Your favourite piece of art on display... in your bathroom?
Tuesday 4th October 2011
Bringing the outside into your home, and especially into your bathroom, is a dream many people have. It’s not necessarily all that practical to literally step outdoors to have a shower – especially if you live in the city - but by using natural materials and colours you can create a beautiful indoor space that’s totally in tune with nature. 
Perhaps you could opt for a solid wooden washstand with an interesting grain, topped by a natural granite surface. Both natural materials, both with a beautiful texture and interesting colour tone: choose from a range of natural wood tones and a veritable rainbow of granite types. A light oak might be complemented by either a pale, creamy granite or a dark brown or black colour with a greenish fleck, reminiscent of grass, plants and trees. Add to this washstand a cast stone, marble, or travertine vessel basin: there’s plenty of choice out there in terms of materials, colours, and shapes, so you’re bound to find one you love. Then, emphasise your natural theme with a waterfall basin mixer tap: combining the aesthetic appeal of running water with the functionality of a single lever operated tap, this item delivers a stream of water to your basin along a cut back spout – you can see the beauty of the moving water as it surges towards you. Modern waterfall taps are frequently designed to be eco friendly, water saving designs, so you can feel you’re doing your bit for the environment, too.
Add to your feature washstand a freestanding bath in either a traditional or contemporary style, with a matching floor standing waterfall tap. Elsewhere, stick with simple wooden toned bathroom furniture with capacious cupboards into which you can pile any extraneous clutter, leaving your bathroom surfaces clear – good for creating a really relaxing, zen-like space.
We all spend a lot of time in the bathroom. Surveys have estimated that women, in particular, are likely to spend over a year and a half in the bathroom over their lifetime. So it’s well worth making the room attractive. A nature-inspired bathroom could be the ideal home for your latest artistic purchase too: so long as you regulate the ventilation in there to protect the picture, having a beautiful scene to gaze at as you soak in a candlelit bathtub might be just what you’ve been missing.
Choose a striking wall covering that recalls a natural theme: try combining natural, neutral stone tiles with a bold bathroom paint. Tile to mid-way up your walls and paint the upper section in your favourite shade: emerald green is a gorgeous colour, but choose a tone that you love to look at and, crucially, that will provide a stunning backdrop for your central feature – your bathroom art!
Check out Bluethumb's range of affordable art to use in your bathroom.
Bio
Helen Davies is a senior content writer for Better Bathrooms, suppliers of beautiful bathroom furniture at discounted prices right across the UK. Ranges available include vanity units, bathroom cabinets and many other bathroom fixtures and fittings.
Why buy original art?
Monday 5th September 2011
With so many reproductions so readily available and inexpensive, you’d
probably think twice about spending more of you hard earned cash to own
original art.
Original art is special. Even in well made prints, the unique qualities
of the original are lost. If you see a print of a Van Gogh, for example,
it will look pretty. Viewing an original is an overwhelming and
emotional experience. You can’t take your eyes off of one. Museums sell
prints as souvenirs to help you remember the experience of seeing the
real thing, not to replace the original.
Another way of looking at it: Is seeing a travel photo of the Caribbean
as good as being there in person to admire the view. It’s exactly the
same as art. You buy an original piece for the experience, for the
emotional and intellectual pleasure the artwork gives you.
