Becoming the Art
It seems we’re all a little hung up (pun intended) on what fine art is. It’s all pretty much art. The fine part is relative in different people’s eyes. Art hangs on our walls, sits on our mantles, decorates our yards, and even populates our tables.
We spend thousands on wall art for our homes (and maybe hundreds for the vintage movie posters I love) to match our couch or floor, yet fail to think if there could be something there that matches the drapes but also means something to you.
What if you found interesting art that evokes an emotion or supports a cause? “Sounds great” you say, “but how am I supposed to find that?” Next time you are shopping to put some art on your walls, just Google art or artists and whatever you might want to support. Try “art fighting child abuse” or whatever you want to support or fight. You might be surprised at what you find.
The art in your home turns into a conversation piece over just being able to say, “yea, I found that on art.com in the “blue” color section. The art that you choose will always be an extension of you, but if could go a step further, wouldn’t that be interesting.
The next level of art
With the Internet of today, we see less restrictions in what we can choose to purchase. We can have things the way we pretty much want and are not often restricted to what’s on the shelf in front of us.
Why can’t we have that with art? What if we could specify what we want in our art? Ok, I know that’s been going on for hundreds of years with commissioned artwork. Now, what if YOU or your FAMILY could be part of that art? No, really.
Who says that an artist can’t incorporate you into art that you have a say in creating? Portrait artists and photographers will say they make art, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about a completely different scenario where you are actually involved in the process?
Want your kids to be superheros battling monsters? – Done. Want yourself featured as a fairy in an enchanted woods?-Done. Want your family in your favorite painters painting instead of those people in there now?-Done. Want you and your partner in a scene from a movie or painting?-Done. You get the idea.
Wall art that features you and your family can be produced today. You just have to find the photographer who can pull it off. An artist… who can light for flattering portraits (we all have stuff we’d like to de-emphasize), and someone with commercial experience who can create environments that pull the look off. I do this in my studio, but so do many others around the world.
Is it expensive? Not if you look at it relatively. Say you want a big image for over your couch in the living room. You spend time looking and you purchase a piece from an art dealer and get it framed. You are looking in the thousands anyway. If you wanted your family dressed as superheros, flying out of a breaking brick wall, or you want to be featured in a beautiful dress in a fairy forest, you’d likely spend about $2-5K, but you would have images that would live after you with your kids, create stories and share an incredible day-long experience with your family or friends (with full makeovers, etc). I just did a fantasy shoot and the couple loved their makeup so much, they went out afterwards and a random woman complimented them on their look.
For these types of artistic creations, we do a free pre-shoot consultation, a concept review, costume selection and procurement if needed, complete hair and makeup, a shoot that will incorporate the concepts that can take from hours to a full day (time flies but there is never a rush), complete editing and photoshopping (we won’t change anything you don’t want changed, but are always open to a little trimming here and there and removing blemishes if desired), and a fun “reveal” meeting.
We often have friends and family at the shoots and the reveals and they are always amazed at the work that goes into the images and how incredible they turn out.
One of the cool elements of our business is that we offer no-credit and no-interest financing for our clients. Even our wealthiest clients almost always choose this option ad it keeps their cash liquid. Our financing also helps those who want to surprise their significant others with art from having to explain a charge on their cards for some art place!
I know this kind of turned into an ad for our artistic portraits, but I’m as excited about these as I am creating fine art for causes I care about.