Art is far more accessible to buy and view right now. Even famous works of art are being loaned out to local galleries so a wider audience can see them.

There is less stuffiness regarding art. Artwork can now be ordered more readily in bespoke commissions or particular colours and themes can be stipulated. A few years ago, this was an absolute no go area, the artist ruled and what they said was final. There are a number of artists now offering an easier to reach bespoke service, both by way of approaching the artist but also in terms of cost.

Art can be bought in many different forms, one very in vogue at the moment is canvas art. The canvas is stretched over a wooden frame and oil or acrylic paint can be used or even mixed media. The canvas stands away from a wall and enables the painting area to go right to the edge. Painting around the edges can also be done for an enveloped look.

Art is the perfect gift for someone very special. Some canvas artwork artists offer the service of recreating a memorable photo into oil or acrylic. This is a highly personal and special gift and something completely unique. Such a service has been enabled to be found through the internet. The internet has been the most influential part in enabling art to be reached to the masses and now being more accessible. Galleries that were once confined to purely the premises can now sell and advertise their work online and reach the whole country in fact, the world. Artists that may not have been able to afford a gallery premises can now sell their art online, reaching a far wider audience. In the respect of the consumer, a huge variety of artist??™s styles, genres, media and themes can be chosen from. Mail order has enabled the artwork to be sent when collection is not obtainable. There are artists in the UK that through the internet, have been able to sell their work to clients abroad. This brings in a whole new market and is extremely exciting.
Read the rest of this entry »

Decorating, wallpaper and paint costs can amount to a fortune. Labour costs add quite considerably along with wall preparation and the many hidden costs that can occur when decorating, especially the case in older houses. In contrast, a piece of canvas artwork is extremely easy and quick to hang giving instant satisfaction with no hidden costs.

A piece of artwork is something that reflects a person??™s personality and individuality. It can be a statement or can blend sympathetically with a room??™s design and colour scheme. It is a way of personalising a room and many pieces of canvas art hold sentimental value from a special holiday or which could have been passed down from a relative.
Read the rest of this entry »

Following the success of Grand Designs Live 2008, Kris Hardy the Hull based artist is to exhibit this year as well.

The Grand Design Live exhibition is to be held at ExCel London between 25 April and 4 May 2009. Grand Designs Live 2008 was a huge success for Kris. Making numerous contacts and gathering an outstanding amount of new orders, this exhibition was worth all the hard work. A huge draw to Kris??™s stand was him painting his canvas artwork live at the exhibition. It enabled Kris to speak one to one with his prospective clients.

Kris is not averse to painting is canvas art live and speaking to people whilst working. Kris appeared on ITV’s 60mm last year and is going to be on 5 more shows in the next.

Last year Grand Designs Live saw a massive increase in visitor numbers up from 40,000 in 2007 to a staggering 100,000 in 2008. 2009 is set to be as if not even more popular with the launching of domestic gadgets and gizmos that haven??™t been released yet and new and innovative products of today and tomorrow??™s house builds. That coupled with over 450 exhibitors.
Read the rest of this entry »

Acrylic paints became commercially available in the 1950??™s but were a mineral spirit-based paint. The water-based paints sold shortly after were a combination of binder, filler, pigment and water. Artists began to discover this acrylic paint and artist quality acrylics became commercially available in the 1960??™s.

Acrylic paint is a modern media when compared with watercolour and oil. Oil for example has been used by artists as far back at the 15th century and watercolour has been used as an artist medium since the Renaissance. With such history of these other two mediums, acrylic is always fighting to gain recognition. Acrylic has distinct characteristics as oil and watercolour do and the National Acrylic Painters??™ Association was set up in 1985 to champion and support this media. Acrylic is capable of the widest range of approaches of any artist media and enables even more creativity, fresh ideas and progression. Artwork has been created in acrylic paint but artists such as Andy Warhol, Robert Motherwell, Mark Rothko, Bridget Riley and David Hockney to name just a few.

There are now a huge number of artists producing canvas artwork using acrylics and making the optimum use of this versatile media. It has enabled canvas art to be bought by a wider audience due to its fast drying nature and artwork can be created much quicker so a real business can be made out of acrylic artwork. Exhibitions have been in such prestigious venues as the Westminster Gallery and the Durham Art Gallery solely exhibiting and championing acrylic work. Books have been written purely on the characteristics of acrylic paint such as ???New Tricks and Techniques for Working with the World??™s Most Versatile Medium??? by Nancy Reyner and ???The New Acrylics:Complete Guide to the New Generation of Acrylic Paints.

