A picture speaks a thousand words.
Valentine's Day is a lovely excuse to show the one you love how much they mean to you.
Love is an enduring theme in art and has inspired artists over hundreds of years. Throughout art history, the concept of love has attracted artists from all walks of life. Depicted in different kinds of styles and rendered in a myriad of mediums, the amorous concept continues to captivate viewers time and time again.
While there are countless alluring examples of love in art, we've compiled a collection of pieces that stand out from the rest. Whether highlighting a queen of hearts, a loving embrace, or even big bold statements of affection, these heartfelt masterpieces prove that art and love are a perfect match.
(L-R) 'Imperial Shopping'; 'Pretty Woman - TV Guide Special'; 'Cupid & Psyche' all by JJ Adams
JJ Adams' digital artworks breathe new life into familiar images, photographs, and characters, infusing them with tattoos, piercings, altered perspectives, and reflections of contemporary society. The outcome is a blend of satire, modernity, and provocative edge, offering a fresh and captivating transformation. The myth of Cupid and Psyche is about a mortal woman, Psyche, who falls in love with Cupid, the god of love. Despite challenges and trials, their love triumphs, and Psyche becomes immortal, symbolising the enduring power of love. JJ takes the neoclassical painting 'L'amour et Psyche' by William-Adolphe Bouguereau and gives it a 21st-century twist with popular consumerist items such as shopping bags, coffee cups and designer labels.
(L-R) 'Flourish'; 'Hand In Hand'; 'Side by Side' all by Kealey Farmer
If you are looking for something unapologetically inspired by adoration then Kealey Farmer's bold expressions of love may be perfect for you.
Kealey is an artist who loves to evoke a spiritual response with her work. Her delicate mixed media pieces are full of energy and symbolism.
Themes of love are abundant in Kealey’s work. Kealey loves to create awe and wonder with her enchanting paintings, her clever use of media encourages a sense of depth and mystery to artworks by inviting viewers to interpret and uncover hidden meanings.
Enjoy exploring delicate elements such as watercolour paintings, embellished wooden elements, striking resin work and Swarovski crystals which are all found in Kealey Farmer's beautiful pieces.
(L-R) 'Shimmering Blossom'; 'Sunflower Explosion'; 'Glowing Rose' all by Lee Herring
These flowers will last forever. Lee Herring's contemporary abstract paintings are colourful, textured and full of movement. Aiming to change the perception of somewhat dated subjects and injecting them with an urban twist. He allows bold, intuitive marks to clash and merge in perfect harmony. Viewers are invited to explore negative spaces and eye-popping shades of colour.
He uses sprays, markers and acrylic paints to create layers of textured backdrops. Areas are manipulated to reveal hidden chinks of buried colour. Each painting evolves in a free-flowing spontaneous, process with each mark influencing the next. Non-traditional tools (knives, trowels and scrapers) allow for a loose and energetic application. The abstract and expressional are expertly balanced. Splashes of neon spray and blobs of pastel are ever-present. Textures pop from the surface exploring a new era of painting.
(L-R) 'Happy Together'; 'Flight of Freedom'; 'Feeling Starry Eyed' all by Danny Abrahams
If your favourite thing to do is go on long romantic walks with your favourite person, then Danny Abrahams is the artist for you. His dreamy landscapes feature a sky full of wonder. We love how he utilises figures to gauge a sense of scale and showcase how fragile we are in this big wide world.
Our collectors love Danny Abrahams' paintings because they offer a compelling blend of natural beauty, human presence, and storytelling elements that resonate on both an emotional and intellectual level.
'Queen of Hearts' by Ghost
Hailing from South Wales, Ghost is a collaborative project which takes two artists and combines their skills to create incredible works of art.
Ghost focuses on transforming the viewer's perspective on an icon or character and reconstructs their subject by manipulating, embellishing and altering the images. Using digital methods and street art as a source of inspiration, Ghosts' artworks are a nod to the anti-establishment. Inspired by the emotive response of street art, Ghost set out to create unique pieces which celebrate the diversity of urban art.
Taking influence from tattoo art, Ghost design their own tattoos to adorn the individual. From allegorical symbols to hidden meanings, each Ghost piece is uniquely different.
Unapologetically bold, their mixed media artworks are uniquely embellished and finished with a bespoke spray paint frame.
'Love Poem' by Chess.
Chess is an incredibly talented artist who combines her love for literature with fine art.
'Love Poem' is a beautiful and sweet artwork that captures the essence of love through the media used. Chess uses a selection of Sonnets taken from William Shakespeare's greatest plays to create the shape of the Love Heart depicted and then paints over the top to define shape and form.
(L-R) 'Soft Petals'; 'Welsh Hope'; 'A Spring Song' all by Ian H Watkins
Ian H Watkins' 'Hiraeth' collection is a love song to his homeland. 'Hiraeth' is an untranslatable Welsh term encompassing the feeling of longing for Wales, Welsh culture and all things that make our small country great. These dazzling circular tondos are inspired by the floral fields found in the Vale of Glamorgan. Ian prefers to use a restricted simple palette with a focus on texture and mixed materials.
By using a variety of materials, Ian achieves dimension, depth, and character on his canvases.
With a slight melancholic undertone to his work, Ian loves to focus on the heavy contrast between dark skies and brighter foregrounds allowing the viewer to be initially drawn to the bold use of colour, then inviting the viewer to look closer into the woods, skies, and seas.