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To ensure that you always receive email updates and notices from art-exchange
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Featured Artist Craig A Stevens -- Peaceful Boats
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Pics from the NY ArtExpo.... here
The Artist Spotlight
Just a few of the great artists on art-exchange.com... here
Featured Artists of the Month .... here
Tips & Tricks for Shipping Your Art
When it comes to packing and shipping Fine Art, there are no shortcuts. You either do it right the first time or you suffer the consequences... here
Producing Canvas Art Prints
A very recent technology allows for artists' original paintings to be replicated on canvas. Unlike a paper reproduction, one printed on canvas can be displayed without glass and matting, and also looks like an original... here
Walking the Appalachian Trail .... here
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Producing Canvas Art Prints
By: Juan Jose
A very recent technology allows for artists' original paintings to be replicated on canvas. Prior to this an artist who painted an original work on canvas would have to have a reproduction made on paper. Unlike a paper reproduction, one printed on canvas can be displayed without glass and matting, and also looks like an original.
There are two main ways that person can produce canvas prints. They are by canvas transferring and printing directly on the canvas. Both can produce high-quality results, and can be made to look as close to the original as possible.
When it comes to reproducing an artist's original canvas art prints, it is obvious that the reproduction should look as much like the original as possible. By using several techniques, it makes it easy to produce canvas art prints that look just as good as the original.
Transferring to make canvas art prints is the most common of the two techniques. It begins with a standard, offset paper print that is made in the traditional way from the original. The print is then coated with a series of special chemicals that are designed to allow the paper and the ink to separate from each other. That means when the paper is removed, the ink remains.
The canvass is then prepped with adhesive, and the film is carefully laid on it. Pressure is applied to bond the film to the canvas, which is then set aside to dry. The result is a beautiful canvas art print that looks very much like the original.
Printing directly on the canvas to produce canvas art prints is the second most commonly used method.
Other methods used consist of direct offset printing, where a piece of canvas is run through an offset press; Repligraphy, where a hot-melt color dye printing system is used to create an oil-based film that adheres to the canvas; and Artagraphs, which features a mold of both the artist's original brushstrokes and textures.
How can you tell if a piece of art is the original or a canvas art print reproduction? Although it may seem hard, there are clues that someone can use to tell what is real and what is a copy.
The first is to look for limited edition print numbers, which are normally found at the bottom of the work in xx/yy format. When producing canvas art prints, a reproduction often leaves this out.
Canvas art prints are usually completely flat or have small applications of hand-applied paint that is referred to as highlight. If the canvas art print is flat to the touch, then it's probably a reproduction. Originals mostly include areas of texture.
Highlights can be obvious to see. A hightlight can be simply a small dab of paint, which is quite different from an artist's actual brushstroke.
Other options include using a high-powered microscope to look for standard dot patterns and/or calling a gallery to see if they have someone who can identify your canvas art print as an original or a reproduction.
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com
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In the Spotlight...
Click on a thumbnail to view artwork details ---- Click on the artist's name to read the bio
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April 2008 Featured Artists
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| Craig A Stevens |
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Sparks of Interest in Art: Art has always been magnetic to Mr. Stevens, attracting his attention since he was a young boy. His high school yearbooks are full of classmates commenting about his art. His first choice for college was the fine arts school of The Art Institute of Chicago but he did not fit the politics of the school in the late 70’s. Therefore, he transferred his interest to the Ringling School of Art in Sarasota Florida, a well-known commercial art school. It made sense; after all, he was born in Key West and visited his grandparents near Sarasota every year. So, as part of the plan, he decided to stop first at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville and take all of the Math, English, and Science he needed before he started school in Florida.
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| Tom Tracy |
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Tom Tracy, a freelance photographer working in San Francisco and around the world, was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He is pursuing a life-long interest in photography after graduating from the University of California at Berkeley.
