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by Richard

See the Curator collection, plus live painting, at Touchwood

March 1, 2012 in Curator Showcase, Featured

From Monday 5th March, we’ll be heading over to sunny Solihull, to present our latest Curator Showcase event.

We’re pitching up in the very prestigious Touchwood shopping centre, where you’ll be able to browse our extensive collection first hand, including artwork from Tessa Houghton, Adam Barsby, Paul Wright, Paul Bennett, Josie McCoy and many more. It’s a great opportunity to see original artwork that you just can’t find anywhere else, and equally a chance for many people to see great art up-close in their own home town often for the first time – totally free of charge.

Buy Original Artwork Touchwood Solihull

As much as we love the web and do everything we can to enhance your ability to view art here at Curator, it’s very hard to express just how much more impressive artwork is when you see it for real. Enjoy the sense of scale, texture and intense colour that real life artwork brings, and on-screen viewing sadly will never match. There’s just no way to replicate that incredible sense that comes with seeing an original piece – worked on for many hours, days or weeks, and full of emotion and personality conveyed by its creator through every individual mark.

At the Showcase, we’ll have experienced, knowledgeable staff at hand to answer questions about the artists in our collection, to talk to you about finding that perfect piece of art for your home, and to give you any assurances on delivery or our returns promise that you might have. David, our company founder, will also be available to talk to directly if you’d like to know more about the ideas behind Curator, our plans for 2012, and our vision for revolutionising the art world! In fact, we’d love the opportunity to talk to you about them and get your opinions too.

Adam Barsby painting live

Adam Barsby will be painting live on several days of the show (individual times to be announced), where you’ll get a chance to see him work on brand new pieces of art from start to finish, get insider knowledge on the techniques used by professional artists, and an open, informal opportunity to ask questions and get straight-up answers directly. Adam’s work is great to watch as you’ll see him progress at lightening speed, making rapid decisions about placement, form and colour, while keeping the bigger picture in check (excuse the pun!). He’s also a lovely chap and really enjoys talking to art enthusiasts and those who’ve never owned a piece of art alike – so don’t be afraid to introduce yourself.

You’ll find us in the Map Room at Touchwood, a large central area flanked by Costa Coffee, Dwell and Yo! Sushi.

The Curator Showcase at Touchwood Shopping Centre, Solihull
5th March until 18th March, 2012 (excluding Sun 11th March)
Touchwood Shopping Centre, Solihull, B91 3GJ, United Kingdom

For more information, directions and opening times, check out our Events Page or visit Touchwood Solihull.

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Avatar of Sofia

by Sofia

Studio Updates – Josie McCoy

January 30, 2012 in Featured, In The Artists Studio

We caught up with Josie McCoy to see what’s going on in her studio lately, and what direction her work has been taking over the last few months.

You can see all of Josie’s work that is currently available to buy, on the Josie McCoy Profile Page

How important is progression within your work? Do you actively try to maintain a style that you’ve built, or do you try to constantly evolve as time progresses?

I think that if someone paints daily, then it’s inevitable that their work will gradually change. I see painting as an ongoing process of development; sometimes in ability and other times in ideas. I don’t consciously paint in a style but I am aware that I have a particular aesthetic and have a tendency to use certain colours, compositions and types of source material.

Josie McCoy Original Artwork

How has your work developed over the last 6-12 months?

In the last year I haven’t painted that many oil paintings. I have done more watercolours and drawings than usual. I´ve also spent a lot of time researching and finding source material. I plan to paint a lot more oil paintings this year, which will hopefully show the fruits of that research.

The only marked difference in recent works has been to return to using images from films and tv. The two years or so before, I was using imagery found on the internet or from magazines a lot more. I have consciously gone back to finding film or tv stills which depict emotion.

Josie McCoy Original Artwork

We absolutely loved your recent work that was presented to Pat, the EastEnders cast member on leaving the show this Christmas. How does it make you feel to know that there are well known actors or celebrities that really love your work and take enjoyment out of owning it?

Once I´ve painted someone, I feel like I know their face completely. I last painted Pat in about 2001, so it was great to paint her again. Apparently, she was delighted with it, and that makes me happy.

People buy paintings for so many different reasons, I don´t really mind what those reasons are.

Josie McCoy Original Artwork

You recently published a series of photographs documenting your working process toward a complete painting of Johnny Depp – shot each hour. Could you talk us through that process a little, so our readers get a bit of insight as to how a Josie McCoy piece is developed?

I have written a little bit about this on my blog.

I decided to document the process of the painting after seeing friends’ “work in progress” photos on Facebook. I absolutely love seeing other peoples work before it’s finished, so I decided to show some of my own. I started writing a painting diary on the blog, but don’t really have enough time to keep it up. I’ve managed to continue to update the images though.

You can see the photos of William Blake (Johnny Depp in Dead Man) here (Facebook). And of Thirteen (Olivia Wilde in House) here (Facebook).

It has been very revealing to see my own process more objectively. I have since been playing with a (so far) crude animation of the photos and am going to document all of the works in my next show in the same way.

Hopefully you can see my working process in the photos.

When you look at the working methods of photo-realists like Chuck Close, they often use a strict grid-based system to create their work. I noticed from your Johnny Depp piece that you aren’t using a grid – is this typical of your working style, do you feel it isn’t necessary to have the constraint of a grid when you work? Or is it something that you’ve used in the past?

Years ago I used a grid system to transfer the information from the source material onto the canvas, but found it a very slow way to do so, and also didn’t give me a real idea of what the image would look like scaled up until it was finally drawn. I prefer to project the negative of the photo I´m going to work from using a slide projector. This gives me the opportunity to see the image on the canvas in every possible crop or composition. I spend a lot of time choosing exactly where the face is going to go on my canvas, and the projector enables me to do this easily.

Also, I often work from several photos from the same moment of film, selecting the parts of each photo I want for the painting. This works when I project the main image, but would be much more difficult to do if I used a grid.

Josie McCoy Original Artwork

Can you tell us a little about some of the people who have purchased your work in the past?

I haven’t met most of the people who have bought my work in the past, but every so often get a truly lovely email saying how much joy my painting has brought someone.

The people I have met who have bought works have all been incredibly complimentary and supportive of what I do. Often people buy several works, not necessarily at the same time, but one every year or every few years, and this happens irrespective of whether I´ve met them or not.

I also get some wonderful feedback from people who have commissioned paintings.

How much does the outside world of celebrity affect your subject matter? What defines the subjects you are choosing to paint? Do you see your work as a reflection of popular culture, or a commentator on it?

I live in Valencia most of the time, so this obviously influences what I watch because I only have access to certain television channels. Although there is an excellent DVD rental place near my house.

I generally paint what I´m watching for pleasure, rather than trying to watch things to paint, although sometimes I do watch things specifically to find source material. At the moment I am preparing for a solo show in Valencia in May. I want to find some great movie stills from Spanish films, so I am watching movies by Spanish directors, notably, Luis Buñuel, Pedro Almodóvar and Julio Medem.

Until now, I have always chosen contemporary films because I like the idea of art reflecting society and popular culture. The paintings also act as a kind of diary of what I´ve watched and what moments of what I´ve seen have interested me. However, for my new show I am looking back a little. I am attempting to find films (and film stills) which in some way represent each decade from the 50s up to now. This is obviously entirely subjective. So far I have started paintings of Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Sean Young in Blade Runner, for the 50s and 80s respectively.

Josie McCoy Original Artwork

Do you ever see yourself working in another style or moving into a different subject matter? Would you ever paint still life, landscape or abstraction, for example?

No, I have only ever been interested in painting faces.

Is there anything else you want to update us about your work or your life over recent months?

One of the best things that has happened over the last year has been the move to the new studio, I think I mentioned it in the last interview.

It´s a former boxing club and is absolutely huge.

