Kerry Darlington is the UK's biggest selling artist
inspiring passionate followers from all walks of life. In this exclusive article, we invite you into the home of one of the world's premier Darlington collectors; for a candid account of how his appreciation of Kerry's works became a lifestyle.
"The first Kerrys I saw...
Were her early trees and the peacocks which I remember quite vividly... They were all originals back then. I must be honest I didn’t like them. In fact the standing joke back then was I said to my local gallery owner they will end up in the sale. Who in the right mind is going to buy them? 2 weeks later I went back to the gallery they were still on the wall.... Or so I thought! I said to the Gallery owner: "I told you no one would buy them - just put them in the sale"... I was told to my embarrassment that they were the second lot they had had in as the first lot went very quickly! I know I should have left it there but I remember saying "who would want them on their wall - I don’t get it?"
Here I am 10 years later - what do I know know about art?!"
"The first Kerrys I saw...
Were her early trees and the peacocks which I remember quite vividly... They were all originals back then. I must be honest I didn’t like them. In fact the standing joke back then was I said to my local gallery owner they will end up in the sale. Who in the right mind is going to buy them? 2 weeks later I went back to the gallery they were still on the wall or so I thought and I said to the Gallery owner: "I told you no one would buy them - just put them in the sale". I was told to my embarrassment that they were the second lot they had had in as the first lot went very quickly... I know I should have left it there but I remember saying "your Art collectors must be smoking something illegal, who would want them on their wall - I don’t get it?"
Here I am 10 years later, what do I know know about art?"
"My intention was never to have any collection of art especially Kerry’s and neither did I see myself as a collector of art.
After first seeing Kerry’s work I just thought I would have a look on the internet and see what else she had done. To my surprise I was immediately drawn to what I think were the first few of her early fairy prints. Those were Faerie Hollow, Faerie Forest, Enchanted forest and Midnight garden. Midnight Garden was my first piece and the other 3 followed very quickly after.
All of which I still have today."
"As my collection grew I knew I would love an original painting
and I knew I would like an original sketch and more recently I felt I’d love one of her face portraits. I think finally now I have pretty much something of all her styles; of course that is until she conjures something else up in thatexpansive mind of hers.
I don’t have an outright abstract of Kerrys. I do have the Godricks Hollow original though which for me has elements of abstract in it. If anything that’s the one that got away - a big abstract they are so beautiful. For me it would have to be a big abstract, the whole scale of them just pulls you in.
The reason I don’t have one is I literally now have no space."
"As my collection grew I knew I would love an original painting
and I knew I would like an original sketch and more recently I felt I’d love one of her face portraits. I think finally now I have pretty much something of all her styles; of course that is until she cunjures something else up in thatexpansive mind of hers.
I don’t have an outright abstract of Kerry’s. I do have the Godricks Hollow original though which for me has elements of abstract in it. If anything that’s the one that got away - a big abstract they are so beautiful. For me it would have to be a big abstract, the whole scale of them just pulls you in.
The reason I don’t have one is I literally now have no space."
"I would describe her style as modern fantasy
and even squeeze Kerry’s more serious pre-Raphaelite works in there too.
What draws me to Kerry’s work is purely and simply colour, the subject for me comes a very close second. If you look at her work the way she uses colour and the way she sits colours together it just draws you to the piece.
All my collection, bar the original pencil drawings are in white gloss frames. This for me enhances the colours and they just pop that little bit more. My house is painted all white and the only colour I have in my house are what’s in Kerry’s Art. I added soft furnishings after.
I’ve pretty much asked Kerry most questions, but I’m sure I’ll think of some more. Oh yes - I’ve just had a thought... I have some beautiful original Copper Trees and one of them is called Copper Tree 1... I’d like to ask Kerry - how long did it take her to think of a name for that piece?!
Never buy a piece for investment. If it goes up in value then that’s a bonus. My advice to any new collector is buy because you love the piece and you want to have it on your walls at home.
I look at all my art every day and enjoy it."
"You obviously have to think about where a piece is going before you buy it...
The grandfather tree original for instance: I knew that was a big piece and for me that was always going to go in my alcove in the dining room. I'm very lucky in that I had an extension built last year to house my growing collection of Kerry’s works. Each wall was built with the intention of what piece was going where. I kept saying to the builder that wall either side of my bifold doors has to be this size and my windows can only be this big etc, etc. Thankfully it all turned out ok.
I don’t rotate any of my pieces as I have now got use to seeing certain pieces in certain areas of my small house. I tend to keep what I consider my best pieces downstairs as in most of my originals. I have however just took the original down Flying Home and replaced it with the Faerie Glen original. It was easy to do this as the wall had allowed it. It's always nice to see the new pieces up downstairs as
it seems sacrilege to have them hung out of the way."
"I started buying the odd print around 16 years ago...
I wouldn’t really call it a collection and they were of various artists. Never at that time was I interested in original art work: it wasn’t until I started collecting Kerry’s work that I felt you got a bit more for your money when you bought one of her prints. You got the 3D elements and the resin, which made them a little more interesting and different from what everyone else was doing.
I have sold a few pieces on from time to time. Quite often they have been pieces that I had bought twice. I don’t know for the life of me why I bought two of some items, because it wasn’t about investment or anything. But lucky for me what ever money I made on selling the extra art I put in to originals.
I don’t really have a favourite character but if I did it would probably be the Mad Hatter.
He pretty much sums me up on a good day plus he’s very elusive only appearing in two of Kerry’s paintings."
"Kerry’s style has certainly evolved over the years I’ve collected her work.
Its good for an artist to move on with her work and not keep churning the same stuff out over and over again. You can see with all her faerie trees; each new piece is more and more intense almost outdoing the previous one. I love the idea with her work you just don’t know what’s coming next... I also love that she cares about her collectors. I’m pretty sure Worlds Collide could have easily been an edition of 295 plus APs, but she’s kept it 195 plus APs. Its not all about the money with Kerry, it’s about quality and not too much I guess.
Finally...
The one bit of advice I can give to any potential new collector of Kerry’s work is be very careful because her work is very infectious and extremely addictive. You start with one, then you get another one and then before you know it - you’re looking for places to put it and you have none!
There are lots of great artists out there. If I was wealthy and had a 48 room mansionette, I would have some more artists in my house. The fact that her work is fresh and probably still fresh in years to come is the reason why I don’t have any other artist in my house.
