Figurines and Ornaments is a comprehensive and lovingly put together website that, at the moment, sells 3 of the UK’s & indeed Europe’s most collectable brands of: High Porcelain, Sculptures, bangles and trinkets; those brands are: Lladro, Nao & Halcyon Days respectively.

Top 5 things we like about this new site:

1) Really competitive prices

2) Easy to use

3) Lots of categories & ways to search

4) Good looking website

5) Easy to contact them

Some of the many ways to search:

We contacted the website and asked them to say a few words for our blog:

‘There is a huge demand in the UK and abroad for Lladro & Halcyon Days, & particularly Lladro is one of the worlds biggest brands & we are proud to officially retail them…we hope coming to our site is an enriching experience for you, gazing in delight at our products and the immense dedication it has taken to create them’

We have bookmarked the site and have asked them to keep us abreast of any new developments.

So for all you lovers of Figurines and Ornaments we recommend them and give it a rating of 8.5/10.

Well keep you posted

Thank you

James

Do you know any new art related websites out there? Have you got a review? Contact us

‘I Give You My Soul’ by Lorenzo Quinn
(Limited edition bronze resin sculpture)

The sculpture above is very emotive, the butterfly represents the soul being given away, the hands are releasing it, or gently capturing it. The hands are so well sculpted they look almost real, and I could imagine having this piece on a windowsill where light would shine through and make the colours on the butterfly change as you pass by.

‘First Love by’ Lorenzo Quinn
(Limited edition bronze resin sculpture)

‘First Love’ reminds us simply of our first love. Lorenzo created this to show the delicate balance of emotions and how easily one could topple the rest. I think it is brilliant how he has made the sculpture look so poised and balanced.

‘Creation’ by Lorenzo Quinn
(Limited edition bronze resin sculpture)

I love this piece because the egg is something very symbolic. To some it may represent fertility, or of the age old question of which came first: the chicken or the egg? The hands inside make me think of the first contact of parent and child & there are so many other different meanings a viewer could conjure up while admiring this piece. This is such an emotive piece and the idea of it is beautiful.

A little known fact aboue Lorenzo Quinn is that his collector base is not exclusive to the UK or Europe, as he exhibits his art in 5 different continents, which shows his exceptional talent to break into so many markets.

The other pieces not featured that are also in the collection are: ‘Eternum’ ‘Give & Take III’ (Bronze and Silver plated versions) ‘Decisions’ & ‘Trust’

Links:

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
How to sculpt hands

Thanks

Vicki

It would be easy to dismiss his paintings at first glance as just ‘childish’ or ‘so easy anyone could do them’ but you must scrutinize them to appreciate the true genius behind them.

‘The Lowry’ limited edition print by John Wilson

Using bright colours which accentuate the naivety of parts of his art is his trademark & preferring slightly more subdued colours in many of his backgrounds. I find it amazing how he blends the aforementioned ‘art masterpieces’ and integrates them into his backgrounds, which often makes people do a double-take & demands several views to appreciate – it’s so subtle that in some instances you totally overlook they are even there!

‘A Day In Provence’ limited edition print by John Wilson

John Wilson also makes 3D wall sculptures, which look brilliant because, firstly they are so boldly shaped & because the finished product often contains optical illusions within them – with the figures & objects moving as you view the piece from different angles.

In the 3D piece ‘Mind Games’ it’s as though you are looking down several corridors in an art gallery and the characters appear to move before your eyes!. It is ‘mind’ boggling how he is able to achieve this unique finish.

‘Mind Games’ limited edition wall sculpture by John Wilson
(seen from 2 angles)

John also released two sculptures featuring the child-like figures within his paintings. Named ‘Boisterous Boys’ and ‘Gorgeous Girls,’ they are brightly coloured & vivid recreations, as though they have stepped off the canvas! I find it exciting to see his characters brought to life in sculpture, they immediately make you smile and think of your own childhood or perhaps your first painting lesson?

‘Boisterous Boy’ limited edition sculpture by John Wilson

The artist also paints in a yet another very different style. Using more ‘reserved’ colouring, he paints towns & streets with houses & concrete pavements but normally with beautiful blue or yellow skies & a splash of colour on some of the houses! They are much more non-descript in comparison to his other naive art but wonderful in their own right - ‘Underneath The Arches’ & ‘Timeless Town’ are 2 such pieces that spring to mind.

