The Winter Aconite are in bloom in my garden, edging out the Snowdrops, and a good week or two before we'll see crocuses. These spots of yellow are always the first, peeking through late snowdrifts, and foretelling the more insistent yellow of daffodils and forsythia. With the glories of goldenrod in late August and September, these are the yellows that frame our New England Summer season.

In the old days, Spring always meant spring cleaning, in the house, yard and garden. As an artist who produces abundantly, it also means deciding which paintings do not make the cut and should be recycled. Since I paint on panels which store very efficiently if unframed, this is not a necessary process physically, but it seems to be very important to me psychologically. At least until I start selling work as fast as I can produce it (yeah, right), I need to recycle old work just to convince myself I am not littering.

As I paint, my work seems to fall into three general categories: "keepers": work that if clearly successful and to be saved, "failures": work that can be wiped down before it is even dry, and the vast middle ground. The third category will live to see another day, or year, but if it is not sold it may eventually fall under the sander.

The middle ground contains work in several categories. One group is "ambitious failures", works where I was trying something very difficult without real success: complex scenes that do not organize easily, atypical compositions. I need to study these works for what they can teach me, but I won't keep them forever.

A similar group consists of works that have wonderful passages, but don't succeed as a whole. These are the works that most artists would continue to improve upon, and with luck bring up to a consistent quality throughout. That process seldem works for me. I will make modest corrections, or add final accents to the dry surface, but beyond that, for every "improvement" I pay an unacceptable price in freshness and truth.

Another group is the works in my passion of the moment, whether it is rocks, clouds, dried grasses or snow. With the exception of the obvious failures, I want to see all these work together, side-by-side, the growing collection further fueling my passion. The ones that may not be kept forever still help in the short run to lead me to better efforts before they die.

My art vacations always produce similar collections of work. I work in a new locale, at white heat, producing two or three works a day and saving them all. Only when I return and have spent some time looking at the collection as a whole do I begin to weed out the failures and partial failures. A year or two later I may be down to half the original number.

I should say that this is not really a Spring ritual; it happens at odd moments throughout the year. Last year I rephotographed all my old work for submission to ICN, the Independent Coffeehouse Network, a process which turned into a major selection and thinning out. Works were recycled which had survived many years of cuts, but which didn't stand up well to others of the same general character. Only by doing this periodically can I justify to myself the number of painting I foist upon the world.

A giclée print, although done one at a time, involves several steps to create. It begins with an image capture, whereby the original art is scanned or photographed with a digital camera-back scanner. It is then careful color corrected to match the original work of art. This process can often take several tries to get a very close match. The proofing process is painstaking and for the giclée printer "almost there" is not close enough. The initial image capture can take a great deal of time and expense to be sure the finished product is the best it can be. When contrasted to the POD process where fast and cheap is the prime goal, giclée printing could be considered slower, more expensive but much higher quality.

The next step in creating a giclée is the printing. The inkjet printers used for fine art reproduction are high-end technology. The printers often use 8 or more ink sets (compared to the traditional CMYK [cyan, magenta, yellow and black] of the traditional printing industry). They are slow by industry standards. The ink is sprayed onto the substrate in very fine droplets which are not visible to the naked eye giving the appearance of continuous tone imaging. Each print is made one at a time and carefully inspected for any defects. Unlike a print that is not expected to last a lifetime, a giclée needs to be close to perfection. Giclees are printed by a master printer, and each print is a work of art in its self.

Print on Demand (POD) is a printing industry term used to define a digital printing process used to create limited runs of nearly any printed product. It is popular as a book printing process as well as banners, point of purchase displays, brochures or other printed products. Printing, prior to digital, was usually done by a process called offset printing. Because of the set-up expense of offset printing, it was usually cost prohibitive to print just one or even a few of anything. When the digital revolution came to printing, individual prints became feasible. Hence POD became a popular product for print consumers. It is less expensive, fast and without the high price of creating negative, plates and running a huge press. Print on demand comes in a range of qualities, from disposable direct mail to high end annual reports. The printing may be well done, but there is no color match to an original and it is not archival.
Some examples of POD would be vanity press books, posters, brochures or point of purchase displays. Usually the originating files are created in the computer, much like any other printing process.

