Visual & Decorative Arts Blog

Have you recorded the process of your artwork? Show others how it's done! Get your work shown in How to Paint Made Easy, a new book we're working on that will provide advice, tips and inspiration to the budding artist.

Like previous books we've done (check out How to Draw Manga Made Easy and Drawing Basics Made Easy, as well as Dragon Art, Gothic Art and Fantasy Art), we want an exciting and fresh range of artwork, which is why we're putting this call out.

Topics: art submissions, how to paint

Our gothic and fantasy art calendars are always exciting. There’s something for everyone, from enchanting fairies to awesome steampunk, with informative text or poetry alongside each piece – so you can learn a little every month too! Here’s a rundown of 10 of our best 2017 wall calendars featuring art both magical and fantastical.

Topics: gothic and fantasy, visual arts, Art Calendars, Gothic & Fantasy Art, Flame Tree Calendars, fairy art

Our art calendars are always stunning, showcasing iconic and less well-known artwork from treasured artists, with informative text alongside each piece – so you can learn a little every month too! Here’s a rundown of 10 of our best 2017 wall calendars featuring work from 19th-century artists.

Topics: visual arts, Art Calendars, Flame Tree Calendars

Monet produced countless works that are famed and treasured the world over, but the series of paintings of water lilies in his garden at Giverny is what he is best known for.

During the later years of his life, when cataracts were increasingly taking hold, Monet dedicated his life and work to his garden. He prolifically produced over two hundred and fifty paintings of the lilies that lay in his water garden there.

Topics: Claude Monet, water lilies

The general feeling from all of the critics that have reviewed Frederick Wiseman's documentary on the National Gallery is that it captures the gallery magnificently. Time Out called it 'Wiseman's densest and best' work and gave it five stars. It is said to be a fascinating look at not only behind the scenes, but a detailed look at the people who visit – tourists, school groups, professionals and students. Geoffrey MacNab, reviewing the documentary in The Independent writes, 'Some of the time, Wiseman gives viewers the sense that they are inside the gallery alongside other visitors. At other points, his camera scrutinises the faces of museum-goers with the same fascination that the artists whose work hangs in the gallery treated their subjects.' The documentary gets into all the nooks and crannies and no small detail is left out.

Topics: Museums & Galleries, Masterpieces of Art

As well as his paintings, Alphonse Mucha was known for his illustrations, adverts, postcards, photography and many recognisable designs that were used in a myriad of ways. His distinct style is now recognised all over the world, and his works hang in the Mucha Museum in Prague.

Topics: Alphonse Mucha, Art Nouveau, Art Calendars

The ‘once in a lifetime’ Malevich exhibition at Tate Modern is now sadly over… If you missed it, fear not, you can still appreciate the revolutionary art that the master and inventor of suprematism created from 1913 onwards – even if you can't get to Moscow, New York or Amsterdam, where major museums hold impressive collections (the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam owns 24 Malevich paintings) – just take a look online and you can enjoy and learn about his work. Here we take a look at the movement that Malevich created and some of his classic abstract masterpieces. Of course, he didn't start this way – check out this blog to discover his more traditional beginnings.

Topics: Museums & Galleries, abstract art, Art Calendars, Kasimir Malevich

The Manchester Art Gallery is an invaluable publicly owned museum. It houses the civic art collection, which showcases local masterpieces of art along with international pieces, and it also invites proposals from artists, curators and members of the public. The mixture of pieces on display is not as expansive as the V&A’s, but they do feature a wide range of art, including fine and decorative, contemporary, historic, photography and costume. One of their main displays, however, focuses on the Pre-Raphaelites.

Topics: Museums & Galleries, pre-raphaelites, Art Calendars

Although Louis Comfort Tiffany worked with many other materials, he is mainly remembered for his amazing stained glass work. He was so passionate about working with glass that he even created new methods of glass manufacturing, which became integral parts of his masterpieces of art, and allowed him to showcase his work all over the world.

Topics: Louis Comfort Tiffany

The first Miffy book was published in 1955: next year will mark the 60th anniversary of the creation of this adorable, lovable bunny. Almost 30 more books have followed this first one, and all together, they have sold over 85 million copies. Miffy has also been featured in two shows on the telly, and a feature film titled Miffy the Movie was released in 2012. This little white rabbit, while not of the masterpieces of art, has become an iconic representation of childhood.

Topics: children's books, Miffy, Art Calendars