The true value of original art is often overlooked.
Consider the average home in a major U.S. city. While prices vary from place to place, it’s fair to say that a well-appointed single-family home in most major metropolitan areas can easily exceed $1 million in value. The same can be said for automobiles—many Americans own vehicles worth $100,000 or more. These are impressive assets, yet in everyday life they have become remarkably commonplace.
Living in Miami, on the course of a single day’s drive, I can easily pass a dozen Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Rolls-Royces, and Bentleys—each valued well into the six figures. Despite their luxury, they are no longer rare sights.
The same applies to homes. Many are built from identical floor plans, where a neighbor’s house may be the exact same model as yours. It’s not uncommon to see multiple homes on the same street that are virtually indistinguishable from one another—or even driveways with two identical vehicles parked side by side.
Now compare that to an original work of art.
A Lamborghini may be beautiful, but there are thousands of people who own the same model. An original artwork, however, is entirely singular. There is only one—anywhere in the world. While it’s true that certain artists command higher prices due to reputation, demand, and market forces, the reality is that every original artwork ever created carries an intrinsic value that many people fail to recognize. To the artist, that value can be far greater than the monetary figure assigned to it by the outside world.
Those who collect and appreciate original art possess something truly irreplaceable. There is no neighbor with the same piece hanging on their wall. No duplicate exists. When you acquire an original artwork, you are acquiring a unique piece of history—and you become part of that history going forward. You are bringing into your home a handmade object that originated in the mind of its creator and was realized through their hands. Each piece has its own journey: first conceived as an idea, then shaped through countless decisions, revisions, and moments of intuition.
Many of my works go through extensive stages of development. This is true of both my figurative and abstract paintings, though especially so with abstract work. A figurative painting may begin as a graphite sketch and undergo multiple revisions before I feel it is ready to be transferred to a larger canvas. An abstract painting may contain numerous layers of paint and evolve over the course of months before it is finally considered complete. By the end of the process, the finished work may bear little resemblance to how it began.
This is something viewers often don’t realize. What may appear to be a simple overpainted area could actually conceal hours—or even days—of previous work that was painted over, reworked, and transformed. Beneath the surface lies a history of decisions, risks, and refinements that are invisible but very real.
Collectors should understand that acquiring an original work from an artist they believe in creates a lasting connection. When I look at past works—whether they remain in my collection or now live in the homes of collectors—they often transport me back to the time of their creation. My process may have changed since then, and my life circumstances may be entirely different, but each piece reflects a specific moment in time. It captures a chapter of the artist’s life, preserved on canvas.
That commitment—the time, the energy, the emotion, and the lived experience embedded in the work—is something that often goes unnoticed by the casual viewer. Yet it is precisely this human element that gives original art its enduring and irreplaceable value.
– Blair