His early success began when he became a stringer for LIFE magazine on the West Coast. His photo-journalistic work has also appeared in TIME and NEWSWEEK magazines. FORTUNE Magazine and U.S.NEWS & WORLD REPORT have carried Tom’s photos, and The Smithsonian Institute has his industrial photos on permanent exhibit.
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Art Headley
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Art received a BA in Art and Education at Dakota Wesleyan University, Mitchell, SD in 1962. He did graduate work in painting and pottery at the State University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA from 1962-l965. He and his wife Liz moved to Twig, MN in 1965 where he continues to be a full time painter and potter, while completing construction of their own Ogeez home (hourglass shaped house floor plan).
Art Headley is a northern Minnesota painter & potter from Twig, stressing utilitarian function in his high-fire stoneware and porcelain pots and living on forty acres of tree-filled land seventeen miles west of Duluth. His love of the woods and open skies is reflected in his acrylic polymer overlay paintings from the colorful blues, violets and pinks of northern Minnesota sunsets behind white birches, to the stark, snowy winter landscapes, to the colorful spring blossom time.
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Olea Nova
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I was born St. Petersburg, Russia. My early childhood dream was to live the life of a spy, full of danger and intrigue… But the cold war had ended and the spying did not pan out, so I decided to live an equally dangerous life as an artist :)
In 1997 I immigrated to the United States. Since, I have participated in many shows and exhibitions in the U.S. My work has been awarded grants, acknowledged with show awards, and is included and published in several American publications.
My paintings are reflections of my conscious and subconscious life. Images for my paintings spontaneously appear in my imagination.
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Mary Jean Weber
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Mary Jean Weber is originally from Chicago, Illinois. She is a graduate of Principia College in Illinois. She has done graduate work in art at the University of Hartford Art School. Privately she has studied at the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, Connecticut with Adele Freedman, and taken many workshops and classes with renowned artists James Schmidt, William Schultz, Dianne Koemer Schwartz, Doug Dawson, Daniel Greene, Albert Handell, and Janette Maloy.
While living in Connecticut she painted under the name of Mary Jean Vogt. There she received more than 16 awards, including Best of Show – The Manchester Herald Award. Many of her paintings have hung in professional juried shows such as the Connecticut Academy Show at the Wadsworth Athenaeum, the Connecticut Artists Annual in the Slater Museum in Norwich, Conn., and the Hartford Arts Festival, 1971. She has had 10 one-woman-shows.
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Judith Cunningham
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I did not know that painting would be the creative focus of my adult life until, quite by chance, I enrolled in a Chinese Brush Painting class at the YWCA where I was a Board member. From there I moved to semi-private classes with a Chinese master, Shiou-jang Hsieh, who taught at The University of California in Berkeley, and for twelve years, as my young family grew up, painted using ink and color on rice paper in a traditional Chinese manner. However, as I matured, I discovered, with observation and the excitement of creating something new, ways to make this ancient tradition my own. When I retired from teaching, I moved to Sonoma County north of San Francisco and entered watercolor shows, but I recently have returned to my Chinese painting style. Another master painter, Ning Yeh, has given me new knowledge and inspiration, and I am deeply indebted to him
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Tips and Tricks for Shipping your Fine Art Paintings and Prints
by Joseph Manqueros
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When it comes to packing and shipping Fine Art, there are no shortcuts. You either do it right the first time or you suffer the consequences. If you are an art dealer, artist, publisher, photographer or even a shipping service, and you want to save some time and money, than this information will come in handy.
The tips, tricks and advice I am offering up have been gained from many expensive lessons learned about what to do, what to avoid and what not to do. Shipping costs and insurances are going up and up, so every little bit of advice helps. These suggestions are some easy but effective ways to avoid the pitfalls of what I like to call "Bad Shipping practices".
Packing paintings - If you plan to ship a painting with or without frame, I highly recommend paper wrapping the entire work. This serves two purposes. One is the obvious; it protects the surface of the painting. It also serves to show your buyer/client that you care about the piece and that it wasn't just another sale. Remember, "A happy client is a client for
life".
