SoCo Modern Art Gallery offers investment level art & design for the seasoned and curious collector. Our focus is primarily contemporary and modern art, along with an array of important 20th-century design. The collection is curated by Patrick Jones and Reyne Hirsch, both veteran collectors with an eye for up and coming artists. Notable artist offerings include Banksy, Andy Warhol, Invader, Arsham, Dicke, and more.

Investing in art is a great way to renovate your home and increase your savings. The value of art can appreciate with the passage of time while hanging on the wall. Active participation will let you collect good information and knowledge about the world of art. In order to get started, follow a couple of smart tips.

Start by researching. Pay a visit to a couple of museums close to your residential place and get familiar with some painters. Market brochures and galleries are very helpful in getting necessary information. Learn the type of arts and determine your area of interest in order to choose suitable artistic work from reliable painters. It would be helpful if you could begin with an investment of around 10,000 to 15,000 pounds. Remember that you are in the market to buy and keep the piece for a certain amount of time and not for making quick profits. Do not concentrate on buying and selling artistic pieces. Instead, focus your interest on the pleasure a work of art can give and learn the basics of trade while using paintings to decorate your home.

In order to make a good collection, determine the painting style and history, your tates and preferences. Though the entry level for investment can be around 10,000 pounds, you can start with 1,000 pounds if you develop an eye on finding good deals at affordable prices. Buying paintings from artists who have just started their career is a great way to get good deals and save lot of money.

When the time passes, the value of the painting may increase, but there is no guarantee. If you feel that the value has increased considerably, sell the work for the current market price. Save a portion of your profits and invest the balance in other artistic work.

Look for artists who have a good story. A challenging and fascinating painting story will fetch higher price as the time passes. When it comes to value in work, rarity plays an important role. If the copies of a particular artistic work are rare and less in circulation, its value can increase considerably in no time.

Make sure that you are dealing with an artist who has attained proper training and mentoring. Such an artist will always be held in high esteem by the art world and the art collectors. Get familiar with the financial achievements of the artist. It can be useful to judge an artist's credibility by noting the prices that their work has sold for across the country over a period of time. Beware of galleries that are not independent though, and only allowed to sell the work they are given by the publishers that control them.

The simplest way to ascertain the value of a particular artistic work is to find the price at which others have bought that piece. If you wish to work with a painter with little history, find out the value of his work at trade shows and galleries. Signed prints, and limited editions can be a great way to enter the market, if you are unable to afford original piece of work. The value of such pieces increase with time as they are available in limited quantity and often signed personally by the artist, who may or may not be dead. It is important to pay attention to the work of highly acclaimed and recognized artists, as their work will always have a value far above an unknown artist.

While investing in any kind of art work, make sure to manage your risk effectively. Prepare beforehand whether you choose to invest in original pieces or signed limited edition prints. With time and knowledge, you should be able to earn a profit through art investments.

o Only invest in art works that are in good condition and that are likely to survive the test of time.

Buying Artwork is often considered to be the exclusive privilege of the rich and there is plenty of evidence to prove this with record sales making headlines the world over. Van Gogh's sunflowers famously selling for $39.7million back in 1987 is just one example. With the current economic crisis casting a long shadow of financial insecurity for the foreseeable future, more people are looking for tangible alternatives in which to invest their hard-earned money. Buying art is one such alternative, but can it really be a safe investment? Is there a science to making it profitable or is it all just an indulgent matter of the heart? Here are four simple points to consider when buying art, whether for £50 or £50,000.

Chose a discipline

Art doesn't have to be just fine art: i.e. paint on a canvas. No one can doubt the craftsmanship and art that is required to cut a diamond or carve a fine dining chair from a piece of wood so why not consider buying furniture (such as Chippendale) or sculpture, or more personal items such as antique glass, silver and jewellery? These items may have a broader range of price too enabling investors to start small and grow their collection over time. One collector bought for his daughter, on the occasion of her birthday each year, an antique silver spoon. In time, she learnt to love the subject too and began to compliment the gifts with her own purchases and built up an impressive, and highly valuable, collection.

Research your subject matter

Knowing your subject matter is vital and there is a wealth of information available ranging from the local library for the more academic research to the internet for information on recent sales. An auction house will produce a catalogue for each sale and these are useful points of reference as they will record each piece's provenance (history). A quirky history, such as a famous owner in the past, will add value to a piece, regardless of what it is.