Like any product, there will be those of higher and lesser quality. But if an artist wishes her or his work to be respected by collectors they will seek out the finest giclée printers they can find to reproduce their work. Being "almost there" is not good enough when it comes to your artwork. When you plan to reproduce your art work, don't think "print on demand" but demand and expect, the best.

Nancy Bryant, Giclee New England

Elisa Pritzker World Famous Women Artist.

Elisa Pritzker is an international artist, art curator and consultant. Elisa is also creating excellent contemporary art that quickly finds its way into private and public collections throughout the world. Elisa is one of the best prepared artists that I know and I hope this interview will help other artists benefit from her knowledge. To learn more about Elisa Pritzker please visit her website at www.PritzkerStudio.com

Elisa please tell us about yourself and your art? I was born to be an artist. My art and myself are kind of a one thing. I don't separate them as two entities so they co-exist since my early age in life

How do you feel being a Hispanic artist has helped your career? I feel honored to be called a Hispanic artist even when my last name is not. I was born in Argentina, a country with a long history of cultural development in all of the areas of the arts. At the same time, I value to be called just an "Artist", since the power of creating is universal and belongs to all humanity.

Do you feel that there are more opportunities for women artists today then in the past? Definitely yes. All the women movements have helped tremendously to make our place in society easier and we still have to keep working for it.

How would you describe your art? My art tells things that I can't tell with words. They come from my soul. It expresses different moments of my life and society so whatever is going on in the world and mine, could be a source of inspiration. I usually create series about a particular theme. Through the years, I've worked on different topics that have talked to me, for instance about the Mayas, human and urban matters, money, spirituality, environmental issues. My latest artworks are part of the "Lonely Hearts Club Series".This series expresses my reaction about some effects that the web-social media communication creates to our human society.

When did you begin creating artwork? As I recalled, all my life. At 8 years old and for several years, I attended art courses for children at a local University where I was collaterally exposed to the art created by the grown-ups. This was a big influence that crystallized my interest and passion. At 15 years old, I began my formal art education.

What do you enjoy most about being an artist? Everything. The happiness, excitement, tension, mystery and all the array of sentiments that are involved in the creative process.

Which artists do you admire? From traditional to contemporary, new and old times there are "many" artist that I admire..it's a long list!!! but the artists that I know that never gave up are the ones that genuinely inspire me, like Frida Kahlo, Francisco de Goya, Louise Bourgeois and Vincent Van Gogh.

Do you feel it is better to represent yourself or have a gallery represent you? I think both ways are good and welcomed. It's a learning process what it really means to be in charge of representing yourself or to let other person be in charge. In the two situations, it's good to feel comfortable of any decisions taken.

Why do you create art? I don't have any other choice than create art. It's the way that I live my life so far.

What are your future plans? I always have many plans going on. My next important exhibit is a solo exhibition at the Franklin 54 Gallery in Chelsea, NYC. I'll exhibit "Lonely Hearts Club Series" opening this fall season of the gallery in September.

This is a subject I have worried around before (see for example "Significant Art: What does it Signify?") because it gets to the heart of those subconscious doubts I have about the value of my work. Though I am going to look at it here from the persepctive of art history, I clearly care about it as a kind of self-justification.

My art is not an art of innovation. What uniqueness it has comes unconsciously and inevitably from the personal vision which each of us has, not from any attempt to break new ground. I am not even an experimental artist (a much less demanding standard); many artists who never break new ground nevertheless experiment with different styles and media, doing work that is new for them if not for art as a whole. My art grows and changes, very gradually, not through any decision to change but only through growing sensitivity to the task I have always pursued. Periodically I wonder if this kind of art is worthy of attention.

I'd like to look back on artists of the past, seeing them by the measure of innovation vs tradition. I think that Jasper John's "White" Flag is one of many works in the late 20th century which use the dichotomy deliberately to create tension in their work. But most artists do not address the issue so consciously; they are either innovators or consolidators (traditionalists) by temperament and inclination.

