Frequently asked questions:
1. How do I purchase a painting I saw in an exhibition?
If you are standing in front of a painting and you just love it and want to find out how it can be yours, send me a direct message on instagram @ashleyhylandartist or email me at art@ashleyhyland.com and I can arrange a chat. Many art purchases are impulsive - they pull at your heartstrings and call out to be yours. I understand that and will be in touch as quickly as I can to arrange payment and delivery or collection. If the painting is in a gallery, you can contact me directly for a chat. The gallery will still handle the payment and delivery.
2. Where do your prints and printed gifts come from?
Fun things like t-shirts, mugs and coasters are printed through Redbubble and other printers and will be posted straight to you. You set up an account with them and can buy gifts directly from them. The t-shirts are excellent quality and fit and we have used this company for about four years to buy designer gifts for friends and family, so now I am selling my images through them too! During 2021, everything I sell through Redbubble will be printed in the United Kingdom so delivery is reliable.
3. What about the prints and cards and gifts in your website shop?
I sell signed prints, greetings cards and other gifts in my website shop. These have been produced in the United Kingdom and will be shipped from my studio using the Royal Mail.
4. How do I know if a painting on your website is sold?
Original paintings on my website may be sold, or if they have been in exhibition or on loan they may be available. If you are interested in purchasing, exhibiting or borrowing one of the paintings, send me a direct message on instagram @ashleyhylandartist or email me at art@ashleyhyland.com. If you love an image that is sold, I may be able to arrange for a signed print in that image. Just ask.
5. How do I get in quick to purchase new paintings?
Often I share videos as I make new paintings through my instagram @ashleyhylandartist. If you see a painting that is underway and would like to reserve it, just send me a direct message and you will get to see the finished painting first. Also, join my email list.
6. How is my artwork packaged?
Larger paintings may have been un-stretched and rolled around the stretcher frame for shipping. When these paintings arrive with you, they can be re-stretched by a local Fine Art framer. Small watercolours are shipped flat, while some larger watercolours are shipped safely rolled in a tube.
7. There is a frame in the picture. Is my artwork framed?
All artwork is sold and shipped unframed unless described otherwise. A local framer can produce a frame that enhances and protects your artwork for years. If you choose to use a ready-made frame, here are some pointers for protecting original artwork:
- Oil paintings don't need to be covered with glass.
- Watercolours and photographs need to have a mount or a box frame that holds the painting away from the glass.
- Always place a piece of thick paper or acid-free tissue between the image and the frame's backboard to prevent yellowing.
- Never hang artwork in direct sunlight. It will fade.
- Place a bit of blue-tack under the bottom or top corners of frames hung on external walls or in older houses to allow air flow.
8. I have a question about one of the paintings.
The best and quickest way to contact me is through instagram @ashleyhylandartist. When I am out and about in the countryside where I live I don't always have a good signal but can contact you when I am home. Please include your time zone if you are outside the UK! You can also email me: art@ashleyhyland.com.
9. Can you paint the view from my house or my favourite holiday spot?
I do make paintings that are commissioned of views from specific locations in oil, watercolour and drawings. I can also work from photographs. Commissions involve a short chat and a site visit if in Sussex unless you would like for me to work from a photograph. During our chat, we will discuss the subject, why you like it, size, painting medium, price and timescale. A non-refundable deposit of £200 is required before I start work. I often make more than one painting and you may choose from the artwork I make or transfer the deposit to other artwork that I have in stock if the painting I make is not right for you. Many of my larger projects start with the seed of collaboration, with collectors, musicians, property owners or other artists.
10. Does it cost less to buy a painting directly from you?
If you see my artwork in a gallery, it is because I enjoy working with the people who are showing my work there. Please support them. Galleries give artists a valuable opportunity - they help us see our work through someone else's eyes and exhibitions allow artists to see our artwork grouped together and understand the story they tell outside our studios.
Prices for my work are the same across all galleries in England. Prices may differ in international galleries due to currency and transport costs. Prices are reviewed regularly and are for unframed work. Sizes quoted are approximate and are for image or artwork size, not for framed size unless stated.
11. I usually buy from companies I know really well. Help me feel confident buying from you.
I have been making artwork in the United Kingdom (England and Wales) for almost 30 years. During this time, I have worked for the Arts Council of Wales, on Arts Council England funded projects. I have shipped paintings to the United States to exhibit during Super Bowl Weekend and shipped work to collectors in the United States and Australia. I have continued to work with partners on public projects, including an exhibition and programme artwork for the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Boxgrove Priory and Castley Music and keeping a studio behind a big glass wall at Brighton Railway Station. I was Artist in Residence for the Youth Hostel Association at the South Downs YHA from 2020-2022. I have participated in Artwave, the artist exhibition programme for Lewes in Sussex since 2016 and had solo exhibitions in Sussex at the YHA, Wickle and the English Wine Centre. My paintings have been selected to be sold through Artsy, an international platform and I have relationships with galleries in England, the United States and Spain.
I have been exhibiting, shipping, delivering, wrapping and hanging paintings professionally for over 30 years. I had a purpose-built gallery in the Black Horse Insurance office in Cardiff, Wales and owned a large Art Centre with 3 exhibition spaces in Caerphilly in Wales. I have handled and managed work for other artists for exhibitions in three countries including oil paintings on canvas, works on paper, very delicate ceramics, works in wax and works in glass. For over 10 years, I have bought and sold items for my growing family using Ebay and have maintained a status of 100% with over 1000 transactions as the user 'daisypainters'. I have years of experience selling online and will always aim to make it a smooth experience.
Please contact me if a quick chat would put you at ease.
12. Do you ship internationally?
YES! Please contact me for specific shipping costs for original work. Shipping for prints is calculated at checkout.