I currently have 5 limited edition floral prints that feature daffodils in the shop. I’ve been making still life paitnings consistantly for the last 5 years, and have made at least one every year with daffodils (I don’t have prints available for all of them). I realized that this was the first year I didn’t make a daffodil painting for the month of March, however! My son was born in March and I had around 50 blooming in the back yard when he was born. The window in his nursery overlooked the garden and I always think of them as his special flower.
I can’t go back in time to make another painting, but I have drawn up ideas for a larger daffodil painting for a show at Harris Harvey in 2024. A year and a half is a long time to wait, so I also decided to add another limited edition floral print to the store and to offer a special discount for one month only.
New print release!
The newest addition to the store is a print from a painting from my “Creature Comfort” series of monthly miniatures. It’s titled “Sweetness of Spring” and includes a little bouquet of daffodils and one of my favorite things (cake). Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting has become my son’s offical birthday cake and we all look forward to diving in. It’s also the only time of the year that I can actually get him to eat carrots without any complainting.
20% off Daffodil Prints for the month of May
Order yours now through May 31st and you’ll get a special price on all the daffodil prints.
Three DaffodilsIsaac’s DaffodilsSweetness of SpringSeven Varieties of Daffodil
Easter is just around the corner and I have several Rabbit Limited Edition Prints available in the shop. The connection of rabbits to Easter has always been a bit baffling to me, so I took some time this year to see what I could find out. Keep reading for information on the symbolism of rabbits through the ages and the origin of the rabbit as the egg bearer for this holiday.
The Joys of Motherhood
Limited Edition Print
$60
Rabbit, symbol of fertility and rebirth
In European traditions, the Easter bunny is known as the Easter hare. The hare has been a symbol for rebirth and fertility and has been included in rituals and religious roles for thousands of years.
Archaeologists have found hares that were given ritual burials alongside humans in fossils from as early as the Neolithic age (10000 BC – 2200 BC), a. They have interpreted the burials as a religious ritual, with hares representing rebirth.
During the iron age (1200 B.C. and 600 BC) when hares and chickens first arrived in Britain, some archaeologists believe they were seen as creatures of reverence, not dinner. Many examples of burials from this time period have been discovered without any signs of butchery.
Portrait of a Gentleman & Portrait of a Lady, Limited Edition Prints
The Easter Bunny
It’s not too much of a stretch to find a historical symbol of rebirth associated with the Christian holiday of Easter. But the origin is believed to have begun with a German tradition in the 1500’s of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws”.
After reading dozens of articles and historical documents, the start of the tradition still makes no sense to me! Eggs were forbidden during Lent so they were a treat to eat on Easter Sunday. There was a tradition in Germany to hide boiled eggs on Easter. The closest I could find as to how the hare delivered the eggs, was a story passed on through folklore.
When a woman hid colored eggs in the garden for her grandchildren to find, they saw a hare hopping away from them and thought the hare left them. The adults loved this idea and ran with it.
Now hundreds of years later, the idea is still running!
Who knows how it really started, but the tradition of the Easter hare caught on in Germany in the and has continued to spread ever since. He works much like Santa and brings children eggs, candies, chocolates (chocolate easter bunny’s are also a German invention!) and sometimes toys – if they’re on the nice list.
Hope you have a Happy Easter!
A Rabbit in the Forest after Hans Hoffman
Limited Edition Print
$60
Once your Limited Edition Print arrives, it’s your turn to get creative. Whether your style is contemporary, traditional or anything in-between, there are many options. Choosing the right framing can feel intimidating, but try to enjoy the process and trust your instincts. Check out an article I recently wrote about framing limited edition prints. Continue reading for an in-depth look at one clients framing choices.
Audrey generously shared these wonderful images of her two framed Limited Edition Prints she recently ordered from my shop. I loved how they turned out and thought they could help inspire your own framing choices! If you’re in the Holywood, FL area, she recomends Nina’s Art and Framing.
What I love about Audrey’s framing
Framing idea from Audrey. (The frame opening is around 12″ x 12″)
I worked in a frame shop all through art school, and then at the Seattle Art Museum exhibition design department for 15 years. I got to see and hear from the experts on how and why framing should be done in certain ways. Audrey’s choices reflect some of these ideas, and I think describing how will help others make their own choices.
The Mat
The mat for a print serves two purposes: it can enhance the look of the artwork, and it protects the art.
The right mat helps draw the eye in and can add a bit of grandeur or drama to the overall presentation of your new artwork. Use a mat between 2″ and 4″ wide. As for color, I’ve always preferred a simple “white” mat. I feel that a white mat really brings attention to the artwork without any distractions. There are exceptions to this and that’s basically your personal taste and decorating style. If your house is overall more bold and colorful, then adding a pop of color in your mat might fit right in. I say try the white first, but ultimately, go with your gut.