Perhaps the archetype of the innovator, in art and everything else, is Leonardo da Vinci. He produced few major works, partly because he was too busy inventing and exploring almost every other area of human endeavor, but also because once he had created a new archetype (like the pyramidal "Madonna" composition) he would lose interest, allowing others like Raphael to do the work of consolidation. Raphael was not a traditionalist, continuing in the late medieval style as did many of his contemporaries, but he was a consolidator, working through the implications of Leonardo's invention and taking it to its apex.

Art Historians place immense value on the seminal moments the Leonardo produced with almost every work, while tearing out their hair trying to preserve his "Last Supper' fresco. He couldn't be satisfied with traditional freso technilque, experimenting with new combintations of materials which are now falling off the wall.

Another pair of contemporaries who facinate me are the English artists Constable and Turner. Emerging from the same naturalistic tradition, they become alomst polar opposites in their approach. Though his sensitivity carried him beyond any of his predecessors, Constable is clearly a traditionalist by temperament, comfortably within the landscape tradition which emerged in 17th century Holland. From the point of view of art history, Turner is much more forward-looking, anticipating abstract expressionism in the freedom of his color and handling. I admire Turner, but I love Constable.

However, the artists I love most fall into both camps. If I look at still life, I would have to say I admire Cezanne more then Chardin, but I love them equally. Chardin's great strength is his "conservatism": the comfortable solidity and eternal rightness of his compositions, the earthy harmony and predicatbility of his colors. Ceazanne's still lives are alive with the titanic struggle that we see in all his work between the demands of solid form and the demands of the paint surface. They feed different parts of my soul.

One thing that strikes me about the last 100 years is the increasing divergence in art between the traditional and the innovative. Through technological leaps and ever increasing speed of communication of information, the world is changing at a geometrically increasing pace. One of the choices that face artists to between expressing the change and newness in their work, and alternately searching for what is stable and familiar. The human race has adapted radically to its new physical and intellectual environment, but it also has an every increasing longing for the way things were. I am certainly one who clings to what nurtures me in nature and in the familiar.

Ever notice when you walk into a movie theater to see the latest blockbuster playing that there are movie posters all around informing everyone what's playing next week or next month? Sometimes it's a simple two-foot by three-foot poster framed on the lobby wall. Most of the time, however, it's a huge cardboard cut-out that takes up half the lobby. Whatever it is, it's something that catches your eye, and that's the artwork of movie posters.

For over a century, movies have been advertised by the method of displaying posters depicting a character or a scene from the movie. It was_and still is_the way to sell potential audiences to come to the theaters and pay to see these films. During most of this time, the posters were usually paintings or illustrations portraying a certain part_usually a pivotal scene_from the film or maybe showcase the star (or stars) of the film.

Most of the work could be called masterpieces, like the poster for Casablanca or Touch of Evil. Even some modern posters like Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark are nice works as well (my favorite is the movie poster for John Carpenter's The Thing). The movie poster for E.T.: The Extraterrestrial (featured above) was a great piece of work that showed an alien and a child, worlds apart, connecting.

Knowing that filmmakers think well enough ahead to get an artist to paint or photogragh a scene_or a collage of scenes_on a movie poster "one sheet" is brilliant. When the collage-of-scenes approach is used, it gets the potential movie-goer's imagination going, making them wonder how exciting or dramatic the film will be. When I first saw the movie poster for Escape From New York (another exceptional film from John Carpenter), I was mesmerized by the look of Kurt Russell's character with the eye patch and the desolate look of the apocalyptic New York in the background_not to mention the Statue of Liberty's decapitated head lying in the street behind him (although that was kind of a cheat since that didn't happen in the film), so this poster really got me going. Unfortunately, I was too young to see this film when it was first released, but it was one of my first rentals when it was available in VHS some years later.

A trend, regretfully, started picking up a bit in the 90s when movie posters began to show off the actors in the film. Typically, the posters had the title in the middle with the faces of the actors surrounding it while they mugged for the camera. It seemed quite narcissistic and didn't appeal to me one bit. If anything, it made me want to stay away from the film. Most of the films that featured these movie posters, however, were very good films. Films like the Scream trilogy, Gangs of New York, even the new Wolfman film had its final poster feature the stars' heads toward the top hovering over the title character.