The most cost effective way to ship a painting is with an Art Shipping Strongbox. You can purchase these boxes with or without an ABS Liner. For paintings of higher value I strongly recommend going with the Lined Box. These boxes come in several different sizes and are the easiest, quickest, safest and most affordable way to ship. Since I started using these strongboxes,
I have not experienced any problems whatsoever.
If you plan to bubble wrap your paintings, here is what I recommend. Take a piece of cardboard and cover the face of the painting and frame before bubble wrapping. You can tape this directly to the paper wrap. In order to insure a safe transit in a cardboard box, you need to give 3 - 4 inches of bubble thickness. Make sure the sides and corners of painting have extra
padding as these are generally the problem areas in shipping. If you plan to build a crate, 2 - 3 inches of bubble
wrap is sufficient.
Once you have wrapped the painting, make sure to line the inside of the cardboard box with extra sheets of cardboard and bubble wrap. This helps protect the wrapped piece from possible puncture or tears to the box. This extra step has saved me thousands of dollars alone.
One more thing, before sealing up the box, put a copy of the invoice inside the box. Many packages are getting damaged or lost these days, so the invoice helps prove the contents. Also, if the shipping label happens to fall off or gets removed accidentally (believe it, it happens!) the delivery person has a way to identify where it is going. "The only thing
worse than a damaged piece of art is a LOST piece of art". Though it is not necessary, writing the delivery address
and contact number on the box can prevent many headaches also.
If you plan to ship with a wooden crate, I recommend cutting two 1x2 inch wood boards the width of the inside of the crate. Press them down on the bubble wrap, not to hard, but just firm enough to hold the painting from moving around. You can secure the wood bars with screws on either end of the crate. You should also take a marker and circle the screw heads and
make a note, "Please Remove". This helps the new owner know what to take apart and what not to. Finally, don't
forget to write the delivery address on the crate so you know it makes it to its destination.
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Because most shipping services now limit their liability to $500.00, I recommend carrying your own insurance. If this is not an option, then the next best thing to do is ship via Fed-Ex next day delivery. The reason this is a safe bet is because Fed-Ex will leave next day shipments on the trucks instead of he warehouse, or they will hand carry them through the shipping
process. Since most of the damage comes from aggressive handling, the less time your shipment spends in transit,
the safer it is.
If you can ship with UPS, and you need to carry insurance on your shipment, then UPS is definitely the way to go. The safe bet is to insure the artwork, especially if the art is expensive or fragile. No need taking chances. Note: The most cost effective way to send a high-value piece of art is to use a Strongbox, insure the package for $3,500 or more and send it
Standard overnight or 2-day. UPS hand carries all next day and 2 day packages with high values over $3,500. It's safeand cost friendly.
When it comes to shipping framed prints, the rules are the same with a few added precautions. Remember to place Glass Skin protective tape over the glass or Plexiglas on the artwork. Glass Skin protects the print from accidental breakage or shattering of the glass or Plexiglas. It is easy to apply and remove, and is a must when shipping print art under glass or Plexiglas.
Print Pads are the best method for shipping photographs, prints or any other flat media. These come in Lined and Unlined just like the Strongboxes. Each Print Pad can hold up to 8 individual prints. They are surely the fastest and safest way to ship flat art. Print pads come in various sizes, and best of all, they are reusable. Be sure to place a copy of the invoice
in the box or in the packing slip pouch, and write the delivery address on the box as with the Strongbox.
If you choose to ship without a Print Pad then the next best way to pack the prints is to cut three pieces of cardboard approximately 4" larger on each side, than the print you intend to ship. Take one of the pieces of cardboard and cut out the center about 1/4 inch larger than the dimensions as the largest print. Next you should once again wrap each print in
either wax paper or very fine thickness paper. Use removable blue tape to secure the paper wrapping. You don't want
to use shipping tape or utility tape.
