Happy June from Giclée
- Jun 1
- 4 min read
Welcome, Joyful June!
“If we allow ourselves to stay amazed and astounded at the vibrant instants of every day... we can uncover unsuspected sparkling gems hidden in the nooks and crannies of our mind.”
-Erik Pevernagie
Welcome to June, Giclée friends! It seems there's always another thunderstorm brewing while the sun shines against the brilliant emerald hills here in our beloved Pioneer Valley. The spirit of June feels like the true last day of school: it's graduation season, prom season, and school sports are coming to a formal close. As outdated 90's millennials, we wonder: what do kids do all summer these days without their constantly packed schedules and educational routines? When we were kids, drank from the garden hose, called our friends using a landline phone, and rode bikes across town, always making sure to stop at the local stream along the way to look for frogs.
Freedom is the real spirit of June, we think. There's nothing like letting the hours pass while figuring out what to do with the reclaimed free time of summer.
For fitting reasons, this month's featured artist is going to be focused rather on the magic of puppeteering away from the stage. One of our favorite online creative blogs, Colossal, has an article on just how Kermit the frog was able to be filmed free-roamin' on a bike back in 1979- a film moment that had an entire generation in awe.
"The Muppet Movie"
1979
What's Up & What's New?
FAQ: Digitizing Varnished Paintings
Wild Art Challenge For Teens + Kids
On Varnishing Glossy Artwork:
Do It Before Or After Digitizing?
This section is all about HIGH GLOSS varnishing.
We often get asked about varnishing artworks pre-digitizing vs after. We want to first be clear that we will always tell artists to varnish if they feel most comfortable with that as part of their process. All artists are different and we understand gloss varnishing can be a crucial process to enhance certain pieces.
Now with that said, there is a difference in digitizing pieces that have vs have not been glossy varnished.
Digitizing art that has a high gloss will often be bolder and more vibrant from the get-go, while non-varnished pieces with have a more neutral, soft appearance.
When we digitize art, we prioritize making printed replicas look as closely as possible to the original. This is where having a high gloss varnish can reflect in the artists' style. If the art is bold, the prints will be bold. If the art is soft and less punchy in color, so will be the prints.
We cropped in on the lady slipper artwork to show the difference up close between non-varnished acrylic and high gloss varnish.
The part about having an artwork professionally digitized is that we work with artists one on one so we can embolden neutral matte, or unvarnished pieces and tone down the vibrance of the glossy ones that are being extra vibrant. Our goal is always to work directly with the artwork in house, getting it as close as we can to our version we have digitally.
So long story short: It really comes down to personal preference.
We suggest always varnishing with at least a matte varnish to protect the art from chipping or smudging. If glossy finishes are your thing, we are professionals and will ensure the colors are popping to your liking (without too much crazy glare).
Wild Art Challenge
This is a special opportunity for our grown up parent/guardian subscribers with creative kids and teens. If your own 17 & under is one who enjoys a creative challenge, we would love to give them a chance to see their art come to life via print!:
*First, come see us in our shop at 1240 Park St Palmer MA to say hello and grab a free pencil.
(*This first step is a must!)
Next, draw or paint something WILD themed.
(Wild-life, wild-flowers, whatever's wild like the wind. Please keep art under 8x10".)
When you're done with your drawing or painting, take a picture of it (bright, sunny, natural light is best), and email it to us with the subject line "Wild Art Challenge". We'll turn your art into a set of 3 greeting cards that you can pick-up in store.
(Please only submit one artwork!)
Your final challenge is to snail-mail at least one of your greeting cards to a friend or family member.
Spread the word, have fun, and get wild!
(For our fellow creatives: this is a great visual example of digitizing on a budget if you're not too picky and needing only smaller prints!)
Art Prompt Calendar
An art prompt is a great way to break free from a creative block. Prompts can often be a single word, lighting a spark for other creative ideas. In every monthly newsletter, we'll include a fresh calendar full of daily art prompts for our creative subscribers who could use a nudge of inspiration. We'd love to see what you come up with, so make sure to tag us on the socials if you share your art!
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