November 23, 2014

Holiday Bucks and Vortex

In good holiday cheer, I am offering two handsome deals. 

Free shipping on all prints and panels on my Etsy shop and Ebay shop!

Buy any print or panel and get $10 off a second. That's a savings of 25 - 50% off individual prints and panels, when you buy one at full price. Use coupon code MADEBYKIM10BUCKS at Etsy

"Bittersweet" Set of 2 botanical panels - Buy one at $40, get $10 off the second. 25% savings!

These deals are also good at my booth at the Holiday Vortex at the LAMA Clubhouse at 3519 W. Fullerton in Chicago on Sunday, December 14, between 11 am - 5 pm. The event will feature cruelty-free goods - everything from food to handmade and vintage items. 

8x10 prints $22 each

October 4, 2014

Botanical Illustration - Science and Art

From Anne Pratt's "Flowering Plants of Great Britain"

Plate 2 
Traveller's Joy, or Clématis, etc.

..."This beautiful shrub, with its dark-green foliage, and its numerous blossoms of greenish-white hue, is very common in the hedges in those counties where chalk or limestone abounds. Gerarde well named it the Traveller's Joy, for it may be seen far away, decking the hedges, in May and June, with its blossoms, and holding itself to the stronger plants near it by the twisting leaf-stalks which serve as tendrils."...
 
Anne Pratt Plate 2 Traveller's Joy

 

 

September 23, 2014

Botanical Art Panels

Bring nature directly into your home with these botanical art panels. Whether you hang a grouping of two or six on the wall, or one on a shelf, these limited edition artworks will fill your home with delight and optimism.


Each artwork is hand-drawn directly from nature, and reveals the elegant details that make each plant unique by the use of silhouettes. These five by five inch botanical art panels are also unique because each image is limited to 100 hand-signed, numbered and titled prints. 


Priced affordably, and with over 30 images to choose from, these botanical gems are perfect for gift giving and home decorating. 


Color and detail are superb and quality is at its highest. 

Each panel is 5 inches tall by 5 inches wide by 1-1/2 inches deep. The paper, adhesives, packaging and mount on which the print is adhered are all 100% acid-free and therefore archival. The giclée print and birch cradled panel are made to last more than a lifetime. 


The paper and birch mount come from sustainable sources. The botanical art panel arrives wrapped an ultra clear archival plastic. All images are limited to 100 signed panels. They are signed, numbered and titled on the back.



April 6, 2014

Disappearing Panda Fundraiser for WWF

Like most of the world, I've been in love with pandas since I was small enough to be aware of them. My first magazine subscription was National Geographic, which I paid for with my own money and gained most of my knowledge of the outside world. I've only had one quick glance of a panda at the National Zoo in DC. The small window and huge crowds where disappointing and nothing like I long imagined my experience would be like. Since then, pandas live on only in nature documentaries and books for me, and I am content with the fact that I will probably never see one in my lifetime.


I made the painting "Disappearing Panda" many years ago after coming across an old book "The Last Panda" by George B. Schaller.


I had barely remembered owning the book and found a newspaper clip inside about Hsing-Hsing, a panda at the National Zoo. I found this clip just a couple months after visiting the National Zoo.

Chicago Sun-Times, April 17, 1997
Hsing-Hsing had been a wild panda before being gifted by China to the National Zoo. He died in 1999 at the age of 28, which at the time was the longest for a panda living in captivity.

World Wildlife Fund Panda Facts
The National Zoo Panda Facts

I've created a print on panel of "Disappearing Panda". Half of all print sales of will be donated to the World Wildlife Fund. It can be purchased on Etsy and will be shipped with proof of the $20 donation.

Disappearing Panda - 5x5 print on panel $40
The World Wildlife Fund has been protecting nature for over 50 years. To learn more about them go here

November 26, 2013

Buy 2 Prints, Get 1 Free

Affordable, adorable and ready-to-frame! A perfect gift for a nature enthusiast. All prints are buy two, get one free. 

Free print must be of equal or lesser value. Purchase two prints on Etsy, then in the note to seller during check out, let me know what print you want for free. Promotion ends December 13, 2013.

"Lenten Rose No. 1"  $30 on Etsy 

"Sprouts No. 2" $10 on Etsy

"Sprouts No. 4" $10 on Etsy

"Summer Glow" $20 on Etsy

"Summer Weeds" $20 on Etsy

November 18, 2013

Giclée Prints Part 3: Paper

There are seemingly endless varieties of giclée substrates to print on: watercolor and photo paper, canvas, adhesive paper, fabric, signage material such as vinyl and backlight media. There are many important factors to consider when choosing a substrate.

Not all substrates are equal. Many brands sell similar substrates in various levels of quality and use terms such as "museum quality" or "artist grade". Every type of substrate should provide a specifications sheet. This sheet should list a brief description of the substrate, its applications and proper conditions of use and storage. You should also find a list of the technical specifications. This list may or may not include: weight, thickness, surface finish, whiteness, opacity, OBA content, pH-Value, acid free, water resistance, rag content and/or calcium carbonate buffered.

Paper Weight and Thickness
Paper weight is often confused with paper thickness. In reality, paper weight is density or volume and is measured in grams per square meter (gsm). Paper thickness is measured in thousandths of an inch. 