You can see the work of my studio mates in the following links:

http://aliciahedwig.es/index.html
http://ramasancarini.blogspot.com/
http://www.sportingclubrussafa.com/es/actividades/25-sporting-crea/115-francisco-canavese
http://www.sportingclubrussafa.com/es/actividades/25/129-piconero
http://www.sportingclubrussafa.com/es/actividades/25/286-ana-higueras

As you can see, we´re quite a diverse group of artists, but that´s what group studios are all about. It makes me very happy to paint there.

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Avatar of Sofia

by Sofia

Becoming a Decor Diva

January 29, 2012 in Featured, Interiors

We’ve been talking to Nadya Savannah Sawney about her career as an interior designer, current trends, how art impacts an interior and about her work at Decor Diva Interiors.

Could you give us a brief outline of the background of your business and what services you offer?

My creative talents and my ability to translate a client’s visual desires are the backbone to my business. I offer the usual services supplied by an interior designer… but my forte is my ability to ‘see’ paint colour on walls before it is applied. This gives me the confidence to advise and consequently inspire my clients about paint colour choices. I firmly believe that transformation of rooms absolutely can be achieved simply by having the ‘right’ paint colour on your walls; likewise get it wrong and no amount of fabulous furniture, window dressings or accessories will look good.

Decor Diva Interiors

How long have you been working as an Interior Designer?

Since a child. In business: 3 years.

Why did you decide to become an Interior Designer?

Expression through interiors has always been part of who I am. So in essence the only change I made was to make it into a business. It has always been a deeply intuitive gift, for which I am very grateful.

What were you doing beforehand and how did this lead you into Interior Design?

I rode horses for a living; worked in the Music Industry then the Television industry. All the aforementioned are very creative areas… all supported my creative talents. And always over the years I was helping friends and family to make interior choices. So the transition into interior design being my full time business was quite effortless on one level but also the beginning of hard work to get my name ‘out there’.

Decor Diva Interiors

Above: Nadya Savannah Sawney

Where are you based?

I am currently based in Buckinghamshire. I work from home so my environment is what I make it. Working on my own from home can be quite insular but somehow that alone time balances out between family life and commissions. Sometimes I get my best creativity flowing when I am working on a project alone at home. Other times one needs interaction with people and places. I guess it is all about balance. Indeed, so is interior design.

Do you work alone or do you have assistance?

I work alone.

How would you describe the kind of work you do?

The work I do is translating a client’s visual desires into an interior reality that feels and looks comfortable, harmonious and inspirational. I call that ‘Luxury with Imagination’.

Do you have a particular style?

Yes I do …and it’s called good taste! One may say that good taste is subjective, and of course it is, but I feel that within us all is a built-in barometer of what feels good to look at and live in. As a designer my aim is to find that ‘feel good’ feeling within my client and then work from there. Sometimes that involves showing alternatives to their taste; steering them away from a look that has no visual harmony to something that they love yet previously would never have thought of. Other times I expand on the clients taste. Again, showing alternatives that would have previously remained undiscovered. And let’s not forget the clients home. It too has a voice – rooms will let you know what works and what does not.

Decor Diva Interiors

Has working in the music and television had an impact on the style of your work?

Absolutely. When I first worked for a rock star in the 70′s I was based at his Manor house in Gloucestershire. I was used to such homes being decorated in quite traditional ways but his home not only had that style but also influences from Morocco and America. The look and feel of that house along with the interior of Blakes Hotel in London certainly had a very positive and lasting effect on my creative outlook towards home interiors. I spent time staying at the hotel in the mid seventies and the interior designed by Anouska Hempel was totally fabulous and unique.She was also designing amazing interiors back then and using certain colours on walls way before any other designer took those kind of leaps. And it all worked to perfection. Her work is so inspirational.

Does listening to music or watching TV ever inspire design ideas?

I garner inspiration from the music that I listen to all day and every day when I am working. And like most consumers, I watch television as a way of ‘switching off’. Suffice to say if a item of furniture, lighting or window dressing leaps out to me I certainly do take note.

Do you ever take inspiration from an artist’s work or an art movement?

I feel inspiration in abundance when looking at art that I like. I just adore the work of Eoghan Bridge. His sculptors of horses with humans are exquisite. They literally fill me with the warmth and love they exude when I look at those pieces. My Husband introduced me to early American artists such as Grant Wood and Thomas Hart Benton. I love their work namely because of how they use colour to describe their imagery. The black and white photographer O.Winston Link (also American) captures exceedingly strong emotion through his work and Richard Avedon is another amazing photographer… his work is simply stunning!

Do you use specific types of materials or colours in your work?

I am not held by any particular materials. Having said that; there are some materials I loathe. Pine and artex spring to mind! Plus, I am not afraid to suggest deep colours to a client. Especially for a small space. I so disagree with the notion that one should always paint a small room or a dark room in a light colour. A deep colour in a small room makes a statement, which is ‘I mean it, I am small, strong and gorgeous!’

Have you ever done or considered any commercial work?

Thus far I have not done any commercial work. I would welcome the opportunity, depending on what it is of course!

Decor Diva Interiors

What size of house do you usually work on?

There have been a range of sizes and not as one would imagine always easier because of house and room size. Sometimes a very large drawing room/sitting room would be a designer’s dream to do; other times a nightmare! I seem to have attracted all different kinds of shapes and sizes of rooms and well as houses. From an 18th century cottage to a 50′s bungalow.

Do you mainly work on whole houses or just rooms?

Both. One of the services I offer is paint colour consultations which is what is says on the tin. But invariably the client sees such a profound transformation from my paint colour suggestions, I am asked to extend my input. So what can begin to be a paint colour commission for one room will extend to more interior design for the room and other rooms in the house.

What is your dream project?

A huge country house here to renovate and add on to; I love Orangey’s and would build a massive one onto the kitchen and grace it with scrumptious furniture, rugs, art, mirrors and flowers. Then I would cross the pond and ‘Decor Diva’ a beach house in California!

Who would you like to work with if you could?

Ralph Lauren or Anouska Hempel. Both of whom are designers of distinction, class and style. I simply adore their interiors and garner tremendous inspiration from each of them.

Who would be your dream client?

It is characteristics more than a name. He/She/They would be aware of their visual strengths and weaknesses and be honest to themselves and therefore me throughout the process of the job. It is my call to translate the feeling and ideas a client has about their living space through my interior design and it is the client’s call to be open to inspiration whilst remaining true to themselves. Just think back to the hundreds of TV makeover shows and how one knew as soon as the TV crews were gone …the ‘new look’ would be following swiftly behind!

Are there any Designers or Artists you would love to collaborate with?

Ralph Lauren, Anouska Hempel, Bob Dylan, Eoghan Bridge, Heather Jansch.

What defines success in the industry for you?

Word of mouth recommendations. Features on my work in major interior design magazines and in on line publications such as The Art Curator.

What are your plans and aims for the next year, 5 years?

To continue to inspire and be inspired. To have national and international recognition for my work.

What’s popular in the Interior Design world now?

Deep colours seemingly are making a comeback. Which is fantastic as companies like Farrow & Ball have some very beautiful deep colours. Because of the pigment in their paint the paint colour changes throughout the day and evening depending on the light in the room. To me that is a most glorious and generous contribution from a paint colour to a room and I thank F&B for that!

What’s cool for 2012?

Sourcing, sourcing and more sourcing. If you love a ‘look’ or a piece of furniture in a magazine that you just love but do not have the budget for, sourcing for the items or something similar can solve that.

Any particular colours or themes?

I love mixing fabrics always have… Paisleys with leopard skin prints; plaids with flower prints; pinstripes with checks or any combination there of. Needless to say the fabric’s material, design and colours are all important to get the ‘look’ right. Use any of the aforementioned in fabrics that fall short of the mark and one would have a dreadful mess of garishness on one’s hands. Use the right fabrics and one has created something very special.

Do you feel that you are defining trends?