‘The Corner Shop’ limited edition print by John Wilson

It is interesting to juxtapose the artist’s two very distinct & almost opposing styles & the two mediums: paintings & sculptures; perhaps as a result, this is why he has such a large fan base. I believe his second style (see ‘The Corner Shop’ above) shares certain similarities with Paul Horton’s artwork, because they paint similar people & houses in similar styles in similar colours but both amazingly uplifting images as well.

Thank you

Vicki

Links
3D Sculptures
Naive Art Movement
Discussion on naive art

Young at Heart by Alexander Millar

A professional artist for some 21 years, Alexander Millar was born and raised in a small mining village in 1960 near Glasgow called Springside & in his own words it felt more like growing up in the 1940s than the 1960s! He spent a lot of his youth around the older generation of Scots: men dressed in dark suits, smoking pipes, and burly women in aprons and headscarves.

His dad worked for British Rail & as a child accompanying him to work, Alexander gained more inspiration for his future paintings as he found the old Railway stations to be very Romantic. Of course the architecture of these stations would have been nostalgic & a throw back to Scotland’s industrial past - this influence is seen throughout Alex’s paintings.

My Family & Other Animals by Alexander Millar

Moving to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne after finishing school aged 16, he tried several jobs before becoming a professional artist in 1988. He claims that it was quite a culture shock to move from the sleepy village he grew up in, to the hustle and bustle of the city, as you can imagine! But the city also had its own share of ‘Gadgies’ - (a northern Scottish term for an older generation man) to inspire his paintings.

Fuelled by his extensive Childhood memories, he had a huge source of inspiration to work from, what is more astonishing is that Alexander is a self taught artist, which is an amazing achievement for any commercial artist.

Keepy Uppy sculpture by Alexander Millar

Thanks,

Vicki

Links
www.scottish-memories.co.uk/
www.accessingscotlandspast.org.uk/
1960s Scotland

Have a look a couple of his new pieces…

An Unexpected Gust (original painting) by George Somerville

Brrr! looks chilly! just like British weather-especially Scottish weather!

Street Party (limited edition print) by George Somerville

Something that rarely happens these days, a street party!!

Somerville has also released some sculptures of his work, and here is an example of how it looks:

Blown Away (sculpture) by George Somerville

George Somerville’s work reminds me a lot of Alexander Millar’s work, in that they both have a similar style, painting older working-class gentlemen: ‘Gadgies,’ often sideways or with their backs to the viewer. As well as this, they both have a style where the background is hazy or blurry with no detail. They also both often feature a dog in the pictures with their main characters.

I would love to hear from you if you agree or disagree, which artist you prefer or any comments and opinions you would like to post about George Somerville!!

Thanks for reading,

Tanya

Useful Links:

Glasgow
Northern Art Prize (Competition)
Northern Art prize 2009 finalists announced

(Surprise, limited edition print by Doug Hyde)

A bit short on detail perhaps, his little character never even wears shoes & I bet he has cold feet. Also there’s not much facial features about him either but I fell this endears the audience to the little character’s face, wondering what has made him so happy & proud to be the latest gift!

Amazingly, these sold out within under a week of them being released to UK galleries, truly Doug Hyde continues to be an art phenomena & long may it last

(Surprise, limited edition sculpture by Doug Hyde)

thank you

Vickie

Links:

The Meaning Of Christmas
Yahoo Answers Discuss The Meaning Of Christmas

(Beside The Sea Sculpture by Paul Horton)

His ingenious use of bright colours to create the weather-worn look to his seaside buildings captures the imaginations and fond memories of his fans who may remember family trips to the seaside as children.

(Far Beyond Forever by Paul Horton)

This piece depicts a couple standing in the foreground of a seaside street. At first glance, they may appear insignificant. However, they are looking out to sea with hopes and dreams for their future. Perhaps in this moment, they find all else insignificant?

(Spellbound by Paul Horton)

In this piece we see Gandalf is making potions at home. I love this picture because every time I look I see something new. There is also an owl in this picture. Possibly Hedwig from Harry Potter!! That’s probably why the cat looks so annoyed!

