A nice thread about artist Yvonne Coomber

[4pawdrive]

So you are sitting in your house on a boring Sunday afternoon and the phone rings and woo hoo it's artist Yvonne Coomber herself! Not an admin assistant but the lovely artist herself.

I bought something off her website earlier today and the first purchase timed out as I didn't approve it quick enough on my bank app and so I had to do it a second time. Yvonne called me to check I knew the first one hadn't gone through and we had a nice wee chat (she didn't realise it had already gone through on the 2nd transaction)

Anyone met her or bought one of her pictures. I live in Scotland and so not very easy for me to go to any of her exhibitions although i would love to

I just bought 'feeling groovy' canvas off her website. I already have 2 signed prints. Yvonne is now looking through her original oils to send me some in my taste.

What a nice lady to phone up a customer and chat away.

I was quite shocked and probably babbled like an idiot.

Anyway I love one of her older pieces now not available called Wild Champagne love so Yvonne is going to see if she has anything similar available to buy.

I mean the lady sells thousands of pieces of art and no doubt has a team of people helping her with her art shows, art gallery etc and so you just don't expect the actual artist to phone you up herself.

By the way for those of you who like to browse her pieces for sale - she says she does not really put the smaller oil originals on her website as they sell really fast. So if you want one you have to contact her and ask to see what she has for sale.

Anyway just wanted to share my afternoon with someone and the dog wasn't that impressed!

@Iammorethanenough Sorry to hear about your mum 💐. This looks lovely. It doesn’t look like a print at all. What’s the artwork called? Curious to see what the artist named it.

@4pawdrive OP, you seemed to have amassed a good a few of Yvonne’s artwork and prints. Do you have a personal favourite? Would love to see the commissioned pieces. How much did it cost to commission each one? What sort of pictures did you need to provide?

I love her work. I nearly bought one once but went with something else and to this day every time I look at it I wish I'd gone with hers! It was so beautiful and cheerful. I've met her at a couple of art fairs and she is indeed a very lovely lady.

Edited to say that I've just glanced up at what I bought instead and am seriously considering buying a Yvonne Coomber and ditching it on the back of this thread 😃

@PrawnDrench It's called 'All the Wildflowers of my Soul are Dancing'. It's one of only two originals I've ever bought (the other was an ink drawing of a bear drinking a cup of tea!) I bought it in lockdown. It's huge (120 x160 cm) and it sparkles when the light catches it, I think of my mum and smile whenever I look at it and it brings me joy every single day.

That's lovely. I like the pink/lilac background. What is it called?

Sorry about your mum. I lost mine too about 14 months ago. It's tough. Like you my YC pictures let me forget my troubles for a while.

I bought my first print in 2016 or maybe 2017 I can't remember. I walked past an art shop in Edinburgh where I lived at the time and it was in the window. I doubled back as it had caught my eye and in I went and bought it. Then it's only recently that I bought a few more (retired and a bit more time to spend looking at art as well as the £ to fund it). I bought another print and then my first canvas in January this year. Then another canvas at end of January while the discount was still on.

I asked YC to send me any small originals she had as she does not post them on her website (not sure why she doesn't) and that's when I bought my first wee original very recently.

My commissions are still 'being done'. I didn't provide any pictures. it was just 2 pieces of YC from the past that I loved and so I asked her to create something similar using the same colours and styles. Then they ask you some questions like do you want glitter added for example. I got quoted £550 for 30cm x 30cm which is quite small (or a pop of colour as YC called it). She said £990 for the 40 x 40 which she said had a significant bigger presence. Then for the 50x 50 it was £1500 I think. I looked at some original art I had from an Edinburgh artist and measured it and based on that I went for the 40 x 40 for them both. I guess there was an element of being nervous as well of what they would turn out like so I went quite small till I get my confidence. I don't have them yet. They take 6-8 weeks from when YC starts them and at the point she starts them you pay a 10% deposit. Obviously she didn't start them right away either as no doubt she has load of paintings she is working on at any one time. I'll post them when I get them though.

They are based on these two (see below) I loved the colours on them both. So hard to pick two though as quite frankly I love about 95% of her work. So how do you pick your favourites when they are nearly all your favourites.

Do I have a favourite. Well I have to say I loved my prints until I got the canvases which I guess being more expensive are alot more showstopping if that is the right word. They have more impact I guess and of course they have actual paint on them as YC embellishes them.

The feeling groovy one is very uplifting with beautiful colours and it seems to have alot of actual paint on the canvas so I feel like I got really good value with it.

Sunny days are coming is more subtle with more pastel colours but very beautiful. The more you look the more you see and I love the daisy detail on it. It's also very, very sparkly with lots of glitter. The FG canvas also has glitter but not so much.

