Top 10 tips for investing in Art ........
When attending an auction house for the first time go to observe ONLY, without buying first - it's a good way of getting used to the atmosphere of the sale.

· Look out for the condition of the art piece - make sure, as far as possible, that paint isn't flaking, colours haven't faded and that, to the naked eye at least, it is in good order.

· Turn the painting over for any clues to dates signatures or markings to find out where it has come from, if you cannot tell from the front.

· Check for the artist's signature, can it be authenticated?

· With paintings, try to keep the original frame. Where this isn't possible, try to get hold of a period frame. Even the very best modern reproduction could lower the value of the painting. You can repair a damaged frame with silicone and plaster available at craft and art shops online.

· Ensure painting is kept out of direct sunlight, or is properly protected in storage.

· Read up on the artist in Artists who dictionary available at your local Library or online search that name.
· Make a note in the Auction catalogue out how much other works have reached in this sale and recent sales to gauge how much you should be prepared to pay

· Don't just buy because you think the value will go up - there's every chance it won't unless you have heard of the Artist and have knowledge about the artist--Age!!

· Do trust your own taste. Buy a piece of art because you love it. Then if you do decide to sell, the chances are someone else will fall for its charms and give you the price you want. Important Don’t forget to include it in your home insurance, be wise not sorry!

How to Select Matting and Framing

After selecting an image to complement your interior, the next step is to select a mat and a frame. Keep in mind that framing artwork is important not only for the aesthetic value it adds to décor, but it serves to protect your art as well.

The Frame

The frame provides the architectural as well as decorative support for a work of art. Frames can be built in all sizes and shapes and come in a variety of styles and colours to enhance your artwork.

A common error people make when choosing frames is to pick out something to match the room, not the art. You select an image that will look great in your room. Trust that a frame you select to go with an image will naturally look great with the décor and the design style of your room as well.

Make sure the width of your frame is proportionate to the size of your image. A wide frame tends to overwhelm smaller images. A thin frame would get lost around a large piece of art.

All our framing comes with standard foam backing board and dust cover, preventing dust from getting to your artwork and enhancing preservation.

The Mat

Matting is the paper or fabric border that surrounds your art within the frame. Its purpose is both decorative as well as protective.

The main purpose of the top mat is to keep the cover glass from coming into contact with the artwork. This also provides an area where air can circulate. Differences in temperature between the outside and inside of the frame can cause moisture to condense behind the glass. This moisture may damage the inks and colours and can serve as a breeding ground for mould, mildew and fungi. Placing the material directly against the glass would result in buckles, wrinkles, mould formations and "sticking" to the glass. A mat will prevent this from happening.

Mat board, as a graphic element, can serve to highlight a colour, accent a shape, or increase the overall size of the framed piece. Colour obviously plays an important role in this transformation process. It is best to select a neutral colour for the top mat. Whites and other pale earth tones give the image room to "breathe" and go well with most interiors.

The bottom mat completes the matting of your artwork. Certainly one of the main reasons we use mat boards to encase art is decorative: to bring out the colours in an image while drawing in the eye. This is where the inner mat comes into play. With only about 1/4" or 1/8" exposed beneath the top mat, the bottom mat is usually selected to beautifully bring out accent colours hidden within the artwork.

There are many creative and elegant techniques that can be used to add distinction to your framed artwork, creating a museum like quality to the piece. The addition of matting can mean the difference between an insignificant piece that gets lost on a wall and a dramatic one that serves as a perfect accent for a room. All of our matting is exclusively acid-free, museum quality conservation matting. This means that your artwork will be fully protected, and no materials or techniques will be used that cannot be reversed, leaving the art undamaged and in its original state.

Artwork on canvas needs exposure to air and should not be encased behind glass. For this reason, we do not offer matting or glass for canvas pieces.

Artwork on paper should be matted so that a border of the paper remains visible. When the print is signed and numbered, a bottom heavy border will allow the signature to show within the finished framed piece. Our framers will automatically do this for you.

The Glass

All glass is not created equal. In order to preserve, protect and get the most out of your artwork, you have to think about some important attributes of both your artwork and your home.

If the item you are framing is one-of-a-kind, rare, irreplaceable, of great monetary or sentimental value, or if the room you are hanging it in receives above average direct sunlight or fluorescent light, then you should frame your art with UV protection conservation glass/Plexiglas.

We offer both plain and UV protection Plexiglas. Museums across the country have been using Plexiglas  for years to protect their works and reduce any distortion of images. Plexiglas also eliminates the risk of shattered glass and is much lighter in weight, which means less stress on your hanging hardware and more protection for your art.

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Have you ever been caught drink driving? My father-in-law was a couple of years back and it damned near cost him his job.
Now I don’t condone drink driving, not at all. And neither did my father-in-law. He knows now that the safest approach to staying within the limit is not to touch a drop in the first place.
The trouble is that the law isn’t able to differentiate between people who make an honest mistake (like my father-in-law) and those who deliberately break the rules with no regard for anyone else.
Even the most minor drink driving offence results in a minimum 12 month ban and often a hefty fine. And that’s exactly what he got.
He paid his debt to society and is now a little wiser. But it was a VERY difficult time for him and he is still extremely embarrassed and ashamed about the whole affair.
However he COULD have spared the ordeal.
You see, there IS a way to get around the so-called ‘mandatory’ ban. But you have to know how.
This SITE NOW tells you everything. Like I said, I don’t condone drink driving. Who in their right mind would?
But if you find yourself facing prosecution you might find something very valuable at this site. Check it out, even if you’re just preparing for the future.

 

Abstract Art, Mark Rothko,Wall Art. FREE DELIVERY+70% OFF

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30” x 20” was £97 SALE £58

24” x 36” was £134 SALE £67

30” x 40” was £143 SALE £72

32” x 12”x 3 was £174 SALE £87