At this time of year people try to be creative about gift-giving and many of us try to out-do our past gifts to loved ones. For some, the gift of art is the answer. What could be more fun than to receive a beautiful, one-of-a-kind work of art? Although it can be a hard thing to choose for someone else here are a few ideas of how to buy work of art for someone else.

Keep track of artwork or galleries that the person might have liked on a trip or while window shopping — grab a business card from the gallery and keep in in your files for a later date when you might want to make that special purchase.

When selecting a gift it is best to buy from a gallery who will take the work of art back or give you a credit towards another purchase if the recipient is less than thrilled with their gift.

Consider giving someone the gift of a work of art of their own choosing at a later date. You could wrap up a pretty card with a work of art on the cover and write them a sort of gift certificate (or an IOU) for a work of art.

Keep in mind their space constraints when making a selection — it is often better to go smaller than over sized with a gift purchase unless you are sure there is just the right spot for the piece of art.

Happy shopping!