You'll find nice, budget pieces from time to time at stores like TJMaxx/HomeGoods/Marshalls, or you could buy an inexpensive poster print from allposters.com or ebay and frame it yourself with a frame from a place like Michael's, AC Moore or Kohls. Also keep an eye out at thrift stores for frames that are in good condition and reusable -- the owner may have tired of the print and donated rather than repurposing the frame. Good luck!

You can possibly DIY it. What style are you looking for? Have you check art.com for inspiration?

I always have SO much luck at Homegoods.

Thrift stores. My five favorite pieces, all good art in their own right, came from thrift stores. Total cost was under $200 for all (plus framing)

I agree thrift stores as well as your local Craigslist. Lynneinnewmexico just posted an example of updating a ratty frame in the thread on antique floral paintings. It's worth it to check it out if you can find a painting that you like, but the frame doesn't work. It seemed very easy and inexpensive to do using supplies from Michaels.

I also would love to find some great art. In my opinion, nothing makes a room look better than beautiful, colorful art.

The problem is that I always see art that I love in magazines or in houses on TV shows and movies, but I never know the artists name to go an search on art.com. Of course I know people like Gauguin, Van Gogh, etc., but I would like some modern pieces, too. I tend to like colorful pieces that have a free-flowing or impressionistic feel. I also like some abstract and contemporary stuff.

Any names of artists to check out?

I went to Gardenridge looking some christmas stuff and was surprised at how much home decorating stuff they had. It was pretty cheap, the quality wasn't the best but for certain items that may not matter.

For example they had this cute wall art piece of an old film projecter that I think would look nice in our future home theatre room. It was $75.

The had cute mirrors, picture frames. Home goods/tj maxx is great too.

When DD2 bought her townhome a couple of years ago, we shopped at Kirkland Home - different than the Kirkland mall stores - and found several she liked. Also Z Gallerie, but the ones from there were more expensive...at least the ones she picked out.

Online, also check out GrandinRoad.com

You can frame photographs that you have blown up, or fabric. I have found some pieces at HomeGoods. Or frame old postcards, invitations, etc.

You should definitely check out Etsy. There are tons of artists who would love you to buy their work. Most of it is reasonably priced, you're getting an original work of art and you're helping out artist. What's not to love. (You'll have to trust me, making it as an artist is REALLY difficult.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Etsy.com

Check out Southern Comforts consignment stores. They have locations in Dunwoody and Alpharetta. Most of the inventory is consigned but there are new pieces as well.

Here is a link that might be useful: Southern Comforts

Art.com
Overstock
ebay is the best for good deals

I second Ebay. I have some great framed paintings from there. Also try local auction houses.

Jockewing,some modern artists to consider would be George Braque (my favorite), Riopelle, Cezanne, Picaso, Gorkey (just saw his exhibit at the Phila Art Musueum, and Miro.

Try looking on ebay.

Another vote for Etsy.

Also, your own photos. Some of my favorite artwork happens to be photos that we have taken on vacations, or some that DS has taken -- last year he took close-up pics of our eyes when we were in Aruba. Sounds weird but I took three of them and put them in a frame and it looks so cool. One set of eyes has sunglasses on (me!), one is squinting into the sun (DD), and one is sort of looking sideways (other DS). Placed in a black frame and white matt from Target, it's a unique piece of art! I've had lots of digital photos enlarged and popped into a Target frame for maybe a grand total of $20-30.

Great suggestions so far. I really like art.com as you can customize picture, mat, frame and they have a varied selection. Also agree with the local thrift stores and consignment shops.

A great place to look is goodwill. They even have their on website. Its amazing what you will find on there and very affordable.
Just go to shopgoodwill.com

They have really nice wall art and at affordable prices.

Here is a link that might be useful: Art Website

Why not go to an art fair? You can often get original wrok for the price of a reproduction. For that matter, many painters DO have reproductions of their originals: framed or just matted and ready to frame.

I live near Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts holds student art shows where art is for sale. In June they hold a painting show. In October it is a print show. The student work is very good. Cheap too. We collect antique landscape and architectural etchings, I am making a print room (a room that has prints from ceiling to floor, framed). I needed a few prints to fill in some blank spaces and got them there for $10 each. Frames came from Joanne. I dare anyone to tell the difference between my $$$ artwork and the student stuff. Get on the email list from your local art school, I bet they have student sales too.

I've used sources such as Art.com named above as well as Allposters.com (not just 'posters') and then have purchased ready-made frames at Ikea, Michaels or an Art store (ie. DeSerres0. In some cases,had custom matting done for the ready-made frame. It still ends up being less costly...

Here are some vintage prints that you can download and print at home.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vintage Printable

OMG latimore! What a FIND!!

Did you have a style in mind, nikkia2112?

I second looking for student art exhibits. We have a very good fine arts program at our university and I've gotten some nice pottery and other beautiful things inexpensively when they have their end-of-semester projects available for sale. One of the faculty even sells his work at this student show for way less than he could get in a gallery.

Also, if your city/town has some sort of gallery crawl, you may want to check that out. I would imagine somewhere in ATL this happens. Not everything is hugely priced at those, if you go to a smaller gallery.

Now that spring is coming, there will be a lot of outdoor sidewalk art festivals. That's another great place to get nice things for a good deal.

Home consignment stores. ;o)

Over the years I've had my best luck at thrift and antique shops, but I'm also a huge fan of Etsy and some of the artists who sell their own work on eBay. There are a whole slew of them who post a new, original painting nearly every day, they are affordable and you'll never see your art on someone else's walls.

Carole Marine is one of my favorites, I'll link to her:

Here is a link that might be useful: Carol Marine Painting a Day