And when I say “white” I mean the white that matches the color of the paper best. If you’re having your Limited Edition Print custom framed, don’t be surprised to have your framer pull out dozens of white mats to choose from!
As to the protective element of matting, keeping space between the Limited Edition Print and the glass is the main goal of the mat. A mat allows air circulation in this space and helps prevent mildew, mold, and buckling. It also keeps artwork from sticking to the glazing material and becoming damaged.
The Frame
The hardest choice of all is picking your frame. This is where your personal taste and creativity really come into play. I often choose narrow, simple frames for matted pieces, which is very different from how I frame my paintings. I’ve had several clients that framed their prints in this way, using a narrow, simple frame with really lovely results. This choice will be the part where you look at lots of different options, and trust your unique style and taste.
Contrary to what I would normaly choose, Audrey’s frame choice is not narrow or simple, but I love it! It’s unique and has a lot of personality without being overwhelming. It brings my eye into the images and the pattern and texture compliments the the images in a subtle and appealing way.
Best of luck in your own art hanging adventures! Feel free to reach out via Instagram, or the contact form here on my website, whether you have a question or something to share. I love to hear from my readers and collectors, and fellow art lovers!
For the first time in a year, I’ve added added two new limited edtition prints to the shop.
Both of the new images come from paitnings in my monthly miniature series titled Creature Comforts and feature foods to brighten spirits in dark times.
My painting “Plums” featuring these golden orbs bursting with juice and flavor, along with one of my favorite visitors in the garden, Swallowtail butterflies. The bowl is from the collection of the Seattle Art Museum, where I worked as a mountmaker and made hundreds of mounts for the porcelain room. Though I was able to touch and document the lovely bowl, filling it with plums was all in my imagination.
The second of the new limited edition prints on offer is one titled “Simple Pleasures“.
Homemade bread has made a serious comeback over the last few years. I got a bit of a head start on the trend because I got a bread maker for Christmas just before the pandemic started. My husband is gluten-free so his intentions were a bit selfish but that’s OK–I love baking! Fresh bread and warmed up brie is such a simple, yet perfect combination.
This painting was created during the month of April, while it was still cold outside but signs of spring were starting to appear. Robbins and tulips were putting on a beautiful show and I brought them from the garden to the table to help enjoy the simple feast.
I hope you enjoy these two new prints available in the shop, and if there’s a painting you’d like to see offered as a print, let me know. I’m having two new prints added a year and will take your request into account when choosing the next pair to become available.
Lots of people had been asking if I would release prints from recent paitnings. I found a local printer I love and am now offering some for sale in my store. I just received several beautiful images from my lovely client Theresa, showing how she framed hers. The backdrop of her beautiful farmhouse in Indiana decorated for the holidays is just magical. I loved seeing these images and I hope you do to!
She very kindly offered to share where she purchased her frames and mats. Contact me if you’d like information on where they came from and I will pass it on! Everything was ordered online and she was able to easily fit them together herself.
Did your favorite painting sell too quickly? Or are originals just out of your price range right now? I’ve been getting lots of requests and have a few specifically for a rabbit limited edition print or two. 😉 Go to my store to order yours today!
This month, I’m adding a limited edition print from the original painting, “Forest Floor with Rabbits”. This painting was part of my In Season monthly miniature series. I was studying a different master from the Dutch golden age of painting (roughly the 1600’s – 1800’s) and I came upon artists Otto Marseus van Schrieck and Rachel Ruysch. They made forest floor still life’s. I love how they combine the the detail and compositional elements found in still life paintings with the wild and unpredictable of the natural world.
My first monthly miniature series saw an entire year of rabbit paintings. I was very excited to pull rabbits into this series of still life paitnings as well. The English spot rabbit you see here (in duplicate!) is my own rabbit, Harriet. You can learn more about this painting on a previous blog post.
This rabbit limited edition print is an edition of 50. They are printed on high quality acid free paper and come with a signed Certificiate of Authenticity. I’ll be offering a new print each month for the next year so keep checking back. If you have a special request, please let me know and I’ll get it on the list!
I’ve had several people ask me to make a limited edition print from various paintings I’ve made over the years. People wanted a print from one of the paintings that was already sold, or they wanted a more affordable version of the original. It took a while for me to offer them, but I was listening! Finding a printer that could make accurate and high-quality reproducsions was a must. After trying out several printers and having around a dozen test proofs made, I finally found a printer that meets with my demanding standards.
My painting, “Birds of the Pacific Northwest”, got the most requests and it is now being offered as a limited edition print of 50 in the shop. Each limited edition print is printed on high quality acid free paper and comes with a signed Certificiate of Authenticity.
“Birds of the Pacific Northwest” was painted for my “In Season” monthly miniature series. Learn more about this painting on a previous blog post.
I’ll be offering a new print each month for the next year so keep checking back. If you have a special request, please let me know and I’ll get it on the list!