I am not sure I am able to answer that today. Ask me again in a few years time! My input is unique but it also has ears..ie: I listen to what my clients ‘feel’ they want and then I translate that directive through my talent and experience. Of course I also garner inspiration from trends that successful designers have given us all. But I am not held prisoner by them. Nor should anyone else feel they have to go for a particular look because it is fashionable. That look may not work for their home, bits and pieces of it may. That is where I come in, to get the ‘jigsaw pieces’ looking like the perfect fit.

Decor Diva Interiors

Do trends in Interior Design often follow similar trends in music and fashion?

Yes, I think so. Especially in the UK where we have seasons. Where as in the spring and summer months one’s interior wants to breathe in the sun and the colours in your home will want to reflect that; in the autumn and winter months our rooms like to feel cosy and warm and of course wall colour and or accessories can achieve the change. But as with music and fashion. Our tastes change, what one loved two years ago may be something you can’t stand looking at today.

That is why I will always advise clients on NOT going with a new trend in an area that is costly and disruptive to change. Loud and garish splashbacks spring to mind.

Do you consider Interior Design as an art form in itself?

Yes I do. How a room’s interior ‘speaks’ can change its language and therefore translation to being one of clarity – to one of confusion.

How can a single piece of art change the mood of a room?

It can completely change the vibe of a room… exactly like a human can. Art like us is energy and each piece has its own vibration. The key is to allow the piece to ‘be’ without it compromising the space around it and vice versa.

Do you incorporate artwork in any of your existing designs?

Yes, yet having said that I do not think artwork should dictate anything to a room other than it’s own particular beauty. When a client starts talking about ‘matching’ furniture, wall colour and or accessories to artwork I steer them away from that concept. Other wise the artwork and the room’s interior become to busy for one’s sub-conscious. One starts feeling uneasy rather than inspired and relaxed.

Do you have any artwork up in your office/studio?

Yes I do. I have artwork which was chosen for several reasons; not least because of it’s vibe. I think most people choose artwork for the feel they get from it. I am also not afraid to mix up a take on a theme by various artists, or indeed integrate paintings with other forms of art. I have a horse’s head sculpture that sits on one side of my desk that sometimes I find myself stroking!

Is it inspiring, motivating, or does it set any other kind of mood?

The art work and the sculpture do offer me a very relaxing and inspiring vibe. None of it is overpowering.

Do you have a favourite painter?

I enjoy quite an eclectic array of painters. I love the evocative work of Edward Hopper. His work entitled “Cape Cod Morning’ puts one in that location. I really like his other paintings too. I also enjoy portraits of Native American Indians. The power and the energy in those faces is quite extraordinary. Some Cuban art has been known to inspire me as their use of colour is so different to any artist working in a different climate therefore light. And being a horse lover, I do love Stubbs – although not a painter per se, the Driftwood Horse Art created by Heather Jansch is truly beautiful.

Each artist I like, all seem to appeal to my sense of strength that I receive, when feeling and looking at light, colour, space and emotion.

Is it important to have a focal point or centrepiece in a room?

I do think it is useful to have a centrepiece and or focal point in a room. It is a good place to start for balance.

How might someone display a painting or sculpture in a room?

Carefully and thoughtfully. I do not mean that to sound flippant. I really do mean carefully and thoughtfully. A painting or indeed a sculpture placed incorrectly in a room will not only ‘fight’ the space but also distract from the beauty of the piece or painting.

What factors of the room does art affect? E.g. colours, soft furnishings, room accents?

It would affect all the factors of the room and the key words are complement, complement and complement again. Everything about an art piece has to be taken into consideration… its size, colour and its statement. I have seen art hung where is does nothing for the picture or the room. Suffice to say, I have seen that same piece of art work hung elsewhere sometimes simply on a different wall in the same room and suddenly one has a stunning visual experience.

What steps did you take to break into the industries of Interior design?

I said yes to a friend asking me to renovate her property.

What path would you recommend to someone considering it as a career now?

Belief in one’s ability is crucial and in practical terms..anything from doing work experience in interior design shops to work experience with a designer.

Have client’s expectations changed?

I think the interior make over TV’s shows have given people a very odd perception of how long things can take. For good and for bad. This is were communication with the client is crucial. Expectations need to be aired and then the reality of them talked about. Informed discussion and informed choices are always my preference.

What are the advantages of hiring an Interior Designer?

Getting ‘it’ right. How many times have I seen as a friend (let alone as a designer) homes that have been vandalised with bad design choices. I once went to a house whose owner was very proud of how she had ‘matched’ her kitchen floor tiles to her pine orange cupboards. Visually it looked as though a whole load of pumpkins had exploded in that room. It could have all looked so different. Individually nothing was wrong with the tiles or the cupboards but together their colours just did not work. That is where an interior designer can save the day and together with the client create a fantastic kitchen or what ever room it happens to be.

Can you give us 5-10 reasons why someone should hire an Interior Designer if they are thinking about giving their house a makeover?

As above is one reason! As above is a second, third, fourth reason.. and so on! Most people think that hiring an interior designer is very expensive without actually knowing what costs are involved. I have saved my clients a lot of money especially with paint colour choices and also through guidance to the right product or furniture item.They experience getting it right the ‘first time’ instead of ‘eventually’ through trial and error, the client ends up saving money and time and more importantly – enjoying the process. No one is going to love their new interiors if the journey was full of stress and costly mistakes.

Our thanks go out to Nadya Savannah Sawney for her time answering our questions.

You can find out more about Nadya and her interior design business via her website at www.decordivainteriors.com.

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Avatar of David Norris

by David Norris

In The Artists Studio with Adam Barsby

January 20, 2012 in Featured, In The Artists Studio

We caught up with Adam Barsby at his studio for a chat about his current and past work, and a whole lot more. You can view all of the original painted work by Adam, on the Adam Barsby Profile Page.

Buy Adam Barsby Original Artwork Online

What or who first motivated you to start creating art?

I realised from about the age of seven that I had some ability to draw. I won a Milky Way in a classroom competition.

We were asked to portray ourselves in an unusual setting, which seems a bit deep for kids of such a young age but it got me going and from then on I used to draw alot when I got home from school.

I had a mate who could draw well too, and we would go round his house where his dad (for some reason) had a load of wallpaper rolls stashed away. We used to roll out the paper on his dinning table, sit at either end and draw battle scenes with ships, planes soldiers and bombs. We would create huge battles until we had destroyed each others armies.

This made me realise (somewhat subconsciously) that art could be fun and that it could portray a story or a message – something that has stayed with me to this day.

Do you feel that you were born with a certain artistic talent that you nurtured over time, or do you believe that most people can turn their hand to art in one way or another, given enough training and practice?

I think you have to achieve results and be happy with what you do to continue. If that happens regularly enough for you to keep going, then you have something to build on. Some people would call that talent I guess, but we all have areas where we are stronger at some things than others.

Having said that, I knew people who had bags of ability but chose either not to push it or concentrate on other things. I guess because I absolutely loved creating art, it kept me going and improving.

Buy Adam Barsby Original Artwork Online

Did you receive a formal education in art, and if so to what level?

Yes. I studied at art college in Maidstone doing Illustration. I got a first class honours BA. After that I took time out and was asked to apply for an MA, but by that time I’d got used to having money in my pocket that I didn’t pursue it any further.

How important do you feel art education is in developing a career in the creative industries, either as a fine artist or elsewhere?

I know artists who have done very well in the art industry who didn’t have formal education. However, I wouldn`t recommend it.

I absolutely loved what art college offered me. Not just the practical pursuits which stretched us enormously, but the time it gave us to ask questions about ourselves. There were countless tutorials which focused on what made us tick.

It was a journey of self discovery, a fantastic time which prepared us for what was out there not just in terms of art but how we operated as individuals in life in general. I wouldn’t have missed that for the world.

Buy Adam Barsby Original Artwork Online

Was there a specific point in time in which you realised that you had developed a distinctive style that you could call your own? How much hard work did that take to achieve?

The final year at college we were encoraged to develop a style we could call our own. I looked at artists work that I admired and this influenced my style initially, but once you’re off and running, you develop naturally just by completing one painting, evaluating and moving on to the next.

