Protective Wrap

Although canvas is somewhat durable, it can still be scratched, torn or moisture damaged if not packed properly. The Practical Art World website recommends starting by wrapping the canvas in glassine, a transparent and resilient glazed paper. This protects your print against moisture and prevents the wrapping from sticking to the surface. Artist Heather Cash had another tip as well. In a guide posted on her blog, Cash said one way to wrap the canvas is in clear plastic, often found in large rolls at office supply stores.

Further protect the canvas from dings or dents by covering it from front to back in a layer of foam wrapping, or foamcore, available from most moving companies.

Keep Layering

Next, place the foam-wrapped artwork between two layers of cardboard that are longer and wider than the canvas. This will help you safeguard fragile corners. Bend the edges of the cardboard over the canvas and secure them with packing tape.

“The cardboard should be slightly larger than the painting itself, so that if the corners are banged, the painting’s corners won’t be affected,” Cash said in this blog post.

Next, wrap the cardboard in bubble wrap.

“It’s important to sandwich the painting between cardboard before wrapping in bubble wrap,” Cash stated. “If you just wrap the painting in bubble wrap with nothing in between then if the paint softens during shipping due to warm temperature(s), the bubble wrap will cause indents in your painting.”

A final step to take before boxing up your print is to wrap it again – this time with a layered brown paper. Treat it like you would a Christmas present. Cover the entire surface area and don’t use too much extra paper.

Frame It

An alternative to the above steps is to frame the canvas print with glass or acrylic, which adds an extra layer of protection from water damage and movement during shipping.

Acrylic is lighter and more shatter resistant than glass, but if you use glass to frame your canvas, start by placing non-stick painters tape across the face of the glass in an over-lapping grid pattern. Painters tape sticks well to glass and is removed easier than other types of tape that can be used. If the glass breaks, it will stick to the tape instead of damaging the art.

Once the glass has been properly taped, cover the framed artwork in bubble wrap with the bubbles facing outward.

The Right Sized Box

No matter how you decide to wrap up your canvas print, the final step to take is to box it up. Measure the wrapped canvas and choose a corrugated box that’s at least 6″ longer and wider. Fill the areas around the artwork with foam sheets or packing peanuts to ensure that it doesn’t move around, recommended online newsletter ARTTalk.

For especially large or valuable pieces of artwork, you can hire a professional packing, crating and shipping company. They are trained to move precious cargo, so if you are worried about your canvas print not making it to its final destination unscathed, leave it to a trained professional.

No matter how you choose to transport your canvas, using the right packing materials will go a long way to help ensure that it arrives safely at its destination.

This article was written by Brandon Serna on behalf of Craters & Freighters, an industry leader in packaging & shipping fine art either domestic or most anywhere in the world. 

Framed Art

Framed art has always, and will always, be a very traditional choice for wall design.  Framed art is easily available with thousands of options in terms of color and design. With hundreds of frame colors, styles and sizes available, basically any piece of art a homeowner finds attractive can be put in a frame. Family photos, botanicals, landscapes, etc. are all examples of common framed art.

Canvas

Similar in nature to framed art but instead of a frame the canvas is stretched over a wooden stretcher bars. Canvas prints provide a touch of modern flair for dramatic effect.  Beautiful landscapes, floral arrangements or abstract images work wonderfully in any space depending on the overall design. Available in modern, traditional, vintage or country styles, canvas prints transform blank walls into elegant works of art. Alternatively, create your own canvas masterpiece by using paints, and decorative accessories such as beads, buttons, ribbons, and silk flowers.

Mirrors

Mirrors are a wonderful piece to use in any room or entryway. Mirrors are beautiful to look at and function as a way to make a room seem larger. The reflection mirrors provide give the impression that a space is twice as large as it is.  In addition, mirrors work with natural light beautifully. Not only do mirrors reflect images in space, they also reflect light, making a room brighter and more inviting.

Wall Stickers

Decals are becoming more popular as choices for wall art as well. Available in everything from words and letters, phrases, quotes, flowers, and sports paraphernalia, the sky is the limit when using wall decals. Furthermore, decals for your home come in every size and color imaginable and can really personalize a room. Wall stickers are also very versatile, and easily removable. Place them on many different surfaces, and as a result they often resemble high end pieces of art work.