The original is a small one 23 x 30 so at first glance less of a 'pow' factor. I've moved it around the house a few times and found the right space for it. Obviously too big a wall drowned it. I guess being an original there is just more of YC in it. More paint, more real detail and of course one of a kind.

Do I have a favourite. Not really. I guess I like the prints the least in so far as there is no actual paint on them. That makes sense of course as they are the 'cheapest'. Still very lovely though.

Out of the 2 canvases and 1 original I don't have a favourite. Each one has something the others don't if that makes sense. The sunny day canvas is the 'prettiest', the FG canvas is the most uplifiting, the original is the most 'real'.

Anyway sorry didn't mean to write a book. I'll post my commissions when I get them. Here is what they are based on.

https://www.artfinder.com/product/wild-champagne-love-iv/

and

yvonnecoomber.com/shop/original-oil-paintings/sunshine-hearts-iii/

you should contact her and ask if she has any small originals for sale. She does not advertise them on her website as I believe they get snapped up really quickly.

Also I have to say the embellishioned canvases are much nicer than what they are on the website. I mean it is just difficult to capture the colours on a picture. The reality is so much nicer if that makes sense.

Welcome to the YC fan club. Prepare to be poor!!

Curious to know what you bought instead? Is it similar ie floral or something completely different.

That's a lovely name. I wonder how she thinks up different names for so many different pictures.

A lovely tribute and reminder of your mum.

It's something completely different. I was looking for something joyous and colourful but ended up with an atmospheric night-time beach scene. I do love it, it's very calming but tbh if I had the money I would probably replace it, with sunshine rather than moonlight.

That sounds nice too though. Seascapes are pictures I also like and I almost bought a really realistic waves pictures recently which as you say was calming and almost made me hear the waves (rather than bright and uplifting).

You can always buy your Yvonne Coomber piece next. Something to look forward to!

Can I ask a cheeky question.
My daughter loves art and wants to study fine art in university.
I'm trying to get her to do some art that she can sell partly to earn some money and partly to learn what's involved in earning money.
Is it ok to create art that is similar in style to someone like Yvonne Comber as it seems to be very successful commercially?
Any thoughts?

I imagine that would be fine.

In fact if you go on you tube there are videos by artists and they have titles like 'inspired by Yvonne Coomber' showing you how to do paintings in a similar style.

From this I guess others are doing the same and trying to be the next YC.

I don't think it's an easy career choice though. YC makes it look easy but I think even she had many years when her paintings sold for far less and she was generally unknown.

Good luck to your daughter though. It must be lovely to make your living doing something you love.

Shoot me now! I've bought another one.

I liked 3 of them but was very restrained and only bought my favourite.

I'd post a picture of it but it's off the website and I can't see it now. Duh!

It's called The Light is So Magical After the Storm.

Anyway I'll post a pic if I can see it anywhere or when I get it!

Meanwhile there is quite a few small YC pieces on her website at the moment so head on over there if you fancy snapping one of them up (yes, yes I know I sound like i work for her. I don't. I just love her work.)

Some I am less keen on but I almost bought the one called 'All the love songs of my soul dance here'. It's 30x 40 so a bargain for £595 as you normally get a 30x30 for that price.

I might buy it yet. No you won't. Okay just off to argue with myself about it

I had a very depressing week last week watching my investments fall so I need cheering up!

If anyone is interested is see my latest purchase here it is. I thought it was a little bit different to some of her work as it is meant to reflect flowers after the storm. Less cheery perhaps than her usual pieces that I buy but I liked the fact it was a wee bit different and of course there are still lots of nice colours to look at.

https://yvonnecoomber.com/shop/original-oil-paintings/the-light-is-so-magical-after-the-storm/

And I've had firm words with myself. No more purchases for the moment.

I have to keep away from her website. It's too bleedin dangerous for my bank balance.

Ooh I love that!

Oh thanks for your post.

Don't you think it looks a wee bit different to lots of her paintings which tend to focus on sunny days and flowers?

Do you have any YC art yourself? If so would love to see .

Ah ignore my earlier question. I see you posted earlier on the thread and you do indeed have some pieces from YC and have met the great lady as well.

It's so difficult isn't it not to keep buying her stuff. Could become a very bad habit (money wise at least)

Horrible rainy grey day in Scotland here. Very hard to take after about a week of sunshine. Never mind at least my new YC painting arrived.

I'll try and take it again on a sunny day so you can see it better.

And the same picture just a close up of detail. The name of this one is 'The light is so magical after the storm'

detail of other side.

There is actually glitter on the painting but you can't see that just now due to very dark day.

sorry photos are terrible compared to Yvonnes picture of the website (see above). I'll take some more when it's a nice day.

Trying again with the hall light on. Guess I should have thought of that the first time round!

and the detail again with the hall light on

Okay well they are still quite dark compared to the actual colours on the painting but this will have to do for just now.