Buying Art for Your First Home | New Zealand Fine Prints

Buying Art for Your First Home? Here’s How to Start!

Moving into your first home is full of excitement, as you get to go about picking all your new furniture, decor and art! For many, having art in the home is a must, as it can make a space a thousand times more homely and welcoming. But how do you go about choosing those first pieces of beautiful framed wall art? You may not have the biggest budget, or an initial idea of how to fit art collecting in with everything else that goes into moving! That’s why we share some tips in this blog—read on to find out more.

 

Determine a few key elements

The first thing that’s good to do when buying art for your first home is to have a few design elements in mind that can be used as a starting point. There are lots of things you can learn about your own art taste (even if you thought you didn’t have any!) throughout the process of moving into your home—and you can use that when buying art! For example, look at the furniture you’ve already bought, are there any similar features between each piece? Do they all look somewhat bohemian, or are they bold and geometric? Did you lean towards a colour scheme? Even though you don’t want to feel bound to a style or colour palette when choosing art, knowing these elements that are already in your home can help you determine if you are a statement person, or whether you need an element of calm in your home. It can also help establish what’s missing, and what may be necessary to bring balance to your space in any capacity.

 

Do some research into artists

Art is always much easier to look at and understand when you know a bit of background about the artist, and on the flip side, you’ll find art more enjoyable if it’s by an artist you’ve researched and know a bit about. Do a google search of local artists from your area, or even just New Zealand Artists in general, and you may find a few artists that resonate with you, and whose art you connect with more as a result.

 

Buy art that makes you feel something

Art doesn’t always have to make you happy, doesn’t always have to fit in with the room décor, and doesn’t have to be exactly what you were searching for! These are all important things to remember, to help you browse art with a clear head, and focus more on the way you react to each piece—whether positive or negative. You might find a piece of art that feels challenging gives you a stronger feeling than one that simply ticks all the boxes. You may find that you keep coming back to a piece of art, or thinking about it long after you’ve gone home. If this is the case and you can identify that connection, chances are you are going to have a much more interesting time looking at that piece of art every day. Choose the piece of art that really makes you think.

 

Start with Art Prints and Photographs

If it's your first home, chances are you’re going to have a lot of time to build your collection of expensive art. For the time being, you’re just going to want to have a home that’s full of exciting elements and accessories. A house with art always feels more like a home, but you don’t have to rush into buying original pieces of art right from the get-go, and it may not fit well with your budget either. A great solution is to buy a good selection of quality photography or art prints. You can buy art prints from almost any New Zealand or international artist, and if you investigate photography, you’ll find a whole other world of art altogether. There’s no way this option is going to limit your selection in the slightest. Instead, art prints give you the freedom to choose your art at a more affordable level. The unique paper and framing methods used in a good quality art print also mean you don’t need to compromise on quality. You can even decide on Limited-Edition Art Prints for your own unique piece.

 

Quality Art from New Zealand Fine Prints

For good quality art prints at affordable prices, look no further New Zealand Fine Prints. We offer a huge range of local and international art prints perfect for any New Zealand home. Plus, we offer a range of framing options, and we can ship our framed prints NZ-wide. Browse our collection and find your perfect prints today!

How to Talk About Art Without Sounding Pretentious | NZ Fine Prints

How to Talk About Art Without Sounding Pretentious

Art is something that we will all encounter in many places in our lives—whether it’s in the reception of an office where you are trying to impress, a friend's home as you pop over for tea, or in its natural habitat, the many galleries that house art up and down New Zealand. But there’s a problem with eyeing up a piece of art and deciding whether to make a comment - the all-encompassing fear of sounding ‘pretentious’. When did enjoying art mean that we must learn ‘art jargon’ in order to talk about it at a level that’s ‘passable’ within the art community? 

Surely, we can just learn to enjoy art and make a passing comment that isn’t unnecessarily snobby sounding. After all, it’s entirely possible to simply enjoy art and just talk about it casually; everyone loves a good yarn! So, without further ado, here are some insightful tips on how to talk about art without feeling queasy about it!

What to say about your friend's new art prints? 

Use words everyone understands

Dispel the preconceived notion that you must learn a whole new vocabulary to talk about a piece of art. If you aren’t confident talking about art and find yourself hesitating because you don’t understand what ‘chiaroscuro’ means, then just try to say the words that do come to mind when you see a painting. There’s nothing wrong with just saying you like the shadows or the dark colours in a painting. It becomes a lot easier to talk about art when you start with what you understand. As you become fluent in your own art language, the more complex terms will start to make a lot more sense as well.