With so many options available to decorate an interior wall with, make sure the piece of art conveys the homeowner’s personal taste and style.  Artwork is expressive as it is and wall art in particular can add depth and interest to an interior space. Make a room a work of art with fresh, beautiful and elegant wall art!

Author Bio

Alison Evans has been written on behalf of wallart2u.com

Whether it’s personal photos or for a client, we often want the best of our work as a physical print to display proudly in a photo frame or album. Now the solution isn’t as simple as clicking on the print button. You should prepare the photographs for print to get the best results.

Monitor Calibration

Before you do any kind of editing work, make sure you calibrate your computer monitor. This is an essential step to guarantee the colours you see on the screen will accurately translate when printing. There are hardware and software tools you can purchase to achieve accurate monitor calibration. Companies such as Datacolor and X-Rite make a range of display calibration devices to meet the needs of photography enthusiasts and professionals.

With your monitor fully calibrated, you should also set up the right environment before you get to work on the images. Ensure there is sufficient lighting when viewing and editing any photos. If you are sending your photos to a lab for printing, ask them for advice on the colour profile you should be using.

Photo Editing

For most photos, no matter how perfectly you took the shot, some light editing will help improve the final print version. Some basic options to consider are the image size, resolution, file type and colour spacing. Image resolution is best left at the default value to retain as much of the detail as possible. Though, you may need to slightly crop an image to have the correct aspect ratio for printing on your chosen paper size.

Sharpening the image can also improve the final look of the print. This should be done as the last step in the editing process. But don’t forget to zoom in to 100% to accurately see the results. Adjust the sharpening effect until you are happy with the final result.

Some labs will also provide a soft-proofing profile. This allows you to see exactly what the image will look like once the lab prints it. Check the guidelines of the printing lab to make sure you give them correctly formatted images before uploading the files.

Test Printing

You’ve done all the hard work, but there’s one last thing to do before sending all the photos for printing. Any reputable lab will send you a few sample prints for free so you can check the final look of the prints. The last thing you want is to have a large number of photos printed, and then to notice a small problem that could have easily been fixed. This will also let you see what the different types of paper are like, before choosing one for the final printing.

With just a little planning and preparation, you can make sure you get perfect looking photograph prints every single time.

This is a post by Jamie from Digital Exposure whom specializes in product photography for advertising and commercial purposes.

The website was created to plug a gap in the market in Australia for quality personalised artwork for occasions such as weddings gift ideas, anniversaries, birthdays, retirement gifts, mothers day gifts, fathers day presents  and in fact any occasion you might think of! A bespoke artwork is the perfect thoughtful gift idea demonstrating that your have given the recipient a lot of though, thinking about the words that would mean a lot to them, their favourite colours and colour scheme of their house and all manner of other factors relating to their personal taste in things such as art. http://beyondaword.com.au/recent/custom-art

The website is extremely easy to use making it a walk in the park to create your perfect personalised gift. Simply navigate to the websites ‘personalised art’ page, then choose your preferences such as wording, font colours, background colours and so forth. Once you have placed your order we will then work our magic, creating a proof of your design within 2 -3 das (sometimes quicker). Our customers then get the option to request changes such as moving wording around or changing colour schemes. We’ll make any changes required then once the art design has been approved we’ll print, stretch and despatch the bespoke artwork. We also offer free delivery anywhere in Australia, the UK and the USA! Seriously… it couldn’t be any easier!

Don’t ever get stressed again looking for that perfect gift idea that will be a guaranteed hit! With Beyond a Word we have made it easy for you. We look forward to hearing from you.

The Principles

The lineage of this art form goes back to the Greeks and Romans and takes into account their perceptions about the human body and the environment. Since this time, painters and sculptors have remained committed to the traditional principles laid down by their ancestors. Training today in the ‘realist’ style of painting is the most similar to classicism, baroque and romanticism of the past. The important point is that training is necessary.

Beauty and truth are the focus of Classic Art; these being linked to the human condition and how art appeals to the emotions and can touch the soul. This is said to make classicism more accessible to all, as opposed to modern art, which might appeal to a select audience. With Classic Art, you see the painting as beautiful or ugly and it will either touch you in an appealing way or not; there is no obscurity to its meaning. What you will notice, however, is that it is a craft.

Classic Art does not have to represent the era from which it came and it does not have to imitate the great artists such as Renoir and Monet. It is simply a realistic approach, using art as a craft to create a painting that has the traditional principles at its heart. This art form is being successfully created in Australia today.

