i am currently working on two very exciting commissioned projects. Each features a large scale highland cow portrait or double portrait in beautiful rich eyecatching colours. These are going to be really great focal points in the spaces that they are being designed for.

Each of the paintings requires a specially built bespoke canvas as they are custom sized pieces.

I offer international shipping for my canvases, and one of these new paintings will be travelling to Switzerland once completed.

I have created sketches and mockups on PhotoShop to plan each piece before I begin the actual painting process. I expect the painting stage to take two-to four weeks including drying time between layers.

Here are a couple of highland cow commissioned canvases that I had the enormous pleaseure of working on last year.. These are companion pieces for the same client.

highland cow couple custome canvas painting sue gardner.jpg

highland cow family custom painting commission sue gardner.jpg

Are you starting out as an artist and looking to buy art supplies?

I buy most of my paints, canvases, solvents etc. from a company based here in the UK,

It feels like Christmas when my Jacksons’ Art delivery arrives! They hold in stock everything that I need, as well as luxury paints I can only aspire to and beautiful, massive easels that I hanker after. These days I prefer Michael Harding oil paints, and I also love the Williamsburg earth tones. I start with the small 37 or 40ml tubes and then when I find that I am using a lot of a certain colour, I start to save up to get a big 150 or 300ml tube of it next time, as they work out cost-effective.

I paint on stretched canvases and I have tried a few brands but I prefer the Jacksons Premium canvases as they are very good value for money, beautiful canvases, nice and firm to paint on and very good quality. I generally buy them in boxes of 10 which reduces the single canvases price by a worthwhile amount.

The items are always packaged like the crown jewels, and this company offers speedy UK and worldwide delivery options as well as free UK delivery over £40 which is their standard.

I have recently set up an affiliate account with them which means I receive 5% commission from any orders placed through my link to them. This is much appreciated as it helps me to replenish my own painting supplies! If you are new to Jackson they will also give you a 10% discount through this link. Jackson’s Artists Supplies

Above Left: Some recent acquisitions. Permanent Orange, Indigo, and Quinacridone Gold from the range of Michael Harding Oil Paints. Above Right: Detail from an image painted incorporating the new paints.