 

Keep the detail limited unless prompted

If you’re really encouraged to say things about art (for example, in a situation when you’re around an art boffin and put on the spot to talk about their latest piece) and you aren’t feeling super confident, then just keep your message short and sweet. Stick to one thing you like about the piece, whether that be colour, composition, texture, tone pattern or anything else. Say what you choose to say with confidence and assurance.

 

Tap into your own personal reactions or feelings

Talking about art is usually just boiled down to how the art makes you feel. If you don’t know how to talk about the specific details of the art piece, it can be equally as valuable to discuss how the art made you personally feel or react. Use similar words that you would use to talk about your emotions, such as ‘angry’, ‘calm’, or ‘excited’. It can be as simple as capturing your first impression and putting that into words.

 

Sound pretentious if you want to!

Maybe you’re actually extremely enthusiastic about a piece of art, and you’ve read up about its history and happen upon a piece of art that you’re extremely passionate and know a lot about. If you’re enjoying talking about the art, don’t worry about sounding pretentious! Don’t present a dulled down version of yourself just to conform to the rules of the art world - or anyone else’s world for that matter! Art is something that spreads joy, and if it makes you happy to talk extensively about it, then go ahead. Your confidence and enthusiasm will be a breath of fresh air for whoever you’re talking to. Depending on who it is, they may even enjoy learning something new.

 

There are no mistakes

As a great artist, Bob Ross, once said, “There are no mistakes, just happy accidents”. Take this piece of advice the next time you feel like speaking up about a piece of art, and just go ahead. If you like art, express yourself and enjoy it openly. Fill your home and your office and even your car with your favourite pieces. Share it with your family and friends! Never feel as though you aren’t qualified enough to say why you like about a painting.

 

Art Prints from Art Enthusiasts

When it comes to New Zealand art in particular, we get pretty excited, and we could talk about it all day! If you’re a fan of New Zealand art as well, then there’s no better place to shop for your favourite prints than right here at NZ's art print experts since 1966. From art deco prints to framed wall art of your favourite pieces, we’re your local go-to. Shop our range online today!

Dick Frizzell homage to Colin McCahon in new print

Dick Frizzell makes his latest print

In Colin Compared, Dick Frizzell comes up with a modern twist on Colin McCahon's Virgin Compared painting to pay tribute to this famous NZ artist and to say thank you to Peter Simpson for his wonderful McCahon book released in March 2020 (Colin McCahon 1 : There is Only One Direction, Vol. I 1919-1959).  In the period between 1946 and 1948, McCahon turned from depicting landscapes to Christian imagery. By synthesising disparate elements - portraiture, still life and symbolism (for instance the lamp and jug) with words McCahon emphasised that his works had a message.

Dick Frizzell's print "Colin Compared"

Dick told me in an email:

"I did a little gouache portrait of Colin for Peter Simpson to thank him for his brilliant McCahon book. i was inspired by the Theo Schoon photo of Colin on the verandah next to his fabulous painting of the Virgin Mary compared to a jug of pure water etc (one of my favourites).

Then i thought… I reckon that that’d make a great print!"

It’s meant to reflect that painting…of the virgin etc hence the close, dark colour scheme sp in the skin tones! Old school!!

May not be everybody’s cup of tea… but getting some good feedback up here!"


I have always liked the way that the Hocken library published prints of the McCahon painting popped up in the background of photographs of NZ writers and artists at home during the 1970s and 80s. A leitmotif of the era when a more confident NZ identity was emerging.

Here is video I found of Dick talking about the impact of McCahon's work a few years back, in it he calls McCahon's paintings "Hypnotic" and the artist gave him, "Something to think about forever".

You can now buy the "Colin Compared" limited edition print by Dick Frizzell delivered direct from New Zealand Fine Prints.  It will be lovely to see these prints in the background of another generation of New Zealander's dust jacket photographs!

The Benefits of Framing Your Art Prints | New Zealand Fine Prints

The Benefits of Framing Your Art Prints

Having art prints and buying art is a relaxing pastime for many New Zealanders. But when it comes to framing, it’s another decision to make whether or not to add one to your purchase. Frames can be especially beneficial to any art purchase for many different reasons. In this blog, we’ll take a look at what difference framed wall art can make!