How important is diversity of style to you? Is it important to maintain constant progression and agility as an artist? What happens if you stay still for long?

My styles have changed over the years several times. There was a point early in my career where the demands wthin the commercial art industry required me to stay the same for many years. However, this is an unatural way to work and since then I’ve explored various styles.

The last few years have proved more creative because of it.

Buy Adam Barsby Original Artwork Online

What artists have you looked to for inspiration, either historically or current? How much have their ideas and style influenced your work?

My early work was influenced by Alfred Wallis, Ben Nicholson and the St Ives group of artists. Stanley Spencer was also a favourite, but these days I try to keep an open mind and appreciate many different artists and genres from traditional to modern. I think it’s important to broaden one’s artistic vocabulary which in turn provides a greater awareness within one’s own pursuits.

Can you tell us a little about your studio and working environment? Do you have a specific place in which you work, a home studio, a dedicated external studio, a managed studio, something extravagent?

I used to have a studio which I loved but had to give it up, sadly. I now work from home which I really enjoy. It’s not cold or damp thats for sure! I enjoy the creature comforts and its more flexible. I can work whenever I want and its nice to keep looking at what you’ve just done that day which helps evaluation. I’m comfortable working in most places really. When I was going through a messy divorce I even painted in hotel rooms!

How important is a structured workflow to you? Do you create spontaneously, or is it a more methodical process than that?

I treat painting as my job and I’m pretty structured about it.

I feel guilty if I don’t put in the hours so I work until the light goes which isn’t that long through the winter months, but I make up for it on the computer or researching for the next day.

I have phases where sometimes I like the radio on or music playing. Other times, I work in complete silence and this isn’t a concious thing – I just begin doing something and then realise after a few hours that all I hear are the birds outside. Quite nice really.

I’m very comfortable being alone during the day as it’s filled with what I would describe as visual conversation so I don’t feel alone at all. I do love it though when my wife and son come home. I find it interesting that the atmosphere within the house changes from work to home when they come back.

Buy Adam Barsby Original Artwork Online

Are there any particular techniques that you use to maintain focus and high productivity?

The pressure to pay the bills is more than enough!

Would you agree that having a good idea is just 1% of the task, the other 99% is just plain hard work?

A good idea if it works is way more than 1%! You can work for days on something just to realise that actually your first idea wasn’t that great. Getting the balance is important and so time thinking is invaluable.

Similarly you can labour a painting all day and it looks the worse for it, other times you can make a few light marks that just look fantastic. Being in the moment is what it’s all about. It’s when everything is working in tune with itself so much so that it happens without much thought. I think sports men and women call it being “in the zone”.

Is it difficult to seperate your life and work at times? Have you developed techniques that help you address the balance between the two, or do you find yourself thinking about your artwork all the time?

My work is an extension of myself and its who I am so I don’t make the distinction. For example, I may be watching the TV or talking and my mind will wander back to painting. I enjoy it so switching off isn’t an issue. I’m not a slave to it either. If I want to do something else, then I will and the break from work does me good.

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How successful an artist do you see yourself? Does it give you pride to know that you are successful in creating artwork professionally and living off the proceeds?

I used to feel pride but now I just push on. There are peaks and troughs as with many things. I’ve had a few knock backs too which stops you from getting carried away. I don’t think its for me to assess my relative success and anyway on what would you gauge it by – money? How many paintings I’ve sold? How many years i’ve been doing it? I think I’d be wasting my time thinking of those things. They’re not important. Being happy is and I have a great wife and kids and I’m in good health thankfully, so that’s what counts more to me.

How do you know when a piece is finished? Do you ever find yourself overworking something? Is finishing something you find easy or difficult? Do you ever procrastinate from finishing?

It’s nice when you do something new because you’re not sure where the end is. In most cases its when it just feels right to leave it as it is. Finishing a painting is just the final word in the visual conversation I mentioned earlier. I don’t get too hung up about the end as theres much more going on before that point. Some days I’ll go back over something if l feel it needs it but after so many years l know when to leave it alone.

Where do you look to for inspiration outside of the art world?

Gathering reference material is very important and the internet is invaluable for sourcing all sorts of information. If I’m out walking I’ll always keep looking at things. For example it might be people walking in the town or the way trees look in the park which might be useful to commit to memory. Outside of that, I listen to music or become focused on books or the TV. I enjoy finding out about other people’s lives and experiences. It helps me to understand how my life fits in with things.

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Do you actively seek feedback from your friends, family, or viewers of your work? If so, is it important to take that feedback on board and use it to develop or change direction?

I find it extremely useful to get other peoples opinions on things. My wife is my biggest critic. Lets face it she knows more about what I do than anybody, and I value her opinion. She’s no artist but I suppose I like to think she represents a general view. However, I know to take other people’s opinions for exactly that. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes so one has to take a balanced view. The voice inside my own head is ultimately the most important!

When you’re struggling with a piece, stuck for an idea, or disappointed with how something is progressing – how do you motivate yourself to do better, to get going again, or just to get out of bed?

The pace that I set for myself has always been pretty quick. I am prolific so if I have a failure I don’t get hung up on it. I believe one of my greatest strenghts is just to keep going no matter what. I listen to the commitment others put in to being successful and they all put it down to determination to continue despit the setbacks, no matter how many you get.

Dealing with failure is essential to success.

Away from the studio, can you tell us a little about Adam Barsby? Who is the artist behind the brush, what do you do to relax, and what things are important in your life beside painting?

Like most people, I enjoy spending time with family and friends. I like restaurants, coffee shops and of course pubs! My wife and I are keen runners. Its a great stress buster and gets me out of the house. I can’t stand gyms and anyway, after doing my back in a few years ago, my doctors words were “gyms are bad for your health!” In my case that was true as I slipped a disc on one of the machines and needed an operation to rectify it. Running may not be the best thing for my back, but I love it.

I love to spend time with my three year old son too, he certainly keeps us on out toes!

For many years, I used to be in bands playing local venues. I play the drums and a little acoustic guitar. I like my music and often relax trying to learn a new song if the chords aren’t too difficult! Music has been in my family for many years so it was a natural hobby to take up.

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by Richard

From 1500 to today, we explore the art of Pencil Making with Derwent

January 7, 2012 in For Artists, Inspiration

At Curator we talk a lot about painting particularly – sometimes even at the neglect of the trusty and much loved pencil – a medium that every one of us will have used many many times in our lives, and amongst the first mark-making tools that we were exposed to as young children.

We talked to Kirsty Vickers at Derwent Pencils about the history of pencil making, what makes Derwent still such a cool brand after 180 years, and where they’re going next. Did I mention they also own the largest colour pencil in the world? Here goes…

Dipping

Above: The Dipping process at Derwent.

Could you give us a brief outline of the history and background of Derwent?

Pencil making was invented in Keswick in the mid-1500’s, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, following the chance discovery of graphite above the hamlet of Seathwaite in the Borrowdale Valley some years earlier. Legend has it, that on a stormy night the roots of a tree upturned and black lumps of material were found by shepherds. They at first thought it was coal but when it wouldn’t burn they marked their sheep with it. Graphite became very valuable as it was used in medicine and most importantly as moulds for cannon balls. During the reign of Elizabeth 1 the Borrowable mine was put under armed guard to protect the supply of graphite. It was worth (in today’s money) £1500 per kilo. After many years of turmoil, black market trading and plundering of the mine operations ceased in 1890.

In 1795, Nicholas Conte discovered how to mix graphite powder with clay, fire it in a furnace, and produce an equivalent to the Borrowdale material . Pencil makers quickly adopted this method meaning there was less need for the Borrowdale graphite.

Early pencil manufacture took place in the homes of local people , they grooved pieces of wood out by hand. The graphite lumps were sawn into strips and inserted into the wood, then glued together.

When and who was Derwent established by?

