Colour Your Worlde

In November of 2012, the Wee Gallery in Scottsdale will host "Scottsdale Biennale". The theme of this year's show is Venture. They are currently accepting artist submissions. The competition is open to all artists, and they are accepting paintings, drawings, and photography up to an approximate size of 20"x40". They are awarding a Grand Prize of $5,000, and a Best of Show of $1,000. Submissions are due by September 1st.



Finalists will be revealed on September 30th. For more information on how to submit your work in to the competition, please visit their website.

Davis has his M. F. A. in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has exhibited his work throughout the United States including: Colorado, California, New York, and Pennsylvania. He serves as the Program Director for Art Foundations at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division.

We were honored to work with Jeff on his project, and wish him all the best in his show.

Joshua Tree National Park has been the backdrop for many album covers over the years. Think past U2's 1987 release. Joshua Tree was also the setting for the self titled first release of the Eagles. which was shot at the cholla gardens on the eastern edge of the park. The orchestrators behind that iconic Eagles cover were artist Gary Burden and photographer Henry Diltz -- the men widely credited with inventing the concept of album cover art. Gary was the go-to album designer for rock artists in the 1970s, and collaborated with Henry for many of his projects. A collection of Burden's album cover art debuted at the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center on August 10th as part of the park's 75th Birthday Celebration.

The exhibit features images of the music groups America and the Eagles taken during the early 1970s in the park. The exhibit features more than 30 prints, curated by Gary Burden in partnership with Joshua Tree National Park and the printing help of Artisan Colour. Some of the prints, like the Eagles album cover, were printed on at a grand 4'x4' size.

Here are some of Gary's thoughts on why the park is so special and remains a source of inspiration to him.

I loved going into nature and found the desert to be a place of refuge. A place of great power and mystery. A place where there is, in fact, an abundance of life and beauty. A safe place. A place where you are tested and when you pass the test and survive you can rejoice and feel truly alive.



Later I brought other people here to Joshua Tree and shared what I knew and felt. The right ones got it and cherished it. They came back on their own to enjoy what the desert offers, again and again.



We are very fortunate to live in an area that has and protects our desert and makes it available to everyone. There is much to learn. Much beauty. Great peace and tranquility that will always improve our lot here on earth.

Thanks to the keepers of the special wild places, our National Park Service.

The exhibit is free to the public, and will be on display for the rest of 2011. The visitor center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It was a pleasure to work with Gary Burden and 75th Anniversary Coordinator and Park Ranger "Extraordinaire", George Land.

Wall decals made out of self adhesive vinyl are an easy way to make a big graphic statement with minimal cost and impact to your wall's integrity. Unlike traditional wall art where you would need to drill holes in your wall to install, this look does not require power tools. If you ever want to redecorate, they can easily be removed with out damage to your wall.

The folks at Better Homes and Gardens put together some great ways to use wall decals in your home decor. If you know how to work in Illustrator, creating your own design to cut out with our digital router is a snap. For example, say you would love to have an antique wrought iron headboard, but don't want to shell out the bucks - create one out of black vinyl.

Or bring the outside in with this tree design. This design can make a great family tree. You can add photographs of family members, like they have here, or just their names to continue the simple graphic line look. You could add to it through out the years with new additions to the family. This would also look great in a nursery where you could add elements that match the theme of the room, like animals or a tire swing hanging from the branches.

Before you tackle this home project be sure you are ready for installation. Clean your walls, and if you have recently painted make sure you allow your paint to dry 72 hours before applying the vinyl.
"Decals are easy to apply, but be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. Use a level and tape measure as you apply the decal to ensure straight, accurate positioning. Smooth the decal onto the wall. Use the burnishing tool to adhere it to the wall and to remove any bubbles." "Very slowly, peel off the plastic backing. To speed the application and avoid wrinkles, cut the decal into segments, then use low-tack painter's tape to hang sections on the wall."

Children’s art is so great. There is something so charming about the freedom of expression, that people later in life have to train themselves to relearn. Most proud parents will tack up their favorite pieces on the refrigerator or bulletin board. Why not make it a lasting piece of art for your home? Simply scan the original and format the file to be able to blow up to a poster size. To add another dimension to the work you can print it on metallic paper, or print on to a canvas finished with gallery wrap to give it an authentic museum quality look. Not only can this make a great Mother’s or Father’s Day gift, but it will also preserve that special moment of their lives that seems to pass so quickly. Once you hang the finished piece it will look like you have your own Matisse in residence.

Awakening to the Light

Award winning photographer Christine Taft of The Perceptive Lens will be hosting a one woman show and reception this Saturday, April 30th at Studio ADT for a special Mother's Day event. The reception will be held from 2 - 5 pm. Christine will be showcasing her new coffee table photography book as well as her framed photographs. Her work will be on display at Studio ADT until June 18th.

