Meet ONYN, East London Artist Group

ONYN are a creative collective in East London, England. ONYN formed in July of 2012 and since then have been prolific in their painting output. In the last six months they have sold over 2,000 original canvas paintings worldwide. Find samples of their work at www.onyn.com and on their Facebook page. ONYN create original, unique paintings on canvas; they are not adverse to using technology (it has its place), but believe there is currently nothing better to beat talent, paint, and a brush!

1. What are the materials you use to create your artwork (from the photos, it looks like canvas panels and acrylic paint, and I'm curious to know if you make and paint your own frames)?

Yes, currently at ONYN we paint exclusively on linen canvas panels with acrylic paints plus some pencil and inks for good measure. As for our frames, it's another "Yes." We have a basic ethos of creating unique, high quality objects for a reasonable price. We make our own frames out of ethically sourced, natural solid wood and decorate them with the same paints we use in our images.

2. How many people are in your collective, and what inspires you to work together?

As a loose creative group, our numbers change depending on internal and external forces; we're somewhere between four and eight creative souls at present. As for what inspires us to work together, I guess it's that we push each other to try new things, and therefore ONYN is greater than the sum of its parts.

3. How do you come up with the subjects for your paintings, and what would you say are some common themes that come up in your work?

We create images that makes us smile and feel good. A lot of our paintings are on www.onyn.com. We don't purposely repeat themes; however, certain images seem to reappear from time to time. Sometimes we are asked for a specific animal, character, or situation, and we're always happy to meet a challenge.

4. Do you do most of your sales locally in London, or do you travel to shows in other cities--and countries?

Since we started last year we have focused on East London shows, as it's where we are based and the area attracts a lot of international people who appreciate art. ONYN paintings seem to be popular throughout the world with particular interest to date from Italy, Spain, South Korea, Japan, and the USA. We're always looking for opportunities to expand our range and reach! To keep up to date with news and show dates, be sure to "like" us on our Facebook page: www.fb.com/Love.ONYN.

5. How can people who admire your work online contact you to buy a particular piece--and do you ever accept custom orders?

To meet the demand (especially from international customers), we have decided to launch an ONYN eBay store at http://stores.ebay.com/ONYN-Whimsical-Unique-Art-Paintings. People will be able to buy original, unique ONYN art with or without our painted frames, and have them delivered direct to their door. As for commissions, we love to meet a challenge and our creativity doesn't stop at canvas paintings. Ideas and requests can be emailed to: art@onyn.com.

Thanks, ONYN!

Miracle Canvas: An Online Store for Canvas Prints

It seems like every time I go into a home decor or arts/crafts store lately, I see canvas prints. I've seen all sorts of designs, from retro images featuring Hollywood stars and vintage ads, to modern cityscapes of everywhere from Paris to San Francisco. If you like the look of visual art printed onto artist canvas, there are also options to have custom canvas prints made to order, using images of your choosing.

Miracle Canvas has a nice selection of options available for making a unique canvas print to match your individual taste and your home or office decor. You can upload your own photo or choose from their library of images. They can split your image into several parts so that you have a one-of-a-kind sequence of canvases to display on your wall.

The Miracle Canvas blog showcases different ideas for creating and displaying images. See also the company's YouTube page for videos about how the print creation process works.

I browsed the customer reviews on the company's website and found this tidbit from a satisfied customer: "Miracle Canvas took care of things the average eye ignores like a museum quality canvas fabric and stretching; iron clamps fastened canvas that does not sag."

Miracle Canvas is worth a look if you're in the market for canvas prints and would rather create something yourself than buy "off the rack" at your local store.

Meet Jason Wickens, Photographer and Owner of Fotoviva

Jason Wickens is a member of the Fotoviva Art Prints photography team and owner of the online gallery. Offering a unique range of award-winning photographic art, Fotoviva are one of the UK's leading suppliers of wall art, selling photographic art printed as either canvas prints, acrylic prints or poster prints. Fotoviva has been operating since 2006 and offers over 700 images, created by a team of photographers; visitors can also create prints from their own original photos.

1. Could you talk about the different options for prints that you offer through fotoviva and the unique features of each option?

Every one of our art prints can be purchased from the online gallery in a wide range of options which means when you have chosen your favourite picture, you can be sure the final print will match your interior design. We can print the images on canvas, acrylic, or poster. We find most people like the canvas print option as they are ready to hang and in fashion right now. We can print the canvas as a gallery wrap which means the image is wrapped around the wooden frame. This gives a continuous feel to the print. The acrylics are becoming very popular too; the glossy look suits modern interior home designs, and people love the way the light makes the picture look like it has depth. Posters are ideal if you are working on a budget or have an existing frame you want to use. We also offer a range of standard sizes, so you can buy a wall print that suits the blank space in your room. Of course if you need a different size print, we can work out our best price, too. Often we have photographers looking for specific sizes for their clients.

2. What have you looked for when selecting photos over the years to build your catalog of 700+ images?

Our image collection has grown over the years, as has the number of photographers we use. When looking for new images, we only accept photographs which we feel will suit being printed as wall art. Customers tend to look for creative and artistic photo prints, rather than just snapshots of nice locations. The photographers we use always produce really nice images such as the seascapes, black and white work, and the creative modern art series.

We also only use images of the highest resolution which ensures we can print them as large canvas art without losing quality. Some of our canvases have been printed at over three metres, so we need to ensure the image will not look pixelated at large sizes. Our photographers use high-end DSLR cameras and good quality lenses--they are also well-versed in post-processing which means they produce files which are up to the high standard we require.

3. What tips would you offer for people (in terms of composition, photo size/quality, etc) who want to make prints from their own photos?

From our printing service we can transform your own digital photos into canvas or acrylic prints. As a rough guide, for best results you should be shooting at the camera's highest resolution setting. This not only allows us to print the picture bigger, but it also allows scope for any cropping you need. Images from phone cameras are not ideal for large prints as the camera sensors are not up to the job, but they do tend to be OK for the acrylic photo blocks or small canvases. Also, try to shoot in good light so the picture is clear and punchy. You can always send us your photo first, and we can check it out to see if it is suitable for printing from.

4. Your panoramic prints are striking. Do you find that people order these for their homes or businesses or both?

The panoramic canvas prints tend to be ordered for the home, but of course some do go to businesses who want to add some affordable art to their offices or receptions. When you see a panoramic print hanging on a wall it really does look great--I think it is the unusual aspect ratio which catches the eye. Also, the fact you can see so much more of a landscape scene means there is plenty of detail in the picture. Panoramic art is also ideal for wall spaces which don't have enough height for a standard wall print, such as above mantle-pieces or across landings. They do seem to sell particularly well, and some of the panoramic views we have in that collection really are a feast for the eyes!

5. What are your suggestions for people who want to affordably decorate their home and office spaces with unique photographic art?

Of course we have a great collection of photographic art and with prices starting from as little as £16, there is art that's affordable for anyone. However, a great tip for finding other affordable art is to explore the work of local photographers. You might see them displaying their work on stalls or in small local galleries, and by buying direct from the photographer, you can get some affordable art straight from the artist themselves.

Thanks, Jason!