On average between 4 and 6 weeks, depending on the complexity of the painting and the artists’ workload. The rate at which oil paints dry depends not only upon temperature but also on humidity, so the drying time can vary considerably.

Of course. Remember always that your painting is a one-off. Our artists are extremely talented and creative painters in their own right. The photograph or photographs that you supply provide the artist only with the subject matter. How this subject matter is portrayed is then up to you.

No problem. For example we recently were asked to produce a canvas of a winning racehorse together with its owner. The owner wanted to remember the occasion but did not want the horse’s handler or any of the spectators in the painting. He was delighted with the result!

The main factors that affect the price are the size of the painting and the complexity of the subject. We have included a table of guideline prices for a variety of subjects and canvas sizes that will give you a good idea. Once we have your detailed instructions then we will provide an exact price for you; that price will then be fixed.

This has never yet happened but no doubt it may do so one day so you are right to raise it.

Our quality control procedures are such that once your painting is almost finished the studio will email a photograph of it to us for you to approve. You can make small changes to it at this stage if you so wish.

We have every confidence that you will love your painting and that it will be much admired but if we have failed to interpret your instructions correctly or the quality of our work is not up to standard, then the artist will re-do your painting. If you are still not satisfied with the result then your money will be refunded in full.

Your painting is unique so there are no pre-determined sizes that you must have; the choice is yours.

The most important consideration is where you intend to hang the painting. If you know where it’s going to go then it is a good idea to measure the available space and then request the size of painting that fits the space. Do remember though that you will probably want to have your painting framed. Oil paintings are frequently displayed in substantial frames and you should allow for this when deciding the size of canvas.

We supply only the canvas and leave the choice of framing to you. The choice of frames on the market is so extensive that any selection of ours would never be suitable for every painting that we commission. Factors to bear in mind when choosing a frame include the nature of the subject, the style and décor of the room in which the painting will hang and of course your personal preference.

Unlike watercolours, many oil paintings are not displayed behind glass and indeed some people choose not to frame an oil painting but simply to display it on a stretcher. A reputable picture framer will be able to offer advice.

Our communications with the artist are all by email and the whole process is speeded up significantly if we can receive your photos by email. However, we recognise that this will not be available to many of our clients and sometimes it will be necessary to send us the actual prints. When this occurs your photos will be electronically scanned in our offices and then transmitted to the artist by email. Your prints are never themselves sent to the artist.

We recommend that you use an appropriate postal service if sending any photographs of sentimental value, just as you would with any other item since we cannot obviously be held responsible for anything lost or damaged in the post. We will return any items to you by the same service.

All paintings are checked and despatched by our office located close to the artists’ studios. We ship by recognised global couriers such as DHL and TNT and your painting will be delivered directly to the address you nominate.

Your painting is fully insured during transit and you can check its whereabouts ‘online’ once it has been despatched. You should allow around 5 days on average from despatch to arrival.

Yes, no problem. We make a standard delivery charge for each painting regardless of its destination so the point of delivery is entirely up to you; be it your home address, another address in the UK or, for that matter, an address on the other side of the world.

All we ask is that the delivery address is clearly shown at the point of order confirmation and this must include the correct post/zip code. All couriers work on post/zip codes and we cannot be held responsible if an incorrect or incomplete code is given to us.