Introducing her newly released photography book and showcasing many of her award winning and landscape photographs.

Please bring your mother and friends to join us in an afternoon of celebration with light refreshments & networking.

Looking forward to seeing you at this event!

Location: Studio ADT
                1775 West University Dr., Suite 122
                Tempe,  AZ  85281

Pricing your art can be tricky at best. Many of our customers struggle to find their place in the market, and not price themselves out of business before they even get started. Until you are an well known photographer with celebrity clientele, like Peter Lik, commanding and actually selling your work for a hefty price may be hard to achieve. That doesn't mean you have to sell your work at rock bottom Costco prices either. So, where do you fall in between?

The Photoshelter blog has some advise for you. In their article - The Price of Prints: Part 2: How to Avoid Pricing Yourself Out of Business - they interviewed professional photographer Dean Oros who lists what to consider when pricing your prints.

1. Always, our cost of doing business.
2. Proof or a polished image.
3. Media: type of paper, canvas, greeting card etc.
4. Type of photo session / event that was the cause of the image to be produced in the first place. Or, for example, is it a stock image we created at our expense where we offer generic prints, or a limited edition fine art print.
5. We often do not include high-res digital files (for consumer clients). Unless they're well-versed in color profiles, etc., most consumers will take those digital files to a local consumer lab to have inexpensive prints made which they in turn will share with their friends and family. Your image will never look as you intended by doing this. Handling the printing yourself will ensure you have control over the print process, and will ensure your client receives the best quality for the type of print they've ordered.

As printers, we couldn't agree with #5 enough. When selecting a print company it is important to make sure they keep up with calibrating their equipment and quality assure output for consistent color. Setting the right price for your prints also means that you can proudly put your name on that print. Maintaining control of your work from start to finish will reinforce that confidence.

This Friday, January 7th, is the inaugural First Friday of 2011. One of our favorite photographers, John Wagner, will have a show of his work at the After Hours Gallery entitled SALT. All the photos were taken at the Bonneville Salt Flats during Speed Week in 2010. Congrats on the show, John!

Artist Desiree Edkins is part of a group exhibition opening this week at the UBS Financial Services Scottsdale location, entitled ART UBS PHX. The Opening Reception will be held this Thursday the 30th from 6-9 PM. It is a great chance to meet the artists and talk to them about their work.

We were pleased to work with Desiree for the show. We printed some pretty large pieces for her, so it promises to be an impressive presentation. As always, her work is evocative, ethereal, surreal, and simply amazing. Best of luck on the show!

UBS Scottsdale is pleased to present ART UBS PHX, 45 photographs by DESIREE EDKINS, MICHAEL LUNDGREN, PATRICK MADIGAN, AARON ROTHMAN, BETSY SCHNEIDER and MIKE WILLIAMS. Part permanent and rotating collection, ART UBS PHX is the first group exhibition to be shown in this space.

Please join us for the OPENING RECEPTION:

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30TH, 2010, 6:00-9:00PM.

UBS SCOTTSDALE
4800 North Scottsdale Road (North of Camelback), 4th Floor

Located in the PORTALES building (North of the Scottsdale Fashion Square) above THE ROARING FORK restaurant.

There will be a dedicated trolley running back and forth from the Scottsdale Old Town Art_Walk to the PORTALES BUILDING/UBS ART PHX exhibition. Catering provided by THE ROARING FORK, as well as wines hosted by local Arizona vineyards. Parking available at both locations.

Artist Patrick Rummans displays his combined love of birds and photography in the stunning Bird on a Wire show at the Holter Gallery in Helena, Montana. Patrick has had a life long connection with birds. He started out as a hunter, moved on to taxidermy, which in turn lead him to specialized animatronics. When Patrick picked up photography, it was the perfect marriage of his passion for the subject matter and compassion for conservation. Through his camera he could forever preserve the bird's beauty without harming the animal. His love for the subject is clear in his images.

We were honored to print and do the finishing for his show pieces. We hear the show is being well received. Patrick's success is well deserved, and it couldn't have happen to a nicer guy. Congrats!

Patrick's gorgeous images will be on display at the Holter Gallery until the end of December.

Whether birds are your passion – as they are for Patrick Rummans – or you lose yourself to the world of photography, you will want to visit this dazzling exhibition. His images range from precise images of familiar field birds to the abstracted feathers of an argus pheasant, from light-footed cranes to sinuous flamingoes. Each image will mesmerize you with its natural beauty and technical skill.

Photographer Patrick Rummans was raised in Lewistown, Montana. As a hunter, he spent a lot of time pursuing birds. The hunting led to taxidermy and eventually to his being one of the top bird taxidermists in the world. All during that time he kept, bred and raised a myriad of species in enormous aviaries that surrounded his home. 

