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In the wheel of the year as January gives way to February, we welcome the Pagan festival of  Imbolc, a fire festival that marks the start of spring, being halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, signifying the end of winter (yes, believe it or not), and celebrating the awakening of the land and the growing power of the Sun.

The previous festival, the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night, was all about reflecting, and is traditionally the time to celebrate the truly important things in your life, your family, your children, your home and a time to look forward positively to a wonderful year to come.

Why not capture these treasured moments forever as a canvas picture?

Many associate the Winter Solstice with death, as nature is then dormant, many plants die off and crops are scarce, but it is the turning point of the year, and from then on the sun becomes stronger, willing the earth back to life, so, ever the optimist, I prefer to think of the Winter Solstice as a celebration of rebirth, the turning point of the year. Also known as Yule, it’s a time to honour love, and new birth, the birth of the Sun God in Pagan beliefs.

It is, of course, all about new beginnings so why not wrap up warm and get outdoors and capture the rebirth of our dear earth on camera, the winter buds as they now appear on the bare trees, the dusty hazel catkins teasing us with promise of the spring to come. As life begins to stir under the frozen earth capture these precious moments and create for yourself a stunning canvas print of your best spring shots.

Do you, as I do, look forward to the first snowdrops. Imagine a bespoke canvas print of that perfect shot of the first snowdrop, a symbol of Imbolc, snowdrops and white candles are used to represent purification and refer to the return of the life forces of spring, a festival of green and white, such a fragile little flower, perhaps just popping up through the glistening winter snow, bravely announcing the end of winter, challenging the winter to retreat and bringing cheer to our hearts (and let’s face it, we’ve had plenty of snow this winter and are all ready for some cheer!), a unique piece of canvas wall art to bring hope to your heart in the depth of the deepest winter, captured forever as a canvas picture.

Perhaps have your canvas printed in black and white with just the green of the snowdrop picked out in colour (we call this colour splash), what a stunning piece of wall art that would make as a bespoke canvas picture to bring cheer to your heart in the bleakest of the bleakest winters for many years to come, or as a gift to someone special, using high quality hand made frames, high quality canvas and high quality colour fast inks, ensuring true colour reproduction and high levels of UV protection.

Thinking back to the Pagan festival of Samhain on the 31^st October, we welcomed the winter as the harvest season closed and the days grew darker and shorter, another important fire festival, the time of year in which we pass from light into darkness, into winter, and we look forward to the festivals to come. Spring Equinox and the year in perfect balance, Beltane and the days are longer and the earth is in flower, Summer Solstice sees the earth in full bloom, Lughnasadh and the days are growing shorter and the fields are heavy with crops ready for harvest, the Autumn Equinox and light and darkness are again in perfect balance as the crops are harvested, and as the wheel of the year turns we arrive back at Samhain.

As the wheel of your year turns imagine displaying that perfect canvas wall art of your favourite festival photographs transferred onto canvas. At the time of each celebration why not have your individual piece of corresponding wall art displayed in honour of the occasion.

Perhaps, like me, you have so many photographs from the Pagan festivals you have attended, on computer, on memory sticks, on disc, curling up in the attic…..! Maybe you can’t choose between them, so why not have all your best shots displayed on your wall as a canvas collage or canvas montage for a unique stunning effect and as an everlasting promise of good things to come as the earth turns through the wheel of the year.

Bright Blessings this Imbolc…..capture your memories forever on a bespoke high quality canvas print.

If you have a close friend or relative’s birthday coming up and are worried that a traditional  photo gift idea just won’t be special enough – have you ever considered transferring that picture to canvas?

Personalised canvas pictures are the result of printing images to canvas, which is then wrapped around a wooden frame – a photo gift that is completely unique as well as being a work of art.

Whilst a custom canvas picture would once have cost hundreds of pounds, canvases have now become a relatively inexpensive way towards finding your loved ones the perfect photo gift for their birthday or special occasion.

When To Choose Canvas Pictures

Canvas prints are great for families to share. They help to capture memories of spending time together, as well as showing loved ones that you really care. Canvas pictures have now become especially popular with the older generation.

Many of our grandparents or parents already have everything they need, making birthday gift ideas hard to come by. But there’s nothing more special than the gift of a memory that is beautifully reproduced and will last for years to come – that fact will not go unnoticed.

Canvases are not just great for birthdays, you can find photographs for all occasions including Mother’s Day, Father’s day, a special anniversary, or just to show that you care. Canvases will be unexpected and often take pride of place on the walls of your loved one’s home.

Choosing the Perfect Print

Designing your own canvas picture is not as hard as it might sound. All you need to do is pick a digital image or scan an existing photograph onto your computer. You can then simply tell us at photo image art how you would like it to appear on the canvas, we will do the rest.

Would you like a colour picture turning to black and white? No problem, just tick the “black & white” option when uploading your image on our website, or give us a call and then email the image.   The same is true when it comes to sepia, popart / warhol effect, cartoonize, red eye removal, adding text & creating mosaic / montage photo canvas prints, and all the other effects & alterations that we can offer free of charge.

Just let us know what you want, and we’ll create it for you, to ensure that this a personalised photo birthday gift to remember.

Canvas pictures is an industry that has really taken off in recent years. People are now making  a lot more use of their digital photos, as well as looking for new and inspiring gift ideas for all occasions. And one occasion that canvas pictures are just perfect for is a wedding anniversary.

An anniversary is undoubtedly a special and personal time – especially for a milestone such as the first, the twenty-fifth or even the sixtieth! There are many standard gifts given for such occasions, but if you are looking for something extra special then a photo canvas print might be just the idea.

What Is A Canvas Picture?

A canvas picture,  ‘photo canvas’ or ‘canvas print’ is simply a photograph that has been transferred to high quality canvas. The photograph,  photographs, images or pictures used are entirely up to you.

You could choose to use a picture of the happy couple on their wedding day, or perhaps a less conventional idea such as an image of a holiday you spent with them. You can even create a wall canvas photo collage representing the couple’s years of marriage – it is completely up to you.

Transforming the Image

Photo canvas gifts are not only valuable due to the treasured memories they call to mind for the couple, but also due to the fact that they can be proudly placed on the walls as a work of art. Using digital photographs adds the option of enhancing and brightening the image which, along with the texture of the canvas, will make for a much more stunning picture than traditional photographs.

If you are looking for a large canvas print then it helps to have some high resolution digital images available, though this isn’t always possible in the case of old wedding photographs. Just look for a service that is able to convert your standard photo into a high quality wall canvas.

Not only can photographs be enhanced with canvas pictures, but they can also be altered. You might choose to convert the image to black and white, as well as applying artistic effects. This is a great way to personalise the gift according to the couple’s individual taste.

Whether you have an anniversary gift to buy or simply want to commemorate your own anniversary, a high quality personalised canvas print could be just the thing to make the day even more special.