Study the market

Knowing the current market for your particular discipline is as important as knowing the provenance of a piece itself. The internet, again, is key and regular attendance at auction sales will help you to gauge who shares your interest in a particular style or genre as well as give you a guide to what pieces are selling for. Don't forget that an auction price is not necessarily indicative of a piece's value: demand may have pushed the price up.

* Setting up a website may be worth the investment as this will ensure that your paintings or drawings could be displayed and available to all those who find your site. If you are not particularly technical or know much about websites, then it is worth asking a professional web designer to set up the website for you, they will ensure that your work is displayed professionally and is to your requirements. Remember that the web page is there to sell your work, so carefully scripted sales copy would need to be on the site to detail your artistic background in the best way.

There's a good reason why most players in the art market are high-net-worth individuals, and it doesn't necessarily have to do with the high prices of art pieces. No, it has more to do with the fact that risks are high in art investment. Even the most seasoned collectors, art dealers and auction houses make investment mistakes that cost them obscene amounts of money. On the other hand, if you play your cards right, you stand a very good chance of getting very high returns. Indeed, it's a high stakes investment game where the risks are high and the returns even higher.

The good news is that there are some ways to put the odds of a getting a successful investment in your favour.

Stick to the Middle Ground

The bulk of the interest in art investment typically focuses on the middle ground of the market. Investors, at least those who want to play it smart, focus on pieces that are neither too old to be considered antiques, nor too contemporary wherein their value is questionable. Pieces that are too old often raise complex issues of ownership, forgery and heritage, which can all potentially take too much of your time. Pieces that are too contemporary on the other hand, have yet to make the rounds at major auction houses, so issues of their deemed value may arise.

Sticking to the middle ground reduces your risk of making mistakes with your investments. The middle ground is mostly made up of contemporary art pieces that are neither too new nor old. What most investors like to do is purchase works from artists that have passed away since it gives a solid indication on the value of their art. This is because the supply of artwork has already been defined-of course, there's still the risk of unreleased works and forgeries.

Research and More Research

Information is key to finding success in the art market. If you don't have enough knowledge of the art market, make sure you do your homework before making any investments, Read as much as you can and talk to people from the inside. Scour through art magazines, visit art exhibits and have personal talks with the artists themselves-this is important if you're planning to buy their work.

Invest for the Long Run

Multiple studies of the art market show that investment opportunities are more favourable than other markets when you hold art pieces for at least 10 years or more. Well-selected contemporary art pieces can easily become more valuable after just 5 years.

Buying Artwork is often considered to be the exclusive privilege of the rich and there is plenty of evidence to prove this with record sales making headlines the world over. Van Gogh's sunflowers famously selling for $39.7million back in 1987 is just one example. With the current economic crisis casting a long shadow of financial insecurity for the foreseeable future, more people are looking for tangible alternatives in which to invest their hard-earned money. Buying art is one such alternative, but can it really be a safe investment? Is there a science to making it profitable or is it all just an indulgent matter of the heart? Here are four simple points to consider when buying art, whether for £50 or £50,000.

Chose a discipline

Art doesn't have to be just fine art: i.e. paint on a canvas. No one can doubt the craftsmanship and art that is required to cut a diamond or carve a fine dining chair from a piece of wood so why not consider buying furniture (such as Chippendale) or sculpture, or more personal items such as antique glass, silver and jewellery? These items may have a broader range of price too enabling investors to start small and grow their collection over time. One collector bought for his daughter, on the occasion of her birthday each year, an antique silver spoon. In time, she learnt to love the subject too and began to compliment the gifts with her own purchases and built up an impressive, and highly valuable, collection.

Research your subject matter

Knowing your subject matter is vital and there is a wealth of information available ranging from the local library for the more academic research to the internet for information on recent sales. An auction house will produce a catalogue for each sale and these are useful points of reference as they will record each piece's provenance (history). A quirky history, such as a famous owner in the past, will add value to a piece, regardless of what it is.

Study the market

Knowing the current market for your particular discipline is as important as knowing the provenance of a piece itself. The internet, again, is key and regular attendance at auction sales will help you to gauge who shares your interest in a particular style or genre as well as give you a guide to what pieces are selling for. Don't forget that an auction price is not necessarily indicative of a piece's value: demand may have pushed the price up.

o Only invest in art works that are in good condition and that are likely to survive the test of time.

