Art Reproductions

Have you ever wanted a reproduction of an original print or painting? We can make a photographic print that looks exactly like it! Through color matching techniques, we can make you an archival reproduction that can be sold as digital editions, given as gifts, put on display, or kept as copies in place of the original print or painting.

This method is great for any painter, printmaker, or traditional photographer who wants to recreate an original. It is also helpful for people who have darkroom prints that they would like to digitize without the negative present or to reproduce a print but cannot quite seem to do it the same way again.

Here are some of the steps we take to color match original paintings, prints, and documents:

·      Scan or photograph the original at a high quality with the best, even light you can get. If the image is too big, we might have to make more than one scan or photograph that we later stitch together in Photoshop.

·      Upload the image into Photoshop and begin correcting the file to make it look closer to the original. This includes cropping out parts of the file that are not the image and sizing the image correctly.

·      Make lots and lots of TEST STRIPS! Test strips allow us to compare the printed reproduction to the original. We carefully compare the test strip to the original to see what parts of the image we need to adjust.

o   We make sure to keep all of the test strips to track the progression.

·      Once the test strips match the original painting or print, we make the full size printed reproduction!

New Bedford Dockside by Jim Earl

Check his work out HERE

Fox by Mary Gilmartin

If you are interested in this service, please call, email, or stop by the shop and we can make you a beautiful digital reproduction!

Calibration

With the digital age we are in, we are constantly looking at photographs on screens. While computers and the internet make sharing our photographs much easier, it also means no one is seeing the exact same thing as you are on your screen.  The brightness and colors can range from monitor to monitor, which can also completely throw off your print matching. Usually monitors right out of the box are too bright and have a default color profile, which can be fixed with calibrators. And then there are the Ferraris of monitors that have their own calibration system built in! Properly profiling and calibrating your monitors will give you reduce editing time and a more realistic no-surprises representation of final print.

At the office we go the extra step and have our printers calibrated to our monitors, so what you see is what you get! If you ever want to view your images on our screens before we print we are happy to set up a time for you to do that or if you are not local we can send you test prints to see what we see.

Things we DO recommend:

• Eizo monitors
• NEC monitors (spectra view series)
• Spyder calibration systems
• i1 Display Pro Calibration
• calibrating your screen monthly

Things we do NOT recommend:

• editing on a laptop
• editing on an iMac
• keeping your brightness to your screen turned up too high

Artist Spotlight: Michaela Harlow

"Rain in September" 2015 - Graphite, Pastel and Polychromos Pencils

We have had the privilege to scan and digitally reproduce Michaela’s pastel & oil paintings and are delighted to share her beautiful work with you.

Michaela has exhibited her paintings and drawings in galleries and juried shows throughout the United States since 1994. Her work has been featured and reviewed in various publications —including Vermont Arts and Living, Santa Fean Magazine and Pasatiempo— and is included in public, corporate and private collections here and abroad. In addition to her work as a visual artist, Michaela is also a landscape designer, published garden writer and photographer, as well as a licensed pilot. Inspired by nature and the complex relationship between human beings and their environment, Michaela Harlow’s contemporary oils, pastels and mixed media works incorporate both figurative and abstract elements. Her work is now represented in New England at West Branch Gallery in Stowe, Vermont.

"Song of the Solstice" 2015 - Oil, Graphite and Polychromos Pencil

• First off, we have to ask about you being a licensed pilot! It is such a fun fact about you that we did not know – when did you learn how to fly a plane? Does it influence your art in anyway?

MH: I began flying in the summer of 1999 and earned my private pilot certificate in January, 2000. I've always loved images taken from above earth and once I started flying, I quickly developed an interest in aerial photography. However, flying an aircraft requires undivided attention, so for more than a decade, I simply observed while airborne, and collected books by well-known aerial photographers such as Arthus-Bertrand, George Steinmetz and Bernhard Edmaier. Just recently ---over the past two years or so--- I've begun making photos when flying with another pilot. I absolutely love it. That process ---seeing and documenting abstract land shapes and patterns --- has definitely informed my painting as well as my work in landscape design.

"Fog of Memory" 2015 - Oil and Graphite

• You are a gardener, a photographer, and a painter – do you think all of your art forms relate to one another?

MH: That is an interesting question. To be honest, until recently, I hadn't given the connection between my interests much thought. I've simply pursued passions. I am only now beginning to see the complex ways that they interrelate. Like the study of languages, I think the more forms of art you practice, the richer and deeper your understanding of each becomes. My formal training as a painter has given me confidence when experimenting with a camera. It has also assisted me greatly with aspects of landscape design; especially when it comes to color, form, shape and texture. I see more and more connections each day.

"Black Birch Cross" 2015 - Oil, Graphite, Polychromos Pencil

• How long have you been working with pastels & what is your process in choosing colors for each piece?

MH: I first experimented with soft pastels as a kid when I was given a small box of them by a family friend. They move and flow like paint and blend easily with bare fingers or tools. Almost immediately they became my favorite medium for drawing. Later, I worked with a private instructor and learned how to use oil pastels. Over the years I've experimented with soft and hard pastels, pastel pencils and combinations of these with other materials. I still love their portability and ease-of-use.

Often, I choose colors based on the mood I'm trying to capture. Color is a great way to stir emotion. But I also draw my palette from nature and/or my surroundings.

"Sweet Water" 2014 - Pastel on Paper

• How has your career path as an artist changed over the years?

MH: Oh, my, my my. If I were to map it out on paper, my career path probably looks more like a complex labyrinth than a sensible road map! Economic necessity coupled with varied interests has resulted in many professional detours. However, I will say that all of my work and life experiences have lead to artistic growth. Switching focus from two dimensional work to the three dimensional practice of landscape design has proven very beneficial.

And just this past year, I gave myself a season-long sabbatical from landscape design, to focus on my painting career. I'm very pleased with what I was able to accomplish in 2015, and I plan to strictly limit landscape design projects ---adding one or two per year--- until I find the right balance.

"In The Still" 2014 - pastel on paper

• How has digital reproductions affected your work? -– do you print bigger sizes? Do you have open or closed editions?

MH: By having my work professionally documented and digitally archived, I've been able to offer signed, limited edition prints on demand, making my work available to a much wider audience. Archival prints are very popular with art consultants and interior designers; particularly when working with the hospitality industry. Original artwork isn't always the best choice for a hotel, restaurant or cruise ship. High quality, archival prints offer designers a beautiful, affordable solution when security concerns or budget constraints rule out original paintings.

"Amphibious" 2015 - Oil and Graphite

• I found on your blog your post about Thirty in Thirty. I absolutely love this project – thirty straight days of making art! Can you share with us your end experience with this challenge? Do you recommend other artists try this challenge?

MH: The Thirty-in-Thirty challenge began when I was working full time in landscape design. I had very limited hours for art making during the growing season, but months of free time in winter. The idea was to kick start my process during the quiet month of January with a daily work schedule and goal. I discovered that by aiming to complete one small work of art per day, that I inadvertently freed myself from the perfectionism and self criticism; enemies of experimentation and process. The end result for me is that I no longer wait for inspiration before going to work. I just get up, go to the studio and set to work. Usually, when I'm in my studio, surrounded by materials, inspiration finds me. If I feel stuck, I start with sketching to loosen up, or prime a few panels. I find it's a lot like running: lace up your shoes, stretch a little and just get moving.

I think Thirty-in-Thirty can be a very liberating exercise for artists. I believe Andy Warhol said "Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” If you want to critique and edit your work, fine. But make a separate time for that. The making is your practice.

"Between Showers" 2015 - Oil and Graphite