Archive for the ‘The Beginning’ Category

Parrot Party
A collection of Australian parrots

Acrylic on watercolour paper.

Original available £180.00 please call Anne

Prints available…
A4 £30.00 +£2.00 p&p
A3 £40.00 +£3.00 p&p

The Kestral
A Kestrel sitting on an old wall…

Surveying his territory, this male kestrel is looking for the slightest movement of what may just become his next meal!

An acrylic on watercolour paper, measuring approx 25cm x 35cm.

Original £80.00 + P&P
(Email Anne to buy this original)

Parrot Club
A collection of Australian Parrots, watercolour pencil on paper.

Original Available …
£150.00 Please call Anne

Prints available…
A4 £20.00 +£2.00 p&p
A3 £30.00 +£3.00 p&p

An Australian Rossella
A fantastic colored parrot.

Sorry no prints

Eagle
Watercolour pencil study of an Eagle. Sorry no prints.

Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine is stooped over a kill, on a rock in moorland. A wax based watercolour painting.
Original available for sale…

framed: £160.00+p&p

unframed £130.00+p&p…

Ollie the owl
A pastel on paper

Capturing the real energy of a Snowy Owl

Prints available…..

The original pastel has been sold

The Herald of Spring
A Robin, a regular on Christmas cards, however one of our rare native birds.

Prints available…..
A4 £20.00 +£2.00 p&p

The Swallows
Two swallows sat on a branch under a cherry tree

Watercolour on watercolour paper

Sorry no prints

Winter Thief
A Blue Tit calling for the cream on a frozen bottle of milk.

Prints available…..
A4 £20.00 +£2.00 p&p

Kingfisher
A pastel work of an autumnal kingfisher sitting on a grass seed head.

Not for sale and no prints available… for demonstration purposes only

The Macaws…

Four of nature’s brightest birds, not only in colouring but also in intelligence.

Measures 36cm x 52cm

Original Available…

£150.00 postage free

Prints available…

A4 £25.00+£2.00p&p

A3 £35.00+£2.00p&p

Soft watercolour paintings of the four Go Sanke varieties, Kohaku, Shiro, Sanke and Showa.
A very popular set of prints.

The originals are available please contact Anne to discuss price and shipping.

The Cherry Koi

A set of four paintings specially designed so that the koi look as though they are swimming around a cherry tree. Painted in watercolour paint on watercolour paper.

The set includes…

Kohaku, Showa, Sanke and Shiro Utsuri.

All four were painted together and look stunning framed and hung as the four koi swimming around a Cherry tree.

Prints are available for sale…
220mm x 280mm

£30.00+ £3.00 p&p each or
£110.00+ £4.00 p&p for the set of four

This page has the smaller sets of koi mugs.
All are equally stunning and practical.
10oz Orca coated mugs with superb artwork

*Please note, if you would like to order a few items, it can be handled either by emailing Anne with your requirements and she can send you a PayPal email invoice or you can call Anne on 01673 828811

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The Sanke Shoal Mug

The beautiful Sanke shoal mug:

• 9 almost luminous Sanke koi carp
• on a 10oz Orca coated mug
• the highest quality artwork with stunning detail

The Sanke Shoal Mug

£7.99 each + £2.00 p&p

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The Kohaku Shoal Mug

The beautiful Kohaku Shoal Mug:

• 9 almost luminous Kohaku koi carp
• on a 10oz Orca coated mug
• the highest quality artwork with stunning detail

The Kohaku Shoal Mug

£7.99 each + £2.00 p&p

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The Think Bubbles Paintings reworked for a superb mug
The ultimate gift for the greatest koi keeper
With a high gloss finish.
Each mug has the same image on either side of the mug

Click on the image to see the whole collection.

Bekko Bubbles Mug

£7.99 each + £2.00 p&p

Goromo Bubbles Mug

£7.99 each + £2.00 p&p

Kohaku Bubbles Mug

£7.99 each + £2.00 p&p

Love Bubbles Mug

£7.99 each + £2.00 p&p

Shiro Bubbles Mug

£7.99 each + £2.00 p&p

Shoal Bubbles Mug

£7.99 each + £2.00 p&p

Showa Bubbles Mug

£7.99 each + £2.00 p&p

Tancho Bubbles Mug

£7.99 each + £2.00 p&p

Yamabuki Bubbles Mug

£7.99 each + £2.00 p&p

The Variety Koi Mugs

The famous koi mugs are available to buy here on line.

All mugs feature one variety per mug, one on each side and the Japanese name on the opposite side to the handle.

