Blue tape and pink snow suites…

A long time client of mine came into the store last month and was telling me about how her son was  going around her house and putting little pieces of blue tape on all the family photos.   When she started telling me this I instantly  pictured a cute little boy, doing what kids do, and not really having any rhyme or reason for his actions.  Maybe it was some kind of game he  made up.  Or maybe he just found some  “cool blue tape” and wanted to do something with it.  I mean he’s a kid right?  Then she reminded me her son is 50 years old!  OK, now I was intrigued.  What’s the deal with the blue tape?

Well, as we continued to talk,  she told me about the pictures he was marking.  Some of them where of great-great grandparents and were over 100 years old.  Some of them were of family vacations they had taken when he was a kid.  And some of them were of random family members.  But in each case the people in the pictures were smiling back at the viewer, frozen in time, and marking a place in his family’s history.   I also found out her son’s ultimate goal  was to borrow the pictures he marked, have Arnie (our photo restoration guy) make copies of them so he could have us frame them to put in his own house.

OK, now jump a head.  About a week later I was attending my neighbor Kitty’s daughter’s wedding.  The wedding was  held in Kitty’s house/backyard which gave me (and the rest of her guests) an opportunity to wander around and look at all the pictures she had hanging on the walls.  Like in most of our homes, Kitty had  paintings and prints purchased because she liked the colors or the scene.  But when I went in the lower level there they were, the family photos.  Pictures of her husband Mark and the kids standing on the deck holding up a fish they had obviously just caught.  Pictures of Kitty with the girls in their matching pink snow suits.  And a beautiful picture of Kitty on her wedding day.

These two separate, but similar events, got me to thinking.  When we are going through life and taking pictures of the events that happen along the way, we never really know which ones are going to hold special meaning to us or our ancestors down the road.  So why hold out for that “perfect” picture where everyone’s hair is just right, they are looking at the camera and smiling just so.   Put those not-so-perfect pictures out so you can enjoy them now.  The ones that remind you of the fun vacation you just took, or the great weekend you had with your friends.  Who knows, 100 years from now some “little kid” might be putting blue tape on it!

Decorating for the kids without being childish…

Decorating for kids without being childish….

A trend in decorating these days has been to pay more attention to “designing” baby rooms, play rooms, kid’s baths, tween bedrooms and kid friendly family rooms.  It’s not enough anymore to slap up some pink paint in the nursery and call it a day.

Weather you are looking to do a full overhaul or just do some tweaking to one of these rooms in your home the trick is to think bright, graphical styles. It doesn’t have to be cartoon characters on the wall and this style can transition into sophisticated decorating with the right touch.  Take for example the two polka dot prints,  above, by Lee Crew, or these three floral prints by Amy Butler.  The prints all have colors and themes that would work well in a child’s room, but are still sophisticated enough to be pleasing to an adult.

How about framing your favorite piece of art by your child.  Kid’s art is so fun and colorful.  I have literally had customers come back into the store after framing a piece of their kid’s art and tell me their friends want to know what art fair they bought it at!  Talk about a priceless piece of art.

Do you have a child heading off the high school this year?  Maybe they are getting their own room for the first time, just like my friend Mandy’s 14 year old, Sophia. Tweens are influenced by fashion and looking for creative expression.  Tweens enjoy chic patterns in larger dimensions.  Any one of these prints by Thomaspaul would look great blown up and hung above a bed.  Or how about three smaller prints of the same image lined up above a desk.  VERY stylish and “grown-up”.

Infuse spirit and personality into your child’s space.  For inspiration check out the selections from this month’s Kids mini-catalog.  See something you like? Give us a call and we can order for you.

Or maybe you want to look through our catalog of over 3,300 images.  Visit www.orchardlakeframing.com and click  “find it/size it/buy it”.  Once you find the perfect image, you can pick the size and if you want it on paper or canvas.  Have shipped to us for FREE or to your home for a nominal charge.

Whatever you do….have fun….and let the kid in you come out!

Hawkers ande Peddlers

One of the things I love about art is that it is very personal.  We see it all the time in the gallery.  A client will walk through the door and just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE a painting we have on the wall.  They will go on and on about how they like the colors, or how it reminds them of something, someplace or someone.  We will talk at length about how it makes them feel and you can see their eyes light up.  And then, not five minutes later, someone else comes through the door and says “that is the ugliest thing I have ever seen”.  End of discussion.  No further comment.