If you think you have the talent and enthusiasm to become a pro artist, you should go ahead with it. However, do remember that talent alone won't take you anywhere unless you can imbibe discipline into your routine and pledge to improvise over your flaws. Modern decorative art painting is more about observation and diligence than anything else. However, some educational or technical qualification also helps.

Though you can sign up for some course if you wish, the best form of learning is self-education. Research as much as possible, observe the paintings of artists from all eras and try to experiment with different styles. When you are working on modern wall art paintings, you will produce bad work more often than good work. It is the part and parcel of an artist's life. Don't let your failings curb your enthusiasm; keep on improvising and producing work until you come with perfect art.

Warming up is also essential. Your first few strokes of brush may not produce good results. Allow yourself some time to get into stride and after an hour or so you will feel confident as you slip into the right mood. Contemporary canvas art work also requires a professional to be discreet with his materials.

Since you are aiming to become a professional artist (and not just an amateurish one), you must not work with shoddy materials! Even if you have to invest some extra bucks, make sure that your painting brush, canvas and colors are of professional quality.

Out of the 10 paintings you produce, 7 or 8 (or even 9) may be mediocre stuff. Do not throw them away. Stack them for future reference, but do not market them or show them to a potential employer. Quality should be given precedence over quantity. Display only those works which are your best.

Your hand-painted art paintings will require you to choose from a gamut of media and painting styles. As for painting, you can choose to paint in oil or in acrylics or you may use watercolor. Watercolor is the cheapest but is preferable mostly for landscapes or seascapes. For portraits and decorative art paintings, you better settle for oil painting or acrylic painting.

You must also learn about computer imaging. The modern artworks take assistance from computer tools and software especially for illustration. You can help yourself grow and get better in art by teaching novices or young learners. Also, try to improve your power of discernment, develop your power of judgment, learn to take negative comments in your stride and try to tell a story using your art.

The simplest way to ascertain the value of a particular artistic work is to find the price at which others have bought that piece. If you wish to work with a painter with little history, find out the value of his work at trade shows and galleries. Signed prints, and limited editions can be a great way to enter the market, if you are unable to afford original piece of work. The value of such pieces increase with time as they are available in limited quantity and often signed personally by the artist, who may or may not be dead. It is important to pay attention to the work of highly acclaimed and recognized artists, as their work will always have a value far above an unknown artist.

Buying Artwork is often considered to be the exclusive privilege of the rich and there is plenty of evidence to prove this with record sales making headlines the world over. Van Gogh's sunflowers famously selling for $39.7million back in 1987 is just one example. With the current economic crisis casting a long shadow of financial insecurity for the foreseeable future, more people are looking for tangible alternatives in which to invest their hard-earned money. Buying art is one such alternative, but can it really be a safe investment? Is there a science to making it profitable or is it all just an indulgent matter of the heart? Here are four simple points to consider when buying art, whether for £50 or £50,000.

Chose a discipline

Art doesn't have to be just fine art: i.e. paint on a canvas. No one can doubt the craftsmanship and art that is required to cut a diamond or carve a fine dining chair from a piece of wood so why not consider buying furniture (such as Chippendale) or sculpture, or more personal items such as antique glass, silver and jewellery? These items may have a broader range of price too enabling investors to start small and grow their collection over time. One collector bought for his daughter, on the occasion of her birthday each year, an antique silver spoon. In time, she learnt to love the subject too and began to compliment the gifts with her own purchases and built up an impressive, and highly valuable, collection.

Research your subject matter

Knowing your subject matter is vital and there is a wealth of information available ranging from the local library for the more academic research to the internet for information on recent sales. An auction house will produce a catalogue for each sale and these are useful points of reference as they will record each piece's provenance (history). A quirky history, such as a famous owner in the past, will add value to a piece, regardless of what it is.

Study the market

Knowing the current market for your particular discipline is as important as knowing the provenance of a piece itself. The internet, again, is key and regular attendance at auction sales will help you to gauge who shares your interest in a particular style or genre as well as give you a guide to what pieces are selling for. Don't forget that an auction price is not necessarily indicative of a piece's value: demand may have pushed the price up.