Monday, January 21, 2013

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... 






 
 



    

   
 

 


18 comments:

  1. Hi Cindy,
    I think she is definitely a Clairebelle! Love the name you chose. She's such a lovely bovine and you have brought her to life.

    I love hearing about your painting and creating process. There is a lot more to it than meets the eye. Your paintings are truly beautiful and I feel so fortunate to own one. I love my dress print and she will follow me back to NC where she belongs. She will be packed up with the kitties and off we will go!

    I also think that's very touching about the ashes in the painting. What a wonderful way to honor and remember a loved one.

    hugs
    Sissie

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  2. Your paintings are beautiful Cindy! So much work goes into each one.Someday I am going to order one of your beautiful prints! It is going to be hard to chose which one because they are all beautiful!!!!
    xx
    Anne

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  3. Not long-winded at all to me, Cindy. You do such a wonderful job. She does look like a Clairebelle to me~ She is a beauty and I wouldn't want to part with her either. xo Diana

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  4. I love hearing how your art is photographed and all that. I love your sheep paintings! I think shipping costs are just crazy. Gee whiz...

    I think the ashes in the painting is awesome--I really like that idea. thanks for sharing that. :)

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  5. Beautiful work and I am in awe of the idea of using ashes in your painting! Brilliant idea and even better that you were able to achieve this! You rock!!!

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  6. That's perfect Cindy and I'm so glad she finally has a name! she is definitely french:)

    xxL

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  7. love the name and still love that cow. you made it very interesting describing the process.

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  8. I wish Kiss My Nose was on it's way to my house right now!

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  9. ciaooo mi piacciono da morire i tuoi dipinti ...le mucche ma soprattutto le pecore sono bellissime...sei molto brava

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  10. clairebelle is the perfect name for this lovely bovine!! she is just the sweetest thang...and i like the addition of the picket fence. i just love your work, sweety! and i for one love the idea of the ashes, in fact i think it is lovely. can't wait to see what you create next.
    erin
    xxoo

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  11. Cindy....somehow you always choose the right title for your paintings that fit so perfectly. Like Clairebelle. Couldn't be better! She's absolutely beautiful! I loved hearing about the way you prepare and photograph your beautiful paintings. It was really interesting! And the way you incorporated that sweet woman's ashes into the sand in my favorite beach painting was absolutely brilliant. Heartfelt, memorable, poignant, and just brilliant. ♥ You continue to amaze me, girlie! Hugs to you!

    xoxo laurie

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  12. Clairebelle is so beautiful (as are all your paintings)! I am so glad you took the time to explain to us all how a giclee print is done. I have several of them in my house and always wondered how the reproduction was done, they actually turn out looking gorgeous and like quite realistic duplications of oil paintings.

    People used to not be so "freaked out" about the idea of death and having relics from the departed around, I speak in particular of the Victorians who would wear beautiful, intricate "lace" woven out of loved-ones hair and then wear it as mourning jewelry in a glass-framed brooch or necklace. The sentiment may be lost on many modern folks, but it's actually a lovely way to remember one who has passed on, much like your use of the ashes in the painting. I've told my friends when I pass to cremate me and toss me in the ocean, but to be sure the sun is out and the surf is up and really rolling that day! As an alternative, I'd love to be incorporated into a painting of the sea, much like you did for your friend.

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  13. I love the whole story you told of how you do your glicee prints of your paintings. I never knew any of that. And I do think you are picky because that is what makes you the artist you are...I feel so lucky to have two of your paintings!! The other night hubs and I were sitting in the tv room and you know our Dillon has had surgery and is slowly on the mend...so we have been feeling very dear about him lately. Anyway Dave looked up at the painting and said how much he loves that painting of Dillon. I think its the third time he has spontaneously said it...the portrait of Dillon stares back at us as we sit there every night, and it is just such a beautiful rendition. I love your cow painting and I think it is so cute in your kitchen!! I wouldn't want to sell it either~I know you aren't being braggy, we can love some of our stuff!! I feel that way about my tiffany blue chairs that I had to take home to live with us. I just loved how they came out. Sorry for the long comment. I also think its pretty smart and beautiful about adding ashes to a painting.

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  14. Hey sweetie! Thanks for voting on my window seat....I appreciate it. You know it doesn't say you can't vote more than once, so I guess you can if it lets you. :) Yout Clairebelle is perfect in every way! I love her...and I'm with you, I wouldn't want to get rid of her either. :)
    Love you much!!!

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  15. Hi Cindy, thanks for popping into my blog...I am so glad to find you here. Your blog is amazing...so many lovelies! Love your work to bits!!!! I look forward to visiting again soon. Siobhan xo

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  16. The best part of Clairebelle is her eyelashes. They are so long, and sweeping. She's a beauty.
    Your post about printing is very interesting. I especially like the part about the ashes you added to the seascape. How cool is that??!!
    xo

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  17. A perfect French name, she is a beauty Cindy!
    Love your art. I would love to sit and watch you paint the beauty you create.

    Keep painting all that inspires you.
    Xox
    Doré

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  18. Clairebelle has the sweetest face! I love the soft look you give to your paintings, they almost seem dreamlike. Hey that's a good question, do you dream about what you are going to paint? Anyway they are all amazing Cindy!

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