(The Man Who No-One Knows by Paul Horton)

Is he a sinister being? A man on his way home from work? Or is he a magician with a rabbit in his top hat? Who knows? That’s for you to decide! Let us know your thoughts!

(Fragile Earth by Paul Horton)

A very emotive piece depicting Noah’s Ark, of which Horton has previously painted in different situations. However, this piece is set in the North and South Poles to highlight the current issues of climate change. The Ark is shown to be there to rescue the animals from the melting ice caps.

Thank you

Vicki

Links:
British Seaside Resort of Cornwall
British Seaside Resort of Blackpool
BBC Climate Change News

(above: ‘Lean On Me’ sculpture)

These 2 cats, together form ‘Lean On me’ the first ever stainless steel sculpture by Govinder.

Stunning, this piece is a fitting continuation of Govinder’s published work:

‘Immortal, immaculate and invincible’ are the words that come to mind when you see this piece in person, a fitting tribute to the man and his artwork.

Thank you

James

The sheer size of the prints (all are 21 inches wide x 29.25 inches tall, that excludes the mounting/ matting which make them even bigger) and the quality of the reproduction of these serigraphs, has truly impressed people. The detail that has gone into recreating his famous characters into sculpture form has simply blown the public away – judging by all the emails I have received.

The positive feedback has been tremendous and I never realised how lasting the appeal of Salvador Dali and his work is.

People have requested I post comprehensively images of the 6 limited edition prints and 11 sculptures that where available from this exclusive set of releases, so here goes.

Dance Of Time I – Limited Edition Sculpture by Salvador Dali:
Editions of 300, 11.5” height, Bronze sculpture

Dance Of Time II – Limited Edition Sculpture by Salvador Dali:
Editions of 300, 11.5” height, Bronze sculpture

Dance Of Time III – Limited Edition Sculpture by Salvador Dali:
Editions of 300, 11.5” height, Bronze sculpture

Homage To Terpsichore – Limited Edition Sculpture by Salvador Dali:
Editions of 350, 28” height, Bronze sculpture

Nobility Of Time – Limited Edition Sculpture by Salvador Dali:
Editions of 350, 23.5” height, Bronze sculpture

Space Elephant (small) – Limited Edition Sculpture by Salvador Dali:
Editions of 350, 37” height, Bronze sculpture

Space Venus – Limited Edition Sculpture by Salvador Dali:
Editions of 350, 25.5” height, Bronze sculpture

Surrealist Piano – Limited Edition Sculpture by Salvador Dali:
Editions of 350, 23” height, Bronze sculpture

Triumph Elephant – Limited Edition Sculpture by Salvador Dali:
Editions of 350, 20.5” height, Bronze sculpture

Alice In Wonderland - Limited Edition Print by Salvador Dali:
Edition of 500, 21” x 29.25”, serigraph/ mixed media

Dance Of Time - Limited Edition Print by Salvador Dali:
Edition of 500, 21” x 29.25”, serigraph/ mixed media

Homage To Fashion - Limited Edition Print by Salvador Dali:
Edition of 500, 21” x 29.25”, serigraph/ mixed media

Lady Godiva - Limited Edition Print by Salvador Dali:
Edition of 500, 21” x 29.25”, serigraph/ mixed media

Space Triumph - Limited Edition Print by Salvador Dali:
Edition of 500, 21” x 29.25”, serigraph/ mixed media

Surrealist Piano - Limited Edition Print by Salvador Dali:
Edition of 500, 21” x 29.25”, serigraph/ mixed media

The items where released at the following Recommended Retail prices:
Sculptures:
Dance Of Time I: £8,950
Dance Of Time II: £8,950
Dance Of Time III: £8,950
Homage To Terpsichore: £17,750
Nobility Of Time: £14,750
Space Elephant (small): £21,250
Space Venus: £21,000
Surrealist Piano: £16,250
Triumph Elephant: £16,250

Limited Edition Prints:
Dance of Time
Alice in Wonderland
Space Triumph
Homage to Fashion
Surrealist Piano
Lady Godiva

All the above prints where priced at: unframed: £1,013.00 framed: £1,299.00
The prints are not signed, they come with a printed on signature and the Dali Foundation stamp.

Thank you

James

Further Info:

To Purchase please contact for information: Picture Perfect Gallery

Dali Biography
Dali Further Reading
Dali Museum Florida USA