Keep Your Art Looking Newer for Longer

One of the most significant benefits of framing wall art is that it is a sure-fire way to extensively increase a print’s longevity. We all know too well the amount of collected dust, sun damage, and general wear and tear any piece of art will come across even in the most spotless of houses! A frame will protect your art significantly by providing a barrier between the artwork and the elements.

Instead of having to carefully remove dust directly from the parchment of your print, you can easily grab the spray-and-wipe and dust off the glass and frame. In the rare case any water damage should occur in your home, you can rest assured that your frame will be a good, hearty surface to stop a general spillage or leak from causing extensive damage to your art. Even in a bright and sunny room, the glass of a frame will be an extra barrier against UV rays that can cause your print to fade. You can even look into more advanced UV glass protection if your print is positioned somewhere that gets direct sunlight.

Frames Add More Value

Not only is a frame an excellent form of protection for a piece of art, it can also add additional value to a piece. After all, a frame is a crafted adornment that can add another element of beauty, elegance and overall quality to your art piece. Italian renaissance paintings were famous not only for the art themselves, but also for the stunningly extravagant frames that they were housed in, which showed likeness to the art nouveau architecture of the time.

While most art frames today are not so nearly intricately carved or adorned, they are still a beautiful piece of contemporary design which can hold immense value. Whether they are hand-carved out of a decadent woodgrain, or a simple yet on-trend design that fits into a contemporary style, frames can hold varying values to whoever owns them.

Work It into the Home

Frames add excellent benefit to any homeowner who is particular about their interior style. Pieces of art are unique; they often don’t fit into any particular trend or design style, because they are their own entity and shouldn’t have to. This makes it trickier for people to fit them into the right spaces in their homes—what if the colours don’t match perfectly or the textures clash with the wall behind it?

For homeowners who want to own beautiful art and incorporate it into the interior style of their home at the same time, a frame is the perfect middle ground. It sets a piece of art apart from its interior surroundings, creating a barrier that allows you to choose whatever art you like, and work it into whatever style of home decor you surround it with. Often, a solid white or black frame can be perfect for this. It causes the art to live inside the frame and prevents it from clashing with the space around it.

What about Canvas Prints?

You may feel a little different about framed canvas prints. Due to their interior frame already placed on many of them during the stretching or mounting process, there may be less reason to add an external frame. While this is true, and canvas prints can work better than many other forms of art on their own, it is still good to frame your canvas prints for longevity, value, and style.

Shop Framed New Zealand Art Prints

If you’re looking for a framed art print for your home, we have the widest range of New Zealand and international art prints available online. Get a print delivered right to your doorstep, framed and all! Shop online today.

New Zealand Fine Prints is [not] delivering as usual during the lockdown

Prints NZ wide & Overseas Will [Not] Continue to Ship

[Updated: Just after this post was written the government clarified their regulations to say only essential goods were allowed to ship or be delivered after 25 March.]

During this unprecedented closedown of many NZ businesses Aotearoa's specialist art print and poster store will still be shipping prints, posters and canvas prints.  Our staff are working from home and shipments are being picked up by our couriers and delivered anywhere in NZ or around the world.

New Zealand Fine Prints' artists are supplying us with prints as normal and supplies from publishers of modern art prints that we import from the USA, Europe and the UK are still arriving as usual.

We have good stocks of prints on hand including framed wall art and canvas prints that can be delivered ready to hang.

Art has been uplifting,  reassuring and inspiring people during the most difficult times for thousands of years. Our hope is that if we continue to make it easy for New Zealanders to find and buy art prints for your home or as a gift to lift the spirits of your special people over the coming weeks New Zealand Fine Prints are making the small contribution that is all a business like ours can do to help get all of us through this difficult time.

Below is the latest update regarding deliveries from Aramex [Fastway].  NZ Post is also classed as an essential service and will remain open for Airmail shipments.

Aramex New Zealand 
OPERATING BUSINESS AS USUAL NATIONWIDE 

Afternoon All,
 


As you would have heard, the government have announced that we are to move to a Covid-19 Level 4 status effective midnight on Wednesday 25 March 2020.
 


The Prime Minister has made it clear at this stage that the Transportation sector is considered essential services and hence are a critical link to providing the first and last mile of supplies throughout the country. This being the case, Aramex New Zealand will be resuming Business as Usual service throughout New Zealand.

Our network is currently working very hard within the guidelines of the Ministry of Health (MOH) to manage growing parcel volumes during this challenging time.

We ask for your patience and will endeavour to provide up-to date service announcements as the situation progresses.


Stay safe

The Aramex New Zealand team.