Archival Arts Impressions

This week Archival Arts is  very pleased to feature artist and guest blogger  Clara Nilles who often visits our shop with her colorful acrylic paintings for scanning and printing. Clara took a trip to New York City to scout the art licensing show called Surtex, held once a year at the Jacob Javits Center. Here is what she has to say about her expedition to the big apple. SURTEX , labeled  the largest original art and design art licensing show on the East Coast, was a “not to miss” show for me. For those who are new to SURTEX, this is the industry trade show that brings together all participants in the constantly changing marketplace of art licensing. The show featured artists, designers, studios, art agents, licensing companies, publishing companies, textile companies, manufacturers, and other trade professionals from around the globe.  China, Great Britain, Australia and Germany are among a few that stand out in my memory. The booths featured everything from the latest emerging sur

 Baltimore artist Mark Cottman and Archival Arts' owner Jeff Salava with Cottman's mural, "Can't We All Just Swim Along" Award winning artist Mark Cottman, and owner of south Baltimore’s Mark Cottman Gallery , is a frequent customer to our shop. The extensive body of Mark’s work ranges from colorful, figurative paintings to abstract designs based on a myriad of images.  This month Mark Cottman Gallery is featuring a show titled “ Flower Power .” On display at the gallery are various imaginative paintings and prints of flowers all created by this self-taught artist. “African Violet Parade”  pictured below is  a good example of the sense of humor conveyed in much of Mark’s work.  "African Violets on Parade" giclée print on watercolor paper  His piece titled “Sunflowers Abundance” is another instance where we stop to smile at the clever way he makes us notice the imperfection of flower behavior in real life. "Sunflowers Abundance" giclée pri

Exposure is one of the most crucial tools in marketing.  The ability to offer your customer an affordable way to display your work in their homes and businesses is one of the keys to achieving this goal. Limited edition, giclée prints of your original artwork are tailor made for this approach.  The more artwork you release into the world, the more people will begin to become familiar your style.  Familiarity breeds recognition.  It is about establishing an identity and obtaining the confidence within the community of current and future art collectors. Having a presence on the internet is no longer optional. A less expensive alternative to a web site  is an on-line gallery. Some sites are free and some charge a yearly rate based on how many files you upload. There are artists’ forums and groups which allow members to upload their work for free.  Once you have your files prepared for this strategy it will be very easy to get more of your work seen on the world wide web.  For those star

 A huge crowd turned-out for the Zoll Studios of Fine Art show. Last Friday, April 29 we stopped by the Zoll Studio of Fine Art in Timonium, MD for their annual spring Student and Faculty Exhibit. We were impressed with the abundance of paintings hanging on every wall surface in their spacious facility. It was delightful to see the swelling crowd of enthusiastic patrons studying the paintings while deciding which pieces to purchase. Several of our clients had paintings in the show and Carol Lee Thompson’s “Fading Light” and “Cleanin’ the Traps” appeared to be very popular with the public. We also recognized work by  clients  Carol McClees , Christa Eppinghaus and other artists previously featured in our blog.    Carol Thompson's "Cleanin' the Traps" captured the attention of this couple.  People of all ages enjoyed the art including Carol Thompson's painting "Fading Light."  Carol McClees "Red Bucket"  "Birdhouse" by Chri