Showing posts with label art. Show all posts

Buying Art Online: 6 Tips for Staying Safe and Getting the Best Products

The digital age has expanded the art world far beyond the walls of traditional galleries. Online platforms and virtual galleries have become more popular, making it easier than ever for artists to showcase their work. In turn, enthusiasts also have an easier time discovering and purchasing unique art prints, posters, paintings, and much more. This increased accessibility has opened up the art market to a broader audience and allowed people from all walks of life to explore, appreciate and acquire art from the comfort of their homes.

However, the convenience of buying art online also presents its own unique challenges. Navigating the vast array of options can be overwhelming, and there are many valid concerns about authenticity, quality and the safety of online transactions. The impersonal nature of online shopping only adds to the uncertainty. Thus, potential buyers need to approach the process strategically for a more secure and satisfying purchase experience.

To help you navigate the online art market with confidence and knowledge, this article provides practical advice. The following tips can help you make informed decisions, avoid common pitfalls, and ultimately enjoy the process of acquiring beautiful art:

Research the Artist and Gallery

art research

Before making any purchase, you’ll want to dive into the background of the artist and the gallery or platform selling the artwork. This step goes beyond a simple Google search. You also want to check out the artist’s previous works, exhibitions, and overall reputation. Often, reputable galleries provide detailed artist profiles and histories, which can offer insights into the artist’s journey and significance in the art world. Understanding the artist’s background will enhance your appreciation of the piece and help ensure that you are investing in genuine, high-quality art.

Verify Authenticity

When buying art like paintings online, you’ll need to take some extra steps to verify its authenticity, as you won’t have the luxury of physically inspecting the piece. Ask the seller to provide you with certificates of authenticity, which should include critical details such as the title, medium, dimensions, and the artist’s signature. These certificates serve as a guarantee that the artwork is genuine and created by the stated artist. You may also want to seek advice from art experts or consult online databases and registries that track and verify art authenticity.

Read Reviews and Testimonials

Feedback from previous buyers can be incredibly valuable when purchasing art (or really, everything and anything) online. Reviews and testimonials provide insights into the reliability of the seller and the overall buying experience. Pay close attention to comments about the condition of the artwork upon arrival, the accuracy of the descriptions and images provided, and the level of customer service. Positive reviews can be reassuring, while negative feedback can serve as a warning to proceed with caution or avoid certain sellers and products altogether.

Ask for Detailed Images and Descriptions

One of the key challenges of buying art online is not being able to see the piece in person. You can get around this by always asking for high-quality images and detailed descriptions of the artwork. Request multiple photos taken from different angles and in various lighting conditions to get a comprehensive view of the piece. Ask for close-up shots to help you examine the texture and fine details.

In addition, the seller should also provide you with a thorough description of the piece at your request. This should cover the artwork's medium, dimensions, condition, and any unique features. You need this information to understand the true appearance and value of the piece so that you won’t meet with any unpleasant surprises when it arrives.

While the process can feel tedious, it ensures that you’re getting what you’re paying for. Additionally, any online art seller worth their salt would be more than happy to prove that what they’re offering is the real deal.

Insure Your Purchase

computer

Given the potential risks involved in shipping valuable art, getting insurance for your purchase is a wise precaution. Many reputable sellers offer shipping insurance as part of their service but make sure to confirm this before finalising the purchase. Insurance can protect against damage, loss or theft during transit, which can help your peace of mind.

If the seller doesn’t provide insurance, consider arranging it through a third-party service. While it might incur additional costs, insurance is a worthwhile investment to safeguard your art during the delivery process.

Beware of Red Flags

The online art market, like any other, has its share of potential scams and pitfalls. Stay vigilant and be aware of red flags that might indicate a less-than-reputable seller. Be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true, as they often are. Other warning signs to watch out for include lack of transparency about the artwork’s origin, vague or inconsistent information, and high-pressure sales tactics.

It also helps to check for a professional online presence; reputable sellers typically have well-designed websites and active social media profiles. Trust your instincts—if something feels off, it’s better to walk away.

Build a Relationship with the Seller

Developing a relationship with the seller or gallery can improve your art-buying experience in many ways. If you maintain good rapport with them, you can ask questions, request additional information, and gain insights into the artwork. Trusted sellers often appreciate engaged and informed buyers and may even offer you perks like personalised recommendations or early access to new works.