Another thing I love, there is always a story behind every piece of art.  Maybe the artist is trying to convey a feeling, portray a person or object, or just get the viewer to think.  At first glance you may not like, or lets say appreciate a piece, but when you dig deeper and find the story it always makes the piece more interesting.  You still may not want to bring it home with you, but the story can give you a deeper appreciation for how much thought, effort, research and creativity the artist put into creating a piece of art.

This is so true in Mike DiFazio’s work.  Mike is one of the artists showing in the gallery during our Dream Crusin’ event.  Although all of Mike’s pictures have some kind of car or truck in them what strikes me is the story he is telling.  Besides the cars and trucks being technically correct, Mike’s pictures take you back to a place and time some of us have only seen in the movies or heard stories about from our parents or grandparents.

Take for example Mike’s picture called “Free Samples”.  At first glance it’s an old fashion truck loaded with fruits and veggies.  But what’s the story?  Well up until the mid fifties, hawkers or peddlers were a familiar sight in urban neighborhoods throughout the U.S.A.  Sometimes irreverently referred to as hucksters, they provided a convenient way to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables.  Their vehicle of choice was most often based on a ½ ton panel truck with an open area behind the driver where items for sale could be easily displayed and accessed.  Called a Canopy Express, most were manufactured by International Harvester for GM.  The Dodge version was based on a pickup truck equipped with a wood lath canvas roof.  Ford opted for a conversion to their panel trucks through an aftermarket approach to meet the demand for this unusual niche.  Although most production for these trucks ceased in the 1940’s, GM was able to continue until the 1955 model year.

Although the closest thing I can relate to one of these peddlers is the Good Humor Man, I remember hearing stories from my mom and dad about these men.  So for me although the truck theme is really cool, what resonates with me in this particular picture is the story.  The picture takes me back to my childhood; sitting on my dad’s lap and listening to him tell stories of when he was a kid growing up on London.  About the bagel man walking down the street with the bagels looped around what he described as broomstick handles or the ice delivery man with his ice tongs chipping off big blocks of ice for their ice box or the milkman with his glass bottles rattling in the wire basket as he walked up the front steps of my grandparents home.

So the next time you go to an art gallery, museum, or art fair and see something that you think is ugly, stop.  Take a minute to find out what the “story” is, the artist’s background and why they created this particular piece of art.  You still may not want to buy it and put it in your house, but you may find yourself having a better appreciation for someone’s hard work and effort.

She’s Real Fine, My 409…

She’s Real Fine, My 409…

She’s real fine my 409….my 4—-0—-9…..

OK, so I don’t have a 409…but that Beach Boys song is just one of the songs that starts going through my head this time of year.  It conjures up feelings of a bygone era.  A time and place I have only experienced through movies and TV shows like “American Graffiti”, “Grease” and “Happy Days”.  If you live anywhere near Metro Detroit, you know where this is leading… the Woodward Dream Cruise, and all the other cruises and car shows around town.  For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, and even for those who know what I’m talking about, here is a little history….

Nelson House, a plumber from Ferndale, initiated the “Woodward Dream Cruise” to help raise money for a children’s soccer field in his community.  Organizers initially expected 30,000 or 40,000 people to come to the August 19, 1995 inaugural cruise on Woodward Avenue but in the end a whopping 250,000 actually showed up!

So what started as a fundraiser 15 years ago has become the world’s largest one-day automotive event.  “One day event”?  If you live around Woodward you may think this is a misprint.  “Officially” the event is the third Saturday in August, but we all know it starts LONG before that.  All summer long people polish up their hot rods, jalopies, and muscle cars, drive them out of their garages and head out to cruise the legendary Avenue.  But come August spectators start lining the 16-mile stretch with lawn chairs and coolers in hopes of seeing their favorite car go by.