As he and his business grew older, his perspective changed and he hunted less. He became involved with doing feather work for animatronics in the movie and television industry and it became his main line of work. In 2005 he worked on a movie project that took him to Australia for six months and it was there that photography became his new obsession.

“I realized then that I had hunted,” he says, “because I wanted to get closer to birds and understand them on every level. Taxidermy was my way of creating art with birds, and preserving that beauty forever. Photography allowed me to do all of that without causing any harm.”

Tomorrow, October 1st, the monthly First Friday Artwalk will be held in downtown Phoenix. The 26 Blocks project, that we were privledged to print, has found a new home in the CityScape lobby as part of the show's 2010 tour. The opening night festivities will be held from 6-10 pm in the Main Tower Lobby. If you could not make the other showings of the 26 Blocks project this is a great opportunity to experience first hand the collaborative efforts of 26 local Phoenix photographers and writers, highlighting 26 city blocks of downtown Phoenix, and their resulting images and stories.

For more about the 26 Blocks project visit their website. CityScape is located on the SW corner of Washington an 1st Street. For directions to where the 26 Blocks show will be displayed take a look at this map. See you there!

Do you ever think about what happens to a billboard when the campaign is over? Billboards are made to withstand weather conditions for a long period of time while on display. For that reason, they are also durable and easily repurposed in to new uses. Rather than have piles of vinyl wind up in a landfill, some creative people have come up with ingenious ways to give them a new life.


These birdhouses are made from recycled billboard signs and found hardware. Billboards are also used to cover these birch chairs. Both are from the minds of Atelier Bom Design.


In 2005 during the earthquake relief in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan, there was an urgent need of large waterproof tents. Recycled vinyl billboard banners were used as rain covers at the refugee camp. Apart from the practical use they also add aesthetic value, the bold colors and optimistic imagery helped brighten up the campsite.



Because of the waterproof nature of the signs, they can also be made in to very sturdy bags. Target Corp. started out with this idea in mind when they commissioned emerging artists Charles Wilkin and Laurie Rosenwald to participate in a billboard project. These art collage billboards were displayed in New York City’s Times Square then turned into limited edition tote bags designed by Anna Sui available for purchase on their website.

Steven Kaye, of De La Luz Design, is a local artist focusing on design and photography. Many of his images are inspired by his travels to Mexico, as well as the beautiful Sonoran Desert we call home. His tag line describes it best 'light infused design'.

He offers three galleries of his work for purchase on his website; Agua Tierra Sol, The Road to Delores, and Points of View. Aqua Tierra Sol is a collection of lush organic subject matter and landscapes. The Road to Delores gallery has a collection of lifestyle and detail shots of his Mexico travels. Points of View gallery features stylized abstracts. The shot seen here entitled Rail Yard can be found in the Points of View gallery.

We recently printed this image on metallic paper and second surface mounted it to 1/8" Plexiglas. The metallic paper brought out the chrome elements of the image and the acrylic mounting really enhanced the overall look. Our thanks to Steven for working with us to find a new way to present his art.

Artwork that you have printed or bought is an investment. Think of mounting and framing as preserving your asset. Choosing the right type of mounting board, mating, and frame can mean the difference between the piece lasting for years or generations.

Acid free materials should be used when dry mounting and framing your work. This not only applies to the type of board or mating selected, but also the adhesive used to affix the print to the board. Most reputable framers will use the proper adhesive in their process, but may not use the right type of backing or mat unless requested by the customer. That is where the consumer needs to be educated about their purchase. Acid free materials can sometimes come with a higher price. The economical frame and mat combo sold at your local craft store can seem like a great deal until it degrades your print. Be sure to do your research before you make your purchase.

With the move towards environmental conservation many frame companies even have lines that promote reforestation for the materials used to make their product. So you are not only preserving your artwork, you are also supporting environmental sustainability.

If you have art work currently framed with materials that are not acid free, you should consider re-framing them before it is too late. The longer it stays in its current state the acid will continue to leach in to the print. It may not show damage today, but it will over time. Restoring a print is more costly than framing it properly the first time.

Remember to do your research and make sure that the materials used to finish your art will keep it looking beautiful today and for years to come.

It may seem like a long way off, but it will be here before you know it. The Arizona State Fair will open this year on October 15. However, if you want to submit your photography to be considered for an award, the deadline is Septemeber 22nd. So now is the time to get out and start shooting, or review your portfolio to pick out the perfect set of pictures to print. Of course, you also have to give yourself enough time to get the images printed and matted according to the submission guidelines.