Buying art online can be a fulfilling and enriching experience when you approach it with care. Follow these tips and you’ll soon gain the skills and knowledge you need to navigate the digital art market confidently. Embrace the journey and enjoy the unique pieces that will enhance your collection.

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How to Boost Your Child's Creativity

Creativity is the single most important skill for parents to work on with children as all others rely on their ability to think for themselves and create innovative ideas, such as problem solving for example. Below are some tips from a pre school in Cheltenham on how parents can help children in this area.

Invest in Craft Supplies

painting


Art is an area you should try and explore as it gives children the opportunity to exercise their imagination and execute their ideas. there are many ways in which you can create with crafting, painting, drawing, decorating, sewing and more depending on the age of the child.

Ask Questions

There are also things that you can do to help bring their creative side out, such as asking questions and challenging their way of thinking. You may hint or allude to other ways of doing things to show them that there are various solutions that can be applied.

Creative Writing

There are several other activities that require the skill, such as creative writing. If your child is able to read and write, they can have a go at writing their own story, poem and other forms of literature.

Unstructured Play

What’s important however is that they have the ability to think for themselves and create their own ideas. Toys can create rigid guidelines for play and can limit a child’s imagination. To provide flexibility parents can implement what is known as “unstructured play”. It utilises open-ended resources that children can use however they like, such as Lego, and involves leaving them to create games of their own. You may also look for games that provide scope for creativity such as hide and seek.

Play, therefore, has a crucial part in exploring creativity with children, although there are things you can do to encourage them to think differently and consider alternative points of view. Be sure to surround your child with plenty of learning materials and open-ended toys that allow them to exercise and explore their imagination.

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Wychwood Art - Buy Affordable Art Online

I've always been interested in art and culture and when I travel I enjoy visiting art galleries and museums. Some of my favourite art galleries are the Tate Modern in London and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and some of my favourite artists are Klimt and Van Gough.

Why You Should Appreciate Art

woodland painting

Rustic Woodland By Jan Rogers £285

I am by no means an art expert, I never studied art in school even but I think appreciating art is important for many reasons. Art can cause a real emotional reaction, from inspiration to love to sadness and happiness. It often has cultural and historical significance as we can learn about the world around us through art. Art can also be thought-provoking and make us reevaluate what we originally thought.

Appreciating art in galleries is a fabulous activity however it is always nice to own some art yourself. Art however can be very expensive to buy. If you are an unknown artist art is priced on the size of the artwork, materials used, and how long it takes to produce, however, if you are a well-known artist then sales history, exhibition history and demand is taken into consideration. 

You can buy art at auction and you can buy original art online from a site such as Wychwood Art. 

About Wychwood Art 

hound painting
Foxhound - Oil Painting By Kate Knott £470

Wychwood Art sells limited edition prints and original paintings online and from their gallery in the Cotswolds. Wychwood Art also exhibits at the Affordable Art Exhibition in Battersea each year. They sell the art of over 350 contemporary artists, from the quirky art of Kate Boxer to the landscape art of Andrea Allen.

Deborah Allan the director of Wychwood Art, hand curates the artwork and she has a great eye and expert knowledge from working at Christie's and Bonham's auction house in the modern art area. She knows what appeals to people about art and why people buy art in modern times. This makes the art available at Wychwood Art unique and special as well as affordable. 

My Favourite Pieces From Wychwood Art

Tenby harbour painting

The Tenby Experience 4 - Limited Edition Print By Anya Simmonds £25

This print by Anya Simmonds takes me back to my many visits to Tenby in West Wales. It's so delightful, and Anya has captured the coloured buildings perfectly! I have been visiting Tenby every year since I was a child.  When I was young my parents used to go camping in Penally close by and I can remember my dad cooking bacon on the little camping stove. I still visit now and love my stays here and that is why this print is so close to my heart. It's a bargain price too.

Spring meadow painting

Glorious Rainbow Meadow - Acrylic On Canvas By Lucy Moore £330

There is something I love about this work of art by Lucy Moore. It reminds me of a beautiful spring day in the countryside. The colours are bright but the painting has a calming effect, and I can also almost smell the grass and the flowers that took me back to my childhood days. I think this artwork would light up any room.

sea painting

Spilling Waves - Oil On Canvas By Helen Howells £995

This painting by Helen Howells in oils is different to the other paintings above. It has a motion and freeness about it and I love the way the artist has applied the oils to get this effect, you can almost hear the water rolling in. It has a moodiness about it too.  I live near the sea in South Wales and Helen does too so it's nice to champion a local artist. 

