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

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.

Backyard Sprouts - 5x5 inch botanical art panel - $40

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. 

Outdoor Beauty - Set of 4 botanical art 5x5 inch panels - $152

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

Summer Life - Set of 3 botanical art 5x5 inch panels - $114

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. 

Blue Moon - 5x5 inch botanical art panel - $40

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.

Sprouts Teal - Set of 4 botanical art 5x5 inch panels - $152

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

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.

Part 2: Printer & Ink

Part 1: A Great Giclée

Bittersweet No. 1 (detail) 

Lenten Rose No. 1 (detail) 

Moments (detail)

Inspiration for a New Painting

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

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. 

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

Click photo for sneak peak of exhibit. Photos by Swell Gallery 

Do Something Nice Today

I'm not easy to cook for. Many foods give me migraines and most others I choose not to eat because I'm a vegetarian, and on top of all that sometimes I'm just picky. Whenever someone cooks for me, I warn them not to bother, and if they take on the challenge, I am impressed. Our friends Eric and Kara love to cook and invited us for dinner tonight. We're bringing some kind of fancy beer but we bring fancy beer everywhere, so I wanted to really thank them with a little something extra. Flowers are so conventional and easy. They are spending so much time and energy on a special meal, so I made them this little painting and titled after them.

"eric and kara" 4"x4"

While making this collage today, I thought about how lucky I am to have the option to be picky in my food choices, to have leisure time to be creative and have the freedom to write whatever I want on this blog.

Life Lace

These original artworks are inspired by texture, shape and color. I am interested in how the natural texture on the ginkgo leaves contrast the hand cut paper and the painted surface. The shapes of the Italian hand cut paper are taken directly from a plant I grew. All eight pieces make up that one plant. These eight artworks were made over many years. This is one of my favorite projects. The colors of the ginkgo leaves are vibrant and contrast with the calming teal blue of the scalloped paper. The textures and shapes of the painted elements and the collage elements are what make these pieces truly unique. The collage contains painting elements, real dried ginkgo leaves and hand cut Italian paper. These original artworks are available for purchase on Etsy.

Life Lace No. 1

Life Lace No. 2

Life Lace No. 3

Life Lace No. 4

Life Lace No. 5

Life Lace No. 6

Life Lace No. 7

Life Lace No. 8

Simple Beauty Blooming Again

Just in time for last minute gifts, I've issued a new larger print edition. At 20"x20" these are the largest prints I have available. The edition size is only 50 prints and available on Etsy.

There are six images in the Lenten Rose series. In this series, I studied every inch of the shape of many plants. This flower is know as a Lenten Rose, although not a rose at all, it is known to bloom around the time of Lent. Many people view this simple beauty as a symbol of new beginnings.

The Lenten Rose or Helleborus Orientalis may be the first flower of the season in the very early spring. The sepals are extremely long lasting and may persist throughout the summer. These perennials have an evergreen foliage that stands up well to the early spring temperatures.

Lenten Rose No. 2

Lenten Rose No. 4

Lenten Rose No. 5

Lenten Rose No. 1

Lenten Rose No. 3

Lenten Rose No. 6

Thank you for visiting!

New Craspedia Original Paintings

Drawn directly from nature, these two paintings reveal the details in the shape of the craspedia plant. They 6"x6" on mounted board 7/8" deep and ready to hang. Available on Etsy.

$50 each on Etsy

Rugged and Shabby Frames

I love frames! I've found some really great frames lately and paired them with some of my new prints. My new favorite frame maker is ArtCityFrames on Etsy. Her frames are solid wood and have great details. If your looking for something salvaged and even more rugged, than Foundre Frames is awesome. You won't get the same frame twice. His frames are only available wholesale, unless you can find them at retail shops.

I've paired some special frames with prints that will make great ready-to-hang gifts for outdoor enthusiasts and gardeners. Check out my Etsy shop for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.