Place the cut out cardboard on top of one of the full sheets of cardboard. Next you place the prints in the center of the cutout, careful not to bend the edges. Finally you place the larger outer cardboard piece on top of the cut out with the prints, making a sandwich of the prints. Take some heavy duty shipping tape and go around the perimeter of the flat box to
insure a tight seal. I suggest writing on the box "Caution when opening" Prints inside. You don't want the
recipient to ruin the prints cutting open the box.
Joseph and Serina Manqueros are the proud owners of ElitePak - Art packing supplies in Laguna Beach, California. Joseph and Serina have a combined 40 years experience in the Fine Art industry, as both Gallery owners and dealers. Go to www.elitepak.com for more information about Fine Art packing supplies.
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com
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The Quantum Group
One of the common questions artists ask of art-exchange is, “Do you know a good printer where I could reproduce multiples of my artwork?” There are a number of quality printers scattered throughout the USA. One such printer located near Chicago is the Quantum Group. Here’s what they say about themselves:
The Quantum Group is a commercial sheet-fed printer located in Morton Grove, ILL (a suburb of Chicago). We offer a complete solution to all your graphic communications needs with pre-press services; sheet-fed, digital, specialty printing; binding and finishing; mailing, fulfillment and warehousing all under one roof.
We print on all types of coated papers / uncoated papers / plastic and vinyl substrates. One specialty that we offer is printing images onto genuine litho canvas stock. Our specialized process converts original artwork, photos and prints into an electronic image and prints those images onto genuine litho canvas stock via our offset presses.
We have the ability to print images from 1/Color up to 8/Colors along with a protective coating. We use plastic lite-fast inks to resist fading. We can print images up to a maximum size of 24-1/4” x 36-1/4". This offset process is an economical and excellent way to reproduce your image in large quantities (50 pieces to 25,000 pieces and up).
These images can be stretched onto stretcher bars; mounted on board; gallery wrapped and/or framed. These "finishing" services are completed by trusted outside sources. We also have the ability to scan / color correct / retouch and size original artwork or can accept an electronic file of any image from the client for reproduction. It takes a very short period of time to complete the printing and finishing processes. By using this process, you will receive outstanding image quality from our company. We are recognized nationally as a leader in the reproduction of canvas images.
Finally, the unit price is far below what you would typically expect to pay using the giclee or canvas transfer print methods. Please contact our sales representative Mr. Frank Lovitz at the Quantum Group, 6511 W. Oakton Street, Morton Grove, ILL at 847-663-6280 or 847-612-8673 for more details.
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In June of 2008, Art-Exchange plans to publish it's premiere edition, hard cover, coffee table book to share with designer clients and prospective corporate buyers. This book is anticipated to display works by approximately 150 of Art-Exchange's top artists in full color.
Artists who are interested in having artwork presented in the publication, and have outstanding works of art, should contact their sales representative at 1-800-647-6336.
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Walking the Appalachian Trail...
One of art-exchange's subscribing artists, James Davis is walking the 2100-mile Appalachain Trail this year. According to his friend, "James left Springer Mountain in Georgia on Saturday March 1. His plan is to arrive in Maine on Katahin Mountain on his 60th birthday - September 14. I am maintaining a blog on his website: myxolydian.com. I thought you may be interested in keeping up with him during this adventure. His trail name is BRUSH STROKES. He has made many friends along the trail and has been asked about his art. He has been telling these folks to go to Art Exchange.com -- so I hope we can make sure they can see something when they go to your web site." If you would like to read James' hiking blog, go to http://www.myxolydian.com/blog/blog.html. To see James' artwork on art-exchange.com go here
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| Email To Friend |
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Art-Exchange.com
Home Office:
101
Millcreek
Road, Hot Springs, AR 71901
General Inquiries:
info@Art-Exchange.com
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