Kris Hardy, the artist based in Hull, East Yorkshire who produces original acrylic on canvas artwork, has been selected by 60 Minute Makeover to supply the show with his canvas artwork. The first show for Kris will be in Cobham in Surry where he is due to produce two canvas art pieces for the living room/dining room. It is anticipated that he will also be supplying the Taunton show two weeks later.

Unlike many of the suppliers to the show, Kris will be producing his canvas art in real time within the 60 minutes. He is due to be painting under a canopy outside. The colour pallet will be given to him by the show?????s designer which in the case of the Cobham show will be Derek Taylor. Derek will advise Kris on the colour scheme so his artwork can complement the decor. He is due to be interviewed regarding the work he is supplying by Terri Dwyer, the shows presenter.???? Kris is hoping this fantastic opportunity will showcase his art to a wider audience. Launched in 2004, 60 Minute Makeover is a very popular daytime, reality television show on ITV aired at 2.00pm until 3.00pm. The designers and crew makeover four rooms in each house as a surprise for a nominated owner or resident. At the end of the show, the revamped rooms are revealed to the deserving person.
Read the rest of this entry »

Limited edition screen prints of musicians and singers are becoming very popular for display in the home, in shops and a wide variety of businesses. Screen prints make a welcome change from a piece of canvas art and are usually very striking making a statement on a wall. Limited edition screen prints are especially sort after due to their exclusivity. Screen prints of contemporary musical artists are available and one such is the Beth Ditto screen print.

French illustrator Marine has created a number of stunning wall art? limited edition prints, which are clearly inspired by her love for music and fashion, the Ye-Ye movement in sixties France, her childhood and all the different people she meets.

Read the rest of this entry »

East Yorkshire is not an area that is first thought of when talking about art hot spots in the UK but this part of Yorkshire is fast becoming one.

One very famous artist by the name of David Hockney, although from West Yorkshire, produced a series of paintings of the East Yorkshire landscape. David Hockney is arguably the most famous and influential British artist of the 20th century. David Hockney??™s paintings are renowned around the world having exhibited his canvas art in New York, Germany, Japan and Portugal.

A series of five East Yorkshire landscapes were shown for the first time at Tate Britain in 2007. This beautiful area is often misunderstood by the people of the UK associating this area with fishing and flat, unspectacular landscapes. Hockney changed this perception and along with the regeneration of East Yorkshire, most notably Hull, this area is finally being put on the map for the right reasons.
Read the rest of this entry »

Modern art is defined from the 1860??™s to the 1970??™s in terms of galleries and art history. In recent years the appeal of modern art in a widespread context has occurred.
The new style of modern, open plan living had made for the need of equally as modern and unique art for the white stark walls. The apartment living scene has especially contributed but even older style houses are having walls taken down to make way for the open plan living so popular today.

Not everyone has the money to buy modern canvas art produced by famous artists so it has enabled the not so famous but equally as talented new artists to produce work and be successful selling them. Canvas art is quite dramatic as the medium used is either oil or acrylic paint. Both achieve high depth in colour and on a bright white wall, a piece of canvas artwork on a stretched canvas frame has maximum impact.
Read the rest of this entry »

Based in Yorkshire, Kris Hardy is an art graduate who has exhibited work in various exhibitions, show homes, bars and salons around the UK and abroad, working with a number of interior designers to supply art work to them.

This year has been very exciting for Kris Hardy as he exhibited at Grand Design Live at London Excel 3rd to the 11th of May 2008. In its 4th year, Grand Designs Live boasts over 40000 visitors and Kris will be amongst a staggering 450 exhibitors. Kris showcased his latest work and he demonstrated his canvas art live on the stand. It was a very successful week for him.

Kris graduated from the University of Huddersfield in June 2000 but he is no stranger to London after completing a 2 year MA at the Royal College of Art between 2000 and 2002. He has been producing contemporary canvas art commissions since graduating and have exhibited work in various exhibitions, show homes, bars and salons around the UK and abroad, working with a number of interior designers to supply art work to them. Since 2003 he has exhibited his work in over 20 John Lewis departments stores, primarily in London. Through exhibiting at Grand Designs Live, he is hoping to showcase his artwork to a wider audience, different to those of John Lewis and his home town of Hull.

The launch of his website in 2006, http://www.krishardy.com, has meant he has a travelling portfolio of his past, latest, bespoke and John Lewis work. Incorporating an eccommerce system has enabled his work to be purchased online delivered to anywhere in the world.

His very contemporary approach to his artwork style and attiitude to artist - client relations is refreshing. The approach he takes with his work is to produce high quality, original acrylic-on-canvas paintings that complement the client??™s interior. All artwork is painted to order by himself and comes in standard sizes depending on the painting format. The refreshing approach is highlighted greatly by his comment “I more than happy to do bespoke sizes and colours, as I believe if you want a piece of art for a specific space then you should not have to compromise”.