Artist Interview: Pen Donovan
Friday 2nd September 2011
How long have you been an artist for Pen? Well this is a difficult question because to tell you the truth I don’t feel like an artist yet. For one thing I am not earning enough income as an artist to cover living costs therefore I haven’t ‘made it’ yet. If other people see me as an artist that’s great but I’m still doing an apprenticeship. It’s good to feel a sense of still practising. It relieves performance anxiety. I did a Fine Art Diploma way back. Over the years I would dabble a bit just to reassure myself I was up to it. It wasn’t until I was well into my forties that I realised I had to always have a painting on the go for my mental well-being. I made myself have a solo exhibition before I turned fifty just to prove I could do it. Now I am half-way through the ten-year apprenticeship it takes to get good at anything. Tell us about your first attempts to be creative? Well it’s too far back to remember. My parents must have seen a propensity for it as they sent me to a Saturday morning art class when I was seven years old. I can’t even say that from a young age I drew all the time. I have been incredibly lazy all my life. And too easily distracted by other things – being good, saving the world, domestic life and getting money to pay the rent. Could you tell us some more about your work? What artists have influenced you, and how? Anyone good. Lots of them. All of them. Artist’s are influenced by everything and everyone. We pinch ideas from all over. John Coburn, abstract painter – leaves - he makes the surface interesting. William Robinson – clever, painting the sky and the forest floor in the one pic. Picasso for not being a cookie cutter, Hockney for the same reason - ,just doing what he wants. Matisse, colour and form, Van Gogh for pushing colour and graphic style, Margaret Olley for just doing the one thing and working until she dropped. And then Aboriginal women artists for their steady adherence to their stories and their quiet methodical manner. For the profound connection with the natural world. I could go on. How do you recharge when your creativity hits the wall? I go to bed. I drink a fresh coffee every day to stay ‘up’. I try not to be too intense about it. I talk to artist friends. I visit galleries. What has been your most exciting moment as an artist? Winning the Artforce Award in 2010. I had painted a lot of traffic boxes over two years and the judges that year liked them. Score. What are your artistic goals? To paint a lot. To earn a living painting pictures. To gain strength as an artist. To generate the necessary pull-through (people buying) that will make me work harder. Because my push-through is lousy - if someone wants my paintings I can’t wait to paint, if no-one’s buying I lose spirit and waste time. I’m giving the abstracts a rest. I’ve almost finished ten pics of the flat I live in. A commission. (It relieved me of the torture of job-hunting for a few weeks.) In recording my world I’m learning to produce an artwork as opposed to a picture. Finally, what other interests do you have outside of painting? All of them, everything. I am very easily distracted. Unfortunately. I tend to give 100% to whatever is in front of me at any one time. So when I get a job, whether it’s sorting mail, waiting tables or graphic design - and now a teacher aide, I am totally involved. Great for my employer but an incredible waste of my time as an artist. I want to be paid to paint.
Artist Interview: Pen Donovan
I am on several different tracks right now – abstracts, recording my environment and traffic boxes. I like a little ambiguity. I want to paint a lot of abstracts. For an artist everything is ‘an abstract’, just a weird mash up of colour and form. In painting ‘real’ things I am still trying to follow Brett Whitley’s advice, to’ steal, lie and distort.’ 
Could you talk about your latest series of paintings and what you are trying to achieve with them?
To view more of Pen's art, click here.
Artist Interview - Wendy Nolan
Monday 8th August 2011
As I grow as an artist, my work becomes more and more an essential part of my being. I like to think of my art as exposing an otherwise
unseen part of myself. My intentions are to awaken the senses and evoke
memories, allowing the spectator to form a unique interpretation of my
work. Painting is a sensory experience for me. I am sometimes surprised
by what actually takes place as the brush pushes paint across the
surface of the canvas. My mind tends to zero in on details, and I work
with anticipation of the end result as the process builds layers,
textures and form with colour. Being able to paint is a gift I will
always treasure.
When did you become interested in art?
I don’t remember being not interested in art. From a very early age, I enjoyed drawing, as a child it was my favourite pastime. For me though, marriage, children and work took over. So art was kept it in the background until I studied Interior Technology in 2007. I completed modules in gouache and watercolours and realised I could paint, that’s when I started to experiment with different mediums.
I spent the
next few months creating my first ‘masterpieces’ and placed them in a
group exhibition at a local art gallery. Seven out of ten pieces sold,
and I was amazed that people were willing to pay their hard earned money
for something I had made! I've wanted to create ever since.
Could you tell us some more about your work?
Most pieces begin with intent, and I carefully plan them out before I begin work. Despite my planning, these pieces usually end up substantially different from my original idea, as I tend to modify my ideas along the way.
I also have a fascination for colours. I love going into an art shop and opening paint tubes to look at the pure colour. Colour inspires a lot of my work; I tend to use rich, vibrant colours that give my work emotional impact, I think colour focus’s the viewers’ attention and helps effectively convey my message. Plus, I’ve never met a colour I didn’t like.
Which movements and artists have influenced you, and how?
