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your prints created? What does ‘Signed and Numbered’ mean? Can I pick the print number? Are any of your drawings done in color? What is meant by ‘hand-coloring?’ Why are hand-colored prints more expensive? What is a ‘remarque?’ Can I choose which colors my print is ‘hand-colored’ in? Why aren’t all the prints available as hand-colored? Do you take commissions? How long does it take to create a commissioned piece? Have you ever designed note cards on commission? Do you do portraits? I’ve purchased some of your work and now I want to display it. What should I do so that it stays in mint condition? I’d like to know when a new piece of work has been created and is available. Is that possible? Do you have a mail order catalogue? Can I use your art as a tattoo design? All of my prints are lithographs, printed on archival-quality (acid-free) paper stock with lightfast inks. A lithograph (litho) is produced when a drawing is photographed and engraved onto a metal plate which is then put into a press to create the prints. Since most of my prints are limited editions, after the specific edition size is reached, the metal plate is then destroyed. Once the prints are back in my studio, I sign and number each, being careful to include a copyright symbol (©) which signifies that the legal rights of the print belong to me and unless my permission has been granted it may not be used in any manner other than for display purposes. What does ‘Signed and Numbered’ mean? If I’ve requested an edition size of 100 prints, each print is given a specific number from 1 to 100 depending on where it was in the order when it came off the press. For example: number 1/100 is the first print to come off the press, and number 100/100 is the final print in the printing process. At that point the edition size has been reached and no additional prints will be made of that particular drawing. If the number you want is still available, of course. We normally will ship the lowest numbered print we have in stock.Are any of your drawings done in color? I LOVE black and white art, and I really enjoy working in pencil, graphite and ink. It took me a long time to shake the notion that an artist should naturally begin sketching and drawing in pencil and then graduate to the zenith: full-color painting in oils. I eventually tried painting, but what surprised me was that I’d often regret adding color to my pencil or pen work. The color would look fine, but it never really felt like an improvement on the line drawings. I’ve discovered that those people who like black and white art REALLY like it. And the rest won’t look at anything, no matter how well executed it is, unless there is color involved. I suppose they think the work looks unfinished somehow.... Now, to please more of the public, I’ll sometimes hand-color small areas of drawings, but I’ll use delicate shades of colored pencils so that the underlying sketch details will show through.What is meant by ‘hand-coloring?’ After signing and numbering my black and white prints, I’ll oftentimes add color to a small number of them by hand, using Prismacolor art pencils. Only a small portion of a print will be colored, as I feel too much color detracts from the detail of the original work. However, even in such a small area (such as a faery’s wing) I’ll use upwards of two dozen different colors to give it just the right hue… Hand-coloring is a way of ‘personalizing’ a piece, and no two hand-colored prints are ever exactly alike.Why are hand-colored prints more expensive? Hand-coloring individual prints takes a lot of time, as upwards of two dozen different colors are often used on a particular print. Like a remarque, hand-coloring adds individuality and boosts the value of the printed piece. And since no two hand-colored prints are identical, they’re considered ‘originals’ of sorts and can demand higher prices. A remarque is usually a little pencil or ink drawing added by the artist onto a print. Mine are drawn near my signature and are usually done in pencil. A remarque adds individuality and boosts the value of the printed piece. One can be requested at the time of purchase, and adds an additional $15 to the print price.Can I choose which colors my print is ‘hand-colored’ in? Of course — that’s the fun part!Why aren’t all the prints available as hand-colored? My early works were printed on a paper stock that had no ‘tooth’ and felt smooth to the touch, almost glossy. Years later when I began hand-coloring some of the prints, I discovered that Prismacolor pencils didn’t work well on this particular paper stock. Since then I’ve found a paper that works much better. I generally prefer to hand-color prints that are on this brand of paper. Yes. Prices usually run approximately $500 but vary depending upon the commission.How long does it take to create a commissioned piece? Commissions are unfortunately sandwiched in between all the other Mayfaire-related stuff I handle. My life/business partner, James, helps me with a lot of the details, but I don’t have any employees, so every task except the actual printing of the artwork falls on me. One of my fondest wishes is that I will someday be able to spend all my time just creating the art while others take care of everything else. I should mention, too, that I’m currently employed at a fulltime job and am a single mom and homeowner. Finding a few hours a day to work on art is difficult but not impossible, and each commission can take anywhere from 8 hours to a number of weeks or months to complete.Have you ever designed note cards on commission? Yes! I’ve done a number of drawings on commission that were eventually used as designs for personal Christmas cards, wedding invitations, and birth announcements. The commissioned artwork is priced at $150 and is considered ‘camera ready,’ meaning that the customer is responsible for taking the work to a printer for duplication. Yes. Finished portraits are done in pencil and graphite, and are roughly 8"x10" in size. I prefer to work from a series of clear photographs so that I can create an original pose without the model having to sit for me. Portraits take as long to do as other commission pieces, and the prices are similar. With proper care, your original art or signed and numbered Limited Edition lithograph will last a lifetime. I strongly suggest that you depend upon experienced picture framers for their advice on mounting, matting, and framing. Use only the materials that they recommend. It is extremely important that only 100% acid-free materials come into contact with the print at any given point; this includes the conservation board used behind the print as backing, as well as the front mat and the removable hinges which suspend the print under the mat. (A mat is a paperboard frame that surrounds and protects the image while separating it from the glass of the finished wood or metal frame.) After framing, it is suggested that the artwork be displayed in a room that receives weak daylight and/or incandescent lighting. Both direct and indirect sunlight and fluorescent lighting, because of their ultra-violet rays, are harmful to paper as well as to ink. Also to be avoided are sources of heat (such as radiators), damp walls, high humidity (which encourages mildew), and very dry conditions (which encourage brittleness).I’d like to know when a new piece of work has been created and is available. Is that possible? By sending me your complete home address or email address, I will be happy to inform you when new works are created and available.Do you have a mail order catalogue? One is being created now and will soon be available. In the meantime, if you send me your complete name and home address, I’ll add you to my mailing list!Can I use your art as a tattoo design? I get scads of emails and requests asking me if my artwork can be used as tattoo designs. Until now my answer has always been no — I feel odd about my work being used in a permanent way to disfigure a human body. But in more than a few instances, people have ignored my feelings about it (and my copyright!) and have tattooed themselves with my designs anyway. PLEASE KNOW that if you're one of these people, I can legally ask you to have it removed (and I have some pretty good lawyers who will back me up on this).My stand on the subject as of now (January 2008) is this: if you like one of my designs and purchase the artwork for yourself, you are welcome to have it tattooed to your own body. One time. The end. My art isn’t expensive, people. If you think you're going to save yourself the $16 and download the design somehow and get the tattoo, I will learn about it, and don’t forget that I can legally have you remove it at your own expense. But better yet: be forewarned that there are magickal strings attached. If you think you won’t get caught, the laws of Karma guarantee that you will ‘pay’ somehow. It’s a Universal Law, and breaking it has consequences that will ultimately make a multi-figure fine and laser surgery seem like a nap in the sun. |
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