Skills new floral art collection for Spring 2018

Skills and Primrose Gallery are proud to present this beautiful collection of fine art giclee prints by Buckinghamshire Artist and textile designer Nicky Hunter.   Taken from her original watercolours, Nicky works mainly in this medium along with ink to capture the vibrancy of flowers.  Working loosely and allowing the pigment and water flow to create translucent magic and intense contrasts are important to her.  Nicky works from still life mostly and en plein air when possible, enjoying the immediancy and unpredictability this approach has.
Nicky's many years working as a textile artist selling her floral print patterns to designers and brands internationally has led to a deep love of floral decoration.  The foundation of her skills often lies in botanical painting and drawing and explorative sketching and graphical work.

Nicky Hunter's limited edition prints are a series of 50 and are mounted and ready to frame.  Available in sizes 465 x 380mm at £69 and 590 x 465mm at £89, these are beautiful quality prints to brighten any home.   There are also greetings cards in this range.

To view Nicky Hunter's floral watercolours visit:-

Skills Art Materials and gallery 18 High Street Stony Stratford MK11 1AF

Primrose Gallery at 26 High Street, Thrapston, Northamptonshire NN14 4JH

Stony Stratford Buckinghamshire Street art project needs you.

Why Skills choose Loxley Artists Traditional Stretched Canvas

 

 

Special offer Triple Canvas Packs Available in Store Now for a Limited time

As an artist, choosing a well priced quality canvas can be confusing and often a mistake can happen when having chosen to buy a simple stretched canvas which is not prepared and your painting is ruined by lack of preparation or experience with a canvas as your chosen surface.  This article gives the low down on why Skills chooses Loxley Artists Canvas range over others you may find at discount chains.

1.   Double primed vs triple primed – Does one extra coat of priming make a difference?  Surely double is enough to ensure the the paint stays on the surface?  Take it from an acrylic artist, a triple primed canvas is necessary if you prefer a quick and hassle free choice.  A cheap double primed canvas = wasting paint and time wasted priming an extra coat on the cheap canvas when you could be happily painting.
2. Traditionally strectched and manufactured, the mitred corners are made with a free floating tongue and groove so that the canvas can be re-tensioned if needed using the supplied wedges.
3. The larger of the canvases have cross bars to add strength and stability to the frame.
4. The cross bars in the Loxley Gold 18mm deep range have rounded edges to prevent paint lines forming when painting with a ‘heavy-hand’ technique or palette knife.
5. There are a vast range of sizes available in the Loxley Gold Standard/Traditional 18mm depth and in the modern Chunky 36mm depth.

Having decided on a Loxley canvas, you can be assured that your painting experience will be immediately enjoyable and the results will be vibrant and long lasting.

Art Lovers Valentine Ideas

Feel the love in Stony Stratford at Skills with these wonderful Valentines gift ideas.  A bouquet of roses does not last, but these beautiful rose prints will be a lasting token of love.  The Jenni Murphy print ‘The Romantic Gardener’, framed in a gorgeous shabby chic duck egg green, is our window centrepiece.  We have the beautiful ‘Companion’ for dog lovers, and the fun ‘HareKare’ by the amazing printmaker Alison Read.  There is also the memorabilia framing service to surprise your loved one with a framed football shirt, photo booth keepsake, or 3D framing of the best souveniors of a fledgling romance.
Visit Stony Stratford, number 18 High Street, MK11 1AF.  See our website for details or follow us on Facebook or Twitter for art inspiration and new stock ranges.

Frida Kahlo Memorabilia Framed

There is nothing that cannot be framed by Skills of Stony Stratford.  This quirky framing order has been completed of some Frida Kahlo memorabilia from a holiday including a visit to the Mexican Artist's Blue House.  Eight matchboxes featuring Frida Kahlo portraits complete with matches still inside. I'm sure you will agree look stunning!

Artist of the week - Derek Daniells

Beautiful Acrylic unvarnished, available varnished, framed size 450mm x 490mm £725

Derek Daniells was born in Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire in 1949. He is a professional artist who uses a variety of mediums such as oil, acrylic, mixed media and pastel with equal skill on a wide range of subjects.
From the initial abstract blocks of colour, Derek builds the play of light on form following the inspiration of earlier painters such as Vuillard, Degas and Turner. He prefers direct observation often working on site at any time of day or night. Derek's work shows his strong passion, excitement and sensitivity for his subject, always seeking to capture a moment in time. Searching out subjects that excite his eye, Derek has travelled extensively.
Derek exhibits internationally and at many galleries throughout the UK. He has exhibited in the open exhibitions of The Royal Society of British Artists (selected for the Daler Rowney painting award 2009), the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, the Royal Watercolour Society and Pastel Society. His paintings are part of many private collections both in the UK and abroad, including that of Henrietta, Duchess of Bedford.
Derek still lives in Stony Stratford with his wife Caroline and son Luke.