FAQ - The Paintings
Q. How long does it take to create a painting?
A. Over three months for the larger paintings. Susan creates 5-6 paintings per year.
Q. What if she makes a mistake?
A. Susan often makes mistakes; she must do the painting again. However, she works slowly, using a method that minimizes mistakes. First she does the lettering, possibly several times (most prone to mistakes). Next, she completes the central bouquet or figure. Finally, she completes the border art. Her original paintings are pristine; you won't find white-out or any other alterations on the originals.
Q. Can I commission Susan to create a painting?
A. You can send her suggestions, but be aware that there are many texts already in line. She would like to accommodate you but she can only create 5-6 paintings per year.
Q. Are the original paintings for sale?
A. Yes. The prices of the small paintings begin at $5,000.
Q. How does she choose the texts?
A. Susan's background in art history, literature, and philosophy provides lots of ideas. She has an extensive personal library, and also conducts special research projects at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
Q. How does she choose the illustration?
A. The illustration is closely tied to the text, either because it is mentioned in the text or conforms to the time period of the text.
FAQ - The Prints
Q. How are the prints produced?
A. Prints are offset lithographs, a photomechanical reproduction of the original work. By using filters over a camera lens, particular colors are separated. The results are several halftone negatives corresponding to various colors. Each halftone is transferred to a plate. The plates are put on a printing press with a rubber-blanketed roller. Susan has used the same printer, B&B Printing of Bedford, VA, for over 20 years.
Q. Do the prints come in different sizes?
A. Generally no, the prints are the same size as the original painting. In limited cases, paintings originally produced as stationery may be available as both cards and prints.
Q. Will the prints fade in the sun?
A. Not much, since the prints are produced using the most modern printing techniques on acid-free paper. However, the prints should not be placed in direct sun.
Q. What's a limited-edition print? What happens when it runs out?
A. Limited-edition prints are signed and numbered by the artist. When the entire edition is sold, the print is no longer available in that format.
Q. Why are some prints signed & numbered limited editions, others signed, and still others unsigned?
A. Prints in a certain series, such as The Language of Flowers Collection, are generally limited. Very popular designs, such as "Love is Patient" or "Ecclesiastes 3:1-8" are signed but not numbered. Several years ago, as the volume of our business increased, we made the decision to market popular designs as signed prints to keep the price affordable. In a few cases, paintings originally produced as stationery may be available in both cards and unsigned prints.
Q. Are sold-out prints available on the secondary market?
A. We are not active in this market. If you are interested in a particular print, send us your name and we will notify you if your requested print shows up (via a return, etc.).
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