Giclee

"Giclee"is a term coined in 1991 by print maker Jack Duganne for fine art digital prints made on ink-jet printers. The name originally applied to fine art prints created on IRIS printers in a process invented in the late 1980s but has since come to mean any high quality ink-jet print and is often used by artists, galleries, and print shops to denote such prints.*
Here are some beautiful Giclee prints I found on Etsy.

                   Burst, Limited Edition Giclee Print by DawnEaton

Silent Sunday, Fine Art Print Giclee by Brandy Cattoor

Mister Muscle, Teal Watercolor Giclee by printmakerjenn

Robin with Nest and Baby Birds Giclee Print by cindydaystudio


Edited by Angela from Windy City Knits

*source-wikipedia

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FollowMeTeam Treasury Contest #5

Welcome to the fourth installment of the Follow Me Team Treasury Contest!

Anyone can play and the rules are quite simple. Each week there will be a different featured shop and the objective is to curate the best treasury featuring that shop. The winning treasury curator will be the NEXT store to enjoy the spotlight!

This week, our winner and featured shop is Diana of D.S. Brennan Photography. Says Diana "I am a photographer with a degree in environmental science, passionate about visually interpreting scientific details into accessible, affordable, wall art." Congratulations Diana! We are happy to feature you.
 

Goldenrod Photograph by DS Brennan

Wildflower Nature Photograph by DS Brennan

Ranunculus Home Decor Photo by DS Brennan

  

ANY Etsy shop owner can play and WIN! And you can enter as many times as you like!

The RULES

1.) Follow the Indie Style Guide blog (required)

2.) Feature Diana of DS Brennan Photography in your treasury along with 5 other Follow Me Team members - in the TOP THREE ROWS of the treasury (not the bottom row!) All other slots you can fill with any shop you like.

3.) Tag your treasury fmcontest5 and followmeteam

4.) Include this in the description section of your treasury: This is a Follow Me Team Treasury Contest. Any shop owner can enter to win and be the NEXT featured shop. See Indie Style Guide blog for details http://indiestyleguide.blogspot.com/2012/02/followmeteam-treasury-contest-5.html

5.) Title must include the words "Follow Me Team Treasury Contest"

6.) Come back and comment that you entered and leave us a link to your treasury!

*The treasury contest runs for four days - from Tuesday to Friday. This week that means, February 14 to February 17, 2012

*Featured shop owner picks 4 finalists.

*We vote on the winner from Saturday until Tuesday at 12am EST

*The winner becomes the next featured shop and we start all over again!

*Remember - Play as much as you like - multiple entries WELCOME

All clear? Questions? Email Christa at rhettdidntgiveadamn@gmail.com

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Seasonal Photography

Photography in Season

selected by Angela of Windy City Knits

"Photography, as a powerful medium of expression and communications, offers an infinite variety of perception, interpretation and execution." 
Ansel Adams

Sunshine Tulips by GoldenSection

Sunny Jetty by happeemonkee

Winter Landscape by CountryDreaming

Autumn Mist by joystclaire

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BAWartwork

 Oh Yesterday was the 1st anniversary to Brian of BAWartwork.

Brain paints bold colorful abstracts on canvas, great modern contemporary art.

Enter Here to view other paintings from his shop.

Rainbow Taped Abstract ... BAWartwork $35.00	Mosaic Tiled Tree - Pai... BAWartwork $35.00	Red White Silver Abstra... BAWartwork $30.00	Geometric Abstract Art ... BAWartwork $125.00
Blue Blocks Abstract Pa... BAWartwork $35.00	Red Black Silver Circle... BAWartwork $175.00	Minimalist Urban Origin... BAWartwork $30.00	Rainbow Weave Mixed Med... BAWartwork $55.00
Custom Painting: Japane... BAWartwork $215.00	Custom Painting: Magnet... BAWartwork $185.00	Urban Silver Block Abst... BAWartwork $35.00	Abstract Green Art Pain... BAWartwork $125.00
Squares Art Painting - ... BAWartwork $205.00	Art Deco Painting, Inte... BAWartwork $175.00	Modern Abstract Art Pai... BAWartwork $125.00	Blue Abstract Tile Pain... BAWartwork $105.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

xoxo
Indie Style Guide Editors

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Fun New Art Finds

This post was created by Stacy Rajab from Retro Modern Art. 

I can't help but ogle over fun new art pieces. Who can't resist a new drawing, painting, print bright and colorful furniture? Here are the top three I am loving today:

Live to Fly photo by happeemonkee $15.00 

BeepBeep Yeah original collage archival print A3 by bettyraspberry $32.00

Colorful Thonet dining chairs by namedesignstudio $250.00

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Amazing Art Finds Part 2

This is the second edition in a two part series. To access the first edition, please see this post: Amazing Art Finds Part 1.

Choosing art can be daunting and downright scary for some. Some people can be concerned about how it will go with their decor or how it may or may not increase in value. Most importantly, you must LOVE it if you are going to hang it in your house. It should call out to you. 

A perfect example of this was a recent e-mail that I received from a buyer. She was overjoyed to have found a owl which reminded her of an owl that her best friend had hanging in her room back when they were children in the 60's. This is a fantastic example of how the art spoke to the individual. Buying art comes from the gut. 

Here are some more examples of different types of art for different tastes and different decors. Which one speaks to you? 

Here is a photograph by Bree Madden from Madden Photography out of San Diego, California. It is an 8x10 and would be perfect for any bike lover. Bree has a great eye for shots!

