Read more about the article Intimidated by Oil Paints? 5 Reasons Not to be Hesitant
Bold little flowers

Intimidated by Oil Paints? 5 Reasons Not to be Hesitant

Oil paints need no introduction; they have been used in many celebrated paintings by ‘the masters’. It may be this status as the medium of the masters that causes them to be regarded with such reverence that they feel just out of the grasp of the beginner painter. But they are just a medium and I want to show how you can overcome that initial barrier. Because oil paints are a lot of fun ;)

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Serendipity in Art – 5 Ways to Heighten Your Creative Experience

What do I mean by serendipity in art? I’m talking about the art making process rather than an art buying serendipitous experience or serendipity relating to selling art and world events. What even is serendipity? I take it to mean fortunate, accidental occurrences that cause the right thing to happen at just the right time.

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Read more about the article Art on Products
Choose from 10 designs

Art on Products

I'm a big fan of functional items and must confess never been much of a one for ornaments so putting art on useful products makes great sense to me. I have spent some time and effort doing it myself at home (see below) but there is a limit to what I can do myself.[br][br][gallery link="file" columns="4" ids="2468,1707,1639,2421"]Magnetic Wildflower Bookmarklets[br] Geraniums[br] Wildflower Cushions[br] Stickers [br][br]

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Read more about the article Getting to Know Acrylics
Not shy at all

Getting to Know Acrylics

What are acrylic paints? They are a water based media that dries permanent with a plasticky finish. They are made from pigment in an acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylics come in different consistencies: High viscosity or heavy body: these guys really give a textural finish, I love them. Normal, medium viscosity: great for flat painting. Low viscosity or fluid acrylics: lovely for dripping or using in an airbrush. Acrylic inks: enjoy for graphic work, permanent backgrounds, writing.

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Read more about the article Protecting Artwork, 5 Important Things to Consider
Close up of Red kites top left corner

Protecting Artwork, 5 Important Things to Consider

Typically art isn’t cheap to buy and may also have deep emotional significance so it makes sense to want to protect it. From a sellers point of view you want to do all you can to ensure your buyer has the best rewards from their purchase possible. So what does artwork need protecting from? I think this really depends on the environment where it will be displayed and could include: being knocked or bumped fingerprints smoke dust uv light.

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Read more about the article From Inspiration to Celebration
Bluebells and butterflies

From Inspiration to Celebration

Today I want to share some of my creative process, not just the part where I actually make something but the background to it. All the ideas we get come from somewhere: the environment, plants, animals, political issues, internal landscape, hopes and dreams. For some time I have been particularly inspired by plants, especially flowers - I adore the colour and delicate form. I think I love butterflies for the same reason.

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Read more about the article The Cushion That Didn’t Fit In
Primrose inspired cushion cover in greens and blues

The Cushion That Didn’t Fit In

Porsha counted to 10 as she felt the packaging around her being gently opened. Two ladies stood there smiling and admiring her and she thought "this is a happy place, I'm going to be loved". She was placed on a table and the two ladies went out of the room, drinks in their hands chatting merrily.

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Read more about the article The Unifying Effect of Repetition
Need some sparkle ... add art

The Unifying Effect of Repetition

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In art and design repeating elements are used to unify an image, amongst other things. Artists will often repeat a colour in different areas of a canvas to bring the background and subject together. Motifs are often repeated and if different sizes are used some sort of rhythm can be established as well as unifying. abstract painting St John’s Wort inspired I often use repetition in my art in all the layers. In the final layer it is obvious as I repeat a series of pixel shapes and dashes in different parts of the canvas, for example in the image to the right (click to get a full sized view).

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