Not only do I consider myself an artist, I'm also a big movie buff and that's why I thought about this topic. I have quite a collection of films on DVD and Blu-Ray that I keep in faux leather binders, making it a point to keep every film cover to mark each film as I flip through the pages.

My wife recently became okay with me taking over one of our spare bedrooms to make into my own home theater, so I've started getting it ready by painting it and ripping out the carpet to put something to help soundproof the room. In addition to remodeling, I've been going through thrift shops and off-the-wall types of stores to see if I can find any type of movie-themed artwork or décor. So far, I've found a lamp that resembles a stage light, some signs that contain movie lingo, and most impressively, I had the chance to pick up two reproduced movie posters: Star Wars and Rocky. Both are great examples of how filmmakers went with an artistic approach to advertise their movie.

The Star Wars poster, created by Tom Jung, includes all the exciting aspects of the film, painted in a realistic, yet comic book-type, tone. It includes Darth Vader's head with the Death Star in the background and exaggerated depictions of Luke Skywalker with Princess Leia at his feet. But the artwork is outstanding and eye-catching.

The Rocky movie poster, however, is a photograph of the title character after running up the top of the steps to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It's in black & white and Sylvester Stallone is standing at the top of the steps with his arms raised in triumph. But it's a shot of his back with the cityscape of Philadelphia before him. It's a great photo...or it could be a captured shot from the film.

I'm hoping to find more movie posters so that I can decorate the room when it's ready. But in the meantime, I hope Hollywood puts a stop to these movie posters where the actors look like they love themselves too much and put more thought into making more artistic creations. Don't you agree?

I believe art is going down a similar path. The lure of shortcuts to painting success is to be found in most art magazines. DVDs promise to have you painting like a pro in no time at all. Professional secrets are revealed that will make you a better painter, or so it is implied. Workshops abound in which artists can rub shoulders with professionals and perhaps gain some of that magic dust that makes them paint so well.

I have done many painting demonstrations in which I have revealed all I know while I paint. My family have asked on occasions why I should divulge such things, because surely all these aspiring artists are going to paint like you. The fact is, there is no one that paints like me!
If artists thought for one minute that publishing a DVD would have thousands of people being able to paint like them, then production would grind to a trickle!

The one thing that every professional artist knows, is that they have attained to their own level of expertise through many, many hours with a brush. All they can provide for others are pointers in their own journey toward excellence.

The message is, is that we can gorge ourselves with every teaching aid possible and attend workshops all year round - but it is the time we spend with the brush that counts. The brain will digest the treasures of painting through trial and error of working with colour. It's a wonderful feast if we can accept the time it will take to digest.

Happy brush-time!

BLOCH--Peter, 86, died July 31, 2008 in New York City. Beloved friend, noted journalist and historian and fluent in four languages. Born in Frankfort, Germany he left in 1939 as a teenager and joined the underground in Belgium. He later was interned in Switzerland. He came to the U.S. in 1949 and became a citizen in 1955. He was the founder and President of the Association of Puerto Rican-Hispanic Culture. He was the U.S. Representative of the French Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was appointed a Knight of the Order of Isabella Catolica in 1969 by the Head of the Spanish State. Published in the New York Times on 8/3/2008

It was a great Honor to have met such a great man in the Arts. I knew him long before we met through his book Painting and Sculpture of the Puerto Ricans (1978). He was a wonderful and uplifting soul whom one always felt at ease with. I would like to thank Peter Bloch for his dedication to the Societe Academique Fondee En 1915 Paris France Arts-Sciences-Lettres. I thank God for allowing me to have met him if only for too brief a time. I know he had expressed high hopes for me in the Arts and I will continue to work hard to achieve those goals. Peter Bloch inspired me to look for greatness within myself and to more fully appreciate the arts. He will live on in my art and in my heart.

It has been over a year since Peter Bloch passed away and still his presence is as close as ever. He helped so many people in the arts that his legend will live on forever. His friend Arturo Alvarez continues the legacy by helping artists, poets and writers through Poesia Magazine whom Peter Bloch was Cultural Consultant of for many years. Whenever I get together with our friends Peter is always fondly remembered and very much missed. This year I was voted in to a three year term as board member of the Dutchess Arts Council and I hope to be able to give back to the arts as my friend Peter Bloch did. When we are blessed with good fortune we have a responsibility to share and help others succeed as well. Peter Bloch your legend will live on in all the people that you helped.

