Singapore artist Aaron Gan loves working with watercolors, and when he is not painting outdoors, he paints in the comfort of his own home. We went to visit him there to see just exactly how he goes about his lovely paintings.

1. Aaron settles into his cozy art corner.

2. To being with, Aaron chooses a sketch from a pile of his sketchbooks.

3. For this particular piece, Aaron has chosen half-imperial size watercolor paper (Saunders Rough 300g) and masks the sides with masking tape.

4. Partly because of his familiarity with the subject, and partly because he feels it adds more life to his paintings, Aaron paints directly onto the blank piece of paper, without sketching any lines in before hand. Starting with the sky, he then goes on to paint the first layer of dark colors which will make up the sand and surrounding scenery.

5. Next, it’s time to fill in all the details:

6. Lastly, Aaron puts a seal with his name on his painting.

7. The masking tape is removed and voila! A masterpiece has been created!

Multi-coloured screenprinting, as is most commonly used today though, was developed in twentieth century America, and is how artist Simon Tozer makes the delightfully playful prints he has become known for. We went to visit him in his Bristol studio to find out just exactly how he makes them, and this is what we saw:

1. Firstly, Simon draws his image onto a transparent overlay, then traces over the original drawing in more detail with paint.

2. Simon then prepares the screen by coating it with a photosensitive emulsion. This is left to dry in a dark, heated space.

3. Once the screen is dry, the image is placed up-side-down on top of it and is exposed under a light for roughly 10 minutes.

4. Simon hoses down the screen, washing away the areas that were not exposed leaving a negative stencil of the image on the screen.

5. After selecting his squeegee, Simon takes an acrylic based paint and firmly pushes the paint over the stencil.

6. The piece is then left to dry, and the entire process is repeated with different colours to create a multi-coloured screenprint.

7. Et voila, there you have a screenprint! Unwanted Hair, by Simon Tozer:

Much of the artist’s time, labour and skill go into creating their art, and as well as working on perfecting the finished piece, a lot of time is also spent honing, developing and streamlining their methods. There are often a number of different processes each artwork must go through; sometimes these can be quick and easy, at others complicated, time-consuming, and painstakingly delicate.

In this next series, we are going to take a look behind various art-types – from prints, photography and painting, to sculpture and mixed media – to explore their different practices and discover some of the techniques involved in producing art. This way we hope to shed some light on the hard work that takes place inside artists’ studios and illuminate the details we are maybe not always aware of.

What are the pros and cons of buying art online rather than in person?
A great aspect of buying art online is the range and ease of the discovery process. You can find artwork from all over the world, and easily view art that might not be accessible nearby.  Of course, nothing can replace seeing art in person and experiencing the physicality of artwork. Uprise Art aims to bring together the best of both worlds.  We make it easier and more affordable for people to collect art, so that they can enjoy the work in their homes.

What advice would you give to new collectors?
Be open-minded. Often it’s hard to find what you’re looking for when you have a very specific thing in mind. You might be missing out on artwork that speaks to an unexpected side of you. Often my clients end up collecting work that is nothing like what they originally said they were looking for, and are much happier for it.

What do you most enjoy about working at Uprise Art?
The most rewarding aspect of my job is finding the perfect artwork for our collectors, and seeing what a difference it makes in their homes.

What makes Uprise Art different from other online art companies?
Our collectors can purchase artwork, or take advantage of our invest-over-time option, investing in simple installments of $50/month. We make original artwork as affordable as buying a print or poster, without changing the way artists create their work.  Although an online gallery, we host in-person openings, events, exhibitions and studio visits on a regular basis.  Read our blog for more information about our events, recent press, and news.

Tze will be giving a talk on Sunday, April 7th at 2pm, in which she will illustrate how to find exciting artwork on a budget while also matching your own style and interests. With tons of new resources for finding and buying art, personalizing your living space with affordable art has never been easier. Tze will offer practical tips, do’s and don’ts, and art world secrets for finding your perfect artwork. Don’t miss it!

With so many photo edit programs available today, what makes Lomography the best choice?
Shooting with a Lomography camera, or any film camera, is a completely different process. Before taking a photo, you have control of the camera’s settings or can just play around with them if you want to be experimental. You can choose to look through the viewfinder, or not. After taking a photo, you can’t turn your camera around and see the results right away—no option to delete or really “retake” a bad photo. Plus, there’s some time that passes from when you take your photos and get them back from the lab, so you may feel totally different when looking at the images a week or so after they were taken. In comparison, photo edit programs are involved only after the photo is taken, whether to enhance, manipulate or perhaps “fix” a photo. In a sense, it takes away from the coincidence and surprise that make up a “Lomograph” as we like to call it.

