05/08/2017

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01/01/2018

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01/06/2020

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22/08/2021

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10/12/2021

As one of the invited artists to Help Explorers against extinction raise funds for wildlife conservation it was incredible to see so many talented artists from across the globe contributing to this very worthy cause. Brilliant job everyone, well done!.

Always a pleasure to help where I can.
Very well done to everyone involved. Truly inspirational.

14/03/2024

This is not just printing - this is giclee printing.


Have you ever wondered what the word giclee refers to?...
First and foremost let's start with a simple fact, Giclee is most definitely not just a meaningless arty term.
Describing giclee as "just an arty term" could mislead you into thinking that Giclee prints are exactly the same as non giclee prints, this is simply not the case, giclee prints are NOT the same as all other prints.

So let's separate the facts from the fiction.
In this blog I'll address a few common questions.

1. Is giclee worth it?
The answer is simple ..
If you want a print that's archival, valuable and respected by fine art experts, then purchase a giclee print as opposed to something that is just described as a print.
If however you are happy with a non giclee print then purchase that instead. It depends on what you want from your art.
I'd personally always choose a giclee over a non giclee if I had the choice.

2. Aren't all prints giclee prints?.
This is very easy to answer, the answer is no.


3. I've purchased a non giclee print on the high street, is it guaranteed to have the same longevity as a giclee print?.
The answer is no, it is very unlikely to last as long as a giclee print, and is more likely to colour fade over time.

5. Is there a price different between purchasing a giclee print versus a non giclee print.
Tricky to answer this one because art prices vary a lot depending who's doing the selling.
Generally speaking though, giclee prints can sometimes be slightly more expensive, but definitely not always. They are however usually more expensive to produce.

Summary.
When purchasing art prints the customer may not realise the differences between a standard print (non giclee) and a giclee print, but if you've ever handed over your hard earned cash for a framed print only to notice a few years later it bears less resemblance to the exciting crisp colourful thing you fell in love with and is now starting to look more like a dull faded version of itself (no I'm not talking about my husband), It can be a little frustrating and disappointing to say the least.
You may at that point begrudgingly throw your print away, what a shame.
We are a throwaway society, but thankfully these days we are searching for ways to be less throwaway minded, and more longevity minded.

So what's the alternative to purchasing a mass produced art print?.
The alternative is do your due diligence and purchase art that gives you the absolute best quality you can afford, and the best chance of hanging onto your favourite artwork for many years to come, hopefully a lifetime. There's plenty out there.

In a nutshell...
Most artists already know the difference between a non giclee print and a giclee print, we understand the reasons why giclee is considered the benchmark for quality prints. Our customers however may not know differences, but i believe it's our duty as artists to be informative.

Why do some artist offer only standard non giclee prints ? .
I cannot answer for other artists, but for me its about my own desire to please, and also about quality and integrity. From the start of my career I wanted to offer my customers the absolute best quality i can, not just in the paints I use for my original paintings but also in my print range, hence when I chose to offer prints on my website to sit alongside my original watercolours I knew that my own print range would have to be giclee.
I could have chosen the easier route and just opted for non giclee prints, there would definitely have been more profit for me in doing that, and certainly less effort and time involved.
Setting up a giclee printing process is not an easy task and at the start there were many months of head scratching and work involved, but the effort of producing higher quality giclee prints is well worth the effort because the end result is a  breathtakingly beautiful product to offer to my customers, a product that i can trust, and one that will not dissapoint my customers further down the line.

Enjoy your art
Love
L J
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