Conclusion

As you can see they have art to suit all budgets at Wychwood Art. Appreciating art can enrich our lives in many ways, and I recommend you check out the Wychwood Art website for affordable art that won't break the bank. Let me know, do you have a favourite artist? What do you think of my choices above? 

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Fascinating Art At The Prado Museum Madrid

If you are an art lover there are so many amazing art galleries to visit around the world. From the Lourve in Paris to the Art Institute of Chicago to the National Portrait Gallery in London, whether you are into traditional art or modern art there are some wonderful art museums. One of those museums that you should visit but you may not have heard so much about is the Prado Museum in Madrid. 

Prado Museum

It's full of wonderful and extensive collections of Spanish and European paintings. A really wonderful museum. If you haven't heard about it before, please read on to find out about the fascinating art at the Prado Museum in Madrid.

Where is it?

The Prado Museum is situated in the city of Madrid, the capital of Spain. Madrid is a rich cultural destination, known for its historical buildings, its food markets, its museums and its nightlife. Being a little over a two hour flight from the UK, it's the perfect weekend destination. 

The Prado Museum

The Triumph of Bacchus
The Triumph Of Bacchus by Diego Velázquez

The Museo del Prado or Prado Museum houses one of the world´s finest collections of European art and paintings, most notably its Spanish, Italian and Flemish schools, daring from the 12th century. It has an extensive collection of Francisco Goya's work and is also known for work by El Greco, Titian, Rubens and Diego Velazquez. 

The collection at the Prado Museum has approximately 8,200 drawings, 7,600 paintings, 4,800 prints, and 1,000 sculptures, in addition to many other works of art and historic documents. You could spend days here and still not see it all! If you are a real art lover then dedicate at least a couple of days to see the well-known art, and expect to come back every time you are in Madrid.

Some of the famous paintings at Prado include 

Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights.

Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights

  • The Triumph Of Bacchus by Diego Velázquez, The painting shows Bacchus surrounded by drunks.
  • Bosch’s Garden Of Earthly Delights. The painting represents the insatiable weakness of man for not resisting sinful physical temptation.
  • Goya's The Second Of May In Madrid. The painting depicts the dramatic riots in Madrid on May 2, 1808, after Napoleon's troops had invaded the country.
  • Peter Paul Rubens' Adoration of the Magi. The Magi present their gifts to Christ as a child. They are in the company of a large group of people. A young Jesus seems to be playing with the incense given to him.
The Prado Museum costs 15 Euros per person and concessions are 7. 50 Euros.

Other art museums

Madrid is a great place to visit for art lovers as there is an abundance of other art museums too. 

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía or the Queen Sofía Museum is Spain's national museum of 20th-century art. The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza or the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is a museum close to the Prado Museum that complements its art with art from the English, Dutch and German schools.

Where to stay

There are a number of hotels near the Prado museum. My favourite luxury hotels include the following.

Hotel Urban. A 5-star luxury boutique hotel with a rooftop pool
Soho Boutique Congresso. A 4-star hotel in the centre of Madrid.
Axel Hotel Madrid. A 4-star hotel adult hotel in the Huertas district.

As you can see if you are an art lover, then it is well worth visiting the Prado Museum Madrid. Let me know if you have ever been or want to go. 

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Beautiful Modern Art From Mike At Art Veles House

I've always been slightly jealous of people who can paint. It's such a creative and expressive way of communicating. The best artists have a real talent for their work, with a few brush strokes they can paint such amazing portraits and landscapes of subjects and scenery. One of the best artists I have seen recently is Mike at Art Veles House.

Mike Novikov from Art Veles House is a graduate of art schools in both Milan and London. With his specialist subject being oil paintings, for the last 20 years, he has had clients from all around the world, drawn to his modern portraits of the female form.

His art is painted on cotton canvas or board with oils, and created from high-resolution colour photographs.  Art is very subjective but you can truly see the quality of the work from Mike at Art Veles House. The modern art paintings would look amazing on any wall.

Let's have a look at some of my favourite oil paintings from Mike Novikov from Art Veles House.