So why Woodward?  Why a cruise?  Well, during the post-war era, people would “cruise” in their cars along Woodward Avenue, from drive-in restaurant to drive-in restaurant, (you know like Al’s from Happy Days).  The cruisers would be looking for peers and/or friends who were also hanging out, and perhaps seeking an opportunity for some street racing or at least a chance to “burn rubber” or “light ‘em up” in a quick getaway from a newly green traffic light.^[1]. To more than a generation of kids, Woodward is legendary.

Oh, as a side note, here’s an interesting  tid-bit of information….Did you know Woodward Avenue in Detroit was America’s first highway?  And had the first ever traffic light?  WOW!  How times have changed.

But I digress, On August 21 more than 1.5 million people and 40,000 classic cars from around the world will recreate the 1950s and 1960s by cruising the roadway. You can see muscle cars, street rods, and collector cars that span the decades.  The Dream Cruise takes place along a 16-mile stretch of the legendary Woodward Avenue through communities including Berkley, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Ferndale, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge, Pontiac and Royal Oak, in Southeast Michigan.  If you haven’t been it’s defiantly an item to put on your bucket list of things to do this summer.

And if I may be so bold, another bucket list item should be to visit Orchard Lake Framing & Gallery during the month of August.  Taking the spot light for this month is an eclectic mix of automotive art in a variety of media by artists distinguished in their field.  These car guys have paid their dues with years of pleasing art directors, engineers and executives at the Big Three.  Their years of experience in creating compelling images that are both beautiful and precise is something you don’t want to miss.

So jump in your “Little Deuce Coupe”, put on an oldies station and enjoy something that is so totally DETROIT!

Why is it so expensive?

Many times, clients come into our gallery looking to frame that special something or to buy a unique gift, only to find the pricing more than they were thinking of spending.   Of course, there are many factors that play into this equation, but let’s just start with the creative vision of the frame designers or the artists that show in the gallery.  Orchard Lake Framing & Gallery showcases high quality hand crafted frame designs and art, produced by well trained and experienced framers and artists.  We firmly believe all of our custom frames and art make a great gift, for yourself or a friend, and they are worth the investment when you know what you are buying.

So what are you buying?

Lets start with a custom designed frame for that “special something” you want to hang on your wall or display on a tabletop.   It could be a priceless Picasso, Junior’s kindergarten masterpiece, or a signed Red Wings jersey.  It could be worth a $1 million dollars at Christy’s, be priceless in the sense that Junior made it, or it could be it just makes you smile every time you look at it.  Whatever the reason, it’s “special” we’ve determined that already.  So why wouldn’t you want to take it to a professional picture framer to make sure it is protected and handled properly?  This is what we do.  We think about framing almost 24/7.  When we go into an art gallery, or a doctor’s office or someone’s home we aren’t looking at what’s in a frame, we are looking at the frame and the design.  We have studied the art of picture framing and passed a National Board Certification test.  We read trade magazines and decorating magazines to keep up with design trends.  We attend classes to learn new framing techniques and keep up on how to properly care for and handle artwork.  We aren’t like China.  We don’t produce a million of the exact same thing.  We create a beautiful one-of-a-kind piece made just for you, according to your specifications, in our back room with our own hands.  No one else will have exactly what you have hanging on your wall.  Even if someone did bring in the exact same picture of a goblet and oranges you fell in love with, chances are it wouldn’t even have the same mat you picked, let alone the same frame.
Our work reflects creative insight, careful planning, experience and skilled execution.  The same goes for all the original art created by American Artists that we display in the gallery.

Think of it as a Mercedes vs. a Chevy.  Both cars will get you to where you want to go, but one will do it with a lot more style.  Some things, purchased at Target or Kohls’ are just great for everyday life, but sometimes, just sometimes, we want to go that extra mile, to get an item that really stands out from the crowd, something that screams “I’m special!!  Pay attention- over here!” When you are ready, so are we.

Come check out the gallery

at 4301 Orchard Lake Road in West Bloomfield and see what we have to offer.  You will be pleasantly surprised at all the framing and art that really isn’t so expensive after all!

Art Fair Junkie

I confess I am an art fair junkie.  When May rolls around I start getting excited. I’ll spend a couple of hours on line looking up the dates for all the local art fairs, writing them on my calendar, deciding which ones I need to take time off for and which ones I can take the chance of missing.  It’s a summer ritual that I have been doing with my mom since the 1980s.