The business was established in 1832 by Hogath and Hayes. They became insolvent in 1912 and was bought by Charles Greenwood the local ironmonger. It was renamed the Cumberland Pencil Company in 1916. Today Derwent are owned by Acco, an American company who specialise in office products such as shredders, laminators, white boards, staplers, plastic pockets etc.

Cumberland Pencil Company 1920

Above: The Cumberland Pencil Company, 1920

Is there a particular reason why Derwent is based in Cumbria?

Because graphite was found in the Borrowdale Valley. We manufacture all of our products here and run our business of 90 employees.

Are there rare natural materials there that are perfect for manufacturing pencils?

Borrowdale Graphite was unique in the world, as it was found in large solid lumps. Elsewhere it existed in shale form only.

Could you describe to us the process of how pencils are made?

To make graphite pencils, Sri Lankan graphite is mixed with clay, fired, soaked in wax to make it write then extruded into strips. California Incense Cedar wood (chosen because of its ability to sharpen well) is purchased in slat form. These slats are then shaped with nine or eight grooves, glue is placed into the grooves and the strips are placed into the wood. A pencil sandwich is formed as a second slat is placed on top. The sandwich is then shaped and either eight or nine pencils are shaped from the sandwich in either a hexagonal or round barrel. The process is the same for colour pencils except the mixing stage we combine high quality pigments with china clay, gum and wax. Coloured pencils are not fired but gently dried.

Derwent Pencils manufacturing process

Above: The manufacturing process at Derwent

Is there a certain art and skill to manufacturing them?

It is a highly skilled process, we make 20 degrees and over 500 different coloured types of pencil. Each colour needs to match perfectly to that what was produced 60 years ago. About 30 people are involved in the manufacture and a further 20 to pack the pencils.

How much has this process changed since Derwent was first established?

The process is more automated now but the principles are the same. Many local craftsmen are still involved and we pride ourselves on the quality and length of service our employees have achieved.

How long does it take to make one pencil?

It could be as fast as two days if we really needed a pencil, but on average it take four days. They are individually checked for quality – we subscribe to the ISO9001 Quality System. We have a quality department on site dedicated to ensuring only the highest quality pencils are released for sale.

Why does it take so many people to pack a tin of pencils?

We have four sizes of tin, 12, 24, 36, 72. It takes 4 people to pack a12 tin, 6 people to pack a 24 tin, 8 people for a 36 tin and 12 for a 72 tin. For a 12 tin, one person takes the tin bases out of the boxes and places them on the track. The next two people pack six pencils each in colour sequence. The final person places the leaflet in the tin and the lid on the tin after it has been shrink-wrapped.

Packing at Derwent Pencils

Above: Packing pencils at Derwent

How has Derwent evolved since 1832? What makes Derwent so unique to other brands in the art materials world?

Although we are extremely proud of our heritage and traditions, we are a forward thinking company and highly innovative, bringing to market some exciting new products like the Inktense pencils and block, ink in a pencil! We also concentrate on only making pencils, blocks and sticks so we are highly specialised and greatly skilled in this area. We haven’t spread ourselves too thinly!

Derwent Inktense

Above: Derwent Inktense

How has your product range developed? Do you now see yourselves as being more than just a pencil manufacturer?

We have developed new and exciting products. Tinted Charcoal pencil, charcoal with a hint of colour. Graphitint which are water-soluble graphite pencils with a hint of colour – they truly transform before your eyes and of course Inktense the ink like pencil. Next year will see the introduction of our exciting new Artbar – a triangular shaped water-soluble wax bar, perfect for distinctive mark making.

How is Derwent a forward thinking and environmentally friendly band? Have you made any changes to your manufacturing process or your range to help the environment?

We moved to new premises in March 2008, Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, officially opened the new factory on 5th June 2008. This new factory has many environmental features! We operate to ISO14001 environmental standard. Sawdust is collected and used as fuel for our heating system to save gas. We collect rainwater from the roof to flush the toilets. Lights are controlled by daylight and movement sensors to save electricity. We have double rooflight area to maximise daylight and save electricity. And we hold the Queen’s award for sustainable development for a unique, solvent-free painting system.

Our UV or ultra violet light process is a way of painting pencil barrels without using harmful cellulose paints. A light wave cleanly and automatically coats the pencil with clear laqueur. We also use water based paints to paint the barrels of the pencils. We try to minimise packaging wherever possible and use recycled board if applicable.

People are more environmentally aware these days and we are based in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. So we are also aware of these concerns and doing our best to use sustainable products in our manufacture. Our aim is to reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, return and review. Derwent pencils are made from Incense Cedar from certified sustainable sources. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) label is a sign you are buying wood and paper products from well-managed forests, backed by a rigorous, third-party certification audit.

Derwent Pencil Cores

Above: Derwent Pencil Cores

Where does Derwent see itself in the next 5-10 years? Do you have plans for a new range or a new type of pencil? How do you plan to stay on top of being one of the best art materials brands in the world?

We plan to continue to be the best at what we do and to innovative and continue to be forward thinking and to change with the times. We are already working on our introductions for 2013 and we plan to continue to have new and exciting products ready for launch every year after as well.

How important does Derwent believe drawing and sketching is?

We know that 8% of the population in the UK regularly draw and that 16% of the population like drawing or would like to take it up at some point in the future. So we believe it is important to well being of the nation! “Keep calm and draw things” is our motto.

Why do you think drawing rather than painting for example, is the first medium that young children use? Do you think that it is important for children to be creative in their development years?

I personally believe that pencils are more portable and less messy than paints, so parents love to encourage children in their creativity but with the minimum amount of mess. I know as a mother of two children myself how much pleasure children get from drawing with pencils and I have the satisfaction of no messy finger prints on the walls and no spillage and the threat of paints ruining my lovely furniture! But our pencils that turn into paint by the addition of water from a water brush are fantastic and open an endless world of opportunities.

Why do you think that art students are unfortunately encouraged to move away from pencil work? Do you think that drawing is just as important as painting?

I think students are encouraged to try all different types of media, but I believe that drawing is the foundation of all art.

Derwent Pastel Pencils

Above: Derwent Pastel Pencils

Are there any particular artists that you love who use drawing as their main medium?

There are a lot of fantastic pencil artists around but at the moment we particularly like Diego Fazio, Caroline Bletsis and Janie Pirie; their work is exceptional.

How did you pick the artists that you represent on your website? Why did you chose them?

We don’t choose our artists, they quite often come to us. We are the number one brand in the UK and are widely know. Our Facebook page, Twitter and blog forums are widely followed and people actively want to share their work. Quite often people send their work into us and we ask them if we could display it on our web page. Recently we needed a new demonstrator for the ICHF show in Birmingham in November. So we ran a competition for people to enter showing us a video of themselves demoing our product. All the aspiring demonstrators had to do was submit a 5 minute video, via YouTube, showcasing some fast and simple drawing techniques using one of their favourite Derwent pencil ranges. We had a good response with some very high quality entries and we were able to choose a winner, Beverley Haines.

What advice can you give to someone who says they can’t draw? Do you believe that someone has to be skilled at drawing to be able to produce good art?

We firmly believe there isn’t anyone who can’t draw. All everyone needs is a little bit of encouragement, the right tools and some friendly advice. We actively try and encourage people to experiment and provide all sorts of hints and tips available for free on our website. From leaflets to projects, from online videos to full DVD’s. In addition the museum run workshops and free demonstrations throughout the year. We are available to give plenty of advice. Drawing is a skill, but you don’t have to be a great drawer to produce fantastic art. I do not draw well, but I can produce some great images with help and encouragement.

Derwent Pencil Museum

Above: Derwent Pencil Museum

Could you tell us a little bit more about the Pencil Museum? What kind of things do you have on display there? Why would you recommend someone to go visit?

The Pencil Museum is world famous and celebrated it’s 30th birthday this year. We often feature in the national newspapers, television and national radio. Our Manager Alex Farthing talked to Chris Evans about the world’s longest shaving competition, we have also appeared on the Antiques Road show, The One Show and most recently was used in a film set for ‘Sightseers’, a film to be released next year by Big Talk Productions.

