How to choose art for your home

Every home will benefit from having some form of artwork displayed and paintings are especially good at adding character and personality. It is entirely possible to buy original artwork without breaking the bank and create a bespoke look in any or every room of your house. And the best bit, artworks are decor that you can move around, take with you when you move and they may even increase in value over time. So how do you choose the right artwork for your home? Here I offer my suggestions on what to think about for various rooms in your home.

10 Tips for illustrating children's books

One doesn’t need to go to a prestigious art school or have a master artist as a mentor to become a good artist. I’m completely self-taught and have regular sales and commissions. Here are my top ten tips for becoming a successful self-taught artist.

How to get Started with Illustrating Children's Books

Illustrating children's books is great fun and highly rewarding but it is also not as simple and easy as it might seem. I am entirely self-taught and here I share some of my tips for getting started and improving your ability with writing children’s storybooks and creating illustrations for children’s books.

The Scariest Dinosaur - My First Illustrated Children's Book is out now!

All dinosaurs are scary. Aren't they? Asked who is the scariest, the dinosaurs argue that each is more scary than the other but we soon discover that the scariest creature might not be the creature you think! A light-hearted look at dinosaurs with a lesson in never judging someone on size alone. The Scariest Dinosaur is aimed at 3-7 year olds and makes a great bedtime read but also has beautifully illustrated images that children will find engaging and they may even spot some unexpected guests hiding in the pictures. The Scariest Dinosaur is Roy R. Awbery's debut children's book and was inspired by his love of art (Roy is also an accomplished artist) and his fondness for making up stories for his grandchildren. Combining the two seemed to be a natural progression.

How to Price your Paintings so your artwork will sell - in 7 easy steps

Assigning value to your own paintings is often difficult and setting a price on artwork can be a challenge. Here I explain how a simple formula and some research can help and keep emotions put of the calculation. In a hurry? Here’s a summary for you:

  1. Price up material costs (point 2)

  2. Price up your promotion, advertising and website fees (point 3)

  3. Price up your sellers transaction fees (point 4)

  4. Price up your postage and packaging costs (point 5)

  5. Price up the size of your painting (point 6)

  6. Check your pricing (point 7)

Why I’m painting more mini abstract paintings

Abstract paintings are hugely popular right now and I've made mine very affordable. These mini-abstract paintings are just 20 x 20 cm and would look great in any home or office. Original abstract artwork is highly collectible and this series, The Elements, have all sold out which is why I'm creating more.

10 Tips for the Self-Taught Artist

One doesn’t need to go to a prestigious art school or have a master artist as a mentor to become a good artist. I’m completely self-taught and have regular sales and commissions. Here are my top ten tips for becoming a successful self-taught artist.

10 things to do after finishing your artwork

Deciding when a painting is truly finished is challenging and I often return to make changes many times before finally declaring it finished. But that's not the end of the work as an artist. There is still work to be done. Here are my 10 tasks to complete before you can say your work is really finished.

Inside my art studio

Ever wondered where my paintings get created? Did you think I had some swanky huge and spacious art studio or that I worked in a cosy loft space? Not quite! Today, I thought I'd show you where I work which, with lockdown restrictions and working from home, is now also my office. My point? One doesn't need a huge dedicated space to create art that sells. And tidiness is not essential either!

Keeping up with the Kardashians!

It wouldn't be the weekend without another blog or without me trying to learn yet another new trick. Today I've taken my Instagram account to a whole other level by getting into Instagram TV. Brace yourself, I fear this could be a bumpy ride!