For photography there are five sections that you can enter - Large B&W prints, Small B&W prints, Large Color prints, Small Color prints, and Arizona Landscapes. The print size for the 'Small' category is 8x10 mounted on a 10x12 mat board. The 'Large' category can be between a 11x17 and 16x20 print mounted on a 16x20 mat board. The Arizona Landscapes competition is a special category sponsored by Arizona Highways. The print size for this category is the same as the Large print specifications. You can submit up to four entries per section for consideration.

If you think you have the next blue ribbon winning shot, we can help you get it printed, mounted and ready for submission. For complete details on how to enter the Arizona State Fair Photography competition check out their official rules.

Joey Robert Parks and Ellen Barnes being interviewed about the 26 Blocks project for Channel 12's Valley Dish. Take a look. Of course, be sure to check out the prints.

In childhood Neil Harbisson was diagnosed with a condition called achromatopsia, which means he can only see the world in black and white. Despite this fact, Neil went on to pursue a fine art degree at the Institut Alexandre Satorras, where he was given permission to use only black, white and their intermediate shades in his work.

In Neil's second year at school he attended a lecture that wound up being a life changing experience. At a cybernetics lecture given by Adam Montandon, Neil introduced himself to Montandon and after explaining his condition the pair started to work on what became known as the eyeborg project.

The eyeborg is a camera, mounted on Harbisson’s head that examines colors he is viewing then emits a noise to an earpiece converting the color in to a sound wave. By memorising the different frequencies Harbisson became the first person in history with the ability to hear colors. Further development of the eyeborg by software developer Peter Kese has meant that Harbisson can now perceive three hundred and sixty color hues through varying frequencies. Not only that, but he can also measure color saturation by adjusting the volume levels of the devise.

Neil's ability to translate sound in to color through the eyeborg has allowed him to experiment with color in his artwork. In a series of painting released in 2004 Harbisson took sound waves from famous pieces of classical music and painted their corresponding visual color representation. Below is his take on Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.3.


Neil is also the first legal cyborg. When Neil applied for his passport to be renewed the application was originally rejected because the eyeborg was visible in his passport picture. The appeal to get the application reviewed, and ultimate acceptance, made
Harbisson the first officially recognized cyborg in history.

This psychedelic wallpaper may seem dizzying, but there is a method to the madness. Designer Carnovsky created these overlapping patterns and shapes to work as one or when viewed with a red, green, or blue filter or light to respond to that specific light wave and reveal just one of the layers of the design. The wallpaper was recently shown at the Milan Design Week at the Jannelli & Volpi store.

We wanted to represent the antique theme of the metamorphosis intended as an unceasing transformation of shapes from a "primigenial chaos". For this purpose we have created a sort of catalogue of natural motifs starting with the engravings from natural history's great European texts, between the XVI and the XVII Century, from Aldrovandi to Ruysch, from Linneus to Bonnaterre.

It is possible to design a similar concept and print your own wallpaper. It would be perfect for a nightclub setting.

In January 2009, local photographers Art Holeman and Colleen Miniuk-Sperry spent 2 weeks photographing the memorable people and places in Sonora, Mexico, working with the Through Each Other's Eyes organization. Then, in March 2009, photographers from Sonora, Enrique Yescas and Juan Luis Fernandez, spent a week exploring the very best scenic locations Arizona has to offer.

The 4-person photography exhibit capturing their experiences during the Arizona-Mexico exchange, and resulting 80 images, will be on display at the 6th TEOE Exchange with Mexico Exhibition opening on May 22. Opening reception is from 6 - 8 pm at the Marriott Desert Ridge Resort. The show will run through June 7.

The TEOE non-profit organization has been active for 20 years, and has sponsored over 22 international photographic exchanges. It is always a pleasure to work with the photographers from TEOE.

It seems like so long ago when Joey Robert Parks met with us to explain his idea for the 26 Blocks project. Time sure went by fast. Joey has worked tirelessly to make his concept a reality. The reward is just a day away. The opening reception for 26 Blocks is tomorrow night at the After Hours Gallery.

We were honored that many of the artists recommended our services to Joey, and that he approached us in to be a part of the project. Working with all of the artists enlisted to participate has been a great experience. Its been fun to get a sneak peek of all of the images and stories that we printed for the show. Although, it can't compare to seeing them assembled in the gallery space along with Rafael Navarro's sculptures.

Joey can be seen here setting up one of the prints for the exhibit. From the Arizona Republic article.

Opening night is Friday May 7th from 6-9 pm at the After Hours Gallery, 116 W. McDowell Road. We hope to see everyone there!

In June the show will move to Monorchid, 214 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix. The tour is scheduled to end at the Burton Barr Public Library in Phoenix Dec. 26-Jan. 31, 2011.

Read some press about Friday's event - Arizona Republic & Phoenix New Times.