We have 80,000 visitors a year coming to the museum. The highlights are the largest colour pencil in the world measuring in at 7.91Metres long, (25ft 11 and a half inches), It took 18 people 4 weeks to make it and 28 people to carry it into position!

The War pencil, in world war two, the managers were brought in to the factory at night to make secret war time pencils. The pencil looked like a normal eraser tipped pencil, but inside it held a secret, a map of Germany and a compass. There were four pencils in the series each holding a different area map of Germany.

There are also many free demonstration events held throughout the year and lots of family fun activities. A quiz trail for the children plus lots of crafty things to make and do. Then of course there is Sketchers cafe with it’s homemade soup and delicious cakes!

Does Derwent hold any exhibitions or events? What would a visitor be likely to see at one? Could you describe the last exhibition you had any what kind of artists had the work displayed at it? Was it a particular style or theme?

Derwent attend exhibitions throughout the year at various venues across the UK and also at a trade exhibition in Frankfurt. At the UK events we have various areas where we demonstrate products for customers alongside a professional artist who and is able to help customers with questions and demonstrate for them. Customers have the opportunity to sit and have a go with any of our products themselves. We are usually promoting a new range so this year we concentrated on our Inktense Blocks range, we display artwork that has been created using this range so people can see what can be achieved with the product. We attended Patchings in Nottingham, Art in Action in Oxford, SAA show in London and also the Art Materials Live show at Birmingham Nec.

Do you have any exhibitions or events coming up that you would like to tell us about?

We have the same listing of events as we do each year so we will be attending Patchings, Art in Action and Art Materials Live show again in 2012 (the SAA show is not taking place due to the Olympics), but 2012 is also a special anniversary for us as the company will be 180 years. We have events planned in our Museum during the May bank holiday to celebrate this alongside the Queen’s Jubilee and we will be holding a birthday party for our distributors and customers on our stand at the trade show in Frankfurt in January.

We would like to say special thanks to Kirsty Vickers at Derwent for her support and time on this interview. You can find out more about Derwent via their Website, Blog, Twitter, and Facebook.

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by Richard

VIP Art Fair 2.0 – February 3rd – 8th, 2012

December 29, 2011 in Inspiration

We of all people will give the VIP Art Fair credit where it’s due for originality of concept and challenging the dusty norms of the UK art establishment, because what they’re doing is so close to our own hearts and the work we do every day. They are shaking things up and putting forward a new way to interact with the quite traditional concept of the art fair – and doing a pretty good job of it too.

VIP Art Fair - Buy Contemporary Art Online

VIP Art Fair exists only online – connecting leading global art dealers with savvy customers without having to leave your home, offering work from highly respected contemporary artists like Jackson Pollock, Louise Bourgeois, Francis Bacon and Damien Hirst.

This is what they say…

“VIP Art Fair stands apart as the innovative platform for sophisticated art collectors and enthusiasts to connect with leading international contemporary art galleries.

It translates the experience of a traditional bricks-and-mortar fair to an online environment, and provides tools that enable the collector to initiate, develop, and maintain relationships with dealers.

VIP Art Fair is a filter to the most prominent contemporary art galleries in the world.”

This is what the Wall Street Journal said…

“As more and more powerful art buyers emerge from Asia, Russia and the Middle East, the need to quickly reach collectors around the globe has never been greater. And dealers are looking for ways to reach a younger generation that’s beginning to explore the art market—without alienating their best clients. Now, some of the biggest names in the worlds of art and technology are betting that collectors will spend millions on paintings and sculptures that they’ve only seen online. A who’s who of top galleries is taking part in the VIP Art Fair.”

You can find out more about the VIP Art Fair on their site over at vipartfair.com, or by following them on Twitter and Facebook.

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by Richard

The Art and Science of Interiors – Words of wisdom from Heterarchy

December 20, 2011 in Inspiration, Interiors

We’ve been talking for quite a while now about the relationship between great art and interior design, so we’ve been talking to some top interior designers and agencies about their businesses. Let us know if you pick up some tips!

Tony Matters, Managing Director at Heterarchy was kind enough to talk to us about the art and science of interior design…

Tony Matters, Heterarchy Interior Design

Above: Tony Matters, Managing Director at Heterarchy

Could you give us a brief outline of the background of your business and what services you offer?

Our core business is hospitality interiors (bars, restaurants, hotels and conference venues) as well as religious and high end residential projects.

Heterarchy was founded in 2001 by the interior designer Rosemarie Fitton. We’re based in Leicester – we work from a converted 20′s knitwear factory – it’s open plan, lots of character. It says a lot about who we are, although it’s evolved over the years rather than being ‘designed’.

We’re a team of five – Rosemarie Fitton, Creative Director – Tony Matters, Managing Director – 2 designers and a studio assistant.

How would you describe the kind of work you do? Do you have a particular style?

I would say we always aim to create interiors that inspire people; this is not marketing jargon, we actually want people to walk into a space we’ve designed and respond emotionally. We don’t have a set style, but we do have a set process; over the years we’ve learnt how best to approach a project so that we can get under the skin of our clients needs and wants. It must be working, as we have lots of happy clients who keep on coming back to us.

Temple Foyer

Above: Temple Foyer

Could you describe more about the sectors you work with?

Hospitality is a key sector for us, it seems to be a good fit for our skills and approach. I would say we’re in the business of creating spaces that are engaging, inspiring and lift people emotionally; being able to do this well takes a particular skill; it’s as much about knowing what to leave out as what to put in, it’s that intangible thing when you know something is right but you’re not sure why. Being able to do this seems to really suit hospitality interiors.

Religious spaces are something our Creative Director Rosemarie has a keen interest and ever expanding knowledge in. Having designed all of the spiritual spaces for the second largest Hindu Temple in the UK, for BAPS Shri Swaminarayn, we’ve been privileged to get the opportunity to learn a tremendous amount about their faith and beliefs. Interpreting the symbols and values into a contemporary interior scheme, the end result is pretty much unique. Rosemarie is now actively pursuing this area of work, to both expand her own expertise and eventually make a significant contribution to the design of new types of religious and spiritual space.

Residential projects are where we cut our teeth. For the first seven years of Heterarchy, we provided a complete design and build service for high end residential projects. As we became more and more successful within this area, it was a natural progression to start to get involved in other types of work. We do still work on residential schemes, although not as much as we used to; and these days they tend to be pretty exclusive projects.

Rosmarie Fitton, Creative Director at Heterarchy

Above: Rosmarie Fitton, Creative Director at Heterarchy

What part of the design is most important when making an individual statement on a project?

Conveying the individuality of a brand through interior and architectural design is possibly the single most important thing we do. To do this, it’s essential to develop deep understanding of the brand; what are it’s core values, who are it’s customers, what do they want and need. It’s about looking for what makes this brand unique and imprinting this into the design; we strongly believe that every single business or venue has something special that can set them apart from their competitors. Sometimes it’s obvious, other times we have to do some digging, but ultimately this is the thing that makes the real difference, the thing that leads to our preferred response ‘this just looks and feels right’.

Communicating the individuality of a faith is not too different. It’s about learning and developing understanding. It’s about going back to the first principles of a particular faith and understanding where it all came from. This is always a huge undertaking but it cannot be avoided, particularly if we want to create something new and relevant for contemporary society. A lot of religious architecture is almost ‘pattern book’ – you use this pattern here, that one there and so on. What we would prefer, however, is to understand why these symbols where used in the first place; this enables us to create something new that still adheres to these guiding principles. One of the biggest challenges in this field is the design of multi-faith spaces – these are essentially spaces for prayer and meditation that are not specific to any one denomination. In practice, this is very hard, as their are lots of preconceived attitudes and conflicting requirements; in spite of this, we strongly believe it is possible to make this work, again by getting back to first principles and creating an over-riding sense of spirituality.

