Some of our other favourites are Julian Trevelyan, William Gear, Paul Lucien Maze, James Isherwood, Clifford Fishwick, Mary Stork, Bridget Riley, and you will see these pass through our gallery.

There are also some wonderful up and coming artists, you could check out the Royal Academy of Art’s website for some examples (www.royalacademy.org.uk) or New English Art Club (www.newenglishartclub.co.uk). Don’t get too caught up in art terminology or whether the artist you like is a British ‘post-impressionist’ influenced artist or more European expressionism. Just enjoy the differences, and find an artist’s work you like. Find a few art galleries that specialise in their work and keep looking until you find something that you might like to go and see in person.

Going to view a painting which is 4 hours from home is time consuming and expensive, but if you like the idea of buying at auction, give it a go with a ‘starter’ painting. Remember a painting at £1,000 hammer price is going to cost you about £1350 when you walk out of the auctioneers after commissions and VAT. When you get it home it may need a professional clean which can range from £150 to many £1,000’s and if you need a new frame that might cost anything from £125 to £1,000 depending on what you want. Your £1,000 painting just cost you £1,500!

We recently drove 3 hours to a fellow art gallery to look at a charcoal & pastel drawing. We were kindly invited in to look at “the others” that were tucked in the back. A mind-blowing collection in a packed and friendly gallery, owned by another truly passionate collector, a glorious afternoon snooping about!

Whilst a gallery owner needs to make a profit to survive and pay the bills, they may be open to offers on certain pieces or multiple purchases. Remember you cannot negotiate in an auction.