A new e-commerce site, designed to allow members of the public to acquire work by a range of contemporary artists and designers, has been launched.

Selected galleries can showcase and sell work through the portal, which has been funded by Creative Scotland and created with the help of Arts Council England (ACE) and CultureLabel.com Original artwork, sculptures and limited edition prints are available, with customers also able to take advantage of an Own Art interest-free loan of between £100-£2000 to spread the cost of purchases.

More than 20 galleries have participated in the launch, such as the Edinburgh Printmakers and Whitechapel Gallery, with the number of participants rising to 60 by the end of year two. Creative Scotland chief executive Andrew Dixon said: "This offers a significant opportunity for galleries to increase the range and number of people buying art, ultimately generating additional income for artists through sales of work.

"The Creative Scotland Innovation Fund aims to bring life to new partnerships that can support and sustain the artistic and creative community." ACE Own Art director Mary-Alice Stack added: "We hope making the scheme available for people to use online via the Art Store will open up the opportunity for even more people bring original and exciting new artworks into their own homes."

It is one of a series of schemes announced in 2009 by the Scottish Government to help support Scotland's artists during the economic downturn.