Ok, She Has a Name!

I have NEVER,

In my life,

Seen so many cute names in one place...

I'm gonna have to paint 30 different paintings just so i can use the adorable names ya'll came up with!

I wrote down each and every name for future reference!

I got alot of "Claras"  some "Claires" and some "Belles"

And then when my friend Mandi from a la Parisienne suggested that she looked like a French cow

I thought she did too!

she talked about how the french love their cows

i think i love anyone who loves their cows

 so then i knew

she had to have a Frenchy name

so i decided on

"Clairebelle"

i don't know if that's for sure frenchy, but it seemed to be, and it suits her

for lack of a better place to hang her

i just put her up over the wire shelf i use to cover my heating/air vent thingy

 

 I like her with the silver trays

which, as you can see are crooked

 

above you'll see the basket i'm trying to load up with some dried and faux hydrangeas...  

gotta work on that

My friend wants me to take her to the shop to sell her

but i don't want to 

might have to take her to the photographer so i can make giclee prints of her

I only choose a certain few paintings to make prints of

speaking of prints,

here is one all carefully wrapped in plastic getting ready to go to her new home

  

you can see the glare of the plastic on her

this print is called

"Kiss My Nose"

because, don't you just want to kiss that little brown nose!

 

Most of the prints i sell, are large, and it's too expensive to ship them already stretched on a wooden frame

around $150.00!

This one is just small enough 20 x 27 that it isn't as expensive

and mailing it already stretched on a frame is around $50.00

did you know you can find other pricing and size options on my website

cindyaustinpaintings.com

it's a little cheaper to order there too because i don't have to pay etsy fees  

so anyway, most of the larger prints come rolled up in a tube

and the person buying it has to take it to be wrapped around and stapled onto a frame

I imagine it's a little anticlimactic to receive it rolled up like that

but, oh boy...
 just one more step at the framers having them stretched on a frame

and they look amazing!

just like a big beautiful original oil painting

 

plus you save around $125.00!

     

Did you know that every time i decide to make a painting available for giclee prints 

i have to go get a very high resolution photograph taken by a professional photographer?

My paintings get photo shoots with draping and lighting and everything!

The man who does my prints is an artist in his own right, he shows his photography everywhere, and travels all over the world looking for beautiful shots

Once this photograph is taken

then he and i get together look at proofs to get the exact color match we want

Some of my paintings are difficult to color match because i use subtle colors

One painting took 15 proofs, and two photo sessions to get it right!

it was the painting of the sheep below... 

  

I was picky, 
and he was patient

but we finally got it!

 

This is another one of my favorites

I didn't want to sell it either!

It looks so pretty with white slipcovers and neutrals and grays

  

I hope i don't sound like i'm bragging
I screw up my share of canvases!
 

but sometimes i like my paintings too!

Sometimes i won't sell an original painting, until i know i can get a print of it myself!

Once someone orders a print, i contact him and ask him to get started on the print
they are ordered one at a time
 

It has to be printed, then fully dried, and then be sealed

I only like a certain heavy bright white archival canvas that he uses just for me

even the type canvas can affect the color of the print

the humidity can too

Once i pick up the print

i look at each and every one to make sure it is right

and then it is packed up and sent off to it's new home

There is nothing mass produced about this process

it is very organic and personal

 the canvas and inks are all archival, museum quality  

the highest quality materials on the market that you can buy

ok, so now your eyes are probably glazing over from all this talk about prints... sorry

Here is an interesting story

My friend's dear sister died suddenly about a year ago

and she came up with an idea i have never heard of, but thought it was a great idea

She asked me to add some of her sister's ashes to a painting

Wow...

Here is a soft little seascape i did for her

 her sister's ashes are in the sand in the foreground

ya'll might think that's kinda creepy

but i thought it was a brilliant idea!

and i felt honored to be able to do that...

So...., sorry about the long winded talk about prints

but i thought it was important to explain the process at some point

 that's all for now!

...the end...