I was talking with some friends who also happen to be collectors of my work about the best way to show off their paintings in their homes. They had some really creative ideas, but not all of them were very practical.

The different options we considered were ceiling mounted can lights, track lighting, and picture lights. 

It really depends on what is important to you. Can lights are a good option if you don't mind cutting holes in your ceiling and running wiring. If you go in this direction you probably want to look for lights that can be adjusted to get the right angles on your art. 

Track lighting is used in a lot of galleries because of it's flexibility. You can move them up and down the track and adjust the angles to suit your needs. This could be important if you change out your artwork or move things around very often. Most track lighting needs to be hardwired, but you won't need to do any major surgery on your ceiling.

The last option we discussed was picture lighting. There are tons of styles, shapes, and sizes to choose from. So you can easily match your decor. Some need to be plugged in, but there are others that run on batteries.

Whichever type of lighting you choose, keep these important tips in mind.
1. Avoid lights that get hot and emit UV rays. These will damage your artwork.
2. Do look for high quality LEDs with a color tempertaure of 2,700 K and a CRI of at least 95.
3. Downlight is best. An exception to this rule might be when you are trying to create dramatic lighting on a very long, vertical piece. Otherwise you will end up with horror show style shadows on the wall. You don't want that.
4. Angle your lights less steeply for high gloss, or works under glass to avoid glare.
5. Remember, the goal is to display your artwork and show it off to it's best advantage. You want people to notice the art, not the lighting.
6. And lastly, not every piece needs lit. You live in a home not an art gallery. Think about only lighting a select few pieces that will benefit from the extra attention. For instance a dark painting will need lighting more than a light one. 

I hope this helps you decide which if any option will work best in your home. 
​Do you have any special lighting on your artwork?
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