Prints That Look Like Originals

framed print of "Cape Cod Roses"
$65
click here to purchase

Hi all!  As you've probably noticed, I've been painting more and more on aquabord.  I love the surface for painting but I also love the fact that the paintings do not need to be framed under glass.  I spray them (and sometimes brush on an additional finish) and they are well protected.  I especially love that there is no fuss with cutting mats or dealing with glass.  (Of course be aware that most watercolor societies will not accept paintings that have been varnished.  That doesn't bother me as I'm not looking to enter shows these days.)

paintings on paper, mounted on cradled board and varnished

I researched how to avoid the glass barrier with original paintings on watercolor paper and found that I could mount them on board and seal them in the same way I do my aquabord.  (I watched this video by watercolorist, Annie Strack). I used this method when I finished my pencil paintings - mounting them on cradled board and sealing them with Krylon UV-Resistant spray and Liquitex Gloss Varnish.

                               

Then I got to thinking . . . "why can't I do this with my giclees?"  So I experimented a little and I must say I am very pleased with my results.  

So first I spray mount the giclee onto acid free foamcore using Krylon's Acid-Free Spray Adhesive and let it dry.  (it's best to spray the back of the print AND the foamcore to ensure a tight bond)

Then I spray the UV-Resistant clear coat followed by a couple coats of brushed-on varnish like I do with my aquabord paintings.  After everything has set for a day or so I frame it.  When all is said and done, it's pretty tough to determine whether the framed piece is a print or an original.  Of course because of the foamcore, it's a much lighter piece of artwork - you could always use board instead, but I like to have different price points for my pieces and the foamcore keeps the costs to a minimum.

I hope you find this post useful in your artistic endeavors!  Happy Experimenting!

A Good Reason

Some lovely lilacs from the backyard.  

Hello all.  I don't normally share many personal things on my blog, but I thought I'd share with you the reason I've been a little MIA.  My poor dad had a stroke a couple Tuesdays ago.  He called me at 3am and his speech was a little slurred.  Apparently he had slid out of bed onto the floor because his right side was immobile.  I called 911 and met the ambulance at the hospital which is between my house and his.  He had also called his neighbor, a dear friend, who hurried to my dad's side at that unGodly hour. (We are truly blessed to have friends like Phil and Sharon!)

Long story short, after a brief stay in the hospital where they addressed his blood pressure, cholesterol and blood, not to mention many tests and scans later, my dad is now situated in a rehab facility not far from his home.  He is recovering and making progress daily.  It will be a long haul I'm sure, but he has a wonderful team and we are hopeful for a strong recovery and doing all we can to prevent this from happening again.  His spirits are excellent and we all appreciate that things could have been a lot worse.  We are grateful for dear friends and family and the wonderful caregivers he has had and continues to have.  We also still manage to laugh a lot finding humor in some . . . um . . . well . . . awkward hospital situations.  

So thank you for your patience with my absence.

Fletcher Framer's Points - nifty little points that secure your paintings in their frames.

In "art" news . . . I have been trying to re-organize my blog and work on my various marketing strategies (a la Leslie Saeta -- the woman is a dynamo and VERY inspiring!)  

At that time, I had snapped a couple photos of my framing supplies with the hopes that at least one day a week I would share some of my supplies and studio practices with you.  I thought I'd start with how I frame.  Lots of you probably do your own framing already, but for those of you who don't, hopefully you will learn something new!

Aaaaahhhh  . . . the point driver and points.  Very simple and very easy!

Framing can be very expensive so I choose to do as much of it as I can, myself.  I will begin with two little items that you MUST have to frame.

Long ago I purchased a Fletcher Point Driver (pictured above) along with Framer's Points.  These allow you to secure your painting into any frame.  I think I bought my equipment through DickBlick . . . but many art stores and on-line framing sites sell them.  You can shop around.

These little items certainly make things easy when framing, and are a relatively minor investment that pay for themselves very quickly.  The point driver reminds of of a staple gun . . . you just load a sleeve of points into it, push the nose of the driver snug against the frame and your backing and pull the trigger.  

Voila!

close-up

I just put as many points as I think necessary to secure the painting in place.  I'll share more more about the entire process of framing a piece of art in another framing post. I just thought I'd get started with this little piece of equipment.  

If there are any topics you'd like me to write about, or you're curious about, (regarding watercolor painting, framing, or my processes as an artist) I will do my best to address them.  I'm happy to share whatever I've learned on this little ride!  

Thanks for dropping by!