Urban Art

Art with a Capital A by PIGSY

Art - the perfect Zoom background

The past year or so has certainly been the year of virtual meetings on Zoom. It’s been hugely beneficial to us all and it has kept things going in the business world. For many adapting to a work from home situation, small routines have helped to keep things professional while working in this new environment. Sticking to regular office hours and routines are a good plan and also wearing smart office clothes serve to delineate between work and home life.

Zoom calls have been a savior for many but there is downfalls to them too. Some people consider that Zoom calls are invasive and they don’t want to display their home setting to work colleagues. This is understandable, but it may lead to colleagues leaving their camera off which possibly diminishes the effectiveness of virtual meetings. Another alternative to this is to use a fake background or a fabricated background with the company logo and branding.

Best Zoom Background - Showstopper Art

However, in my opinion, the best background for Zoom calls is a showstopper piece of art. This allows you to both show off your personal style and taste in art and also show a bit of your personality too.

Art in the office, as well as being great for Zoom meetings, will not only make you happy and give a sense of well being, but it should also give you inspiration and ideas. When you are working on something really mundane and need to take a break, you can simply make yourself a nice cup of coffee and then take a break from the computer screen and loose yourself in your artwork. A little mini art adventure just for you in your office. Imagine how wonderful and uplifting that will feel. In fact, when you go back in to the office you will be making suggestions to management that they should put art in every office for staff.

Check out this piece of PIGSY art in an office setting - it may be the background to conference calls, but it is no shrinking violet. It’s Art with a capital A!

Library Life - Art in the Office

My wife Enid used to work in a public library that loaned out framed art prints for 3 months at a time (how great is this concept?! - see here for more of the great work that is done by Libraries in Ireland). When she was managing a small library a few years ago she worked from a lovely office with a window out on to the library floor (luckily she had a blind on the window as it faced out on to the children’s area - I think she might have found it distracting to work with children looking in on her!) and so she borrowed one of the pieces of art and then rotated in every 3 months. The first pic for her was a vintage poster advertising travel to Miami with her favorite one being a large print of a sketch of “Falling Water” by Frank Lloyd Wright - she renewed this one a few times!

PIGSY Art on Walls

I always enjoy seeing pictures of my art on walls and it was a nice surprise to hear from an art collector a few years after he acquired one of my artworks. The painting had been storage for a few years and was now hanging in pride of place in this CEO’s new office in his refurbished office building. This painting is an indicator of what type of art should be hung in the office and it is truly the best place for it. It’s a big, bold, vibrant, statement piece of art and it makes a great juxtaposition between the industrial office setting with it’s exposed ducting and rustic wood surfaces. The space for the art could not be any more perfect!

Art in your life

I’ve written before about art and interior design on my blog, and I truly believe that art adds a massive dimension to peoples lives. But in this instance as a background on conference calls, it not only enhances the life of the art collector but also enhances the life of all the attendees on the conference call!

Contact me today if you want a PIGSY painting added to your art collection for your office or home.

Where to buy art supplies in Malaga, Spain..... by PIGSY

Are you an artist looking for art supplies in Malaga?

Here’s a list of the best places for artists to buy art supplies in Malaga, Spain

When I first arrived in Malaga I had no idea where to start buying art supplies for my work in the studios of La Casa Amarilla. However, I’ve done the hard leg work now, so you don’t have to which means you can spend more time doing creative things in the art studio rather than searching out all of the places to buy art supplies in Malaga!

See below for full info about all of the art stores in Malaga where you can purchase art supplies for your artistic work.

C / Méndez Núñez 10, 29008 Málaga, Spain

Olimpia Fine Arts

When I arrived in Malaga, I set about locating all of the art supply stores. Luckily for me and purely by chance the apartment I rented is literally steps away from Olimpia Fine Art shop near Uncibay Plaza. It’s got an excellent range of products and I particularly recommend their hand stretched canvas which come in various sizes and are reasonably priced. And if you visit here, you can tell Francisco that the Irish artist PIGSY sent you here!

Calle Atarazanas, 15, 29005 Málaga

Iberia Art

Iberia Art is located conveniently near the market in Malaga, Iberia Art is a treasure trove of art supplies. It is my go to store for spray paint. I also like how they are very active on instagram and have always shared my insta posts when I tag them!

It seems like a family run busines and they run it in the old school way where all of your items are priced up on a little docket by a staff member and you then take this docket up to whoever is manning (or womanning) the cash register in order to pay at the til.

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Calle Cordoba 6, Malaga

The Place, Soho

I hit the motherload when I found “The Place” on Cordoba Street in Soho. It’s a mixed use cooperative of urban street wear, grafitti supplies, tattoo parlour, skateboard shop and a hairdresser! It’s awesome - there’s loads of edgy and cool stuff to look at. The spray cans and oil sticks are keenly priced too so I will definitely be returning soon for more supplies.

Along with being great for spray paint, the clothes are really good with a lot of USA brands available including Carhart and The Loser Machine.

Calle Puerta del Mar 18, Malaga

Govez

I happened upon this place when I was heading to Iberia Art. They have loads of paper supplies and pens and some art supplies but to me it seems more like a specialist stationery supplier than an art shop proper. They do sell canvas as well as paint. For things like paperclips and other mundane supplies this is a conveniently located shop that is well stocked. Along with this the staff are friendly and offer their assistance as soon as you go in the door. All ways good to take up the offer of assistance because anything that helps you get back to being creative in the art studio is the way to go!

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Arvasa Frame Shop

Calle Compañía 32, Malaga

Arvasa Framing Shop, Malaga

Arvasa is a picture framing shop just down the way from the Museo Carmen Thyssen. I’m not to sure what’s going on with it because I passed by it today and unfortunately it looks like it is closing down. I had called to them a few weeks ago and made enquiries about getting some paintings framed and it did not look like this. The windows had a nice display at that time and the signage was perfect unlike the photo above. I’ll check it out again in a few week and will update this blog post if they are just closed for a refurbishment.

Update - as of 2024, this shop is still closed down which is a really pity as it is very centrally located - come to think of it, it would make a great art gallery or art studio in Malaga.

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Vasco Informatica

Avenida de Manuel Agustín Heredia 14, Malaga

Vasco

This store is more of a stationers but sells plenty of things like paper, markers, pens and glues sticks etc.


Critaleria Malaguena - Framing Shop

Located on Calle Carretería 29 in Malaga Centro

An excellent framing shop in Malaga - they also stretched canvas for me!

Found Objects - making art from things found on the streets of Malaga

Additionally I have bought art supplies in some of the hardware stores found around the city. However, the one thing that I am struggling with is “Found Objects”. I had planned to make art with objects that I found in skips on the street. But to be honest, Malaga is so spotlessly clean I am not finding these items, bar what I got in the pics above!

I saw the cardboard roll being thrown in the bin in a fabric store so I went in and asked could I have it. They very kindly obliged me.

But watch this space. I will continue on the search for Found Objects and other art shops too.

Where I paint in Malaga…..

I’m currently a resident artist in La Casa Amarilla. Call in and see the gallery on Calle Santos in the centre of the city near Calle Neuve.

PIGSY Short Film

To know more about me and my art work click below to watch the PIGSY short film