FAQs
How to buy art online
You can find out what Craig's art prints cost, buy prints directly from the shop, or view and enquire about original paintings here. Shop art for sale
Where do you ship to, and how much does it cost?
We ship worldwide! Prints arrive at your door rolled in a protective tube. Prints are sent via New Zealand Post's International Track & Trace service. Delivery is usually within 7 days. Tracking details are provided on confirmation of your order.
How to buy art for your home
- Measure your space
- Decide on a budget and whether you’d like to invest in an original painting or a limited edition print
- View the shop and discover what artwork speaks to you
- Make sure the size of the artwork will work in your space
- Click ‘add to cart’
Where should I hang my artwork? Will sun damage it?
I recommend hanging your artwork on a wall that doesn’t receive direct sunlight for long periods. Prints and paintings are created using lightfast materials, you will be able to get many generations worth of enjoyment from your art.
How do I order a Craig S Primrose limited-edition print?
- Select the print from the Art For Sale page of my website.
- Add to cart and checkout.
How do I invest in limited-edition prints that increase in value?
Prints are created by capturing the original painting as a high-resolution digital image. They are then printed using lightfast pigments on museum quality, acid-free paper with advanced inkjet technology.
These prints are superior in beauty, quality and durability, lasting up to 120 years before any colour change is apparent to the human eye.
Every artwork is titled, numbered with its unique edition number, dated with the year of printing and signed.
The value of a published artwork like this will increase over the years with the profile of the artist.
How do I handle my new art print with care?
Your print will arrive rolled in a protective tube.
If the tube is dented do not sign for the print as your artwork has been damaged by the courier company and signing means you take on the liability of the damaged package.
Any handling and especially back-rolling to remove curl should only be undertaken by an expert framer or someone with experience in working with archival paper using powder-free nitrile gloves.
Extra care should be taken to not get any dust, finger oil or moisture on the print. Removal of dust from the surface should be managed with an air source or very soft brush, not by using a cloth or hand which will scratch the print.
Glass should cover the paper print as the ink is vulnerable to water damage.
Don't hang your print on a wall that receives direct sun. If displaying your print behind standard framing glass in standard lighting conditions (not in direct sunlight), your artwork is estimated to show no noticeable fading for at least 80 years. If UV museum glass is used this time is suggested to exceed 200 years.
Are prints framed?
Large canvas prints and archival paper prints come unframed. They are couriered to you rolled in a protective tube, and the frame can be chosen by the purchaser.
How much does art framing cost?
Framing starts at around $200 for smaller prints.
Cost varies depending on:
- Your choice of moulding (the outside decorative frame)
- The size of cardboard matting
- The type of glass ‒ standard, non-reflective or museum UV protective glass
How do I frame my print?
When you receive the print it will be unframed so you can frame it how you wish.
I personally recommend that you ask your framer to surround the image with a generous 7 - 13cm cardboard matting of any colour that highlights the image, white is usually a good bet.
Glass should cover the print as the ink is vulnerable to water damage. Normal glass or non-reflective glass are both fine. Ideally, don't hang your print on a wall that receives direct sun.
What is an Artist's Proof?
Limited prints personally touched up by me, signed and numbered. Very limited number of prints are sold worldwide
What is Archival Paper?
Paper that is museum quality will never attract mould nor fade.
What is a Giclee Print?
A print on a canvas like finish
What is meant by Worldwide Limited Edition Print?
Limited Edition Prints that have a worldwide limited number. Never to be repeated once sold out.
Who inspired you to become an artist?
At a very early age I wanted to be an artist. Who inspired me? No-one in particular. I was always picking up books of artists from around the world studying their drawings and paintings - I could never get enough of it. Portraiture and landscapes have always fascinated me.
How did you become an artist?
My Mum and Dad would always hang my colourings on the wall of the kitchen. I think they felt I had something special. Without their encouragement, I doubt that I would have followed this path but then maybe it was always my calling.
What does being an artist mean to you?
Everything. The highs and the lows. The inner feeling of accomplishment when a painting has been finished and hopefully the joy it may bring someone.
What inspires your work?
Thankfully with the internet it is a continual source for discovering new and older artists works, what they are doing and how they go about their work in real time.
What other artists are you influenced by?
Howard Terping and John Coleman who paint a lot of native American Indians and the western landscape and Nelson Shanks for his portraiture work.
What is your favourite painting by someone else?
Vermeer- The Girl with the Pearl Earring.
What music do you listen to while painting?
Listen to music – Pavorotti to the Stones.
What is your painting process?
A lot of research followed by conceptual drawings getting the composition right. The actual painting follows which takes on a life and feel of its own as it evolves. Sometimes I wonder how I got it there.
How long does it take to complete a painting?
I love doing large paintings, some as big as 3 metres x 2 metres. These painting I usually do in between commissions and can take up to 6 months to complete. Other works, depending on detail and scale, take 3 to 6 weeks.
What is your favourite painting you have done?
Hard question to answer as each painting has a particular meaning to me. There is one painting that I hold in my private collection – a painting simply called Anna. She was the wife of a station owner in Omarama, South Island, NZ. It is a very remote station and she home-schooled their three children, looked after the family and station accounts, cooked and helped run the farm. She portrays what I think is the backbone of station life in NZ. A truly inspiring woman.
This is what I love – painting people and the landscape – telling their story.
Do you have an inspirational quote you would tell your fans?
Quote from Sir Ed Hillary “There is little virtue in easy victory”
What does your art practice mean to you?
Fulfillment.
Are there times when you become blocked creatively? How do you become re-inspired?
Off course there are many times I will have a creative block. This I treat as a normal process of the creative mind. It helps us look at things a little differently. I find when this occurs I go back to my drawing board and start sketching. Eventually something will come to mind and off I go. This is why I love Sir Ed’s quote.
Any tips on how to be more creative?
We all learn from others – it’s like it has its own circle of energy. Get on the internet, read a books on different artists. Explore the world of creatives. You will never stop learning.
What was your relationship with the late Sir Edmund Hillary?
He was my mentor and friend. You can learn more of our friendship here.
Have you painted anyone famous?
I have been so privileged to meet and paint some of the most amazing people from sports stars Andre Agassi, Pele and Sir Peter Black, Sir Elton John, Bruce McLaren, to some of the top teams – All Blacks, America’s Cup, Formula One. Politicians, musicians, business people and those that really have gone out there and inspired people.
Sir Ed to me is still the top of the pack.
Have you ever painted animals?
Yes earlier on I did a lot of wildlife and now it is mostly private commissions of thoroughbred horses. I am now introducing station owners on horse back and also deer in the Alps.