Journalists and Cuban-American Artist Jose Acosta

When you paint, make me believe. A painting attempts to take a flat plane and make us believe images of a three dimensional world. The artist, like the fiction writer, needs to create a willing suspension of disbelief.

For years the wild sunsets often seen in paintings in British and American landscapes from the late 1800s struck me as a fantasy element. I had no problem enjoying the paintings because there was an internal consistency. Under those multihued sunsets and towering cloud formations, deep shadows and rosy or orange hued highlights built beautiful, larger than life landscapes. It was in reading Simon Winchester's Krakatoa, an account of the August 1883 eruption of the Indonesian volcano and its aftermath that I learned the paintings were much more realistic than I had imagined. In fact British painter William Ashcroft created over 500 watercolor works documenting the view from the London area. Now I admire those artists who captured an amazing atmospheric effect of their time no less than I previously did for imaginative treatment of their subject. I've seen sunset paintings that fail to convince use the brilliant hues of these painting superimposed on a landscape from midday without the long shadows of low sun and light coming from the wrong direction.

The challenge in making my own small pastel painting of "Sunset, Bandon OR" believable was to show effectively the glowing reflections on the shallow water and wet sand in the foreground. I used blues to show the pooled water next to the large rock and the ripples of very shallow water. White marked bits of sea foam. The rocks, being back lit, are dark and somber with a glow at the edge where the golden light touches the stone. This painting worked well enough to get into two juried shows, earning an honorable mention in one, and sell at the opening reception of its first gallery show.

Landscapes depend on our believing in the integrity of their internal world. Light and shadow must be consistent with our experience. Perspective should make some kind of sense, whether we are following the lines leading us through a Utrillo landscape, getting lost in Eschler's world, or the flatter look of primitive art. So also must we be careful of point of view. Some wonderful effects can be gained by looking up or down toward something ordinarily seen straight on. If there are switches in viewpoint within the painting or drawing, it had better be done with purpose, as when M. C. Eschler turns his painting and our minds upside down.

Sometimes we alter reality for a better composition; another reason to do so might be credibility. In life a particular tree, building, rock formation, or animal might be part of the area you want to paint, but if it looks like to just stuck it in where it doesn't seem to fit, leave it out. Chances are the narrow window of the painting made the odd form more important than it was in the actual scene. The light and shadow may make the rock pile and dry shrub in front of the aspens look like a crouching animal. Simplify instead of risking your viewers seeing it as a malformed beast!

Whatever you do remember that picture world must hold together within itself or they won't buy it--critically or at the cash register!

Hugo Sandoval Exhibition at the Union City Art Gallery at City Hall

Yesterday February 18, 2010 I attended the exhibition of paintings by my friend Hugo Sandoval at the Union City Art Gallery at City Hall. Hugo Sandoval is an excellent artist who creates colorful paintings that are exciting and fun to look at. Hugo was born in Barranquilla Colombia and graduated from the Center for the Media Arts in NY in 1985. He has been creating, exhibiting and selling his works ever since. I had the honor of exhibiting with Hugo Sandoval last year at the Queens Museum of Art and I find his work beautiful and stimulating to the mind and soul. The Exhibition also had musical performance by Graciela Barreto the Union City Poet Laureate who sang some beautiful songs and recited poetry as well. The food at the event was also fantastic and everyone was able to have a taste of excellent Hispanic treats. The Board of Commissioners Lucio Fernandez, Tilo E. Rivas and Maryury A. Martinetti were in attendance and presented to Hugo Sandoval and Graciela Barreto a citation certificate signed by Mayor Brian P. Stack and the Board of Commissioners. The Exhibition will be up for 3 more weeks. The Union City Art Gallery at City Hall is located at 3715 Palisade Avenue in Union City New Jersey. I would like to give a special thanks to Union City Mayor Brian P. Stack and its Board of Commissioners for their support of the Arts and Artists by creating these wonderful performance and exhibitions for the whole community to enjoy. I would also like to give a special thanks to Union City Art Curator Amado Mora for all his work and dedication in helping create these great events for all to enjoy.

