MY FIRST EVER FINE ART PRINT!
It’s here, ‘Aura’ - MY FIRST EVER FINE ART GICLEE PRINT. I'm absolutely thrilled to be starting this next chapter, leveling up and sharing it all with you.
When the concept of being able to be a full time visual artist started to manifest in 2020, I knew that I wanted my art to be available as Fine Art Prints. I loved the idea of my art being so accessible. The dreamy notion of people hanging their prints in their homes all over the world made me giddy. I would envision myself putting pins in a map of all the different corners of the world. Places that, perhaps, I would never get to travel to but a little part of me would. However, being fairly new to the visual art industry and a self-professed perfectionist, I wasn’t prepared to put anything other than excellence out into the world. After all, you deserve nothing less.
So I spent a little over a year researching how best to bring them to you. A few of the pieces that I needed to find out we’re; how to get the most crystal clear high resolution scan of the original artwork, what supplier to use, which paper was the most boujee and luxurious, what even makes prints archival and once they are made how to sustainably get them into your hands. That was just the beginning, more answers lead to more questions, I had a lot to learn but I did it! And here’s a little bit of how.
THE WOMAN SERIES
I launched my woman series with a piece called ‘Lexa’ a colourful woman silhouette that I made in February of 2021. After just returning back to the USA from a 2 month hard lockdown in the U.K. — where we didn’t get to see our loved ones as much as we’d hoped. All I wanted to do was to shake the ‘Eeyore’ that seemed to be following everyone around. (I’m not sure if that makes me Winnie the Pooh in this story but I’m here for it, he’s my favourite).
I was determined to counteract the gloom by creating something bright and colourful, and in turn hopefully put a little light (honey) out into the world. I used my art to focus all of my energy on the positive, and headed forcefully into the direction of play and fun.
That’s when I landed on ‘Lexa’. As she formed I realized that this little piece of art was exactly what I needed. The swish of her hair was care free, the neon pinks and blues had an attitude and vibrancy that I was yearning to let out during a time that we were all stuck in. The pieces of glass reflected light in all directions! But it was more than just the colours that made me feel good. As I started to create her, the essence of the woman form made me feel beautiful and empowered. I needed that energy in my life and it turns out other people were looking for that too. As soon as I shared her on social media I realised that my feelings were reciprocated. ‘Lexa’ sold very quickly to a local collector, which as an emerging artist I was ecstatic about. (If you’re reading this, thank you).
‘LEXA’ - 2021
Acrylic on Canvas, original artwork
Check out the Lexa tik tok for more energy and overall vibe of the time.
THE CREATION OF ‘AURA’
I just knew that there needed to be more. I wanted to make another similar piece in a different colour-way and that is how ‘Aura’ was born. The creation of ‘Aura’ represented an internal shift, it was the realisation of what creating my own opportunities looked like and stepping into my own power as an artist and small business owner that dared to dream. I wanted to create a colour-way that matched that energy. ‘Aura’s’ black outline was intended to be like a stamp, hammering down our fierce and devine feminine power. I wanted her to say, 'I am here, don’t mess with me’, but also I wanted the white, creams and golds to translate into the softness and internal beauty that women posses. The balance of all of the forces. ‘Aura’ was created as a reminder of the strength and confidence that women embody. And of course I kept the hair flick, because girl, we can do it all!
PICTURE PERFECT
First things first, I needed the best high quality resolution scan of my original artwork. I made some calls and my research led me to a local Tucson based store, Reproductions inc. They have the most humongous scanners and were able to get a gorgeous high quality scan of my original artwork, the clarity is incredible, you can see each brush stroke clearly and the details were fantastic. That was such an exciting day, I knew that it was a small step towards growth for my small business and my fine art print goals. They were very knowledgable and were happy to let me pick their brain for all of my follow up questions. Shoutout to Vic! (Bonus, the entire place is super friendly and there is a popcorn machine, which my little boy always looks forward to).
PAPER TRAIL
It is safe to say — that I’m sure like most people — I was unaware of the vast array of paper types that are on offer, but I was prepared to feel them all. After ordering several samples from various fine art suppliers and touching more paper than I ever thought possible, I found a perfect match. I landed on a beautiful archival bright white moab paper. 290gsm and 21.5mil. It is a smooth, heavy weight, thick and luxurious matte paper, the type of paper that you never even knew that you needed in your life. The colour and depth is simply stunning, just wait and see for yourself.
If you are an art newbie, just heading into your own fine art print journey I would highly recommend ordering samples. Each sample comes with its own artwork so you can really get a feel for how your art might look. Before deciding on a paper, I also ordered several test prints of ‘Aura’ from different fine art suppliers so I could ensure the quality and colour match we’re just right, and tweaked what I needed to.
STAND THE TEST OF TIME
One of my top priorities was that my fine art prints would stand the test of time, the quality and longevity were very important to me. The best way to ensure those attributes were firstly to find a high quality archival paper - check. And secondly, to ensure the ink pigments used would be archival pigment based inks- double check.
My prints are designed to last over 200 years whilst maintaining their quality, vibrancy and richness. And possibly longer if displayed and stored appropriately. That’s some pretty impressive longevity, right?
My mum was visiting with us from the UK and it was very sweet to see her so elated for me when I received my final print sample through the door. She came running in from the post waving the tube around! Lots of FaceTime and group chats back home too, it’s amazing to have such support from my family and friends. They knew how special this next level was for me.
I hand designed all of the promotional and thank you material, including cute stickers (which comes in every order). I ordered everything that I would need for a print prep and wrapping station; white drawers, a long desk and a girl boss office chair - a special thanks to my husband for putting it all together for me — and I figured everything out that I would need to sustainably package and ship them to you. Wrapping each print in a ph-neutral acid free paper.
I set up my online store to offer worldwide tracked, shipping —woohoo, map dreams almost realised — my fine art print station was done and my prints were ready to go live.
On December 4th, 2022 I launched my ‘Aura’ fine art prints with this fun reel and the response has been overwhelming. A massive thank you for all of your orders, and your support and for growing with me. I truly hope that you love them as much as I do! Know each one is packaged with love.
And here she is ‘AURA’ my finished fine art giclee print. Once you order please tag me on instagram or facebook I would love to see how you display them and where they end up in the world! We’re just getting started. 🤍
P.s. I hope this encourages any creatives, small business owners or humans for that matter, who might be thinking about heading into the unknown, to just boldly go for it.
All my love, always,
Lisa xoxo