Classic Art News

The Australian has published a series of photographs of the painter Monet, giving a fascinating insight into the inspirations for his work and showing the environment in which he created his masterpieces. The series of photographs include the artist’s house and gardens, which illustrate how his environment was so important to the art he created, adhering to the rules of Classic Art. Nature was at the heart of Monet’s work and these photographs bring his art to life with striking clarity.

Limelight magazine recently featured an article on the new National Cultural Policy initiatives, which will see funding in new artists as well as developing the film industry. Simon Crean, the Federal Arts Minister, sees ‘the artist as central to us as a nation and to securing its future’. $235 million will be injected into the Australian arts, with funding going to the National Institute of Dramatic Art as well as the formation of a Creative Young Stars Program.

Bill Gekas, the Australian digital photographer, has brought Classic Art to the forefront of creative news for his recreation of famous portraits, such as The Girl With the Pearl Earring, using a different medium and he has been awarded first place prize in the International Loupe Awards 2012 for his stunning work, which features his daughter as the subject.

Art Therapy

Art therapy is an effective form of psychotherapy, using visual arts as a tool for self- expression. It is used to improve physical and mental well being among people who are undergoing various personal issues and mental disorders such as depression. Art therapy is particularly popular for treating addiction, as it is a way for people to address their problems without having to use words; instead they express themselves through painting and begin to externalise the emotions they have difficulty showing. Because Classic Art has its origins in the human body and the environment in which it exists, it naturally lends itself to therapy. Within a safe, comfortable setting, the patient can begin to understand their addiction and express their feelings of anger, frustration or sadness through art. Withdrawal specialists are also recommended in the treatment of addiction, and there are centres worldwide to support sufferers, such as addiction withdrawal specialists in Louisiana. Patients receive long term care for their alcohol or drug addiction at these facilities, and often art therapy plays a significant role in successful withdrawal from addiction.

ANZATA (Australian and New Zealand Arts Therapy Association) features news articles, directories and a gallery on this form of psychotherapy, with useful links for people interested in this topic. ANZATA feature workshops regularly, such as Vocal Improvisation and Expressive Therapy Clinics, which looks at positive psychology and how to manage emotions.

Classic Art is ideal for art therapy because of the concentration required and the focus on the human form and its environment. By reaching into the soul to produce art, the artist is in touch with their emotions and the healing process can naturally begin.

Article by Evelyn Mills

Michelangelo’s David – Florence

Michelangelo’s statue of David, widely regarded as his defining work, was actually commissioned in the 15^th century, and wasn’t all Michelangelo’s work. The original artist, Agostino di Duccio, made a half-hearted start on the statue but gave up, leaving the way clear for Michelangelo to take over 35 years later. Michelangelo was offered the prestigious yet abandoned project, and despite being unhappy about the state of the marble after it had spent years festering in the Cathedral courtyard, he took over and within two years had created the iconic image that we know and admire today.

There are countless replicas of Michelangelo’s Statue of David all over the world, including one in  Okuizumo, Japan, where after complaints, some locals asked that he be given some underwear ‘to preserve his modesty’.

The original monument now takes pride of place at the Accademia art gallery in Florence; in its original location at the Piazza della Signoria is a replica.

Manneken-Pis, Brussels

The subject of endless photographs over the years, and just three blocks away from the Grand Place in Brussels, this iconic little statue of a boy answering the call of nature has been popular for centuries. The original statue was sculpted by Jerôme Duquesnoy back in the 14^th century, and so outraged were the locals when it was destroyed that a replacement had to be made in 1616. For national holidays and special occasions, the locals like to dress their special boy up – he’s even been dressed up as Elvis and Mozart in the past. The tourist office in Brussels can tell you in advance when his next dress-up opportunity is going to be. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you might even catch him peeing wine or beer!

Banksy – London, Bristol and elsewhere

Think of modern street artists and the first name that will spring to mind is probably Guerrilla artist Banksy. For over a decade, his works have been appearing in London and his home town of Bristol, where he stencils clever pictures, sometimes with a political angle, some which are just wickedly funny or clever. The problem with his work is that some of it has faded with time, and some has been removed, so it’s hard to say definitively where the best examples are to be found. A good guide to finding his best work is this Map of Banksy’s Works, but it’s an ever-changing guide.