This first portrait in oils that I have chosen is very striking. Painted in a soft romantic way, the colours used are warm in tone and the way the light reflects on her face giving a soft focus is truly stunning. The woman's eyes are green and seem to look straight at you. A past commission this work is a true work of art.


The second painting I have chosen, an oil painting of a woman in a red dress, is available to buy from the Art Veles House website. Mike has captured the light well in this painting. The warm light casts a glow on the woman, showing her flowing blonde hair and highlighting her back. She is feminine without having everything on show. The red dress has texture and is flowing and the simple bracelet picks up the light. 


This painting of a woman playing the violin is another favourite of mine. It has a slightly abstract tone, whilst still being a romantic style portrait of a woman. The colours here are cooler, with dark grey tones, purple and white. The woman is looking down, perhaps lost in her music. The painting also conveys movement in the brush strokes that resemble the movement of her bow.

Mike's wants you to feel for his paintings. He says the worst you could feel in indifference. I think he captures women beautifully in his paintings, especially as portraits are hard to paint. Why you may ask? Well, you need to paint an accurate likeness and also, unless otherwise instructed, I personally feel you need to make the portrait flattering, to show that person in the best light, that they must look beautiful or handsome. Most people don't want to see a portrait of themselves or a loved one and pay for the privilege where they don't look the best they can be.  You just know if you commission a portrait from Mike Novikov, he will capture your loved one perfectly. 

Mike ships all around the world, and the most popular sizes of oil paintings are 40cm by 50cm. If you wish to get a quote you can contact Mike on his website Art Veles House. For a portrait of the female form, or a woman portrait I recommend Mike Novikov. 

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Wall Art Review From Desenio

If you are looking for wall art there are several online sites you can choose from these days. Let's have a look at one such company - Desenio. This is an ad but as ever all opinions are my own.

The choice of wall art these days is huge, but if you are looking for a professional company with a large choice you still have to do some research. Desenio is one site I can wholeheartedly recommend.

Who are Desenio?

Desenio are a company founded in 2010 based in Stockholm. Their ethos is that wall art should be well priced and not out of reach of the average person. The wall art they sell is therefore affordable to everyone with prices starting from under £10. At Desenio, you will find a wide range of posters along with frames, hangers, picture ledges and clips. They like to keep the designs fresh and frequently add new items to their range, in order to keep abreast of the latest interior and Scandinavian designs.

Sustainability

What about sustainability you may ask as they produce a lot of prints? Desenio take sustainability seriously and are a Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) certified company. FSC are a non-profit organisation that sets certain high standards to ensure forestry is practised in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial way and almost all the prints on the Desenio website originate from sustainable forests (with the exception of a few handpicked designs). 

Designs

prints

So let's talk about the designs. There is a huge variety of choice on the Desenio website. From the latest wall art trends to classic and timeless designs that transcend fashion. Whether you want classic black and white images, modern art, fun print for kids, retro art prints or travel posters, there is a wide choice available on the website.

Collections

black and white prints

The prints are organised in collections such as Fashion, Animals, Space, Retro and vintage, Black and white and Photographs. My favourites collections are Nature, Retro and vintage, and the section 'Studio Collections'.

Studio Collections

Desenio Studio Collections comprise unique photo designs where each collection pays tribute to the chosen location. Their creative team visited a number of cities across the globe to capture the essence of the cities and took photos to get a unique snapshot. I particularly love this collection with a strong architectural slant. It's a fresh modern look at cities you may have visited and celebrated the uniqueness of these destinations. 

My Choice 


 
The prints I picked for my living room, compliments of Desenio were two Venice prints. I wanted something to remind me of my travels and these prints reminded me of walking the Venice canals at night.

Venice at night is so much more beautiful than Venice in the day when all the cruise ships go. It's quieter and much more atmospheric. 



I was really happy when the prints arrived. They were packaged well in cardboard, were excellent quality and they came within a few days.

I also ordered black photo frames from Desenio at the same time and these were great quality too, with shatterproof acrylic glass so they are lightweight as well. It was very easy to place the print inside and hang, as the frames have clips on the back which were easy to move and adjust and a landscape as well as a portrait hook.  



Shipping to the UK is 6 Euros on orders of under 49 Euros and free on orders above. 

