Prints

Illumination The larger size prints are on back order right now. But if you e mail me I’ll save one for you.

Do I have prints of my work?

I must admit that for the longest time I was a snob in this regard. I didn’t do prints.

Last year that changed. I hosted a fundraiser for Rowan House. They do great work fighting domestic violence which continues to be a problem in my city and elsewhere. I wanted to donate money to those most vulnerable. So I offered a limited amount of prints. The sales went well and I was able to do a bit of good with my artwork. I realized often people don’t have room for large paintings. They loved the work but needed a more affordable option.

To create these giclee prints, I worked with a local company.

I admit it was like being back in art school. I pulled out my Single Reflex Camera, I love that Nikon, and grey cards to photograph the work. I reviewed f-stops, field of vision, aspect ratios, apertures, and exposure compensation. It ‘s been a while since I thought about such things. I’ll show my age and talk about how we used dot matrix sheets to prep photos for printing. But that was back in the day, now I had to learn some new software.

I also received a lot of advice and help from the print shop. In the end I am very pleased with the quality of the prints. There are two sizes available. They are printed on matt paper and are archival.

We Rise Again

Under My Skies

People seem a little confused about prints. So I wanted to give you some advice on collecting prints.

• What is a giclee?

  Giclee prints  (pronounced “zhee-clays”) are created by large format inkjet printers. They use small spraying devices that can match both colour and ink precisely. For that reason giclee prints are high quality prints.

  Giclee is a French term meaning “to spray”, referring to how an inkjet printer works and how giclee prints are usually produced.

This is a case of “buyer aware”. I have seen artists selling photocopy reproductions of their paintings and advertising them as prints. These are not archival which means they will fade over time. Usually they are run off on plain paper which is not ph balanced. As a consumer make sure you question the quality of print that you are buying. Personally if I paid for what I thought was a high grade print and then I received a Xerox I would be very disappointed.

I have also heard of artists painting on giclee and then advertising them as original. Personally I find this misleading. As a consumer you should know what you are buying.

Pink Sky Syndrome

• What is the difference between a print and an artist print?

People seem confused about this.

I remember once a work colleague was excited to show me her, “original giclee”. That is an oxymoron. I’ve had people tell me about their “lithographic” prints.

A print is a reproduction of a painting. It is never as valuable as the real painting. Even a giclee, which is a higher quality print, is mechanically produced.

An artist’s print means that the artist’s hand has touched it. They have created the plate (that’s the thing that you print off) through carving, cutting, stencilling, drawing etc. They usually have very small runs. They are not mass produced.

• How should prints be framed?

  Prints should be matted with acid free matts and placed under glass.

  I have made sure that the inks and paper used in this print are archival, that means they will stand the test of time. If the framing materials are not archival then there is a danger that the print is compromised.

• Why aren’t your prints numbered?

  The numbers on a print will indicate the number of prints in a run, and the total number in an edition. For example, 5/1000 means that this was the fifth print in a total of 1000 prints. Before digital printing this was important. A smaller run of prints meant the print was not as common, meaning the print was more valuable. At the end of the run the printer would destroy the plate thus ending the run. In extremely large editions the print quality was better at the early stage of the process. However, with digital printing things have changed. We can run off as many prints as we wish, and the quality will be consistent.

  As this is a fundraiser I will be running off more prints. They probably won’t be in the 1000s, but I will print them in accordance to supply and demand. For that reason I have chosen to sell an open edition. For that reason I do not number them.

• Why is your name signed below the print’s image?

This simply shows that I approve of the print’s quality and authenticity. The signing off of prints shows that the artist is aware this image of their work has been made.

• Can I order any of your paintings in a print?

Right now I am offering four prints. Not all of my paintings will be available in print form. But if you fall in love with one of the originals do contact me about payment options.

• Where can I find the prints that you offer?

  If you click on the blue print you can find a direct link to the page that sells those prints.

  In Canada I am offering free shipping. The price also includes GST.

  From time to time there will be pop-up sales on this page. Newsletter subscribers always receive first notifications. So why not sign up?

  I am cleaning out the studio right now and am planning a sale to benefit the Calgary Food Bank. Watch for it .