Art auctioneers have tried to capitalise on Banksy’s notoriety by auctioning off examples of his street art in-situ and then leaving the tricky problem of how to remove them from their settings to the successful bidder.

The Fourth Plinth – London

If you’re searching for examples of modern public art in London, head to Trafalgar Square, where you’ll find The Fourth Plinth and some often controversial modern art.

Three of the Plinths around the base of Nelson’s Column look quite reserved; there is a statue of George IV and two more statues are of generals. The fourth plinth was originally going to be a statue of a horse, but as these projects tend to do, it ran out of money and the plinth was left empty for over 150 years.

In 1999, somebody had the bright idea of turning the plinth into a place where art could be displayed, including works such as Yinka Shonibare’s Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle, and Antony Gormley’s One and Other – live art that involved members of the public becoming the statue and standing on the plinth for an hour at a time.

The Spire, Dublin

The tallest example of public art in the world is The Spire of Dublin, a 120 metre high landmark with a diameter of just 15cm at its tip, which was commissioned as part of a redevelopment of the O’Connell Street landscape in 1999 and completed in 2002. You’ll find it (well, you can’t really miss it) in the centre of O’Connell Street, close to the world famous General Post Office, swaying gently in the wind on a blustery day. Apparently this is perfectly normal!

During the day it appears to be made of steel, but as night begins to fall, the Spire actually appears to merge into the sky.

The Sequence – Brussels

The Sequence by Arne Quinze is a large bright red sculpture which connects the Flemish Parliament with the House of Flemish Representatives. It’s one of those works of art that has a Marmite effect on all who see it – some love it, and others… well, you can imagine. It’s a very intricate sculpture that consists of sustainable wooden planks (“for every tree cut, another one is planted”) and concrete. When asked what his sculpture represents, Quinze replied, “The sequence bridges the communication gap between people and generates movement in the city. I want to reconnect people and let them interact with each other like they did in the past on squares. At least people talked to each other then.”

The sculpture was originally designed to last for at least five years and has been in place since 2008.

Kivik Art Centre, Österlen, Sweden

Antony Gormley is perhaps best known in the UK for his Angel of the North, but he has worked on many continental sculptures, including the pavilion for the Kivik Art Centre, which was a joint project with architects David Chipperfield. The concrete structure they created took just two months to build, and is in three parts: ‘The Cave’, an enclosed space at the base; ’The Stage’, an exposed viewing platform; and ‘The Tower’, another platform accessed via a spiral staircase, which gives amazing views out across the Baltic Sea. Gormley said afterwards, “I see the work as a meditation on the status of sculpture and architecture and their respective relationships with light, mass and space using the material most associated with modernity: concrete.” So, now you know.

Parc Güell, Barcelona

The famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí designed Parc Güell, originally intended to be a housing estate for wealthy Spaniards, with houses set into ornate landscaped gardens. By 1914 the project had been abandoned as a commercial flop, but Gaudi had already made his mark and created a landscaped masterpiece of passages, columns, steps and grottoes that was quickly snapped up and turned into a public park in 1922.

Beautiful dragon fountains guard the entrance to the park, and twisted rocky pillars stand up out of the ground like stone trees. If you find yourself in the Parc, make your way to top of the park, where you’ll find a terraced area with a fabulous view of the park and Barcelona City.

What public works of art would you recommend to fellow travellers? Share your travel tips in the comments below!

wedding photo on canvas

The art one collects may be reminders of a feeling or sensation or an extension of one’s personal likes or dislikes, but what holds true across it all is that it’s overwhelmingly positive and inspirational, in many ways, to help with one’s own creativity or provide  a space to keep calm. Art challenges us all by encouraging us to think creatively and stir our emotional cores, if not for the creation of more art then for the creative thinking we could bring into our daily lives. In many ways, our private home or office spaces become personal sanctuaries. They bring us closer to understanding cultural trends and historical movements that have been so influential in our own lives and upbringing.

It’s often something we take for granted, art displayed in the world around us; from coffee houses, to hotel rooms, to conference rooms to doctor’s offices, paintings designed to calm and soothe the mind, yet so many of us don’t make the effort to actively decorate our own homes with art pieces that evoke these positive and creative feelings in us. For many, decoration takes place at an unconscious level—picking up pieces along the way but never knowing the intent. A key improvement to our creative self has never been so easy. With so many places to find art—in yard sales, flea markets, galleries, online—it’s a wonder why we’ve waited so long to enrich ourselves, and our minds with such wonderful treasures. So next time you find yourself out, take a moment to look at the world around you, it’s colours, it’s character, and remember these scenes when you’re out shopping for new art. Does that vase evoke a feeling of calm or perhaps remind you of a foreign land? Does that painting remind you of your childhood or inspire you to be creative in your work? The art we choose are reflections of our personalities, our senses, and our experiences. It’s an important key understanding ourselves more deeply and honestly.