Creating a space that is personal and individual to someone’s lifestyle is again about taking the time to develop real understanding. In some ways this can be the hardest of all; people often use logic to justify what they want, but in fact it’s always their emotions that drive the decision. Add to that the fact that often you’re dealing with a couple and it gets even harder. Sometimes I think that to design peoples homes you are half designer and half marriage guidance counselor!

Ashorne Hill

Above: Ashorne Hill

What is your dream project?

I’m not sure I have a dream project but I probably have a dream client; someone who is passionate about their business and wants to embark on a journey to create something special. It’s also worth noting that this is not about having huge budgets to play around with; this just makes you lazy. Some of the best experiences we’ve had is working within tight cost constraints, yet pushing ourselves to create something amazing. On a more basic level, I would like to travel more with our work. We’re currently working across the UK but relish the opportunity to work further afield, which I’m sure at some point will happen.

Do you plan to carry on focusing on working with clients within hospitality, religion, and residential? Or there other types of businesses and organisations you are aiming to work with?

My focus within the business is hospitality interiors. This is where my passion lies and is something I’ve started to develop genuine expertise in, which is really important; we would hate to be seen as a ‘jack of all trades’. Having a deep expertise within a narrower field is, in my view, the key to success. Rosemarie is doing this with religious, spiritual and multi-faith spaces. In fact, Rosemarie is building a level of expertise within this area that is unrivaled within the UK, maybe even the world! As for residential projects, more often than not these days we get appointed because someone has seen our work within a other field but appreciated our skill and approach; we tend to be quite selective about this type of work now, as it’s easy to be a busy fool!

Are there any Designers, Architects or Artists you would love to collaborate with?

I’d like to collaborate more with artists who share a similar world view. I’m not pretentious, I always try and speak in plain english; but this doesn’t mean I’m not passionate about creativity, about capturing the essence of an idea and communicating with people on a deeper, more intuitive level. I suppose that’s the ‘art’ in what we do, which, for me, is the critical element of success. To work closely with an artist who understands where I’m coming from would be simply amazing.

Heterarchy Studio

Above: Heterarchy’s Studio

How do you plan to push boundaries in the world of Interior and Architectural design in the future?

For me, great design is in the first instance about building great teams. Our work has to deliver on many levels – commercially, creatively, emotionally and technically. Getting the balance right is all about getting the right mix of individuals, within both the client and design team. This is the essence of a ‘heterarchy’. Going forwards I look forward to working with great individuals and producing truly outstanding spaces.

What are you plans and aims for the next year, 5 years?

We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing, keep pushing ourselves to deliver outstanding projects for our clients. As has happened over the past few years, so long as we stay true to our values and never stop learning I think our success will continue. In 2009 we set ourselves the goal to be the leading designer of hospitality interiors with the Midlands; I think we’re nearly there. Next, the UK. Then the world!

Do you think that following trends is important in Interior and Architectural Design?

I think a balanced approach is key. We tend to put the fashion into things that can be easily updated whilst ensuring the underlying scheme will stand the test of time.

Where do you feel that you fit into current trends? Are you part of a wider trend?

I’m not sure that we do. It’s entirely possible to create an interior that fulfills our clients commercial needs, elicits a positive emotional response from those that use the space and is in some way a unique and individual response to a particular place, without being ‘on-trend’ or fashionable. Our work varies in style as it’s always a response to a specific client and situation; this is the way it should always be.

Do you consider Interior Design as an art form in itself?

There has to be an element of art in it, however we also need to balance that with commercial and practical considerations. The ‘art’ part is vital, however, as that is how we communicate with people on a more intuitive and basic level.

Apartment Wall Art

Above: Apartment wall art

How can a single piece of art change the mood of a room?

It’s entirely possible to build an interior around a single piece of art. If it adds to the story, or even creates the story, then it can be a powerful emotional trigger within a space.

Do you incorporate artwork in any of your existing designs?

We often incorporate art within an interior, quite often it’s a pivotal part of a scheme.

Do you think that displaying artwork in a business setting is important for making a statement about a brand?

I think it needs to connect with the story of that brand. Art for arts sake is good for no-one, but when art can be used to add an emotional layer to a space it works really well.

Religion has played a huge part in art and design through the centuries and is associated with very historic structures and artistic techniques, how are you bringing this into the modern world?

We’ve had to go back to basics, to understand the primary drivers for both religious art and religious symbolism. Peoples need for a spiritual or religious dimension in their lives has never changed, but the way we see the world most certainly has. Making a visual or symbolic reference does not have to be particularly obvious or literal – in fact, by placing it within a more contemporary conceptual framework, it’s possible to capture the underlying essence of why we would need this in the first place. With Hinduism, for example, the underlying symbolism is all about expressing the power of nature; cycles of life, birth, growth and renewal. Historically, this is communicated using devices such as stems, leaves and flowers in different stages of growth. Once you understand this, it’s fairly easy to se how you can create a new language that still communicates these core principles.

Have you ever designed a project around an existing piece of art? How did you go about doing this?

We designed the foyer for the new BAPS Shri Swaminarayan temple around an important relief sculpture that is located at the Akshardam temple in India. Although this is quite small in size, we used this as the source image for a fifteen metre long glass wall in the foyer. The image is a historical reference, the scale and material used is entirely contemporary.

What steps did you take to break into the industries of Interior and Architectural design?

Our route into design was evolutionary – starting out with small commissions, by always striving for excellence our work got attention. Looking back it’s amazing how far we’ve come, our business is almost unrecognisable now from what is was when we first started.

What path would you recommend to someone considering it as a career now?

A good degree in interior architecture, ideally one where you can do a years placement in industry. If not, try and get as much work experience along the way as possible.

Has it become easier or harder in this field?

It’s getting easier for us as we become more recognised within our field. Building up contacts takes time, there’s no shortcut to developing lasting relationships with key clients.

Have client’s expectations changed?

People are more aware of ‘interior design’ – at least they think they are! The popular media has not really helped, quite often reinforcing negative stereotypes of what interior design is. Good clients, ultimately, understand the value of good design. Quite often through a bad experience of some kind they soon come to realise that good interior design is about so much more than using the latest fabrics and wallpapers.

You can find out more about Heterarchy over on their site at www.heterarchy.co.uk.

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Why be online? Great advice for artists from Emma McMillan at Gallereo

December 9, 2011 in For Artists

If as an artist you’ve ever wondered how you can get more people to see your work, you’d be forgiven for knocking on the doors of local (or national) galleries. Without a doubt, they’re the first port of call for artists and art lovers alike. But in recent years the internet has opened up the world of visual media on a whole new scale. Now, you can view work in Beijing just as easy as you can pop to your local community arts gallery.

Emma McMillan runs Gallereo, a business that allows visual artists to get their work online and in front of viewers easier than ever before. So who better to ask about the ins and outs of the web, for artists?

Buy Art Online Gallereo

Artists often tell us that they work in a studio and exhibit in a gallery, that they don’t touch technology that often. Why do you see it as important for artists to publish their work online?

I think it’s important to publish your work online because, as a consequence of the times, it’s the only place that you’ll truly have an unlimited audience of people who can look at, admire, and perhaps even purchase your work.

Even if you’re not interested in selling your work, I think every artist at least seeks an audience and/or support that in some way validates what they’re doing. Who, as an artist, wouldn’t want someone from half way across the world to get in touch and say “hey, I saw your painting on your website, and loved it, I’d like to find out more about what you do”?

Do artists need to go out and hire a professional designer or developer to get their work online?

From having now spoken to hundreds of artists about the topic of setting up a website, or becoming engaged in online activity, I know that there are 2 main things that hold people back. Firstly, there’s a fear of thinking it’s all too complex and that they won’t be able to do it themselves, and secondly, there’s cost.

A lot of people overcome the first issue by hiring a web professional, but then they’re stuck with dealing with the second issue. Then there are people who have no way of getting around the second issue, and so don’t even get around to trying to build an online presence because of that.

