From giant bronze floor vases to Josephine Baker marionette

Sometimes when I’m wandering the floor at an auction house, I come across items I have no intention of buying but are struck by them. Then I just stop to take them in – some for their novelty and others for their outlandishness, others because they are just plain strange.

Here’s a sampling of what I’ve seen lately:

An up-close view of the bottom of a blue and white ceramic stand with lions' feet. The look reminded me of Delft pottery. — An up-close view of the bottom of a blue and white ceramic stand with lions’ feet. The look reminded me of Delft pottery.

An up-close view of the top of the blue and white ceramic stand.

Full view of the blue and white ceramic pottery stand. — Full view of the pair of blue and white ceramic stands.

A Josephine Baker puppet. It did not sell at auction, which didn't surprise me. It's awful. — A Josephine Baker marionette. It did not sell at auction, which didn’t surprise me. It’s awful.

Bronze floor vases with carved female busts. — Up-close view of a pair of bronze floor vases with carved female busts.

Barnyard scene on the back of a settee. — Up-close view of a barnyard scene on the back of a settee.

Full view of chair with barnyard scene. — Full view of the settee with barnyard scene.

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“ART WITH HEART: How I Built a Sweet Collection by Buying Cheap at Auction”

I collect art, but I’m not someone who has the means to pay $500,000 for a Charles White or $12 million for a Rembrandt. I’m one of the “rest of us” who want beautiful artwork in our homes but can’t afford to pay big bucks for it.

I found a novel way to build my collection – by buying art for very little money at mom-and-pop auction houses near where I live. I started out buying African American artists whose works spoke to me and were ignored by the mainstream art world. Then I discovered some other neglected artists who called out just as loud.

My book “ART WITH HEART” Is a selection of stories of how I found art that I loved, how I lost out on some, won others, learned some lessons that I share with you – and enjoyed every minute of it.

So, grab a seat next to me as I take you through the moments I spent building a collection that stirred my heart.

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