Blue Horizon Canvas Prints is one of the largest online art galleries in Australia; with over 1000 unique canvas prints, this simple to navigate website has a piece of artwork for anyone’s taste.

Check out our huge collection of vintage advertising posters to find such décor classics and mainstays as Chat Noir, Maurin Quina or Cinzano Polo. But our collection doesn’t end there! Browse our gallery and you’ll find vintage magazine covers from Vogue to Harpers Bizar, pin up girls and even classic American advertising icons like Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter. You’re sure to find something for everyone—young and old.

Our vintage travel posters collection is just as wide and eclectic as their advertising counterparts. Over half a century ago, as travel became far more affordable for the common person, travel agencies spent thousands to design the most appealing cityscapes and sceneries from around the world. For many travel posters, were as collectable as passport stamps. That’s why you still see these images repeated and commemorated in books and stamps among other things. For you, living in today’s world, perhaps you want to commemorate a special trip with the family or a honeymoon.

Vintage artwork has the ability to connect with both nostalgic and modern audiences. While for many they’re reminders of a much simpler time and reflective of a golden age of advertising (both travel and for products), they also touch on younger generations with their vibrant and sometimes striking colours and unfamiliar imagery. There’s truly something for everyone, so there’s no need to search further. Blue Horizon has the finest vintage prints out there and the quality is beyond compare. Our canvas prints are guaranteed to look vibrant for decades to come. Talk to one of our sales representatives to find out all of the wonderful ways you can customise your vintage artwork to your liking and specifications. Own a piece of advertising history today.

The UK is (on the whole) extremely proud and very intrigued by the graffiti artist ‘Banksy’. Nobody knows who he is, where he lives or what he looks like yet everybody knows what a Banksy piece looks like. Contemporary, political and controversial, Banksy’s artwork is generally a piece of social comment.

He has his haters too of course – the people who think that graffiti is vandalism, no matter how ‘artistic’. But the vast majority of people would love nothing more than a piece of Banksy street art to appear on the side of their house – not least because it would increase the value of the house significantly!

Banksy works at night, undetected. His work appears in the most improbable places – like twenty foot up a very tall building. This only serves to make people more curious about him – how on earth does he get away with it without being spotted? This is extreme graffiti! The pieces are usually stencilled on, meaning he can turn up, work fast and beat it before being caught.

He is subversive and bold, with a wicked sense of humour. His images are striking, humorous and always cause a stir.

Graffiti Artist to the Stars

Banksy has some pretty high-profile fans. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt purchased his piece called ‘Picnic’ for around a quarter of a million dollars. It’s a painting of a white middle class family enjoying a picnic, completely unaware of the starving African children standing around them. It’s a pretty obvious piece of social commentary and it typifies what Banksy stands for.

Buy the Piece – Get the House Attached!

Because most of Banksy’s art is street art, it is most often found on pavements, walls and the sides of buildings. If a house has been visited by Banksy then there will be a lot of people that will be willing to pay for not just the art, but the house to go with it! It is widely thought that the art is only so powerful because of where it is – so to remove it is to take a lot away from it. (People have removed his pieces though, sometimes legally and sometimes illegally!).

If the art has been carried out on somebody’s house, that means it becomes their property and they are free to sell it or remove it as they wish. As you can imagine this has caused a lot of controversy over the years – and we bet Banksy loves it!

Tourist Attraction

Banksy’s work has become a tourist attraction and wherever he has made his mark is regularly visited by curious fans. London tour guides always include a Banksy or two in their routes! But Banksy gets all over the place – most cities and towns have been visited by him at some point. He started off in Bristol so this is where his diehard fans head to see his work.

Love him or hate him it’s clear that Banksy is something of a national treasure and he’s still got some tricks up his sleeve!

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Creative Commons image source

The author of this post, Barbara Woodberry, works as an editor for magazinesubscriptions.com. She likes to write articles and read science fiction books in her free time.