For more info or to see paintings by Hugo Sandoval visit

http://artid.com/members/hugasso

Journalist & Cuban American Artist Jose Acosta

In my last post I dealt with the subject of multiple levels of meaning in an image. I realize that there is another way in which we use levels of meaning which I had not even touched on, the way which is most natural to me: the pun or double meaning. This can be a double meaning between the image and its title - word play - or within the image itself, which I will call image play.

I am a punster from my earliest years, much to the dismay and suffering of my friends and companions. The earliest pun I remember (except maybe "what is black and white and red all over?") was the riddle "when is a door not a door?" "When it's ajar". What makes a pun so appealing (to a few of us!) is that we have that moment of connection between "ajar" and "a jar". In that moment, we have the image of the door as a jar, nonsensical and therefore ridiculous.

I use word play in my titles all the time, partly for the fun of it, but also to trigger a second level of meaning or response in the viewer. The image above I titled "Wheels"; very straightforward on the face of it, but also referring to the slang meaning of "wheels": to have a car, to be mobile. Hopefully, that helps evoke a constrast between the unmoving stack of discarded wheels and their former function. I look for the same mental picture of former movement and action in the titles of "Tailgating" and "Bumper to Bumper".

The two main series that I worked on this past year are very good examples of how I use wordplay to enrich meaning for the viewer. In my series of tree portraits, I was always looking for older trees with character, trees that were expressing in their forms and growth scars. For me these always seemed to evoke comparisons with human feelings and actions. I'm showing two examples: "Spearbearer" and "Expecting", which I assume you can attach to the appropriate images. Hopefully the pairing of the image and title also triggers the chain of ideas which the tree triggered for me.

In my more ambitious series of rocks and rockfaces over the last 18 months, I found the same vivid evocation of character and personality that I find in trees. Rocks (a name I never give to ordinary stones) are each unique each expressive in their bulk, their forms, colors and textures. Here I show two examples again: "Returning to the Sea", a marvelous limestone formation on the southern coast of Portugal, and "Building Blocks" a rockface of pink granite in Maine. You probably don't need the titles to appreciate them, but perhaps you do to appreciate the reaction I had to them.

It is interesting that I have not made more use of image play: the introduction of double meanings in the images themselves. There are many examples in the work of other artists - Goya, Picasso, Dali - but they involve combining disparate pieces of reality together to make ambiguous images. I seem wedded to faithful adherence to the image in front of me. The closest I come is in manipulating the reality itself in still lives, such as "Encounter" (which also has a wordplay title) and "Self Portrait with Jewelry Box", which I love for its juxtaposition of two spaces, of the rectangular frame with an oval frame, and most of all the juxtaposition of me with my wife's dressing table. This is a painting with many levels on which you can read it and react.

How to Purchase a Giclée Fine Art Print

Beautifully decorated homes are not complete until there is art on the walls. In the past, homeowners had just a few options. One could purchase original works of art, often at very high prices. For some this was an investment and for others it was for the satisfaction of having something of beauty in their homes. The alternative was to buy a reproduction or art print. The cost of a print was usually considerably less than an original work but the quality and appearance of the print just did not look like "real art".
Beginning in the early 1990's new technology created a third alternative.

The giclée (pronounced ghee-clay) print was developed. Giclée is a derivative of the French word meaning to spray. The digital process to print giclées uses fine nozzles to spray thousands of dots per square inch onto the media. Most printers use 7 or more ink colors to achieve the closest possible match to the original artwork.
This new reproduction method was quickly embraced by the art community. Now artists can market their work in a new way. Reproductions done in the giclée process are very like the original work of art and have the promise of 100 years or more of longevity. A further advantage is the ability to match the media of the original work of art. Paintings done on canvas are printed onto canvas, watercolors are printed on watercolor paper. With the new technology came the capacity to match colors more closely than ever before. Now a reproduction looks just like the original and fine art is more affordable.

