Acrylic paints became commercially available in the 1950’s but were a mineral spirit-based paint. The water-based paints sold shortly after were a combination of binder, filler, pigment and water. Artists began to discover this acrylic paint and artist quality acrylics became commercially available in the 1960’s.
Acrylic paint is a modern media when compared with watercolour and oil. Oil for example has been used by artists as far back at the 15th century and watercolour has been used as an artist medium since the Renaissance. With such history of these other two mediums, acrylic is always fighting to gain recognition. Acrylic has distinct characteristics as oil and watercolour do and the National Acrylic Painters’ Association was set up in 1985 to champion and support this media. Acrylic is capable of the widest range of approaches of any artist media and enables even more creativity, fresh ideas and progression. Artwork has been created in acrylic paint but artists such as Andy Warhol, Robert Motherwell, Mark Rothko, Bridget Riley and David Hockney to name just a few.
There are now a huge number of artists producing canvas artwork using acrylics and making the optimum use of this versatile media. It has enabled canvas art to be bought by a wider audience due to its fast drying nature and artwork can be created much quicker so a real business can be made out of acrylic artwork. Exhibitions have been in such prestigious venues as the Westminster Gallery and the Durham Art Gallery solely exhibiting and championing acrylic work. Books have been written purely on the characteristics of acrylic paint such as “New Tricks and Techniques for Working with the World’s Most Versatile Medium” by Nancy Reyner and “The New Acrylics:Complete Guide to the New Generation of Acrylic Paints.
Based in Yorkshire, Kris Hardy is an art graduate who has exhibited work in various exhibitions, show homes, bars and salons around the UK and abroad, working with a number of interior designers to supply art work to them.
This year has been very exciting for Kris Hardy as he exhibited at Grand Design Live at London Excel 3rd to the 11th of May 2008. In its 4th year, Grand Designs Live boasts over 40000 visitors and Kris will be amongst a staggering 450 exhibitors. Kris showcased his latest work and he demonstrated his canvas art live on the stand. It was a very successful week for him.
Kris graduated from the University of Huddersfield in June 2000 but he is no stranger to London after completing a 2 year MA at the Royal College of Art between 2000 and 2002. He has been producing contemporary canvas art commissions since graduating and have exhibited work in various exhibitions, show homes, bars and salons around the UK and abroad, working with a number of interior designers to supply art work to them. Since 2003 he has exhibited his work in over 20 John Lewis departments stores, primarily in London. Through exhibiting at Grand Designs Live, he is hoping to showcase his artwork to a wider audience, different to those of John Lewis and his home town of Hull.
The launch of his website in 2006, http://www.krishardy.com, has meant he has a travelling portfolio of his past, latest, bespoke and John Lewis work. Incorporating an eccommerce system has enabled his work to be purchased online delivered to anywhere in the world.
His very contemporary approach to his artwork style and attiitude to artist - client relations is refreshing. The approach he takes with his work is to produce high quality, original acrylic-on-canvas paintings that complement the client’s interior. All artwork is painted to order by himself and comes in standard sizes depending on the painting format. The refreshing approach is highlighted greatly by his comment “I more than happy to do bespoke sizes and colours, as I believe if you want a piece of art for a specific space then you should not have to compromise”.