My response is that, it’s not too complex. There are solutions out there that specifically aim to help people who are not at all tech savvy, or extensively computer literate, and to go hand in hand with that, there are solutions that make it as affordable as possible for those people to give it a go.

Working with artists, I know that spending a huge amount of time on the computer is not high on their agenda, when they could be in the studio making, or chasing their next creative endeavour. So making it affordable, quick and easy to have something that looks great, is really important when working with that audience.

Buy Art Online Gallereo

Building a website to show my artwork is one thing, but how is anyone supposed to find it? Do I need to promote or market my work?

First and foremost I’m going to say that it’s not enough to build a website, and then to sit back and expect traffic to roll in. Just because you build it, doesn’t mean that they will come. The internet doesn’t really work that way. You have to be proactive to get people to visit your website.

However, that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult.

There are lots of things that you can do to get people to come and visit your website and see your work, and a lot of it can be built into the things that you can do as part of your natural day to day activities, both online and offline.

I would say that you should give certain attention to the old word of mouth. Tell people about your website, because they may in turn tell people that they know about it. It’s simple, shouldn’t take much effort, and is effective. Also having business cards made up with your web address so that you can give them out whenever you talk about your website is a good idea – it will jog peoples memories when they find it again later on.

If you’re using Facebook, Twitter or any other sort of social media platform, then be sure to include a link to your website, and make a note of telling your friends or followers if you add new artwork or if you update your news page to include an upcoming exhibition. These little updates are things that take two seconds to do, but could bring a fair amount of traffic through to your site.

If you start to get more comfortable with the internet, then it’s worth looking into Search Engine Optimisation.

This isn’t a black art, and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand it (although I think some SEO companies would have you believe that you do). In the beginning, I picked up a copy of Search Engine Optimisation for Dummies, and I’d highly recommend it. You’ll learn how search engines work: why they show the websites that they do, in the order that they do. You’ll learn about the importance of keywords for your website and how you can use keywords to build great content on your website that will help people find you more easily. You’ll also learn about different ways to be active in the online community, and linking back to your website, in such a way that will

There are a few basic principles that you can follow surrounding the use of keywords on your website, having as much great content as you can on your site, and being active in the online community in a way that allows you to link back to your own website from blogs, forums, community sites and other sites within your niche area.

Buy Art Online Gallereo

What about making sure my artwork looks right on-screen?

How you present your work on your site is really important, no matter what the end goal for your website is.

How long would you personally stay on a website that has bad images? Not long I bet. If it’s an artist website, and the images are bad, you’ll stay for even less time. Having sharp, well lit images that load quickly on your website is really important. If you’re not comfortable taking pictures of the work, it’s worth considering speaking to your local printer, framer or art shop who may be able to help you, or at least offer practical advice.

The only two pieces of advice that I can really offer are – don’t try and photograph anything behind glass, you’re asking for a battle that few can win, and if not for yourself, then for me, please turn the date stamp off on your camera. There’s nothing worse than seeing pictures uploaded with a bright orange or red date stamp in the corner.

Once you have your images, make sure that they’re web-friendly, and by that I just mean that you don’t want to upload a 30Mb image to your website. Not only will it take ages to upload, but it will take an age to load on the website for the viewer. The internet isn’t the sort of place where people have any kind of patience. If something takes more than a couple of seconds to load, you’ve lost them.

While images are going to be the most important feature for your website, you should also make the effort to write something about the work. This will help you in two respects.

1) Search engines love websites with lots of content, so if they can see a lot of text on your website, they’re going to want to list your site for other people to see.

2) People are reluctant to buy things online, without knowing all of the ins and outs, so if selling online is a major focus for you, then information on each work is paramount to helping you do that. People will want to know sizes, materials, whether it comes framed or not, how much it costs or how to contact you about it. Any creative information about the work can’t go amiss either – we still all love to hear about how artists come to make the works that they do, and that little inspirational story might just engage someone enough that it pushes them to make that all important purchase.

Buy Art Online Gallereo

What websites are good to be part of to promote my artwork?

I think everyone will have their own experiences and recommendations for this (so viewers please do leave comments for others if you have any inside tips!) but the few I can think of:

Twitter – don’t be skeptical about this, Twitter is teeming with artists and just by being there and joining in the conversation with other artists or art lovers, you’ll find that natural curiosity brings people your way (remember your website link in your Twitter profile!). I also find that Twitter is a good way to hear about art events and opportunities to get involved, so there are lots of different avenues to benefit from. A word of warning though, don’t just use it to post things that say ‘look at my work’ ‘look at my work’ ‘look at my work’ because that’ll turn people away. Genuinely engage with people on a personal level – fight the facelessness of computing.

Flickr – Upload some of your images to Flickr and again have a link back to your own website. There’s nothing wrong with being part of larger image sharing / art sharing communities, but I think it’s beneficial to have your own online space where you’re not battling against the masses all on the same website. I think the same can be said of places like Etsy and Deviant Art.

There are loads of artists forums and communities out there online, some specialist to medium, some specialist to location, so I think it pays in a lot of ways to be part of these. For example, there’s Painters Online, if you’re based in the UK, which has lots of useful information, links to art groups around the country, blogs, forums, and somewhere that you can show your artwork again, but as part of a larger community.

How can I write my artwork to convert viewers and fans into collectors?

When writing content for your website, as an artist, I think there are a few things that you should consider covering in the copy for your website:

Your artists mission statement if you like – what you do, how you do it and why. I think people like to feel as if they know a bit about you before they’re able to fully engage with what you’re doing.

Exhibition history / gallery list – it doesn’t matter if you’ve never shown at Baltic or The White Cube, people just want to know where they might see your work in person, or where they may have come across you before. Village galleries, art fairs, local group shows – it’s all worth while information to people who could become your biggest fans.

Information about each artwork – online, there should be a dual purpose to your writing. Firstly, online buyers won’t add anything to the basket unless they know as much about it as humanly possible. They want to know exactly what they’re buying, and this is no different to someone going along to Amazon and trying to buy a camera – if you can’t find out its size, and technical specification, you might not be that confident at making that transaction. On the other hand, you may also want to add a bit more about the artwork from a creative point of view – what inspired you to create it, how did you approach the creative process, is this work linked to any key events in your life or the world around you, who are your influences and so forth. Give people something to engage the brain, but also their heart for those of us who are led by impulse.

You can find out more about Emma and her business, at Gallereo.com, or via Facebook and Twitter.

Featured Photo is a wire-tailed swallow. Courtesy of Lip Kee.

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Avatar of Josh

by Josh

Colour and Space, with Orlanda Broom

December 9, 2011 in We Love

Orlanda Broom - Gilpin Trace

In a world full of shouting images and messaging, where so much has already been done, so much ground covered, so many curiosities already created and devoured, it’s so rare that we hit upon something that really makes us say wow.

Orlanda Broom‘s use of colour and delicate degenerating form, along with varying canvas sizes and shapes makes us very inspired today.

Orlanda Broom - Old Aloubaera

Orlanda Broom - Oropendola

Orlanda Broom - Tucan Pass

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Avatar of Sofia

by Sofia

Big Cats and Babies – Angela Lizon

December 7, 2011 in We Love

Angela Lizon

We love Angela Lizon. Her oil paintings are fresh, fun, very kitsch and pretty big! It probably helps that we’re big cat lovers too.

Angela is a Bristol based artist, working from Top Floor Studios, Spike Island. She studied there for three years, then securing a scholarship at the Krakow Academy of Fine Art in Poland, which must have been quite a unique experience as the country was still under Communist rule at the time.

Impressively, Angela’s work was also selected for a Royal Academy show. Frankly we’re not surprised though, as it has fantastic quality of finish, whilst maintaining a painterly feel too, feels warm and a little disturbing at the same time – though her baby portraits are perhaps a bit darker than the cats…

Angela Lizon

Angela Lizon

Angela Lizon

Angela Lizon

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