Conclusion

lounge

I enjoyed picking my wall art with Desenio. There was a good choice of prints, the ones I ordered came quickly, they were well priced at £23.95 each and looked great on the wall. If you are looking for even more of a bargain, check out the Black Friday offers on the 27th of November, when there is a 35% offer on prints (not available on frames or handpicked personalized prints) 

To be honest, there wasn't anything I could dislike from the process of ordering and receiving the prints from Desenio, it was an easy process and the prints are gorgeous. If you are looking for wall art I think you should check out Desenio. Highly recommended. 

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Choosing My Favourite Retro Travel Art With Fine Art America

Hi everyone. I hope you are well. You've probably been spending a lot of time at home recently, I know I have. Staring at the four walls in my lounge has made me want to refresh and decorate my home. So when Fine Art America got in touch to work on a collaboration with me I immediately said yes as they have some great art on their website. Art to brighten up any home. This is an ad, but as always all opinions are my own.

Creating on Fine Art America


Route 66 Fun Run Seligman by Mike Jones Photo

Fine Art America is the world's largest art marketplace and on-demand print technology company. They've been helping artists, photographers, illustrators and graphic designers sell wall art, home decor and other products since 2006. They have an easy to use platform that allows artists and photographers to upload their designs and sell to people worldwide. It's a great platform for creatives. If you love taking photos or creating art I recommend you check it out.

Shopping on Fine Art America

Barcelona retro print by Jim Zahniser

Even though it's a great platform for creatives to all their art, let's get down to what I'm here though to talk about - what Fine Art America sell. Fine Art America sell a range of products from wall art - illustrations, photographs and paintings to home decor - throws, towels, blankets and other products like stationery. If you can upload your design on it they probably sell it, giving a huge choice to their customers around the world.

Wall art on Fine Art America


South Beach art print by Michelle Constantine

The wall art on Fine Art America covers a range of posters, canvas prints, wood prints, metal prints and tapestries. Designs range from paintings to illustrations, photographs, to mixed media to digital art. The choice is so large, it makes it quite difficult to pick!

The prints I am choosing today are all travel prints. There is something wonderful about travel, the planning the trip, visiting the destinations, seeing new things, eating different food and experiencing new cultures. Even looking at art from travel fills me with joy. I also love retro art prints but have yet to buy any, so these prints have a retro vibe.   Let me know what you think.

Escape to Venice
Escape to Venice Italy Retro print by Jim Zahniser

This art print is joyfully retro. I've been to Venice and it sums it up well, the beauty of the canals and the fabulous Venetian architecture. The artist Jim Zahniser is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Pittsburgh, USA. His work is inspired by a love of travel and all things vintage.

Poolside Glamour


Poolside glamour art print by Slim Aarons

This photo from America in the 60s sums up the mood of the time. Everything about it screams old school glamour to me. Slim Aarons is a photographer specialism in photos from the 50s, 60s and 70s. His photos are of their time and convey a luxurious glamour lifestyle.

Experience Key West


Experience Key West  By Jon Neidert

This Experience Key West print has the same retro vibes as the Venice print by Jim Zahniser.  We've been to Key West and we loved it there although it's so much busier than this idyllic print depicts now. Jon Neidert is from Cape Coral Florida. He has a large selection of his images on Fine Art America and covers retro, wine, vintage and patent art.

Las Vegas Sign


Welcome To Las Vegas art print by Garry Gay 

There is nothing more iconic in Las Vegas than the Welcome To Vegas sign. It takes me back to our trips to the adult entertainment capital of the world. Garry Gay has worked in Northern California for the past 37 years. His award-winning fine art photos have been widely shown and juried into fine art shows.

So this is my selection of travel art from Fine Art America. Have you been to any of these destinations? What do you think of the retro art?

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Interview With An Artist - Helen Garfield From Sweet Wild Designs

There are so many unique small businesses in the UK, and I am all for supporting the small independents that are starting out. Today on the blog I am talking to artist Helen Garfield about her business Sweet Wild Designs.

Sweet Wild Designs sell original paintings, art prints, home decor and cards from their base in Somerset England. Helen also accepts commissions for art designs that are delivered in her own unique style. If you are looking for gorgeous floral and animal prints, check out Helen's website today.

How did Sweet Wild Designs come about?



I’d gotten a new ‘dream’ job in marketing and it was supposed to be next the big step for me. Well, I had to quit after two months as the job turned out to be a complete nightmare.

I got a part-time role elsewhere, but I felt like I was now veering away from my true calling, I felt like I had failed.

