Art, Paper, Prints and Painting

AI is making it easier than ever to create unique, eye-catching pictures. With tools like MidJourney , you can type in a simple prompt—“a neon city floating in the clouds” or “a cat dressed as a pirate”—and get back detailed, professional-looking images in seconds. You don’t need drawing skills or expensive software, just your imagination and a few words are enough to spark incredible results.  The fun lies in experimenting, seeing unexpected outcomes, and letting AI help you capture ideas you might never have been able to sketch by hand. But the magic doesn’t have to stop with a still image. MidJourney now lets you animate those creations directly into short video clips. With a single click on the Animate button, your static picture can turn into a living scene—a camera slowly panning through your neon city, or your pirate cat swaying as if caught by the wind. You can keep it subtle with gentle motion or go bold with dramatic shifts, creating clips up to 21 seconds long. In just ...

  In recent years, creative practices have become increasingly recognised for their role in supporting mental health. Among these practices,  g el printing  — a playful and versatile form of mono-printing using a gel plate—has gained popularity not only for its artistic possibilities but also for the therapeutic benefits it offers. Unlike traditional printmaking, Gel printing requires minimal equipment and expertise, making it accessible to beginners and seasoned artists alike. Beyond creating vibrant textures and layers, the process can nurture emotional well-being in powerful ways. The tactile nature of rolling paint, placing stencils, and pulling prints from the gel plate invites us to fully engage in the moment. Much like meditation, Gel printing draws attention away from rumination and into the present. The rhythmic actions—rolling, layering, lifting—can help calm the nervous system and promote a sense of flow, where worries temporarily fade. Unlike traditional art f...

Etsy, Instagram or Exhibitions? Where Artists Should Sell Their Work in 2026 We are artists trying to make a living from our work. It's not easy and most of the time it's frustrating and downright depressing. But do we give up? No, we continue, we persevere and hope that one day we will find success. Success is different for everyone. For some it's to have a gallery take them on, for others to have an exhibition, for some it's to earn a living from their work, and others to sell enough to cover the cost of their materials. However, we don't give up. We've been told that social media is the way to go. We've read about success stories. Artists making enough from internet sales to give up the day job. But the reality is this. You get likes and the more artists and people you follow, the more likes you get. You write up your blog. You put your photos on Instagram, and FaceBook, you pin on Pinterest, you open a shop on Etsy, you link on Linkin. But tell me, how...

You'd like to own some original art but you don't have much money. You don't want posters or cheap prints.  So what do you do?   You go to art school end of year shows, you contact local artists in your area, you go to local exhibitions and there you will meet artists of all ages who work in different styles and in various mediums.   If you like their art, you talk to the artists and you can often negotiate an original work of art for a very reasonable price. Many big collectors of art started like that. By going  to art school shows you meet up and coming artists. Maybe one day they will be a big name and you will have bought their work for a fraction of the price that it would be worth when they are famous.   Ok, so not all students will become famous. However, you should buy art because you like it not because you think it's a good investment.   By meeting the artists at these shows, you get to discuss their inspiration, their motivation, their ideas a...

An original" or "fine art" prints as defined by the Print Council of America as an image drawn or etched or engraved on some surface by the artist, who prints a limited number of the pieces by hand (or personally supervises someone else doing it), then signs and numbers the individual prints and defaces the printing plate or erases the image on the lithographic stone.  So original art is not a reproduction nor a copy.  For example it can be an etching, a lithograph or a screen print produced in a limited edition by the artist if possible or if not it has been supervised by the artist. Each print is signed and numbered by the artist. Often it has the printers stamp on the reverse or bottom corner.  How can you tell if it's an original and not a copy or reproduction? Get a magnifying glass and look carefully at the print. If it is an etching, it is pretty easy. First it will always have a plate mark around the image. This is a sort or relief or indent in...

Selling on the net is not easy. So what's the bottom line? How do we sell our work online? How do we sell our work direct to the clients? How do we get in touch with people who are interested in art and wish to buy direct from the artist instead of paying a commission to a gallery? I think there is no easy way. I spend a lot of time at my art work. I also spend a lot of time updating my ads on different seller sites and linking to my shops and web pages. My art might not be to everyone's taste, but I have sold steadily down through the years in exhibitions, so my work does please some people.   Every artist has their own technique, ability and inspiration. Every buyer has their own taste and budget. However for the net, it's different than face to face with a potential buyer. In person, one can size up the other and judge whether they are really interested in the work. Either they like it and want to buy or they don't. If they do it's an easy sell. On th...