It’s the search for affordable treasures that makes it fun

An old painting, burnished with the patina of age, can be especially beautiful to someone who loves old things. And vintage art, especially amateur art, is highly collectible.

Some people look for pieces that fit a particular theme: landscapes, portraits, animals or still life, and build a collection around that. Others look for artwork done in a favorite color or from a certain period of time.

But most of us have only so much wall space. You can only hang so many large paintings in a room.

One way to continue to collect vintage art, and still have room to display it all, is to focus on the small canvases that designer and author Mary Emmerling calls “tiny jewels.”

There is something captivating about anything in miniature. Who can resist peeking into a doll house?

Years ago, I started picking up small vintage paintings, most no bigger than 8 by 10 inches, including the frame. My first was a pretty rose painted on a board. The whole thing is not much bigger than a postcard. I bought it at an auction when I was a teenager and I’ve had it since. That little painting has hung on a lot of walls over the years.

Now, whenever I travel I always look around for a small painting to bring home as a souvenir, so that whenever I see it, I’ll be reminded of the trip and of the day it was discovered.

Of course, you never know what you might find close to home.

Last year, while prowling through a thrift store near downtown, I saw just a bit of an ornate frame peeking out from a pile of nondescript picture frames stacked in a corner. I moved everything else aside and discovered an unusual little painting of a cow and calf. The small frame was elaborate and intact and in very good condition. The best part was that the price was only $2.

I don’t know who painted it, or why a painting of two cows in a field would be framed as beautifully as that one is, but I just couldn’t resist it.

I think my pretty rose painting, the bovine portrait and all the other pieces in my eclectic collection tell several stories. Each piece reflects the personality of whoever painted it, as well as my own personality.

A $2 painting is a little out of the ordinary, but there are plenty of affordable treasures out there. Part of the experience is setting a budget and looking for pieces that fit your price limit.

That’s what makes treasure hunting so much fun.