Catherine Jeltes Handmade Fine Art ... Photography, Painting, Jewelry News

Custom Painting: A Walk Through The Commission Process

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:46:09 CDT

My most recent commission painting (ie. custom work) was based on this painting:

Poseidon's Window

This original blue abstract was 20" x 20" x 1.5"; my client wanted something similar in a much larger size, 30" x 52" x 1.5" As this was not a standard size, I hand stretched and primed the canvas myself.

Once the raw canvas was stretched, I primed it with several coats of gesso, thinned with water.

Now I was ready to paint. Here is one of the early phases of the commission painting:

I took photos throughout the entire process, providing my client with updates and opportunities to suggest changes. In this next one, I circled areas via PhotoShop to show my client the areas I was going to add further detail.

Here was the finished piece:

Keeping my client engaged throughout the entire process not only reduced the possibility of an unhappy client, but also allowed them to participate in the development/creation of their art--solidifying their emotional investment. Here is what my client had to say about their commission experience:

"After seeing Catherine's work online we commissioned her to create a similar work of art in a different shape and much larger scale. In addition to being uber-talented, Catherine is a joy to work with. She never rushed us in the process, gave us visual progress reports, and welcomed our thoughts and input. The end result was a beautiful piece of art that is the focus of our room. Every time I look at it I am so happy. I would highly recommend Catherine and her work."

A testimonial like that speaks volumes for you, your work, and your business practices.

To discuss commissioning your own painting, please contact me.

Gallery Wrap Canvas Prints From Catherine Jeltes

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:23:46 CDT

For those of you who enjoy photography but don't like to mess with matting and framing yet love the look of canvas...voila--a fun option is gallery wrap canvas prints. I've partnered with a local professional lab to offer this option with my photography. Would you like an idea of what they look like? Check these out:

This is a 24 x 30 canvas print of "Teal Leaf". Just like a painting, there is a hanging wire in the back. If you want your art to be hung in a specific position (ie. vertically instead of horizontally, for example) just let me know so the wire can be placed accordingly. And if you ever decide to hang it differently, you can always adjust the wire yourself :O)

Here is a 16 x 20 of "Fairy Leaves." (I know, another leaf photo, but these are quite popular lately.) Nice, huh? And since the printing is done locally, I personally pick up and inspect each order before I package your art for shipping, so the quality is guaranteed. (Trust me...I doubt you have met anyone pickier than I. If you have, then I apologize.)

Currently I offer gallery wrap canvas prints in my Etsy shop, with these sizes listed as available for order: 8 x 8/8 x 10; 11 x 14; 16 x 20. A huge range of sizes are available--just contact me if you'd love a size not listed.

A Note: To preserve the entirety of the image without cropping, the edges/sides of the canvas are printed with a color to coordinate with the print as in the image above, usually a neutral such as gray, black, or deep brown, though other colors are available. Should you have a preference, please specify in the Message To Seller box during the checkout process. Otherwise, please allow me to select the color for you :O)

Direct Checkout Now Available For Gallery Zoo Art On Etsy

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:14:51 CDT

Happy News! For those of you who don't have PayPal, don't like PayPal, or just plain don't feel like using PayPal, there is now another online purchasing option for Catherine Jeltes/Gallery Zoo Art.

Direct Checkout is now available in both of my Etsy shops: galleryzooart on Etsy and galleryzooartdesigns on Etsy. This means that you no longer need a PayPal account--you may use a credit or debit card to make your purchase. Of course, you may still opt for PayPal...this just gives everyone more options. Yay!

Fine Art Photography Featured On ChatterBlossom Blog

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:47:33 CDT

A wonderfully earthy Etsy treasury including my fine art photograph "Gingko Trees" was featured on fellow Etsian Jamie's blog, ChatterBlossom. What wonderful company I am in--all of these selections are delightfully rustic with gorgeous texture...and the muted colors are perfect for the winter weather that is still hanging on, despite it being early spring! Thank you, Jamie, for such a lovely feature!

Think Of Me Mixed Media Pendant Charm Necklace

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 10:19:49 CST

My latest design, Think Of Me necklace, gets its name from the engraved words "think of me" on the back of the pewter heart charm. In a way, it could just have easily been called Love Cliche necklace. Consider the pendant charms: a patinated copper butterfly, a true vintage key, and a small pewter heart. One could go with "you have the key to my heart" or "you give my heart butterflies" or "your love gives my heart wings." I'll bet you can come up with many others, too ;O)

Oddly, the inspiration for this design was the brass binder ring holding the charms. I adore its versatility! I came across these in a scrapbooking store. I don't scrapbook, but boy oh boy can I spend hours in those stores stumbling across inspiration--picking up bits and pieces for both my artwork and jewelry designs. Can't wait to see how these charming binder rings inspire me next...