We manage to confuse our customers, print, original, etching, monoprint, linotype, screenprint - no wonder that they only want 'Originals' even the galleries are going that way. Linmited edtion prints doesn't seem to mean the same anymore - with galleries demanding shorter and shorter runs - hey even runs of one!

Be careful out there - make sure you know what the date of your renewal is - and make sure that you renew in good time - two things can happen, you may lose your name completely or you will be hit with a re register charge - so check your renewal status now! £80 for not renewing is a waste - losing your site name is worse

What a boring but re-occuring problem, the public are being conned into buying cheap rubbish 'original art' cos it was slapped on by a brush in a factory in China, there is nothing wrong with buying a print, may it be signed - un signed - framed - unframed - If you like it buy it - If it is signed, then bonus! if limited great, if you want an original then buy them all and burn them all but one, or just be prepared to pay more (alot) for a original unrepeatable stretched canvas. But don't think that an original canvas from Ikea painted by the gross will ever be more than a cheap fun picture to complement the £5 curtains.

Ok so Acrylic is harder to spell but the real difference is history man. Oils have been around since Adam was a lad and therefore lend so credibility purely because of their proven longevity and experience of technique. The big downer of oils is again time but the Artist's time, it takes an age for a part of a painting to dry when you are waiting to add that all important smudge or splash.

Acrylics on the other hand can be prepared with the intention of the amount of drying time you need by adding or leaving out various types of retardant. I prefer acrylics mainly because of this as the medium is not dictating how long I take to paint.

The thing is - fine art archival prints - all artist should be using media that is the best and longest lasting as possible or we are letting our customers down - use the best inks with proven longevity and paper that has certified archival properties - acid free - use anything less and you will see your prints fading in front of your eyes. Even worse in front of your customers. Just because it is a genuine photographic print does not ensure long life - esp from large volume print labs - I have boxes of faded prints from them that have only seen the light of day a couple of times. Hand prints are always the best and if printing from your own dark room - wash and wash some more.

More and more the gulf between the private and public sector is widening, why are 'people' concerned with documentary photography invading their 'space' when the UK has more CTV cameras per citizen than anywhere else on the planet - get real! who is looking at all these pictures? This will become the least documented slice of history with only the model relaeased pictures making the public eye. There are now more public availble cameras and recording gizmos out there than ever, yet,  less really good and informative photography than ever. Shoot and be damned.

When I am laying out the base colours to build on I use my healthy supply of car boot sale brushes - you know the 10 for a pound ones. They are great for covering big areas saving my posh brushes for the rest of the painting.

I try to use stretchers or frames for my canvas that have the cute little wedges for the corners. When the canvas moves or buckles you can tap the wedges into the corners to tighten and keep the canvas nice and flat. They cost more than the solid frames, but these frames are normally the ones that warp and need the adjustment. In these cases spraying the back of the canvas with water or size solution is the only remaining option

Yes you fellow struggling artists and image creators, don't sell your art cheap, sell it for what it's worth or give it away! Don't sell cheap like a boots sale, it will end up with the wrong people and in the wrong place. Lend your art to great places, big houses with big white walls, office spaces, small art galleries, get out in the real networking world. Easily said but dam hard to do - right I'm off to my friends house who has a nice white wall to fill - clart