16 November 2012

Brett Neal Store Launched

Brett Neal, whose brand is epitomized by his highly collectable oil painted and stainless steel 'Beagle in Boots' and 'Luvbuloon' pieces, has taken steps to make his work more accessible by developing an online store; brettnealstore.com.

Brett is a British artist who has been creating a diverse body of work for over 30 years.  Notably his achievements over the years include a host of portraits of the great and good.  Overwhelmingly Brett is known for his love of perfection and simplicity.

It’s been said many times that Brett isn't at all impressed by the concept of art as something highfalutin'. About his painting he is quoted as saying "I'm just a monkey with a paint brush. Put something in front of me and I paint it. I can only paint what I can see."

Maybe this has influenced his choice to develop a simple online store to feature his 'everyday-affordable' art collection rather than operate it as an online gallery.

brettnealstore.com has just been launched with a tantalizing glimpse at how easily art can be made available at an affordable price.

Beagle Puppy cast in magnalium by Brett Neal
You may ask, what makes the store different from what we have seen before?  For one thing, the prices are there for all to see.  Sure, in the normal world the price of something is there for all to see.  In the art world,  where the mere mention of cash is a faux pas, this is not normally done.  We’ve had a look at the prices of many of the ‘Coming soon’ items and it’s fair to say that although the prices might not be to everyone’s taste, there is something to match almost anyone’s pocket.

Another thing that sets the store apart from the mass merchandising offer made on behalf of many artists these days is that all of the stock featured is certified limited editions of either 25, 100 or 1000 pieces.  Once the edition is sold, that’s it and the store is stocked by a new edition.

The site is targeting existing art collectors of Brett’s work as well as enabling start-up collectors to develop a new passion for his unpretentious style.

The first piece to be featured in the store at the moment is a set of 3 magnalium 'Beagle Puppies' (edition limited to 25 sets), handmade by the artist.  The little dogs (H28cm x L33.5cm x W16cm – although sizes do vary) are beautiful with simple clean lines and would make a real impact in anyone’s apartment or house.

Beagle Puppies cast in magnalium by Brett Neal
As well as the sculptures offered, the site looks set to feature lots of practical pieces, which the store hopes collectors might choose to display, store with other pieces in their collection or they might buy them as gifts for others.

If a serious art collector wants to make a significant investment into their collection with an original Brett Neal, then they can always contact the artist or his management team directly at www.brettneal.com or they can see Brett’s work for sale in a number of exclusive galleries around the world.

For the rest of us, brettnealstore.com seems like a good way to get a piece of the action.  Whether we get our hands on some of his sculpture (a rare offer on this site) or end up with something beautifully functional, the refreshing approach to all of the pieces is that we can do what we want with them; cherish them, use them or give them to a loved one.

A few of us in the office are looking forward to seeing what else the store will have on offer and to that end, here’s some advice; watch this space!

Guest post by by Bonita Ellmore