I realised if I wanted to make a living doing something I am really passionate about and enjoy doing, I’d have to effectively become self-employed. So at the start of 2018, I started to research and build my own creative business.

I feel truly privileged to have an opportunity to pursue my dream. I am still exploring and still quite new as an artist selling my art. I’m also still learning and growing as an artist and I love it – I get to use my creativity and have really enjoyed the journey so far.

What inspires you and your original artwork?

Lot’s of things inspire me. I get ideas from a variety of things I see and experience - such as colours, forms, textures and the shapes that occur naturally in the world around us.

As for the subject for my artwork I most love to draw and paint animals, birds, flowers as well as cultural themes such as the things we enjoy in everyday life.

I have so many ideas for paintings and illustrations I keep a sketchbook so I can come back to an idea and be re-inspired.

With a lot of my paintings, I use a grey background. I like starting the painting with a moody grey painting in layers and then, when the painting comes together, seeing the colours pop out into the foreground totally transforming the artwork.

I love colours but enjoy working with a limited colour palette, for example, my red roses painting only uses red and various grey tones. I enjoy the more stylised look it gives my artwork.

Despite the grey start to a painting, overall I aim for all my paintings to have a positive vibe. With all my artwork I aim to create a joyful experience and celebrate the beauty of nature, love and living life.

Which items are your bestsellers and why do you think they are?


The current top three bestselling of my art prints are ‘Marigolds’ in orange, ‘Hummingbirds’ and ‘Cats on the Wall’ in blue.

I think that these are currently my bestsellers because they offer something a bit different for people looking for wall art for their home.

However, as I will be offering some of the paintings for my Floral Adventures series as art prints, and as I add to the collection the top bestsellers this time next will no doubt have changed.

Tell me about your new Floral Adventures series
My new art series Floral Adventures is about discovery, of both ourselves and of the adventures, thoughts and discoveries made by our favourite animals in nature.

I wanted to create paintings that people enjoy - as well as celebrating nature, a love of discovery and adventure. I wanted to create artwork that illustrated this curiosity and love of all the beauty in nature.

Which items do you think will be popular for Mother's Day?


New for this year I have a small selection of illustrated cards for Mothers Day, I also think my mini canvases make ideal Mothers Day gifts. 

My handmade jewellery would also make a thoughtful gift - especially the floral design earrings that have already proven quite popular!

Where do you see your business in five years time?


This year want to learn about surface pattern design. I’d love to create patterns with my artwork, on fabric for example and explore where that might take my art and illustrations.

Also in the next year or two, a goal of mine is to put on an art show of my original work!

So in five years time, I’d like to see myself having continually grown as an artist and built up my business – whatever that may look like! The unknown is exciting and I will seek out any new opportunities and enjoy it!

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Investing In Antiques

Investing in antiques has become very popular in recent years. TV programmes like The Antiques Roadshow, Flog It and Cash In The Attic are never off the screen and low savings rates mean investing in antiques can be more profitable that putting your money into a savings account.

 Money can be made in antiques as long as you realise that the return is not guaranteed, and this can fluctuate with supply, demand and even what is fashionable to collect. 

 It's most important in my opinion to invest in what you like. Having a beautiful piece of art, jewellery or furniture can give lots of pleasure for years to come even if the value drops due to market conditions.


It's important that you enjoy the art you invest in like this painting by Albin Alemin

 According to Deloitte, in 2014, 76% of art and collectibles were purchased for an investment. 

 To determine the fair market value, of an antique, find the sale price of comparable works. Look at previous auction house sales, and speak to art and antiques specialists to help in estimating the potential price. For a free online valuation Barnebys is one site that can help.  Documented evidence of provenance (a history) for a work of art can help establish that it is an original and not forged, stolen or a reproduction. It can also help maintain the true value of the item. A collection of art is usually worth more than the sum of its parts as well, and this is important to factor into your investment.


A classic 18ct white gold ring with a 1.00ct diamond, will keep it's value

With jewellery, you almost can't go wrong with the major designer brands, that have the emphasis on craftsmanship. Tiffany, Cartier and Van Cleef and Arpels are particularly excellent makes that are highly collectible. Diamond jewellery with a large carat centre stone, that is of excellent quality also holds it's value well.

