If you love horses and would like to celebrate these magnificent creatures in your home then the work of Border Fine Arts is well worth considering. The company produce a range of high quality figures and scenes which are incredibly detailed and realistic and which are also very collectable. Horses and the hunt are two of the principle themes in the Border Fine Arts range and with price points from £7 to £1250 there is something in the range to suit all budgets.
History
Border Fine Arts was founded 40 years ago in the beautiful countryside of the Scottish Borders. The landscape, wildlife, agriculture and people of the region have always been the inspiration for the talented team of artists and sculptors who produce the collectables. The range features figures and scenes which are hand painted in Scotland and whilst many have wildlife and farming as their subject, there are always several pieces which focus on the hunt and horses.

The Collections

The range is divided into three separate collections which differ in both materials and style. The Classic Collection is the flagship range and is mainly comprised of limited edition sculptures which are produced entirely in Scotland. Each work begins when one of the artists comes up with a new concept for a piece. The subject is then studied in great depth both in the field and using photographs before the idea is sketched and the components crafted in wax in order to size the piece. The entire work is then sculpted in wax and from this sculpture a master mould is created to produce the finished ceramic figurines. Every piece is then hand painted. Each edition is generally 250 – 750 pieces and prices range from £80 to £1250.
The studio collection is a more affordable range fashioned in resin. These works also begin with a wax sculpture and master mould but the figures are produced overseas and then hand painted in Scotland. The subject matter features the same themes as the Classic Collection together with a variety of quirky and amusing characters. With prices starting at just £7 this collection is a great introduction to the company’s work.

The Contemporary Collection uses popular themes and subjects from the Classic Collection but here the treatment is more artistic than realistic with more stylised pieces that have a contemporary glazed finish. Figures in the Contemporary Collection exhibit great movement and the spirit of the animals is perfectly captured. This more modern approach suits contemporary interiors a little better.

Gifts and Collectables

Border Fine Arts figures make great gifts for friends and family but are also collected by many enthusiasts across the globe. The limited edition pieces are highly sort after and often fetch values well over their original sale prices at auction. The principle online stockist for the collection in the UK is Sands Gifts who offer a comprehensive selection of the figures, the opportunity to purchase discontinued designs and to pre-order new pieces before they are released.

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Article by Sally Stacey