Through the years mom and I have ventured all over Metro Detroit checking out this art fair and that art fair.  Some are big, some are small, some are good, some are not so good.  We have seen art fairs come and go.  We have seen good ones dwindle down to nothing and little ones become REALLY good ones.

But, summer just wouldn’t be summer without a trip to Ann Arbor or Wyandotte.  Ann Arbor just because it’s Ann Arbor and you can’t miss that one.  And Wyandotte, not because it’s one of the best, but because that is where my mom was born and raised.  We enjoy walking down the main street looking at all the art, checking out all the little boutiques and art galleries, venturing off into the park to watch to the boats go by on the Detroit River, and then having a Polish dinner at Polonas’ or drinks and appetizers at Portofino’s on the river.

I guess now that I look at it, it’s not really so much about the art fairs themselves, but more about bonding with my mom.  It’s what I consider to be “our time”.  Time that we set aside to be together all day.  A time to not worry about anyone or anything.  A time to enjoy each other’s company and to be outside in the sun (or rain as the case may be).

So maybe I’m not really an art fair junkie.  Maybe I just like hanging out with my mom.

If you are interested in finding out more about the art fairs going on around Michigan go to

www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/michigan-artfairs.html

These are the ones I have on my calendar:

• Northville June 25-27
• Charlevoix June 26-27
• Wyandotte July 7-10
• Plymouth July 9-11
• Royal Oak July 10-11
• Ann Arbor July 21-24
• Orchard Lake Fine Art Fair (New Location in W. Bloomfield this year) July 30 – August 1
• Rochester Mall August 7-8
• Milford August 13-15
• Brighton August 13-15
• Arts Beats & Eats (New Location this year Royal Oak) September 3-6
• Rochester Arts & Apples September 10-12
• St. Clair Shores September 18-19
• Birmingham September 25-26

If you have others you would like to share, or just want to tell me about ones you really like, I would love to hear from you!

Have a GREAT summer!

Picnics, Bar-B-Qs and Fireworks!

The fourth of July.  An American holiday that conjures up mental pictures of family picnics in the park, kids running through  sprinklers, family backyard Bar-B-Qs, and most important fireworks.  I mean what would the 4th of July be without the fireworks, right?

Well, I’m not sure about you, but around my house people start shooting off fireworks in the middle of June and continue on long past the 4th of July.  We have the little back yard poppers, bottle rockets, some squeelers and some big boomers now and then.  But, to see the really good stuff you have to go to the “city” shows.

For the last five or so years I have been taking my mom to meet my Uncle at the Wyandotte fireworks.  Wyandotte is a cute little town located on the Detroit River, just down stream from, yep, you guessed it, Detroit.  My mom and Uncle grew up in Wyandotte and a lot of their family still lives in and around the area.

Anyway, we meet my Uncle at the boat club around 7ish. It’s still light  so we can see the barges in the middle of the river that are loaded with all that is about to come.  We can see the hundreds of boats and yachts with their captains jockeying for the best position.  And we can see the Coast Guard boats zipping around making sure the everyone is behaving and staying a safe distance from the barges.   When the time is right we go out onto the balcony and watch the wonderful display of light, color, shapes and booms.  We feel the pride of being an American, and thank those who went before us and gave their lives so we can live in such a wonderful place.

Not so great

This year I brought my little digital pocket camera to get some pictures of us while we were there.  I wasn’t really intending to take pictures of the actual fireworks, but my uncle insisted.  So I took my little point and shoot,  aimed it, tried to focus, tried to hold my hand steady and pushed the button.

Well as you can see, yes I got a picture (by the way this is my best one) it’s OK, but it’s not great.

This got me thinking.  We all do things that are OK.  But for something to be really GREAT, you need the right equipment.  You need some training or schooling and then of course  experience.  And even with all that, whatever we are doing won’t be GREAT unless we do it with a creative flair.  You know, that special little something that some people can add that just makes whatever they do POP!  You know like a professional photographer, a mater chef or even a professional custom picture framer

I hope you had a GREAT 4th of July and added your own special little touch to that picnic in the park you had, or with helping the kids  with their game of running through the sprinkler, or the backyard family Bar-B-Q!

