a design. The difference shows up on the wall and on the invoice.

QuestionFine art originalWall decor or print
Who made itOne artist, by handA design file and a printer
How many existOneHundreds to unlimited
The surfacePaint with real thickness, brush and knife marksFlat ink on paper or a canvas wrap
Signature and paperworkSigned, with a Certificate of AuthenticityNone, or a printed copy of a signature
What sets the priceThe artist's hours, materials, and recordProduction cost plus margin
Twenty years from nowStill one of a kind, can be resold or traded backReplaced
Riding Through Dreams: Original Oil on Canvas by Phaedra | VanArtHub, an original painting in the Fine Art collection
Riding Through Dreams: Original Oil on Canvas by Phaedra | VanArtHub · $1,084.00

How does a gallery decide what to accept?

We accept an artist when there is a body of work rather than one lucky painting. We look for sound drawing under the surface, materials that will hold up, a price that is honest for where the artist actually is, and a point of view we can explain to a collector in one sentence. We turn down work that is technically clean and says nothing, and we turn down strong ideas held together with failing craft. We have been wrong in both directions. Curation is a judgement and not a measurement, so the honest translation of the word curated is this: these are the pieces we would hang in our own homes. Sold work stays online in our sold archive, which means you can see the full record of what we chose, not only what is left.

How do you judge skill in a painting you can only see on a screen?

Zoom into the edges and the transitions, because that is where a screen still tells the truth. Look at where one colour meets another. A skilled painter decides whether that edge is sharp or soft, and an unskilled one has soft edges everywhere. Look at the sides of a stretched canvas, since painted edges usually mean the artist finished the whole object rather than only the front. Then look at three other works by the same artist and see whether the quality repeats. After that, ask us for a photo taken with a lamp low to one side, or watch the piece being built in the studio. A screen flattens texture, so the last check is the room itself, which is what the 14-day home trial is for: live with it, and if it does not hold up in person, we refund it and pay the return shipping.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the price range in this collection so wide?

Because it holds small works on board next to large oils on canvas that reach 150 by 150 cm, by several different artists. The span runs from about $93 to $28,000, but the middle of the collection sits nearer $500, so the top figure is one exceptional painting rather than a normal price here. Size, medium and studio hours move the number more than anything else.

How do you decide a painting is good enough to list?

We see it in person in Vancouver before it goes on the site and ask one question: would we hang this in our own home for ten years? We look at the surface up close, the edges, how the paint sits, and whether the piece still holds attention after a week in the studio. If it only works in a photograph, we pass on it.

Can I see what a painting looks like on my actual wall before I buy it?

Yes, you can see it on your own wall first. Upload a photo at /pages/art-in-your-room and we place the painting on it at true scale, against your own furniture. It catches the most common mistake in this collection, which is choosing a piece too small for the wall. If you would rather we choose, /pages/art-advisory returns a free shortlist built around your room and budget.

Can I come and see the paintings in person in Vancouver?

Yes, you can see the paintings in person in Vancouver by appointment. Everything ships from our studio here, so if you are local or visiting, write to us and we will book a viewing of the pieces you are considering. Surface, texture and scale are the three things a screen gets wrong. If you cannot travel here, the 14-day home trial does the same job at your own address instead.

What happens if the piece I want sells while I am still deciding?

It is gone, because every work here is one of a kind and we never repeat one. Nothing is held back automatically, so if you are close to a decision, tell us and we will be straight with you about how much interest a piece is getting. The sold work stays online in our archive permanently, so you can still use it to show us what you wanted.

Can I follow a fine art piece while it is still on the easel?

Yes. Our watch art being made collection lists paintings that are still in progress, with photographs of the work as it develops, and you can follow a piece or send the artist an offer before it is finished. It is the closest thing to standing in the studio, and it is the only way to reserve a one-of-a-kind work before someone else sees it complete.

What is the difference between fine art and just art?

Fine art describes work made for its own sake and judged on skill and intent, while art is the wider word that also covers decorative and commercial work. In practice, if a person made the object by hand as a one of a kind piece and signed it, you are looking at fine art. If it was printed from a file to fit a spec, you are not.

How much does an original fine art painting cost?

Ours start around $72 for small original works and run to several thousand dollars for large canvases. Size is the biggest single factor, then medium and the artist's sales record. A 60 cm (24 in) canvas by an artist with a steady following usually sits between $400 and $1,000 here.

What size fine art painting should I hang above a sofa?

Aim for artwork that covers 60 to 75 percent of the sofa width. Above a 210 cm (83 in) sofa that means roughly 130 to 155 cm (51 to 61 in) of art, as one canvas or two hung with a small gap between them. Leave 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in) between the sofa back and the bottom edge.

How do I choose fine art if I know nothing about art?

Pick the piece you keep returning to after you have scrolled past it twice, then check the size and the light in the room. Do not try to learn a canon first. Taste is built by looking, and one original you love will teach you more than a month of reading. Ask us about the artist before you decide.

How do you ship an original painting safely?

Every piece ships free and fully insured, packed for transit with the corners protected, and takes 3 to 7 business days inside Canada and 5 to 10 business days to the United States. If something arrives damaged, send us photos before unpacking any further and we will make it right.

How do I know a painting is an original and not a print?

Every painting we sell is signed and arrives with a Certificate of Authenticity naming the artist, title, medium, and size. On the object itself, look for paint sitting above the surface, brush or knife marks that catch the light, and small irregularities. A print stays evenly flat when a lamp shines across it from one side.

When should I not buy fine art?

Skip it when you need a wall covered by Friday, when the budget only works if you skip a bill, or when you are buying to impress a visitor rather than to live with the piece. A good print is the right answer for a low-visibility hallway. Come back for the original when the wall matters to you.

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