30.06.05
Website Sells Top Artists' works

A fine art company has launched a website selling limited edition reproductions of Cornish scenes by popular artist Andrew Giddens. Mr Giddens, who is based in West Cornwall, has been painting professionally for three years and in that time his work has become highly valued, with paintings selling for up to £4,500 to collectors in the UK and America. One of the first collectors and champions of Andrew's work is Sir Tim Rice.

Mr Giddens' father in law Godfrey Higgins has now set up www.deogloriafineart.co.uk, selling the first ever reproductions of Mr Giddens' work of Cornish seascapes and landscapes for buyers including private homes, hotels, guest houses, restaurants, businesses and interior designers. The high quality digital prints range from £350 to £550 and can be mounted or framed.

Mr Higgins undertook a New Deal preparation for business course via West Cornwall Enterprise Trust to help establish the business after having recovered from ME. An application for investment was made to SWIG (South West Investment Group), via the Objective One Lizard Pathways Project.

Mr Higgins has a background in engineering design and manufacture, which is serving him well with many of the practicalities involved in running the business. It operates from a workshop at his Helston home and is already generating sales from outside Cornwall from adverts in Country Living magazine and elsewhere.

He said: "I am grateful for all the help given in order to set up this little business and encouraged by recent responses to our national advertising. Although these are early days we have an excellent, unique and desirable product and the key to success will be in wise marketing. In August we will have a quarter page advertisement in The English Home magazine which sells some 44,000 copies in the States. We hope that this will be the beginning of interest across the pond."

John Peters, SWIG spokesman said: "I am delighted that SWIG has been able to assist this family enterprise, which has taken a very professional approach to selling these beautiful images of Cornwall far beyond the county."

The project has also received support via actnow, a scheme that has also received Objective One investment and is successfully aiming to give high speed broadband access to all of Cornwall's businesses and residents.

For further information please contact Clare Morgan of the Objective One Partnership Office on 01872 223439 or 07973 813647 or email: cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in SWIG and the Cornwall Business Development Funds through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The Programme has also invested in actnow through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF).

Editor's notes:

SWIG (South West Investment Group) was set up in 1989 and offers interest free loans to eligible businesses. It manages an Objective One gateway scheme, Cornwall Business Development Funds, which offers three levels of start ups. In the first part of the scheme180 Cornish small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) were supported. The second phase of the scheme, worth more than £2 million, began early in 2005.

Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

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