Welcome to
The Private Review
Our brand new blog to showcase our artists, upcoming exhibitions, helpful guides and more!
The Portrait Pastel with Shirley Chi
We caught up with artist Shirley Chi to learn more about her creative practice and her approach to working with pastel.
A former competitor on Sky Arts’ Portrait Artist of the Year and a regular exhibitor at the Green & Stone Summer Exhibition, Shirley is known for her thoughtful and expressive approach to realist portraiture. Through her work, she explores the relationship between colour, light, texture and the unique character of each sitter.
Feeling inspired? We stock a wide range of pastels, paper and pastel accessories, perfect whether you're just starting out or looking to expand your collection.
Oil Pastel Spotlight: Luana Asiata
We recently caught up with artist Luana Asiata to discuss her love of oil pastel, her creative process, and the materials she uses to create her vibrant, abstract inspired pieces.
Read the full feature to discover her favourite pastel brands, sources of inspiration, and advice for artists looking to explore this versatile medium.
Feeling inspired? We stock a wide range of oil pastels and oil pastel accessories, perfect whether you're just starting out or looking to expand your collection.
Pastel Spotlight: Anastasia Sokolov
We recently caught up with artist Anastasia Sokolov to discuss her love of soft pastels, her creative process, and the materials she uses to create her beautifully atmospheric still lives and portraits.
Read the full feature to discover her favourite pastel techniques, sources of inspiration, and advice for artists looking to explore this versatile medium.
Feeling inspired? We stock a wide range of soft pastels and pastel accessories, perfect whether you're just starting out or looking to expand your collection.
Botanical Painting with Mariella Baldwin
We sat down with Botanical painter, Mariella Baldwin to discuss all things flowers, painting and materials.
Exhibition Spotlight: Entanglement
Image: Entanglement, Emma Rosa and Chloe Farrant on in the Gallery 18 May - 30 May
Artist Spotlight: Maheen Elahi
Image: Maheen Elahi, Reimagined Realities 19, 2026
Reimagined Realities open March 5 - May 16
Shoot Your Shot (Properly): How to Photograph Your Work
Illustration of the camera obscura principle from James Ayscough's A short account of the eye and nature of vision (1755 fourth edition)
We are artists, visual people attuned to light, colour, and composition. We photograph beautiful things all the time, and many of us are even influenced by the images we take. So why, when it comes to photographing our own work, is it so hard?
Artist Spotlight: Max White
Image: Forest in Blue and Green
Fresh Air by Max White is in our gallery from 22 April - 2 May.
How to Write an Artist Statement (Without Losing Your Mind)
Image: Leonid Pasternak, The Passion of Creation
Are you afraid of sentences?
Do you break into a cold sweat at the words “artist statement”?
Have you ever opened a blank document, stared into it, and thought, absolutely not?
If you answered “Yes!” Congratulations. You are an artist.
On the Surface: What to consider when choosing and preparing your artwork’s support.
Often overlooked, the surface is fundamental to how a work is seen and understood. This guide outlines how to choose, prepare, and describe your support so your work is both visually effective and ready for display.
From Acrylic to Zinc: An A–Z of Mediums
We wanted to test our knowledge of mediums with this A-Z guide.
Describing Your Work: The Medium Line
Not sure what to write in the “medium” box? The medium line is often overlooked, but it’s one of the first things we read. This guide outlines how to describe your materials with clarity, precision, and confidence.
Printmaking: A short guide for artists submitting to our Summer Exhibition
Printmaking is one of the most exciting and varied areas of contemporary art and it takes many different forms.
For our Summer Exhibition, we’re focusing on original printmaking: works created through a hands-on process, where the image is transferred from a surface the artist has physically worked into.
Artist Spotlight: Justin
Into the Deep is in our gallery from 30 March - 18 April. We sat down with the artist, Justin, to talk about his favourite art materials, his creative process, and the inspiration behind the exhibition. In this new body of work, Justin moves into landscapes and abstraction, while still retaining subtle echoes of the human form.