New years Art Resolutions!

  It's a new year, and 2013 is set to be bright and exciting, so you want to make a few changes to your home? Maybe start collecting art, or expand on a budding home gallery? A commendable resolution and probably easier to keep than 10k runs every sunday, too. To keep your from straying and letting your cultural needs go hungry, here are 5 points to consider.

• Do I want an art work to dominate a wall, or a smaller piece to join a budding collection? You've made the hard decision to let art into your home, what next? Well I'd suggest focusing on deciding what you want from your collection, maybe you prefer a narrative to your adornments, a piece that carries its own personality, or maybe something that compliments your home rather than a familial addition. Be confident in your tastes, they can never be wrong.

• Are you looking for a large piece to dominate a wall or a small frame to sit amongst your family photos? Also have you thought about if you're prefer a painting to photography? Brightly coloured or muted? Figurative or abstract? Street art or landscapes? Maybe it' be easier to ask what you'd have in your home if it was the only object you were ever allowed to lay your eyes on.

• Do look at artists and mediums you wouldn't ordinarily consider, considering bright colours over your favourite monochrome could be what you actually want. Just because you haven't thought of something daring before doesn't mean you won't fall in love with it. Risks are normally rewarding.

• Don't be scared of small independent galleries. Take a risk here! Don't be afraid of small independent galleries. Although seemingly intimidating, these galleries will hold the hidden gems of emerging artists. The delight of finding The Next Big Thing and the perfect work for your home surely outweighs the initial fear of an small shop? By deciding to follow art into independent galleries you'll have a wider variety of art and a more personable service. You will be consulted and your opinions heard, the art you will find will be experimental and cutting edge in the latest trends and technology. You won't find this in larger interior shops or galleries.

• Even by going online you can research emerging artists and return again and again to that piece you can't quite make a decision on. Could you live without it? This is the deciding factor. If it is already in your heart then you should probably adopt it.

Good luck, and stick with that resolution.