Information Page
Updated 18th June 2008
Welcome to Di Kaye Artwork and our 2008 schedule. Di Kaye
Artwork is a small Cottage Industry. Working from home, Di produces the artwork,
and her partner, Peter (me!), ensures that the business runs smoothly, and is
responsible for getting the orders out on time as well as keeping this website
updated, so if anything is wrong, I get the blame! I've also put a lot more of
Di's original work on the website and will try to keep it up-to-date but she
sells them sometimes before I get the chance to photograph them!
LATEST NEWS !
Di has been chosen as one of
the 4 "Featured Artists" at the Miami Art Deco Festival to exhibit at the
historic City Hall from January to the end of February 2009. Artists from all
over the world submitted their portfolios and to be selected against this level
of competition is a major accolade!!
If you call you’ll speak to either one of us. Contact
Numbers are 01780 480809 (for Di at Home) or 07931 556588 which is my mobile and
constantly attached to my hip! We may also be joined by Di's youngest son Adam
at some of the Shows this year after he managed to get Di to Dublin without
crashing the van following the motorhomes engine demise! Come up and say hello.
Socks the Whippet may also make an appearance but is not for sale!
2007
was another very busy year and we met a lot of old and new customers. Even the
renovation of the Savoy hasn't stopped the sales coming in with 2 pieces
dispatched to the States. The figurines have taken longer than we expected but
we have seen the initial couple of test pieces, and we are now aiming for them
to be in the shops by the end of 2008. They launch in Hong Kong at the
International Gift Show in April and in the UK at Harrogate in July.We hope to
carry a small range with us so you can either buy a print of Darcey, a figurine,
or both. Exciting times as Catching Dreams sell world-wide and are launching the
range under Di's name. We also hope to link up with Compton and Woodhouse for
their Xmas Collection again. Di is also negotiating with a major retailer of
Greeting Card software to licence her images on to a CD. The first collection
will be an Art Deco disc, probably around July, which will feature on the
Idealworld Craft and Create Satellite Channel, and Di will be making some
personal appearances to meet potential customers and card makers at the NEC in
November. Following a succesful appearance at Crufts, we have now added Alaska
to the world map of where we send paintings and prints! Latest venture is an
on-line shop in the USA where you can choose your deisn and have it
professionally printed on to a T-shirt, Tote Bag or Mug, and the postage costs
to the UK are not excessive! Peter and Ash are designing and filling the shop
shelves but have a look at www.cafepress.com/dikaye for details or click the
banner below
In 2008 we are trying new venues and focussing on Shows and
Exhibitions which are indoors and create the right setting for the artwork.
However, we will be retaining some of the "fun" Shows that we do. The list below
is provisional and constantly changes. We hope to see you there.
You can meet
us at the following quality Shows in 2008, some of which are favourites, others
which are new. Please note that TBC signifies that we are waiting confirmation
from the Shows Organiser. The dates will be updated as soon as we know
them.
JUNE
14-15th Cambridge Town and Country Show - never been
here either, only in its 2nd year but showing a lot of promise. Lots to
do!
21-22nd, Long Melford, a fund-raiser for the local church in a little
Suffolk Village
27-29th, Kedleston Hall. One of the nicest 3 day Antique
Fairs in the lovely Derbyshire countryside. Missed it last year through clashes,
but back again this year
JULY
4-6th, "Midsummer Music" at the
Lincoln Showground. Its a Motorhome and Leisure Show which gives Pete the chance
to buy and replace taps and things for the Hymer to keep us on the road. Should
be a fun weekend
16-20th, "War and Peace Show" Kent . A chance for Di to
dust off her vintage clothes and sell them and some jewellery as well as the
artwork at the largest 1940's Festival in the UK.
25-27th, Silverstone
Classic Cars, a great weekend of racing and fashion
AUGUST
2-3rd,
Essex Country Craft and Game Fair at Chipping Ongar
15-17th, Parham House
After a successful show last year, we are returning to the beautiful surrounds
of the parkland
23-25th Glenn Miller Festival at Twinwood - our 5th year
and the festival just keeps getting bigger and better. Great music and
entertainment with the whole family manning the stands and cooking the BBQs in
the evening. Dress up and have fun!