Unfortunately, as with many new products, not all prints sold as giclées are the quality one might expect. The savvy art buyer will ask questions before making a purchase. Although giclées are less costly than originals they are not inexpensive. A buyer should be sure of what he or she is getting. Consider the following before purchasing a giclée print.

_ Was the image capture done by a professional photographer who specializes in photographing art or by a giclée printer who does image scans? This is an important part of the process, and close examination of the print will show if this was done or not.

_ Does the print have the detail and texture of the original? Does it have the subtle gradations of color? Are brush strokes visible?

_ Do the colors match the original as closely as possible? Due to variations in media there might be slight color differences but they should be minimal.

_ What digital printer and ink sets were used to create the giclée? If the reply is a desktop printer, it is unlikely that the print will meet the longevity standards for a true giclée. Unless archival inks like ultrachromes are used the print could possibly fade in a short period of time.

If an artist is looking for a giclée printer to reproduce his or her work the same questions should be asked. Additionally the artist should ask:

_ Does the printer have references?

_ Does he or she guarantee your satisfaction?

_ Is the printer accessible?

_ Are you given proofs? Do they meet your standards?

_ Are you able to be part of the proofing process? _ Can the printer meet your deadlines?

_ Does the printer help market your work?

_ Does the printer offer full service from printing to framing to shipping if necessary?

Giclée reproduction is also a great way to share family heirlooms. Many families have art work produced by a family member. The value of such artwork is immeasurable to the family but is often a source of discourse as several family members may want the same piece. A giclée reproduction may be the answer.

Photographers and digital artists are also using the giclée process for digital output. High quality digital prints can be made in nearly any size up to 44 inches wide. The longevity and high quality of giclée printing makes it an ideal way to produce fine art photography.
As with many new technologies, giclée printing offers exciting new products but knowledgeable buying will ensure satisfaction with your purchase.
How to tips:

_ Ask questions when buying a giclée print to be sure you know what you are getting, and you are getting what you want.

_ Examine the print closely. Look for details. Blurry details, harsh outlines around objects, and flat colors are some signs of a poor quality print.

_ Giclées can be a good investment. If buying for investment, look for limited editions and Certificates of Authenticity. An artist with an impressive resume of acceptance into juried shows and awards is apt to be more collectible than a lesser known artist. But do not let that be your guide. Buy art that speaks to you, is well executed and is properly reproduced. You may be the first to discover the next big artistic star and have a very valuable print.

_ Buy art you like and want to live with. Because giclées are more affordable than original artwork, you can stretch your budget to fill your home with wonderful art.

For more information, visit us

In the field of art I work on the most_comic book art_there are numerous artists I look up to and see as a bit of inspiration to help me go on as I work on a certain piece.

Whenever I see the artwork of these individuals, it either takes me back to when I was a child reading comic books for the first time or it just simply mesmerizes me, putting me in a zone as I view their works.

You'd be surprised to know that some of them aren't just simply pencilers or inkers of the trade, but go further with painting and even create a lucrative business with their established name.

So without further ado, let me list the artists I look up to.

--------------------

The artist that I think of when reminiscing about the bronze age of comic books (the years from 1970 to 1980) is, the one and only, John Romita Sr.

John Romita Sr. drew a lot of the Marvel Comics titles, especially Spider-Man. The style of his artwork was very simple, yet it was original. To many comic book fans, such as myself, I could always tell what comic books he'd worked on.

Romita's comic book artwork was, and still is, the template of what a good comic book should feature. Many artists emulated him (including me) during the 70s and 80s, but no one could come close. His son, John Romita Jr., is also an artist featured in Marvel Comics titles and has done well in the field. But Romita Sr. is what Marvel Comics was all about.

--------------------

Another artist in the comic book genre of art is Todd McFarlane.

Drawing for Marvel for a number of years, he was an innovator in making comics look cool again. When he started drawing one of the Spider-Man titles, The Amazing Spider-Man, it created such a big fan base that Marvel gave him his own title, simply titled Spider-Man, to draw and write as he pleased. Being such a success, McFarlane, along with a number of other comic book artists, founded the comic book company, Image. It helped to produce his biggest character to date: Spawn.