I admire so many artists, both dead and alive, that it is difficult to name just a few. I was exposed to the great masters during a trip to the Louvre, Paris and I still remember the impact. I was enamoured by these amazing paintings that make the mind boggle. I like to think I can still see their influence in my work, to this day.
What’s been your favourite project(s) to date in your career and why?
The
painting I’m working on is usually my favourite project. I have yet to
create the perfect artwork and with each new work enjoy the challenge of
painting something better.
Does the internet have a positive or negative influence on art?
Definitely positive. The internet provides artists with a wealth of information, new resources and creative ‘fodder’. I believe the internet is the marketplace of the future which gives exposure to a wider audience.
I’m in awe of a lot of work on Bluethumb but it doesn’t put me off, rather, it inspires me to try even harder.
What are you working on at the moment?
I am trying to finish a painting that I would love to enter in the Clayton Utz Art Award for 2011. I am struggling to complete this work and fast running out of time.
I decided I needed to learn something new and attended a workshop at the Art Shed in West End with Deb Gillett. She demonstrated her original technique of wet-into-wet with acrylics and inks to create the illusion of movement with colour. I was inspired and have used that knowledge to attempt my own interpretation.
What’s your greatest ambition as an artist?
Finishing the painting I’m working on is my goal at the moment. Being creative makes me happy, ‘just painting because I need/want to, so this is my measure, if this should lead to fame & fortune, then so be it! Really I just want people to see my work and like it. If I can manage this before I die I will be satisfied.
Finally, what do you do for fun (besides painting)?
My children, young adults, are at the centre of my life. They have their own lives now but I treasure every second I get to share with them. I also love spending time with friends, & traveling, although I haven’t done much of late. Books & movies have always been a favourite pastime. My newest pastime is music; the words inspire my work and take me to another world. I love to listen to my music very loudly while I’m painting.
For more Wendy Nolan
A Beginner’s guide to buying Art
Monday 11th July 2011
Buying an artwork for the first time can be daunting. This article will help get you over the initial hurdle of where to begin. Your budget will answer many questions for you, like framed or unframed, under glass, print or original, to buy on-line or at a gallery.
When you are ready to start buying art for your home, talk to people who have artworks in their home, they will have probably gone through what you are about to. Talk to art dealers, go to galleries, talk to artists, go on-line and see what’s available, survey your market and then, start small, get the feel of the art in your home.
You will have an idea of what you do and don’t like, let this be your guide throughout the buying process. Don’t let anyone try to convince you to buy the next big thing or through any other unrealistic sales device. Most people in art sales will be honest with you, as they want you coming back repeatedly.
Let’s assume you have set your budget and you are ready to get out into the market and see what is available, you could ask yourself these questions first.
- Do I choose to buy on-line, at a gallery, in a shop or directly from the artist?
- What format - painting, sculpture, photography, multi-media, drawing?
- What style - abstract, pop art, realism, post-modernism, minimalism?
- What subject - portrait, landscape, body art, still life, nature, nudes?
- What medium - watercolour, oil, print, pen and ink, pencil, etching, lithograph?
- Alternatively, forget these questions and go with what you like.
You will also have an idea of where around your home you can hang or place the artwork; nudes may work best in the bedroom, a sculpture for the garden, a drawing in a study or library. The answer to this is open ended, be daring, show your family and friends how original you can be.
A company like www.bluethumb.com.au can be the perfect place to get you started. Here you will find over 50 artists that offer you a range of works that can be well suited to a variety of homes.
This painting by Matthew Simpson titled Clara Draper, named after his younger sister, could work well in any room. Its style is abstract and its medium oils. The nature of this work lends itself to many possibilities that can add to or offset the style of a room.
The light in or coming into a room is to be considered when placing an artwork. Strong sunlight is not suitable for viewing artworks and sunlight should never fall directly onto a work.
Cleaning an artwork, in a word, don’t. If you value your artworks, talk to an expert conservator when and if an artworks needs to be cleaned.
It is possible that you could frame a work like this; framing options are many, but as you can tell it’s a contemporary work, you would want a frame that follows this quality. Having an artwork under glass has its benefits; glass helps protect against environmental damage and people over enthusiastically pointing. Then there are issues with reflection to consider. While there is anti-reflective glass, it is just a coating and not completely effective. Talk to a reputable framer, they will advise.
