jonathan wateridge, who paints realistic genre subjects on a large scale (see above), is among six artists, now working with all visual arts (ava).
ava, the brainchild of hedge fund billionaire mike platt and art dealer joe la placa, provides artists with an alternative way of financial backing and sales of their work. sounds great (read the article in guardian & london evening standard); interested artists are nevertheless advised to 'read the small print' on the ava contracts.
(hat tip rick b)