Below is the flat layout of the mug artwork for the kohaku mug

All of the variety mugs are laid out in the same way, just the artwork and name changes.

Each mug costs £9.99 inc p&p (UK mainland only)

For overseas orders please contact Anne for shipping details

You can order here online or you can order by phone

Call Anne on 01673 828811, especially if you want to order a few, we can combine postal costs.

Are you ready? Here we go……………………….

Asagi Mug £7.99 + £2.00

Bekko Mug £7.99 + £2.00

Chagoi Mug £7.99 + £2.00

Goshiki Mug £7.99 + £2.00

Kohaku Mug £7.99 + £2.00

Koromo Mug £7.99 + £2.00

Kujaku Mug £7.99 + £2.00

Kumonryu Mug £7.99 + £2.00

Ochiba Shigure Mug £7.99 + £2.00

Sanke Mug £7.99 + £2.00

Shiro Utsuri Mug £7.99 + £2.00

Showa Mug £7.99 + £2.00

Shusui Mug £7.99 + £2.00

Tancho Mug £7.99 + £2.00

Tancho Sanke Mug £7.99 + £2.00

Tancho Showa Mug £7.99 + £2.00

Yamabuki Ogon Mug £7.99 + £2.00

If you have an idea run with it, it may just change your life.

I was recently invited to exhibit some of my paintings at a local exhibition.

I dont like saying no but the truth is I am too busy.

I got into sublimation printing accidentaly late 2008, I had designed a piece of artwork in 2005 and it disappeared into the twilght zone,  or as artists know it, the portfolio. I had an idea for the artwork but the method was not an affordable option at the time.

Then I stumbled across some sublimation equipment on eBay, love it or loathe it eBay is a great place to find bits and pieces, and the grey matter started working. I have always been a person who asks ‘how’ rather than ‘why not’.

I sold some of my framing equipment and bought a basic set up of a cheap epson printer with sublimation ink (the ink is expensive), a five way press, 60 mugs, paper and tape and I started.

I have just passed my 2000th mug, have a new printer with the best inks, a five mug press and I have moved into printing on other items.

I don’t print mugs just for fun, they make money too.

All I can say is put a printing system in the hands of an artist, and the fun begins!

Working out how much to charge for a commission can be nerve wracking to say the least.
I have spent years trying to work out a simple equation that brings several factors together.

Hourly rates
Cost of art materials
What if I do not really want to do this painting

Also add into the equation that
Sketches, preparatory work and photographs you have to prepare
The painting will be personal to you
What your client expects
Should I take a deposit
Being paid what your worth
You probably will not get all of the work you quote for

The first thing to consider is your ‘get out of bed’ rate.
This is how much it actually costs for you to get out your sketch book or brushes and do the painting.
I have an hourly rate, I estimate how long it takes to do the painting x hourly rate.

Before you say that looks expensive ask yourself “Am I worth it?”
You where given a gift (so was everyone else) you are aware of yours but do not give it away, your accountant, doctor, dentist even cleaner gets paid for what they do, so should you.
Also remember to add in the time for doing your research, photography and preliminary sketches it is all YOUR time and it costs.

Example
2 hours travelling to take photos
4 hours preparation
12 hours in sketches (which you can show the client to agree the work that you are to do)

This is 18 hours before you begin the final piece.

So if my ‘get out of bed rate’ is, for example, £10 an hour X 18 hours in prep work that is £180 before you begin.
Stick to the same hourly rate and estimate how long it will take you; 24 hours x £10 is another £240

The cost of your materials comes strongly into the equation
The cost of the canvas
The cost of paint
The wear and tear on your art equipment.

All of these things you have to replace over time

So put a charge in for your materials

There are other factors to include;

Do you really want to paint this picture?
yes it is a bonus that you want to do it
No this makes painting a subject more difficult because the passion is missing.

When you paint you project some of your talent onto the canvas that makes it personal

Is your client a stickler or easily pleased, a client who asks for a multiude of tiny changes can soon diminsh your profits when they take more time than you have estimated for.

Should you take a deposit?
Most definately, get paid for your materials and some of your time, if the client backs out or rejects the artwork at least your costs are covered.

Final thoughts

Don’t give your talent away, get paid what you are worth, if the commission is purely about price the client will get what they pay for.

You will not get all of the commissions you quote for; dont be disillusioned expect to lose some.

Never judge a book by it’s cover where the client is concerned, most will wince when you tell them the price but at least they will treasure your artwork because they have to pay a reasonable price.

Become a self sustaining artist, break even is good but profit feels great.

Anne Read has been an artist all of her life, she started drawing and painting from before she can remember.

Art infuses all elements of her life, and life delights her.