Why is Lomography an important product to have?
A Lomography camera is fun companion to have during your everyday travels. Whether you’re shooting a landscape after a hike or just want to take a stealthy shot of the adorable dog across the street during your lunch break (not speaking from real experience…), having a camera handy at all times makes for a fun set of photos to get back from the lab. We have a pretty free-spirited approach to photography so it’s a great creative outlet and tool to record your memories. Shooting with a film camera also offers a nice alternative or break from snapping away on your iPhone. I personally prefer the look and feel of film and find that there’s a stronger sense of reward and ownership of my photos.

What is your favourite Lomography product?
One of my favourite cameras is the Sprocket Rocket. It’s pretty easy to use as it takes 35mm film, and it has a pretty cool analog look to it as the sprockets are exposed. The panoramic format also lets you capture more around you! You can also rewind or advance the film while shooting to make for some cool multiple exposures.

Lomography’s motto is: “Don’t think. Just Shoot.” How does this slogan relate to the mission of your company?
It goes back to our “Ten Golden Rules,” the manifesto our founders made when the Lomography movement took off in the 90’s. It basically embodies the free spirit of Lomography and our approach to photography—which is to get rid of any inhibitions! Sometimes “mistakes” like blurry photos or multiple exposures make the coolest photos. As the last rule says, “Don’t worry about any rules!” It’s not that we don’t care about the outcome (we love sharing photos from our community) but Lomography is all about letting people discover their own style and creative voice through our cameras and film.

At the Fair on Thursday, April 4 at 6:30pm, Angela Bilog, Chief of Marketing and PR of Lomography USA, will discuss how the 20-year old international analog photography community continues to thrive in a world of mobile and digital photography.

Painting by Stephen Rose, of the sculptor Jim Turner with Deb, making the model of her which is now sitting on the mantlepiece behind her.

What first sparked your passion for collecting art? 
My mother wasn’t an artist, but she was very knowledgeable about art history. Home was full of art books and I went with her to exhibitions from a very young age. I would spend as much time in the gallery shop as I would in the gallery itself, as that was the place I could acquire art postcards. My childhood bedroom walls were full of them, positioned with great care and consideration. I remember making a birthday wish list when I was still quite young, and at the top I put “a picture rail!” Rather random, but I already knew the potential of where it could lead me. People are often surprised that I’ve never wanted to paint myself, but I understand it’s not my calling. I’m a life model, and a collector.

Sculpture of Deb’s daughter, 5 days old, by Anna Gillespie

What was the very first piece you bought? 
It was when I was about ten, on holiday in Cornwall. It was called “Milk Maid”, it probably cost my pocket money, but it was so characterful. It’s not on the walls anymore, but I’ve kept it, and can see what drew me to it. The first proper piece I bought was from a gallery in Paris when I was about eighteen. Its of a shady wooded rockpool. Its travelled with me on the walls of umpteen addresses.

How has your taste developed?
I suppose I’m a lot more discerning than I was 30, 20, even 10 years ago. My eye has honed in with age! Although I’m still basically attracted to the same sorts of thing. There are recurring themes: insects, trees, buildings, they feature a lot; but pretty much anything can catch my eye, with the exception of traditional still lives; and cats! My taste is pretty eclectic, but at the same time the collection works as a whole. Someone once looked at it and at the end she said ‘with every piece, I thought: “Ah, of course!” ‘ She could see why I had chosen each one. I took that as such a huge compliment.

What guides your collection? How has it grown?
The boring answer is price, not necessarily because they were too expensive, but just because I hadn’t the funds at that time. I have a parallel collection in my head, of all the pieces I haven’t bought! Sometimes I’ll track them down years after initially seeing them. One piece I got recently came from Australia, after seeing it at the RA summer exhibition over a decade go. Luckily the artist had one print left! I keep all exhibition catalogues. I always circle what I like so I can track them down if possible.

How has it grown? Its always growing! I am constantly playing catch-up, and dream of a day when there are no pictures stacked on the floor waiting to be hung, or pictures at the framers, waiting to be framed.

Is the status of the artist an important factor for you?
Totally irrelevant. The works I tend to buy are usually by jobbing artists, often West Country, people I know. I have absolutely no interest in the commercial value of an artist. If my purchasing their work helps them to continue making it, that’s value enough. I value the piece I got for one pound from a flea market as much as the piece that took me ten months to pay for with the Own Art credit scheme. The investment is in the continued pleasure the work brings to me and my family.

