But, the problem with visiting small galleries is that you only luck out if they have your favorite genres of art hanging on their walls. Otherwise, you end up breezing through an exhibit, or skipping entire sections. I always feel guilty doing this, so I spend more time than I want examining art that doesn’t truly capture my interest because I feel like I should be examining it.

My solution?

Yes, most people use Flickr to showcase photography, but if you search enough, you can find some real gems of artist portfolios.

Here are two examples to get you started:

• Ian Rees (reesmeister2002) has a gorgeous gallery of pencil drawings. He has portraits and landscapes, graphite and color. I like that his work is photo-realistic, yet retains the rough texture associated with pencil drawing.
• Dieter (wystemd) has a fascinating watercolor gallery. His work appears effortless and really catches the eye. He has a way of using color to draw you in, and develops a sense of mood in each piece.

I’ll keep you posted with more great Flickr artist portfolios as I find them!