A: The first work that ever came into my possession was a lithograph by Ed Ruscha. It was gifted to me several years ago. As Jannah mentioned, prints are also a great way to begin collecting, and editioned works by blue-chip artists like Frank Stella, Tom Wesselmann and Donald Baechler are all within grasp without having to break the bank.
In an ideal world, there are several artists on my radar. A couple months after acquiring the Ruscha, I went ahead and bid on a work by Carrie Mae Weems from her 'Kitchen Table' series in an auction but was swiftly outbid. I’ve made sure to follow her on Artsy since then, so that I can receive notifications whenever a new work gets added by a gallery partner or is featured in an auction. I also came across a drawing by Agnes Martin called No Exit at a group show at Peter Blum Gallery. At first impression, it’s a drawing of slightly irregular lines, with the white space on the sheet punctuated by dots made by pen. There’s an absolute calmness and musicality in her drawings that evoke a sense of peace.