Tuesday 19 March 2024

"Collectable Limited Editions for your Home"

About Us

In the Summer of 1996 whilst on holiday we visited an Art Gallery and discovered the amazing cat prints by artist Linda Jane Smith. We love all animals but having two moggies of our own, who seem to brighten even the dullest day, we loved the humour and antics of those portrayed in Linda's work. We were hooked and started collecting her Limited Editions.

It was during our search for Linda's work that we realised there would be lots of other cat/animal lovers who would appreciate these prints, but who may never visit a gallery. The idea of supplying prints by mail order using a catalogue, and later this website, began to take shape.

Erin House was born - to bring the gallery to you.

We began trading in 1997 mainly selling Linda's work. As time went by our customers asked if we could supply prints by other artists and on other subjects and hence our range, particularly of animal prints has developed over time and will continue to do so.

In 2001 we started adding figurines to our range, those that related to the artists whose work we sold were first, but now we have a great range, particularly of feline figurines. Most recently we added the section entitled Gift Ideas which has grown significantly and we now have a range of interesting and unusual gift ideas for you to choose from.

It is difficult in a catalogue or on a website to capture the colour, detail and atmosphere of any product, but we have tried our best and know from existing customers that, without exception, they are delighted with both the quality of the item and the high level of service offered by Erin House. All the products chosen have been included for their individual style and character and for being leaders in their field.

As you browse through the prints section you will find reference to "Open Prints" and "Limited Editions". An Open Print can be produced in unlimited quantities unlike the Limited Editions which have the total number produced shown. Limited Edition prints are produced from original paintings in a strictly controlled process which the artist is closely involved in. The artist gives their final approval to the work by signing and numbering each individual print. The printing plates are then destroyed to ensure complete authenticity. The highest quality materials are used - acid-free paper and light fast inks to ensure the quality of the work is not adversely affected by the passage of time. Limited Editions, whilst being a beautiful addition to any home can increase in value.

When the total issue of any Limited Edition has sold out at the publishers, there exists what is known as the "Secondary Market", a recognised part of the art world. "Sold Out" prints can often be sourced there, however the cost of the print will be greater than the original published price.

We do have access to a vast range of prints on the Seconday Market, so if you are looking for anything in particular, do call us.

Another term you will come across is "Mounted Ready for Framing". This means that the print has already been mounted in card with a surround coloured and shaped to suit each print. Sometimes these have a "dome" or "arch-top" to portray the print at its very best, a facility not always available at your local picture framer. When supplied in that form, all you have to do is take the mounted print to your local framer, choose your frame and that's it, completed. If you buy the print only, then your picture framer would need to mount the print before it was framed.

We began with Picture sales but, as we said earlier, we have since added lots of other products, many of which are cat related. Please do have a look in our Figurine and Gift Ideas sections to see the full range of products which Erin House now offer.

We hope you will enjoy your visit to our site and come back often to see the new products, please do contact us if you have any queries.

Charles and Pat Hill