Spawn was different because the character wasn't an alien from a different planet or an innocent human who'd acquired powers and decided to fight crime. No, Al Simmons, an assassin for a secret military operation, somehow made a deal with the devil and after being taken out by his own people, he comes back from the dead as a demon with unimaginable powers_Spawn. His motivation, at first, is to get revenge and to try and get back the life he'd once had, but along the way, he does start to fight crime.

Todd McFarlane didn't stop at comic books, however. He went on to the toy production business, which turned out to be a very lucrative move. McFarlane Toys recreates figures like sports athletes, famous movie characters, and even Elvis.

Yes, Todd McFarlane used his artwork as a ladder to move on up and go on to bigger and better things.

--------------------

Another artist, and the final one that I'll mention in this blog is one of my favorites. He primarily does work for DC Comics, but every once in a while he'll do stuff for Marvel.

The man I'm speaking of is Alex Ross.

Alex Ross is different because of a few things. The first thing you'll notice about his work is that he mainly paints his creations rather than draw. The second thing you may notice is that every one of his characters, whether it's Superman or Spider-Man, looks so realistic. I've got to admit that the artists working in comics make some pretty cool creations, making the characters incredibly muscular or unrealistically lanky, but Alex Ross stays with a real life look in his artwork.

In case you don't recognize the name, his artwork was featured in the opening credits of the Spider-Man 2 film. He painted some very life-like portraits of the stars of the film and it's very impressive.

But those three artists are the ones I look up to and mimic at times. I admire them all and especially hope to one day be as good as Alex Ross, but I doubt it. There was actually a web site dedicated to him that featured artwork he created while in grammar school. I think it was a picture of Superman and it looked pretty darned good for a kid in grade school.

--------------------

Anyway...

What artists do you all look up to?

Well made letters need not be gilded, illustrated or embellished to be beautiful, they can stand alone and be the design itself. Learn to see Roman Letters as 26 design elements that can be drawn, painted, abstracted, reversed and combined. A minimal use of tools and materials help us to concentrate on form and the relationship to space.Based on a year long study class developed for Masscribes, Boston, This 5 day class will be comfortably paced but will result in a portfolio of designs and several finished projects.-!IMAGE707--!
This class is designed for all levels including those just beginning to study calligraphy.

The Campbell School is famous for it's classes in a very wide range of artistic disciplines, stunning and peaceful countryside, comfortable accommodations and really good food. It's worth the trip to feed body, mind and soul. Top image, Mary Lawler.
Second image by Kay Johnson, third image by Dave Flattery]]> http://artid.com/members/calligraphy/blog/post/3637 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000 Email Contacts - What's Real?

Occasionally on ArtId, we get a person or company that contacts a number of our members through the contact page in their ArtId galleries offering artists anything from representation to licensing deals. Sometimes these offers are legitimate and, unfortunately, sometimes they are not. Because your contact page is open for anyone to use, these emails cannot be dealt with as spam. An email received through your ArtId contact does not mean that we have endorsed the company or person.

So, we'd like to give you some tips on how to discriminate between truly interested business people and those whose real goal is to get you to pay them a lot of money for nothing.

How to Compare

1.A legitimately interested person will identify themselves right away and give you information about themselves and/or their company.

Beware of emails where the writer does not divulge the company name or does not tell you exactly what they are interested in doing.

2. A legitimate email will most likely address you by name and make mention of your work, how the person found you, and why they think you are the artist they want to work with.

Beware of emails that appear generic and do not regard you or your work personally. Likely those emails are being sent to a large number of artists by cutting and pasting the same email over and over again into contact pages.

3. A legitimate proposal will work within a standard of operating procedures that exist within the art business world.

Offers that promise too much probably cannot deliver.

If you receive an email that you are unsure about, let us know and we will investigate it. When we know that an unsavory person or company is contacting our artists, we post a notice in the Announcements section of your ArtId which appears when you login.

]]> http://artid.com/members/artid/blog/post/3626 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:10:21 +0000

TO ALL ARTID ARTISTS:

Please be sure to send us an email to info@artid.com with a link to your blog post about upcoming art shows or exhibits. We will post it in our Member Art Shows blog so art collectors have one central place to look for information.

Thank you and Happy New Year!