Eucalyptus 8x10 botanical print framed in Foundre frame

Clover 8x10 botanical print framed in cottage style frame from ArtCityFrames

Lenten Rose No. 6 botanical print framed in cottage style frame from ArtCityFrames

Save an additional 10% until November 30

Tis the season for deals! Etsy has rolled out new coupon codes unique to each shop. Use the code madebykim10 to save 10% in addition to the 10-20% already marked down on many individual items in my Esty shop. All 8x10 and 11x14 unframed prints include free FedEx ground shipping in the United States. Hurry this deal only lasts until November 30, 2010!

Framed Original Geranium Painting (on sale $85)

Eucalyptus: 8x10 botanical silhouette print (free shipping)

Lenten Rose 3: Framed Mini Botanical Print (on sale $20)

3 new 8x10 prints

These 8x10 archival, ultra-high quality giclee prints are on Hahnemuhle smooth watercolor paper, 308 gsm, printed with pigment inks said to last 200 years. All imaging for print preparation, as well as printing is done by me at the professional print shop I work at. I insist that the my print editions stand apart from the original artworks and have a life of there own.

 "Clover" available on Etsy

 

  "Life Forms 3" available on Etsy

 

"Summer Weeds" available on Etsy

Giclée Prints Part 1: A Great Giclee

Most buyers and artists have an idea of what a giclee print is but most don't realize there are significant differences between an acceptable giclee and a great giclee. This post will be the first in a series of posts on the details of making, selling, and buying giclee prints.

There are four basic things to consider when making or buying a giclee print. I will go into more detail in future posts.

Printer/Ink: Giclée is a high-quality archival inkjet print. Printers vary in dot size and inks vary in longevity. Be careful, because even the best printer can be run at a more economical setting, resulting in a soft and dull print. The key is to ask a lot of questions if you're buying prints, and provide a lot of information if you're selling prints. In a later post, I will list questions to ask your printer.

Paper: The best option is 100% rag paper without optical brightener agents (OBA). Optical brighteners make paper look bright white but can react with atmospheric pollutants and yellow over time. The paper must also be compatible with the printer and ink for optimal longevity.

Image: This is the part hardest to get right. Great photography of artwork for reproduction can really only be done by a professional. Getting a high-resolution, color-correct digital file will ensure your print has depth, saturation, detail and sharpness. Many professional photographers who specialize in fine art reproduction are using digital scanning backs that create files many hundreds of megabits or even gigabits. 

Matting and/or Framing: Giclee prints, like other works on paper, should be protected from UV light, moisture and atmospheric pollutants. Always use 100% acid-free materials. Avoid adhesives and use polyethylene bags to protect your print before it is framed.

In the end, you can have the best printer and paper, but what's the point if your digital file is just okay. And why put that great print in a frame that is going to ruin it in a couple years. In my next couple posts I will go into further detail in each of these categories and explain some of my experiences over the past ten years of making giclee prints.

Giclée Prints Part 2: Printer and Ink

Giclée Prints Part 3: Paper

Below are details of some of my paintings taken with a BetterLight scanning back.

Two New Original Paintings

I haven't had too many new original artworks for sale recently. These two are a pair but sold separately. I love the colors the best which was hard to capture in the photo. The frame is a dark brown wood-like color. The archival matte is a cream and the paper behind the oval is a nice sightly warm gray. The artwork is a gradient from cream to light green (with very slight iridescence) to light brown. I am almost tempted to keep these! Well, before I do here they are. They are drawn from geraniums planted for Mother's Day. Available on Etsy.

New Linocut Block Prints

The new linocut edition is titled Clear Existence: Sunshine. Clear Existence is a series of artwork inspired by silhouettes of trees. This series is about calmness and beauty in simplicity. As humans we consume ourselves with finding purpose in life. Trees, plants and most other life forms have that big question pretty well worked out and keep it simple.

The leaves on the silhouette on this print where those high above an open area. The tree stretched out its branches to reach the sunshine. Simply working calmly towards its goal.

Each print is made from a hand carved linoleum block and printed by hand, one at a time, using two colors, warm yellow and gold, mixed on the block. The result is a unique print that looks hand painted.

 The prints are currently available on Etsy as cards printed on three different colored papers, grass green, sunshine yellow and papaya red. They are also available on Etsy framed.