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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Equestrian Art Ltd (EAL)?
EAL is a private limited company which was born
out of the need to better promote the work of the best equestrian
artists and satisfy the increasing demand for original contemporary
equine art. In the three and a half years since its inception, EAL
has acquired a ‘stable’ of established internationally known
equestrian artists including Neil Cawthorne SEA, Roy Miller SEA AAEA,
Martin Williams SEA, Richard Barton SEA, Elizabeth Sharp SEA, Louise
Mizen SEA and Margaret Barrett SEA as well as discovering exciting
new talents including Alasdair Banks, Elizabeth Armstrong ASEA, MA
and Vineta Sayer ASEA.
2. Will I pay more for my artwork from EAL than from
a conventional art gallery?
EAL does not operate like a conventional art
gallery which normally has to support all the overheads associated
with having gallery premises fixed in one location. Instead EAL by
exhibiting at major equine sporting events takes the art to the
enthusiast and collector or sells on-line through its virtual
gallery at
www.equestrianartuk.com. In so doing the
prices for similar artworks can be up to two thirds less costly than
an up market city gallery.
3. Do I pay more by purchasing art from EAL rather
than directly from the artist? EAL
places no restrictions on the artists that it works with, with
regard to exclusive agreements. There are none of the restrictive
contracts between EAL and its artists that exist with many galleries
and fine art dealers. As such the collector is free to purchase
artworks directly from the artist. Because EAL has developed good
relationships with our artists over time, EAL usually gets first
refusal on new work, has an influence on new works undertaken and
most importantly receives preferential discounts on the price of
artworks purchased from its artists. The effect of this, is that it
is very rare that the price the customer will pay EAL for the
artwork, will be more than the price asked by the artist. Indeed it
is often the case that EAL has negotiated a special price with the
artist for a particular work which is then passed on to the
customer.
4. Can I see the art before I buy?
EAL positively encourages this. We are delighted
when a prospective customer wants to see a selection of work that he
has seen in our virtual gallery. We are happy to put on a private
viewing at his or her address and there is no obligation to
purchase. 5. How do I know the painting is genuine (i.e. an original painted by the artist)? A very good question! EAL sells only originals. Some artists like Roy Miller for example have reciprocal marketing agreements to sell prints (copies) of their originals with other art dealers. In Roy’s case Sally Mitchell Fine Arts produce limited edition prints, Xmas cards, etc. of his originals. Usually in the case of oils it is fairly obvious whether a painting is an original or a print. With watercolours it is less easy to tell especially when the painting is framed. So beginning in March of 2008, EAL is introducing a certification process which provides evidence (provenance) for the painting purchased in the form of a certificate signed by the artist. 6. When I purchase a painting from EAL, what is included in the cost? Apart from the painting itself!, with the exception of box canvasses, the frame is also included in the cost together with all relevant taxes. Paintings can be purchased unframed and an appropriate discount is applied when a customer wants to custom frame himself. Paintings bought off the on-line virtual gallery may also attract a shipping charge depending on the value of the purchase and destination. In the majority of cases where the order value is in excess of 500 GBP sterling shipping costs are included in the price of the artwork. 7. Can I change the frame? Yes and usually at no cost or a nominal amount for reframing. 8. How can I pay for the artwork? You can pay by cheque or most major credit cards with the exception of AMEX. We will also be introducing a new credit scheme from February 1st 2008, whereby customers wanting to buy a particular artwork can reserve the work by paying a 25% deposit, the balance to be paid on delivery to the customer to be made not later than six months from date of initial payment. As is often the case certain new works attract a lot of interest with collectors and this scheme will help to provide a credit line for our loyal customer base. 9. Will my art be an investment (ie appreciate over time)? Another good question! We have found that people buy a particular painting because they like it or fall in love with it and in extreme cases cannot bear not to have it! At EAL we often feel the same way and sometimes find it difficult to part with a special painting! All we can say in answer to this question is that in the main, when you buy from us a painting by an artist with an established reputation, for example an artist with SEA (fellow of the Society of Artists of Great Britain) or AAEA (member of the American Academy of Equine Art) after their name then works by these artists continue to command good prices at reputable art auctions. They are the ‘blue chip’ stock equivalent. The ‘new kids on the block’ are more speculative. Their paintings are the equivalent of the tech stocks. Some will rise spectacularly in value in the future, but some may fail to make the grade. In the specific case of Alasdair Banks for example, when we first discovered Alasdair’s work it could be purchased for less than 100 GBPS. Today, Alasdair’s work sells from anything between a few hundred pounds and several thousand pounds for commissions. Vineta Sayer is another case in point, where her work in all media represents a talent beyond her years, but which is still priced very reasonably. To sum up, art is bought for art’s sake, not just as an investment.
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