Introduction to Art Collecting
As a Personal Preference Consultant, I have the unique opportunity of bringing beauty into the lives of others by offering exquisite, hard-to-find artwork on canvas and framed, at affordable prices. Starting an Art Collection So you're interested in starting an art collection and you don't know where to start. If you have no previous experience of this area you may well feel overwhelmed when confronted with the many possibilities that art collecting presents. From choosing which medium to focus your collection on, to choosing which period of art to collect, one may find themselves beset with difficult decisions from the very start. In truth, there are no hard and fast rules mandating how to start a collection, and the novice collector should not make any hard and fast choices, other than those concerning which particular works of art they wish to buy. There is no need to choose one specific area or type of artwork to focus your attention upon. The chances are that your collection will gain togetherness simply because you have formed it around your own personal preference and tastes. Even though it may help to have a trademark interest or field of expertise, purely so buyers know what to expect from you, you are most likely to impress contacts (both buyers and sellers) if they can pick up a genuine passion behind your collection. If anything the most important thing to do before starting a collection is to make sure your motives are strong, and that you really have a desire to collect. As with anything, success and gratification will surely follow. When beginning, therefore, it should be sufficient to merely choose one work that really matters to you. As you build around this work a pattern will emerge, but never shy away from choosing the occasional joker in the pack. Since a work that you really like may seem to sit awkwardly in your collection initially, over time it will probably become a choice favorite, adding another dimension to your collection. If you want your collection to stand out among others involve an element of risk. There are few good artworks, exhibitions, or collections that have had success from being mediocure. Your passion will win every time! Self-Confidence The art world is full of jargon, pretentiousness and arrogance. Don’t be put off by this, or by people who claim to know more than you. If you suffer criticisms for you choices, merely back them up with your own beliefs – everyone has a right to be a collector, and no one has the monopoly on taste. By being confident and assertive people will soon give you the credit that you well deserve. When starting out, start from the position that you want to collect art because you like art, and you want to collect art that you like! Personal Preference was founded on four core values - service, excellence, integrity, and creating an encouraging and respectful environment. These values are reflected throughout the company and are the source of our success. Our company offers a unique combination of quality art, outstanding prices, convenience and service. Buying art has never been easier! We look forward to making your art decorating experience easy, exciting and enjoyable. Enjoy visiting our Art Gallery. We are dedicated to making art buying easy, convenient and affordable. All of our artwork is delivered right to your door, beautifully framed and ready to hang. Below are descriptions of the various forms of art that are featured on our Web site. Canvas Transfer Lithograph on Canvas(LOC) Artist-Enhanced Lithograph on Canvas Giclée Textured Expressions Personal Preference Exclusive Miniature Art - Accessory Art Line Enjoy visiting our Art Gallery.
Art is in Demand! Passion Versus Expertise
If you have a real love of art, the likelihood is that you will have a knowledge of one or two areas that is stronger than your knowledge of other fields of interest. Letting this come through naturally will ultimately be far more rewarding than deliberately narrowing your focus. The truth is, while expertise proves invaluable, nobody wants to see a collection that is over bearing and comprised completely of the same type of art pieces. 
As you browse through our art gallery, you will discover that most of our images are originals or original reproductions on canvas. Because we have been refining our innovative reproduction techniques for decades, today we can offer you the fine-art look of an original oil painting at a fraction of the cost. If you look closely at our canvas transfers, lithographs, giclées and Textured Expressions, you will see the richness, depth, vivid color and sometimes even the texture of a $1,500 original painting for only $200-$300! Art Information 
This process starts with a paper print. The image is lifted from the paper through a multi-step process and then transferred onto a canvas. This process is labor-intensive, extremely intricate and must be carefully done in order not to damage the print. When successfully completed, the image takes on the texture of the canvas and the two become one. It requires one print for each canvas and is only done with the artist's approval.
Lithography is the process of taking an original image and reproducing it on a new surface, such as paper or canvas. The technique was discovered in 1798 and made popular by Currier & Ives in the 19th Century. The first step in creating a Lithograph on Canvas involves a specialized electronic computer process that separates the colors in the painting and produces lithographic color separation plates. The four ink colors that make up the plates are yellow, magenta (red), cyan (blue) and black. The plates are then placed on a printing press and carefully run one color at a time. As the ink colors overlap, they create the full, rich color palette you see on the finished painting.
Once a Lithograph on Canvas has been created through the process described above, an artist then hand-paints portions of the lithograph to enrich the color and texture of the image. This time consuming process is called an Artist-Enhanced Lithograph.
This type of reproduction utilizes the latest advances in computer and printing technologies. While Giclées offer an incredibly high resolution and color definition, they take a longer time to create than images made by traditional printing methods. The Giclée method results in an image that offers a depth and intensity similar to that found in the artist's original painting. A Hand-Embellished Giclée is created when the artist hand-paints portions of the Giclée to enrich the color and add texture to the image.
This breathtaking re-creation is amazingly faithful to the artist's vision and integrity of the original oil painting. The ingenious collaboration between the artist and state-of-the-art technology produces a multidimensional, heavily textured image on canvas that captures the warmth, depth, vivid color and even the texture of the artist's original painting. Textured Expressions images utilize a revolutionary new technique for giving heavy texture to the painting, which creates an "impasto" effect.
When a painting is identified as "Exclusive," it means that particular image is only available through our Company. A PPI Exclusive is identified with the symbol. 
Our Accessory Art Line is a collection of fully-framed miniature paintings in a variety of sizes from 4x4 to 4x10. These paintings make great gifts and are ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, dens, or as accents on bookshelves. We also offer a wide selection of subject matter such as florals, landscapes, still lifes, animals, and ethnic art. Each of our miniatures is made up of a print that is transferred to a masonite board, which is used for support in place of a stretcher bar. Then, either a print transfer process is completed or a deep canvas-coated covering is applied, giving the texture and appearance of a painting on canvas. These paintings range in price from $36 to $59. They make great gifts and are ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, dens, or as accents on bookshelves. These paintings are only available in the frame that is shown.
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