29-31st, A Country Fair at Chatsworth
House, something new for 2008 (TBC)
SEPTEMBER
5-7th, Penshurst
Place. One of the finest Craft Shows that we attend
18-21st, Goodwood
Revival Festival, a wonderful weekend celebrating all that's best in British
with Spitfires and Classic Cars
OCTOBER
17-19th October, Abingdon
Craft Fair (TBC)
24-26th, Crowthorne
31-2nd November, Sevenoaks
School
NOVEMBER
7-9th November, Crafts for Christmas, Kent
Showground at Detling. Looking forward to seeing the Casablanca Steps and
collecting my gammon joint for Xmas!
13-16th, Crafts for Christmas at the
NEC in Birmingham. We haven't been at this show for 3 years now and think its
about time that we returned!
21-23rd, TBC
28-30th
TBC
DECEMBER
3-7th, National Craft Fair, RDS Dublin, for the 3rd
year
JANUARY 2009
Miami is now a definite following Di's selection
as a "Featured Artist" for the Miami Art Deco Weekend. We are still planning on
attending an Art Exhibition in Florida in early January (30,000 visitors!) and
will then travel to Miami for the initial exhibition evening and the Art Deco
Weekend itself. We have to have exhibits on display until the end of February in
the City Hall in Miami so if we have any stock left, we may be leaving it in
Miami! We look forward to meeting some new customers from across the other side
of the Atlantic. That will leave Di with 6 weeks to design and paint her new
stock for Crufts 2009 so looks like we'll have to take a week off in Miami as a
holiday!
Peter, 18th June 2008
We supply prints direct to the
trade. Please contact
us for a price list. Prices do not include postage and packing, but are free
from the dreaded VAT. Through our links with Paypal, we can accept orders using
most credit cards or debit cards. Or you can call Peter and he can accept
payment over the telephone by Visa, Mastercard, Switch etc. You can also pay
with a UK Cheque or International Money Order.
Please click on a link below for the information you
require
Artists
Who is Di Kaye?
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Di is a professional artist, based in the pretty Georgian town
of Stamford in Lincolnshire. As a "Cottage Industry", Di paints at home but the
house has been adapted to provide a studio for painting and rooms for printing,
framing, packing, shipping and storing her work as well as an office to keep up
with the growing paperwork!
Having served an apprenticeship as a Graphics Designer with a
textile printers (before the days of computers when art had to be created and
drawn!), she put her talent to good use when bringing up four young children.
Being at home meant that she could snatch a couple of hours a day to concentrate
on her artwork, which was a useful way to raise extra income for family
holidays.
When the children “flew the nest” Di expanded
the work by commencing a Botanical Art Course and was told by the instructor
that “this is where your true talents lie!” As her fine brushwork and attention
to detail were already apparent in her earlier works, the instructor was forced
to admit after 3 sessions, that he was unable to add anything to Di’s knowledge,
as she had already out stripped not only the class, but his own work!
Not disheartened, she continued to paint
holding several successful exhibitions in Lincolnshire and the West Midlands.
The demands of her growing family, especially grandchildren, stretched her
talents to designing on a larger scale, with complete playrooms and bedrooms.
This led to numerous requests for “fairies” and looking at the market, Di
realised that although there was a surfeit of children’s fairies, there was also
a large adult interest. Starting off in her own style, Di began to paint
“fairies” in an Art Nouveau style and took the first collection, with some
trepidation, to a Craft Fair. The response from people of all ages and both
sexes, was positive and encouraging and has led to the establishment of this
collection. However, it was a visit to the Art Deco Exhibition at the Victoria
and Albert Museum in London 3 years ago that was to be the turning point. Di
came back inspired and started an "Art Deco" gallery which is now the largest
part of her collection. Not content with painting in watercolours, Di
experimented with acrylic and other media to capture the true skin tones whilst
painting on a black background. the addition of Crystal
added to the sparkle and elegance of the Art deco period. Di provides original
artwork to the Savoy Hotel in London, a true Art Deco hotel as well as small
shops and department stores across the country.
The Botanical gallery illustrates Di’s
attention to detail, with one of the most popular being the “Bee,” in which you
can see the hairs on its legs! This piece looks stunning in a bespoke black
mount, within a gold or silver frame. The “Jazz” section draws upon Di’s ideas
for a bold and colourful statement. Hopefully, the full band will be available
soon.
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Ashley Kaye
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Ashley Kaye, Di's son, was born in Stamford and
attended Stamford College after leaving school. Studying art, he specialised in
African and Tribal Art and produced some very different work which gained him an
A plus pass. The strong lines and blocks of pattern make very striking images
and he now intends to expand his collection. This is the first time that his
work has been available to buy on the open market and we are sure that it is
going to be in great
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