When choosing a paper consider the weight/thickness for handling purposes. A lighter paper will crimp more easily. On the other hand, check your printer's specifications for the maximum paper weight in order to avoid paper jams and printhead issues.

Paper Finish
Surface finish is a matter of preference and is different with every substrate. Many paper companies sell letter-size sample sheets. This is a good investment.

Optical Brighteners
Optical brightener agents (OBA) make paper look bright white and they can be great for punching bright colors, but OBAs can cause premature yellowing. Substrates can have varying amounts of OBAs. If possible, avoid OBAs.

Acid Content
If you want your print to last, choose a paper that is 100% rag. Paper that is 100% rag is made of cotton, opposed to wood pulp, which may have a high concentration of acid.

The substrate you print on should also be acid-free. Your specifications sheet might tell the pH-value, which if neutral, should be between 7 and 9.5. Calcium carbonate is sometimes added during the paper making process to make the paper pH-neutral. It has the added effect of neutralizing other acids in the environment that may cause the paper to become acidic over time.

Printer and Paper Compatibility
You may have found the perfect substrate, but don’t bother using it if it isn't compatible with your printer. It is important to do your research before ever testing the first sheet. Not only is compatibility important for optimal longevity and print quality, but for the life of your printer. If you put a substrate in your machine it isn’t meant to have, you could ruin your printheads and/or spray ink all over the inside of your printer.

Up next, Part 4 Digital Files & Photography.

Bittersweet No. 1 (detail) 
Lenten Rose No. 1 (detail) 
Moments (detail)

May 11, 2013

Inspiration for a New Painting

My husband spends hours in the yard pulling weeds. This one was too pretty for the waste bin.


December 6, 2012

A Swell Holiday Market

This Saturday 5 - 9 pm, Swell Gallery will be open with a variety of crafty goodness. A wide variety of handmade items are available from over 20 artists, including myself. Items include jewelry, gift tags, ornaments, traditional artwork, clothing/aprons, fairy houses, teacup plants and bags, not to mention the best soy candles ever made, fantastic mid century vintage items and much more. 

Kim Granstrom
"Moments", $85 available at Swell Gallery. Photo by Swell Gallery.

2012 swell Holiday Arts, Crafts & Vintage Market
Click photo for sneak peak of exhibit. Photos by Swell Gallery 
swell Holiday Market 2012

March 3, 2012

The Natural World at Swell Gallery

I am proud to be part of the awesome line up of artists for The Natural World, the next exhibit at Swell Gallery. Opens March 10, 5 - 9 pm and Thursdays and Saturdays 2 - 6 pm through March 30.  

Jennifer Hines  - ink and pencil drawings - botanical and abstract
Kristina Knowski  - watercolor - birds
Robert Lait  - oil on canvas - rivers and trees
Maggie Puckett - mixed media, bookmaking
Kim Hoffman  - collage and paintings - silhouette botanicals
Debbie Beller - photography - butterflies and flowers
Kari McDonald (The Paper Button) - printmaking and jewelry - vintage buttons
Kristen Gosselin (Red Peacock Designs) - jewelry - deconstructed watches
Cindy Kennedy - photography - landscapes
Laura Krause -  photography - wild animals
nikki hollander (duck and cover shop) - jewelry and paintings - vintage inspired






March 26, 2011

Turn off the Lights for Earth Hour

At 8:30 PM tonight turn off your nights and light a candle, snuggle under the covers, take a swim or play among the trees for Earth Hour. Celebrate nature! Fun things to during Earth Hour Etsy treasury.

Lightcatcher, soft glowing d...
$28.00

The Weather was Nice, We Sle...
$30.00

Turn Off The Lights. Vintage...
$15.00

nuit 1
$25.00

If you go into the woods tod...
$35.00

pixel votive holder- made wi...
$19.00

Night Swim
$20.00

Above the Trees - 11 x 17 Pr...
$29.00

Mystic Collection - Necklace...
$77.00

Midnight, print
$20.00

The Hold Steady - Original s...
$20.00

Birch bark log Tea light hol...
$48.99

Mia - Eco Friendly Dress - M...
$375.00

Just Around Midnight - Fine ...
$30.00

Full Moon Journal Diary Sket...
$25.00

night flight - embroidered d...
$250.00

Celebrate Earth Hour on Etsy

Today at 8:30 PM, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people will commit to actions that go beyond the hour. This Etsy treasury is all eco-friendly items in honor of Earth Hour.

Cashmere Oatmeal Thistle - R...
$14.50

Peace on Earth- vintage glob...
$28.50

AID for JAPAN - 100 Favors -...
$110.00

Pretty Birdie's Hemp Sil...
$385.00

Tarnished Spoons, Hampden Pa...
$10.00

vintage SINGLE CARVED ROSE p...
$28.00

Organic Cotton Hobo Bag ----...
$68.00

Coco-Cafe Sugar Creme - Orga...
$4.25

Reduce Reuse Recycle On Drye...
$12.75

small snow forest basket
$39.00

Packing Light - limited edit...
$30.00

Jacklyn2 - Soy & Organic cot...
$78.00

Reclaimed pillowcase
$48.00

BONJOUR French Book Wreath f...
$40.00

10 Magical Acorn Cake Topper...
$25.00

50 sheets Recycled Kraft Tis...
$4.50