Summon Summer’s Warmth

El Niño notwithstanding, winter has just about worn out its welcome. While Mother Nature may still have a few more wallops up her sleeve, Shayna and I would like to suggest one sure way to bring summer into your world a bit early.

Our folks have a glorious new giclée canvas at Gallery One that captures a fleeting moment and radiates warmth and cheer. It’s by award-winning Canadian artist Michael Dumas. Entitled High Summer – Yellow Warbler, this artwork seems to glow from within.
Michael Dumas expresses the simple harmony of the everyday, revealing the beauty in ordinary sights that are often easily overlooked in our busy world. Michael even told Shayna and me all about what inspired him: “It is high summer, a time of green foliage and ripening fruit. A seemingly random movement of leaves in a large russet apple tree marks the foraging of some small bird, and I strain to see what it might be. The complex patterns of sunlight and shadow frustrate my attempts at making a clear sighting, but just as I am about to give up, a sudden burst of bright yellow appears quite close at hand. It is a transient thing though, and just as suddenly as it appears the yellow warbler was once again hidden in the depths of the tree. Gone from sight, but vividly impressed in memory, the act of painting re-creates a brief instant that can be savored at leisure.”

And once you see this little gem, you’ll understand.  (Every time Shayna see it, she just smiles…)

High Summer – Yellow Warbler is now available as a hand-signed giclée canvas published by Gallery Giclées’™ and part of the Michael Dumas exhibit at Gallery One. (When you come in to see it, be sure to stop and see US, too!)

Introducing New Landscapes By Photographer/Activist, Anthony Cook

Gallery Giclees, our sister company, produces giclees which are printed IN HOUSE using the latest giclee printing technology along with inks and canvases of the highest quality. Giclees are expertly coated with a UV protectant to extend the image life and provide a water-resistant surface.

We duplicate and then rotate 1.5" of each edge of an artist's image so that the canvas can be stretched over a standard stretcher strip or a 1.5” thick stretcher strip... with stapling on the rear...leaving finished sides. Thus the canvas can be hung unframed, framed in a traditional manner or float framed with no loss of the artist’s image and with nary a staple in sight! Each giclee has been inspected again and again prior to being shipped to you. Our goal - perfection!  That's why we can guarantee your satisfaction!

Winter Awakening by Anthony E. Cook

This Saturday, December 10, Anthony Cook will present his first five original photographs on canvas, produced by the giclee method.

Here's a little background about him:

In 1928, lumber baron, Anthony Wayne Cook, deeded his cherished 7200 acres to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Today, that acreage is known as Cook Forest State Park, and Anthony E. Cook, grandson of this visionary, is a tireless conservationist and noted photographer.

With two hard-cover books under his belt, young Anthony is an acknowledged master of landscape photography. Now, a selection of his stunning photographs has been captured as signed originals on canvas by an Ohio company, Gallery Giclées.

These signed works, in sizes as large as six feet by five feet, will be released to collectors December 10 at 10:30 a.m. at Gallery One, 7003 Center Street, Mentor OH. Cook will lecture informally at 11 a.m. as gallery guests enjoy coffee and bagels.

A native of Pennsylvania, Cook grew up exploring the forests surrounding his home. He attended college in New England, majoring in geology. As a dedicated conservationist, he serves on the board of The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History, The National Aviary, and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

His work has been featured in such publications as “Outdoor Photographers,”  “U.S. Air Magazine” and “Sierra Magazine.” An exhibition of his photography, “Fall Colors Across North America,” opened at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh and toured throughout North America.

“The Cook Forest — An Island in Time (Falcon Press, 1997), his first photo-essay book, was a best seller. His second book is “Fall Colors Across North America (Graphic Arts Publishing, 2001). Both books are available now at Gallery One.

Today, Cook with his wife Sandy and their children live in the Cook Forest family home built by his grandfather more than a century ago.

Please join us in welcoming this exciting artist to the GalleryGiclees collection.

Hi!  I'm Guhonda!  The Browns brought me back from their trip to Rwanda in 1974 and I've taken up residence at Gallery One ever since.  I like to think of myself as their mascot.  (Unofficially, of course!)

Look!  I already have FIVE wonderful gifts under the tree.  I can't open them yet.  I have to wait.  But YOU don't!  You have FIVE wonderful gifts too!  Just go to the Gallery One Specials page and take advantage of all of them.  Or choose your favorite from the new Dean Morrissey book, Small Business Saturday, the Wysocki ($1) print special, the Kinkade Highlighting event. or the gorgeous new Anthony E. Cook giclees.

Dean Morrissey is coming Dec. 2 & 3 to sign his books and Anthony Cook is coming Dec. 10 to introduce those incredible landscape photographs.  Also, on the 3rd, Felicia Zavarella Stadelman is coming to lecture on Norman Rockwell!  Check out our last blog post for more details.  I like to think of myself as a fly on the wall for these exciting holiday shows. . .even though I look more like the 800 lb. gorilla!  (hahaha)  Everybody that attends these events is in such a festive mood and it's not just the wine & cheese or bagels & coffee that cause that effect.  They come because there is so much beauty found here and there's always something new!  Why not make Gallery One a regular part of your holidays.  And come see me at the front counter.  (You can't miss me!  They made me wear this stupid holiday nightshirt!)

Guhonda

Carl Brenders delights fans at Gallery One

The incomparable Carl Brenders paid his 13th visit to Gallery One Friday & Saturday, Sept. 23 & 24. What a treat!

In his lecture he shared insights into seven of his finest works including the two giclées produced by our new Gallery Giclées process. His fans were delighted with the quality of these two pieces. Their resemblance to originals is uncanny and the expert framing by Gallery One's Certified Picture Framers set them off perfectly.

After the lecture he mingled with those in attendance and was warmed by the presence of friends and family from near and far. It's always a pleasure to host such a fine artist and offer his collectors new images for their collections. He even hinted that he may be back next year! To see snapshots of the show visit our Art Event Calendar.

An Overview...Originals and Limited Editions

Art collectors have long had the choice of purchasing art on paper or art on canvas. The paper art included original works such as watercolors, pastels, pencil or ink drawings, lithos, serigraphs and etchings....and limited editions reproduced photomechanically from originals.

Canvases were usually original (and costly) works of art. But now, the growing popularity and availability of limited editions on canvas give collectors “the original look” at affordable prices.

So what are limited edition canvases and how are they produced?

There are several ways of producing canvas limited editions such as the once popular “canvas transfers,” made by fusing the top layer of a paper print onto a prepared canvas surface. The result was an image that appeared as you might expect it to — like a paper print fused to a piece of canvas. Often, to make the print look “original,” the artist (or a technician) added textured varnish or paint to the print surface.

Today's state of the art reproductive technique is the giclée (jhee-clay) method in which high-tech printing equipment sprays millions of digitally-matched ink droplets per second onto a surface. Canvas, paper and archival board are the most common giclée surfaces.

Developed some ten years ago, the giclée has now become the “gold standard” — an important and permanent part of the limited edition world.

This spectacular blend of technology and fine art looks so much like the original work of art that even astute collectors do “double-takes.” Therefore, buyers should be aware that not all “original appearing” works of art are original.

The giclée (unless printed on paper) is meant to be enjoyed without glass, so nothing comes between you and your art.

From our Art FAQ page.

Next week - Selecting Art...Hints for How to Choose