Archival Arts Impressions

We love to receive referrals from our artists. To us it is the ultimate praise to know that our clients want to share their positive  experience at Archival Arts with their colleagues. We are now offering you the opportunity to complement those referrals  with a gift card from us. And on the flip side, you can strongly suggest to your family and friends that a gift card from Archival Arts would be an ideal  present for you! You decide the amount you want to give. We offer them in any denomination - modest or grand!   Since this is something new we are trying we  are happy to report that recently a customer purchased a card to surprise her mother who had always wanted to have the family portrait professionally reproduced but never thought it possible. Thanks to her daughter's generosity she will be able to realize that ambition. On Thursday, a long-time customer got one for his highly admired art teacher. So we know we are on the right track ...

One of our newer customers Marina Borovok is busily preparing for her one woman show at Ranazul Restaurant in Maple Lawn, MD. Today she arrived to approve proofs for some of her paintings  and prints  featured in the show. The work covers subject matter such as country landscapes, moody beach scenes and colorful still life paintings. Here are a few images of her work that we have scanned. The show opens Sunday, February 12 at 4 p.m. Marina hopes everyone will join her then. "Red Barn" oil on canvas by Marina Borovok "Still Life" by Marina Borovok Storm is Coming" by Marina Brovok

Artist Diana Voisin with a print from her "Barcode" series. Anne Arundel County resident Diana Voisin makes a trip with her paintings to Archival Arts a couple of times per month. We met Diana early this year when she arrived with her first in a series of large bar code paintings which we scanned and printed. It must have been a big hit because since then we have been busy not only filling additional print orders for this image but scanning more paintings for her as well. "Heart" giclée print by Diana Voisin A candidate for a degree in fine art at Anne Arundel Community College, Voisin also carries a major in graphic design. One can immediately sense the influence of her interest in design reflected in her paintings such as “Heart” and "Barcode" on her web site .  Busy with building her portfolio, the student artist tells us that she plans, upon graduating next year, to transfer to a university where she will continue her work to earn a Bachelor of ...

Laura Gardiner - Reproduction Expert Some of our customers have already had the pleasure of meeting Archival Arts’ Reproduction Expert Laura Gardiner. Others have only glimpsed the side of her face as she is absorbed in skillfully proofing artists’ digital files. She operates our Betterlight scanner, programs the large format printers, and even makes the stretchers and panels for mounting your art. She is equally adept at handling the final stage of framing and can answer many of  your questions about our services and products. A 2010  graduate of UMBC, Laura holds a BA in Visual Arts with emphasis on Photography. We’ve included here some of Laura’s artwork from her award-winning senior exhibit in the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture on the campus of UMBC. Laura poses at her 2011 show with some of her models. "Jill" (12" x 18")  2010 photograph by Laura Gardiner "Saira" (12 x 18")  2010 photograph by Laura Gardiner. In ad...

Artist Kathy Thompson with "Paris at Sunset"  We are delighted to welcome one of our newest clients, painter  Kathy Thompson . She comes to us from Silver Spring, MD where she  paints all sorts of vivid, European influenced imagery.  Kathy finds the bulk of of her inspiration from French impressionists ranging from Monet to Matisse. In fact it was the paintings of these 19th and 20th century "revolutionaries" who spoke to her so loudly that she made the decision to seriously pursue her painting. A prolific painter, Thompson brought us at least a dozen works last week.  As we work scanning, proofing and printing  this series one could very well feel a connection to the allure of the provençal culture. On this side of the Atlantic you might find Kathy participating with a group at  Washington, DC's  International Art and Artists  where she is a member. Please join us here with a post in welcoming Kathy to  Archival Arts .  Bienven...

Call us for an appointment during our summer promotion. 410-247-7771 The decision of which family relation inherits the precious ancestral portraits no longer needs to be a source of dispute or rivalry within the family. In the past few years we have been scanning and reproducing these priceless paintings and, in some cases by request, have restored and altered the images as well. More often than not, following this creative procedure, the high-quality reproductions are distributed to many of the relatives allowing them to enjoy the remembrance of their fore bearers in their own homes. It can have a very unifying effect. It is up to you, the client, to make the decision how to proceed once we scan your original. Recently we scanned a portrait and faithfully restored and reproduced several stretched canvas prints. Once they were appropriately framed, it was very difficult to discern which painting was the original.  Currently Archival Arts is showcasing this service with a su...

 If you are reading this blog you're probably already selling prints of your art or are considering selling prints.  Either way, hopefully you have done  a little research on making prints or have found someone to make prints for you.  In my 10 years of printing experience, I have discovered one factor that is overlooked time and time again by both amateur and "professional" art printers.  This factor can greatly reduce the quality of your digital file, and ultimately affect your sales.  I'm talking about image   clarity . 1950's Brownie camera with plastic lens. I know I know, that's a no-brainer right?  If you make prints, of course you want them to be clear.  The problem is, due to our over-exposure to mediocre photo prints, we have been trained to accept blurry images as OK.  In my opinion it all started when Kodak came out with the Brownie camera .  Before the Brownie, photography was mostly limited to professionals who us...

Beth and Hans at Archival Arts today picking up their work for the Schuler School Exhibition this weekend. Hans Guerin and Beth de Lioselle, artists and instructors at the  Schuler School of Fine Arts  in Baltimore, stopped by this afternoon to pick up their paintings and scans. The talented couple cut it close to the deadline for the internationally known school's painting and sculpture exhibition which opens tomorrow, Saturday, June 4. This event which runs through Monday, June 6 promises to continue its time-honored tradition of exhibiting the work of those who study and teach the traditional techniques of the masters. In addition to the work of Beth and Hans and many more artists, the show includes our clients Hans Briggs and Carol Thompson. Stop by and see their amazing work in person.  "Chickadee with Hydrangeas"-  oil on panel - by Beth de Lioselle "Mother Earth" - oil on canvas- by Hans Guerin "White Cat" - watercolor on paper - by Fritz...

 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 wor...