 If you have an eye for modern up-and-coming designers that could make a profit in the future then artists at the Goldsmiths Fair are worth watching, being recognised as the premier showcase in the UK for contemporary designer jewellery. 

This quirky designed late 20th century sofa by Carl Malmsten, could rise in value in years to come

With furniture, well maintained pre 19th century furniture performs well. It's important with furniture to watch out for signs of restoration, and look for the original patina. If old furniture looks too new it will most likely affect the value, and not for the better.

 Finally if you have found that exciting investment, and bought that perfect antique, don't forget to insure it, and keep an up-to-date valuation. Accidents can happen and you want the piece to continue to bring you pleasure in the future as well as increasing in value, so don't forget insurance.

 In conclusion, investing in antiques can be profitable - study the market, take advice from experts, but most importantly buy what you like so you can enjoy it into the future.

* This article is for information only, always seek guidance from an industry expert. In collaboration with Barneby's auctions.
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Dismaland Review - Banksy's Modern Art Exhibition

It's not often you visit an attraction and hope you are thoroughly disappointed but it's not often you visit Dismaland.


If you haven't heard all the media frenzy over the artist Banksy' new collaboration then you must have lived on Mars for the last month.

Prepared in secret, the pop-up exhibition on the site of an old lido on the seafront in Weston-Super-Mare, opened on the 21st of August for a 5 week run. Locals were told a Hollywood crime thriller was being filmed on the site so were surprised when the true nature of the project was revealed.



We are big fans of modern art in our house, and it's not often you get an exhibition like this within easy driving distance of South Wales, so we decided to see if we could get tickets online and visit this exciting exhibition.


Four thousand tickets are available everyday and we managed to get tickets within 30 minutes of them going on sale, soon after they were sold out for our date. Tickets are available until the 27th of September and there are a small number everyday for walk ups as well as the main way of booking which is online. 


I live in a seaside town and the resemblance to a fairground attraction past its prime is spot on.  In fact wandering around Weston-Super-Mare before and after you can see why Banksy put this exhibition here. A seaside town slightly faded from it's 50's heyday and close to where Bristol born Banksy lived. In fact it's highly likely that Banksy visited Weston when he was a child, maybe the idea has been there in his head for years.


Dismaland staff are suitably depressed, unhelpful and sarcastic

Staff are suitably sullen and miserable and it is all part of the experience. My son was stopped by a 'security' person as he was videoing. She stood there whilst he was filming, with her hand over his camcorder whilst eating a Kit Kat. This is all part of the show by the way.


Modern art often has underlying meaning and social commentary on the state of life, the Universe and everything, and the way this exhibition delves into this is no different. A 'fairy tale castle', inside being a overturned princess carriage with the paparazzi taking photos, and the boats full with immigrants looking solemn as they float into the abyss are some such artworks. Thought provoking stuff. Then there is the fun aspect of the exhibition - the hook a duck stall with the prize being a fish finger in a plastic bag for example. 


Like a grown up dystopian apocalyptic fairground, some things add that run down feeling - in the castle wires protrude from the ceiling, signs are shakily handwritten, no bright painted attractions here, everything is, well, dismal. That is except the carousel, bright, inviting to children, fun - oh yes there is a strange model of a man dressed as a surgeon with a knife sitting there...


It's not just Banksy either, 58 other artists are involved including Damien Hirst, Jimmy Caulty and Jenny Holzer.


Would this work in any other country? Probably not. There is something about the great British sense of humour that loves this mickey take of Disney (no pun intended) and the saccharin sweetness that is the American theme park.


“Are you looking for an alternative to the soulless sugar-coated banality of the average family day out? Or just somewhere cheaper. Then this is the place for you — a chaotic new world where you can escape from mindless escapism. Instead of a burger stall, we have a museum. In place of a gift shop we have a library, well, we have a gift shop as well.

“Bring the whole family to come and enjoy the latest addition to our chronic leisure surplus —a bemusement park. A theme park who’s big theme is: theme parks should have bigger themes…

“This event contains adult themes, distressing imagery, extended use of strobe lighting, smoke effects and swearing. The following items are strictly prohibited: knives, spraycans, illegal drugs, and lawyers from the Walt Disney corporation."

Dismaland is bemusing, yet amusing too. A family day out? If your family likes grown up modern art then yes, it's not for little ones that is for sure. If you like modern art then go, and don't forget to exit through the gift shop....


Dragons and Fairy Dust
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