How do you manage to display such a large collection?
I’m very lucky to have a lot of wall space and a very understanding husband who pretty much gives me carte blanche when it comes to the walls – they’re my domain! I hang them very densely, maybe just an inch apart in places. Different walls tend to contain different things. The stairs, the bulk of the collection, are entirely monochrome. The hall is for colour. The lower landing is for photography. One room tends to hold the majority of self portraiture and life studies. Sculpture is everywhere! It just goes wherever there’s a spare bit of surface.

There’s a definite skill to hanging, to getting pieces to breath harmoniously side by side. I know when I’ve got it right and definitely know when its not! Often a wall will be as I want it, and then a new piece will come in and I know it has to go on that wall and it upsets the entire thing; I have to start from scratch. But moving pieces around is no bad thing; it keeps them fresh, keeps you looking at them, wanting to look. Some pieces are definitely prima donnas and refuse to have anything beside them. It’s as if they make the wall tremor a little around them. I have a chimpanzee by Matti that does that, as if it’s saying: “Danger. Keep Out!”

Sometimes its just a practical solution. A large glazed piece cannot hang where there’s a lot of reflected light, otherwise all you see is glare! That’s frustrating when space is at such a premium. Light is a double-edged sword!

Chimpanzee by Matti, sculpture of Deb’s son age 2 by Anna Gillespie

Do you have a favourite piece?
Ha! My children ask me that frequently because they know it will make me squirm! No, I couldn’t choose a single favourite piece, that would be impossible. I have favourite artists for sure: Mark Stopforth is wonderful, I have ten pieces by him. Rachel Milne; I love her miniature oils; a large panel of daddy longlegs drawn into wax by Jane Tudge; exquisite embroidered pieces by the textile artist Roanna Wells; minimalist pieces by Kate Raggett, sculptures by Anna Gillespie, numerous life studies by friends, a giraffe that my daughter did when she was four is a corker; I could go on and on! But I couldn’t choose just one.

What advice would you give to anyone beginning their own collection?
Go and look at as much as you can! Develop your own taste and have faith in it; there’s no need to be intimidated. Collecting doesn’t need to be a rich man’s game or an elitist one. Buy what you love and what you can afford, when you can afford it. Get to know the galleries or exhibition spaces that show work you like and is in your price range.

Big open shows at the RA and RWA are invaluable as they expose you to so many different artists and styles. Locally, visit Spike, BV Studios and Jamaica Street whenever they have their open studio weekends. They’ll all help you to realise and refine your taste.

What inspired the founding of Skate’s?
Skate’s was originally founded in 2004 to provide useful and thoughtful information and creative analytical tools for those seeking independent advice on buying, selling, collecting and financing fine art. Provoked by the lack of publicly available detailed and impartial information,  Skate’s started monitoring and analyzing art market data and utilized it to create reports, market notes, reviews and conferences that covered many of the nuances of the global art market, especially as they relate to more expensive works of art.

What are you excited about right now?
Today I am most excited about the ONLINE ART EDUCATION course that we just launched and is about to begin on April 16th. It will initially address the fundamental elements of the art industry and allow people to listen to and network with high level art world professionals, academics and fellow students online. The course is led by Natasha Degen.  Natasha has previously taught courses on art and the art market at Cass business school and Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. Participants will also include four leading art business professionals [including our very own Cristina Salmastrelli!]. I am thrilled to share with the global art world (and persons interested in that world) the knowledge, ideas, analysis and connections that Skate’s has developed over past the nine years.

And how is this course different from others Skate has offered?
Most classes offered in the art industry sector are quite costly and largely academic in nature – Skate’s  online art education is an affordable, accessible alternative to them. We will offer a high level and professional educational and networking experience while keeping the price low.  Our teachers and speakers will come from various parts of the global art world – the academic community as well as the business sector.

What inspired the combination of architectural dialogue with ice cream cookies?
I have an architectural background, and after 7 years straight of undergraduate and graduate architecture education, I felt like what was missing was the human understanding and connection to what we were trying to accomplish. And architecture is, after all, a public profession that requires a client to fund, utilize, understand a building or space. The idea with Coolhaus was to popularize architects and architectural theories, inspire public dialogue about the field using ice cream sandwiches as the medium…almost to become a marketing company for architects.

What separates Coolhaus from other ice cream vendors?
The architectural component is extremely unique, and gives us a whole additional audience that other dessert vendors do not have. Our flavors our also extremely unique, for example the Fried Chicken & Waffles, Brown Butter Candied Bacon, and Chocolate Chipotle BBQ Sauce! Last, we have a tri-fold strategy in our growth that sets us apart: the trucks do the marketing for the brand by participating in cool events around the country, catering parties, and doing co-branding/cross-promotional campaigns. The storefronts create the environment for our brand, and the pre-packaged consumer products line opens up venues like natural markets, stadiums, theaters, and many more where our products can be sold and our brand can infiltrate!