Retro Bike Print from MaddenPhotography $25.00 

Cindy, from My Different Strokes, creaks fantastic paintings. She is from Massassuchets. This painting is a fantastic black and white. 

Black and White Modern Plant by My Different Strokes for $28.00

Linnea Heide, from Linnea Heide Art, is an artist out of Norfolk, Virginia creates modern-style art. This piece is a modern abstract.

Apache by Linnea Heide for $425.00

This next piece is from Yulia from Golden Section. She is based out of Ontario, Canada. Yulia creates beautiful illustrations.

Dream About You Bear from Golden Section for $10.00. 

Do any of these call out to you? Which one would you love to hang in your home or office?

Online Plug-Ins for the Visual Artsit

Online Plug-ins for the Visual Artist

This post has been created by Brandy Cattoor, an artist form ETSY. Her shop is Fine Art Brandy Cattoor. Check out her shop and read what she has to say about ways to increase views and sales in the art world!

Online Art Galleries

Online galleries are becoming successful and popular. Artwork Network is a well known online gallery, which helps promote your work for a minimum monthly fee. Turning Art is another great site, and is free if the artist gets accepted. Many have also found success withFine Art America or Zatista. All these sites of course require a commission if your work is sold through their site.

Online Art Competitions

Art competitions can be a pain but if successful they can be a great reward both personal and professional. An excellent site I’ve found is Light Space & Time, which hosts regular art competitions online. There are numerous sites for art competitions online aside from this one.  

Online Art Markets:

Believe it or not Ebay has many art buyers. The trick with ebay is to learn how to get your work seen through thousands of sellers. Etsy has a well known web presence (known for its quality and unique products) many galleries search for artists here. I’ve been contacted by Turning Art, and been involved in some juried shows because my work was found on Etsy. If the selling is slow, keep at it. Other good things are bound to happen if your work is good.     

Craigslist

In my experience, as an artist in Colorado, I’ve found Craigslist to be helpful at times. Many galleries utilize this site to help promote juried shows, studio space, art competitions, etc. Some shows I’ve been involved in are attributed to a quick response to a Craigslist ad.

Helpful networks for promoting Art:

The following sites are especially good for promoting artwork because their ability to represent images is high quality and organized. This is a good feature when deciding what sites to be involved in and what not to for the visual artist. In my opinion the more your work is seen the better.

Pinterest

Wanelo

We Heart It

The Fancy

Highly Encouraged Personal Networks:

Personal Blog

Facebook Page

Twitter

Personal Website

Many people underestimate the purpose of an actual personal website when considering other networking sites like facebook, twitter, and a blog. In my experience having a personal website has provided various search results to find my work.

Most hosting sites will allow people to create free websites in order for their name to be part of the URL. For example my site is www.brandycattoor.weebly.com. There are various hosts that provide free websites among many are Weebly.com and wix.com.

The other sites are of course a must because they provide interaction with others and help build your following unlike your personal website can do.

A word on Followers

Give people the opportunity to follow you! Even if you feel slow in starting, it’s just another step in finding the right audience for your work and allowing them to keep tabs on you. Don’t compare the amount of followers you have with another person. Who knows how other blogs or sites got their followers, this could have been by multiple giveaways they hosted. Or some sites help you get more followers by paying a small fee. Just compare your current progress with your past progress and success.   

Amazing Art Finds Part 1

Choosing the best piece of art for your house or office may not be as daunting as it seems. Sometimes art is chosen to fit in with a particular color scheme, such as the main colors being blue or red. Other times art is chosen because of it's style or the statement it makes. The best way to choose art is to know the relative size  of a piece you are looking for and then seek out what speaks to you. In other words, choose a piece which you are drawn to. You will be looking at the piece for possible a long time. It should be something that you like. Don't worry about what other people like, what art is popular, or what art you hope will increase in value. Instead choose a piece that you like.

I have complied a few great pieces from artists on ETSY that may be of interest to you. All of these items have been selected due to their varied style, color, and subject. Each is different, yet perfect in it's own way. Which ones are you drawn to? 

This first piece is from an artist out of Colorado. She uses oil on unstretched canvas. 5x7. The use of color and texture is amazing!

Contemporary Orange House $45.00 by Brandy Cattor. 

The second piece is from Brian Williams, an artist out of Pennsylvania. He uses acrylic on canvas. 48x66. Here the modern style and great shapes speak wonders. 

Squares Art Painting by Brian Williams $205.00

This third piece is a photograph by Virtuality, an artist and photographer from Chicago. This piece is  printed on Vellum. 8.5x11. This photo evokes a calm from long ago and is simply stunning.

Rustic Fence in Black and White by Virtuality $30.00. 

This is Part 1 of a 2 Part series looking at different art pieces and deciding what you like. Come back next week for more!

This has been written by Stacy Rajab, a linocut artist from San Clemente, CA. 

www.etsy.com/retromoderanart

www.twitter.com/retromodern

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How to Lighten Images in Photo Shop

How to Lighten Images in Photo Shop

Thank you very much to Yuliyart! She has created this visual tutorial on how to "Make Photo's Look Brighter," in Photoshop. Her advice is priceless for any novice photographer to a shopkeeper trying to improve images. Please take a look and try out this easy technique to make your own photo's better. What do you think?

YuliyaArt has a shop on ETSY. Yuliya creates surreal illustrations, fine art prints, imaginative drawings, fantasy paintings, unique posters, handmade cards, dreamlike decorative wall hangings and stylized mythological home decor! Check out her amazing artwork! She is also at http://yuliyart.blogspot.com.   

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