Art In the Movies and On TV

From time to time I get talking to customers about pictures or art they have seen in movies or on TV.  Some of them are pictures that are just in the background; others are used as a prop or a parody, while still others have the entire plot revolving around them.  Some customers want to know if they can get the picture to put in their home; others want to know more about the artists; and some pictures just spark a conversation about history, art and museums in general.

For example in the TV show Friends, Monica has a big picture by her TV that is a reproduction of a French advertisement from the late 1800′s. Posters like this are representative of the era and are particularly well known for the Moulin Rouge area, which is the most well known establishment of the time. Vintage posters have been a popular decorating trend for a while because they are fun, bright, romantic, and nostalgic.  Plus, they work well with all types of styles from traditional to contemporary.
To see more Anitique prints check out Lieberman’s at http://liebermans.net/advancedsearch.aspx?s=lb4%2c88

For those who have already seen Iron Man 2, you may have noticed a very familiar-looking poster image, but couldn’t quite put your finger on why it looked so familiar.  The poster I am referring to is the one featuring Iron Man in the style of Shepard Fairey’s Obama HOPE poster. Though this parody wasn’t designed by Fairey himself, he gave it his blessing. Fairey is apparently friends with the Iron Man movie’s production designer Michael Riva, who asked if he could use a HOPE poster spoof in the movie.  As far as I can tell the Iron Man version is only a prop and hasn’t been reproduced for resale…yet.
To learn more about Shepard Fairey or see some of his work you can visit : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepard_Fairey

Then there is The da Vinci Code.  The story follows symbologist Robert Langdon, played by Tom Hanks, as he investigates a murder in Paris’s Louvre Museum.  The title of the novel refers to, among other things, the fact that the murder victim is found in the Denon Wing of the Louvre, naked and posed like Leonardo da Vinci’s famous drawing the Vitruvian Man.

Throughout the movie famous works of art are shown and talked about, such as the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper by da Vinci, history is discussed and the Louvre is prominently displayed.   During this time it seemed that more people coming into the store were talking about what was going on at the Detroit Institute of Arts, interested in classic paintings and artists, and planning trips to various museums in Europe.

It’s funny how so many people are intimidated by “art”, thinking only of it in a hifalutin’ cultural context.  Something they don’t know much about, would only see in a museum or that would be in some famous person’s private collection.  When in reality, art is all around us, and we talk about it more than we might think.  It’s in artwork and props we see in movies and on TV.  It’s used in campaign posters and advertising.  And it’s in your home and in your garden.  It moves us and inspires us.  It calms us and energizes us.  It sparks emotions and brings back memories.  So the next time you are watching something on TV or at the movies pay attention to how the art work in the background is setting the “scene” and how it makes you feel.

Footnote:  How Ironic….

I just finished writing this piece and a Set Decorator walks into the store scouting for artwork. Apparently they are filming “Scream 4” around here and need artwork to put on the walls of one of the sets. Filming starts at the end of June. So keep your eyes open when “Scream 4” hits a theater near you…you might see artwork by one of our Michigan artists!

Geronimo!!!

So, I have been working on creating this new website for about 4 months now and I’m finally ready to go live.  Whew, what a relief I’m in the home stretch….I’m almost done, and I still have some hair left.  YEAH.

I also joined facebook not long ago.  Everyone was telling me as a small business I HAVE to be on facebook.  I don’t know, I just didn’t get it.  Why do I care what you had for lunch?  But then I joined and wow, it’s kind of fun keeping up with friends and clients with short snippets of information.  Hmmm, 2010 is turning into a techie year for me.  I’m starting to feel cool, like I’m getting into the 21st century…..

But wait!  What’s this thing called a “blog” and why do I need one?  What,  it’s kind of like a journal?  I can do that.  I used to journal all the time when I was younger.  Maybe this will be fun, but what should I write about?  How high should you hang a piece of art…i.e. whose eye level?  Is this worth framing?  Art in the movies and on TV, decorating tips and trends, what’s going on in the art world, …..

OK, this might be easier than I thought….and definitely easier than building a website!  It looks like I already have several topics to contemplate.  I guess it’s time I get my thoughts together and jump into this thing called the blogosphere!

GERONIMO!!!!!

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