How has the company developed?
The above answer really explains the development—from a one truck show in April 2009 to a full-fledged brand in 2013. We’ve refined our products, our operations, cultivated stronger and more professional staff, and continue to look for new and cool markets to grow into!

What  ice cream cookie flavor is the most popular?
Sad to say, but the true winner is Chocolate Chip + Tahitian Vanilla Bean! However, Fried Chicken & Waffles, Maker’s Mark Manhattan, Salted Chocolate, and Salted Caramel are EXTREMELY popular!

Sound good? You’re in luck! Coming soon to Affordable Art Fair Spring Edition:

What first ignited your passion for collecting art?
My mother is a painter and had us making art from a young age. I understood what it meant to create something and leave a piece of yourself in it, sort of igniting it with life and meaning. I’m an interior designer and for me, collecting art is a way of adding beauty and meaning to my home and other environments as well.

How has your taste developed? 
I studied Art History in college, then moved to New York to work for art fair producers Sanford L. Smith & Associates. So many fine art galleries exhibiting together at fairs amounted to temporary museums, and artists and dealers were right there to discuss the art.

Do you have a favourite piece?
That’s a tough one. If I had to pick up one piece and run out the door with it, I’d take my photograph “Handwave” by Christian Patterson. It’s gone with me to every place I’ve lived since I bought it in college and has acquired a lot of meaning over the years. It was taken near my hometown in Mississippi and makes me think of beautiful days when the air feels good but also about the symbolism of the gesture, saying hello, or maybe goodbye.

What do you enjoy most about collecting?
That it’s like assembling a family of stories, from the stories the pieces tell to the stories about acquiring the pieces, and the time periods in my life when I collected them. While individual works have their own stories, a collection ultimately tells a story about the owner.

When it comes to displaying your pieces, how does your experience as an interior designer help?  
While I tend to want a lot of order and neatness, I try to follow the principle that when you love a piece of art, there is always room for it. At the end of the day, a little crowd of an art collection makes a home feel warmer.

What advice would you give when it comes to hanging art in awkward places, or for those with limited space? 
Don’t be afraid to stack and layer salon style. It takes the pressure off to arrange the pieces on the floor and play with them a bit to get the composition right. Then, transfer to the wall.

We are excited to partner with YOTEL as our official hotel partner this year because of their commitment to affordability without sacrificing upscale design, comfort and atmosphere. Inspired by first class travel, they have translated the language of luxury airline travel and Japanese design influence into a small but luxurious hotel cabin. YOTEL New York, designed by Rockwell Group of New York in collaboration with Softroom of London, features 20,000 square feet of flexible and dynamic entertainment space, including the largest hotel terrace in New York City. YOTEL’s Jenn Williams chatted with us about how art plays a role in YOTEL’s unique approach to fun, classy accommodations that won’t break the bank.

How is YOTEL different than other Manhattan hotels? Why is it a destination as well as a place to stay?
We have created a first class hotel experience at great value and price. We try to keep things simple: automated check in and out; Mission Control, a one stop 24/7 service for guests needs, including internet stations and free printing (for those who must!). All with free super strength WiFi throughout the hotel.  We also have on ‘FOUR’ –  20,000 square feet of flexible and dynamic entertainment space, including the largest hotel terrace in the city.

“Mission control”

Describe YOTEL’s connection with art. What types of art/artists, if any, do you feature in the hotel?
Different artists help us define and continuously evolve the personality of YOTEL. We tend to gravitate towards emerging artists who have a sense of humor in their work and showcase some of the themes YOTEL identifies with such as technology and animation.

What do you look for when buying art to compliment a room?
Because our cabins are streamlined and focused on more of a Japanese aesthetic, we usually focus on placing art installations in the public spaces of the hotel. We even involve our elevators on guest floors and our YOBOT – luggage storing robot. The first ever!

What do you look for when selecting artists to build installations at the hotel?
We like to work with artists that will accentuate our public spaces and create installations that are not only cohesive with our brand message but also allow the guest to interact with the art.

“FOUR” Outdoor terrace

YOTEL New York received its LEED “Gold” Rating from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2012, signifying the hotel’s dedication to environmental initiatives. Go green! In addition to our hometown, YOTEL currently operates three terminal airport properties at London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Amsterdam Schiphol. YOTEL was created by YO! founder Simon Woodroffe and YOTEL CEO Gerard Greene.