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Art Terminology

Original - Art that is considered authentic works created by the artist's hand. It excludes works "in the studio of" an artist, because that usually indicates that the art was made by others (such as an apprentice), even if it was done under the influence or the direction of the artist.

Copies/reproductions (valued less than an original) reach greater audiences and are also of value, based on a lower edition. Some of the copies/reproductions are hand embellished by the artist, which adds tremendous value when compared to any size edition.

Hand embellished - Limited edition prints that the artist has taken aside and highlighted features of the work or added new material to the print. They are signed and more valuable than a standard signed print.

Etching - Process in which needles are used to draw into a wax ground applied over a metal plate. The plate is acid bathed, each time biting into the metal where it is unprotected by the wax ground. The unetched surfaces are wiped and an impression is printed from the plate. Each color is created on a seperate plate and can be overlapped several times. While the etching process creates one set of plates for a piece of art, the artist's use of different colors on the plates can create an infinite number of original images.

Giclee - Translated from French as "sprayed ink," this is sophisticated print making process. It is capable of producing millions of colors using continuous-tone technology. This can also be called an Iris print. These are often made from photographic images of paintings in order to produce high quality, permanent reproductions. The extra fine image resolution permits retention of a high degree of fine detail and allows deeply saturated coloring. It is also used for reproducing fine art photography. This is an economical way for artists to produce small quantities of limited editions.

Mobile - A construction made of objects that are balanced and arranged on wire arms and suspended so as to move freely.

Lithography - Printing process from a prepared flat stone, metal or plastic plate. A drawing is made on the surface with a crayon or tusche (black liquid used most with a brush or pen, lithographic ink), then washed with water. When ink or pigment is applied to the plate, it sticks to the greasy sections of the plate (represented by the crayon or tusche) allowing a print to be made. The artist or a print maker under the artist's supervision then covers the plate with paper or fabric and runs it through a press. Color is transferred. Each color is applied by a seperate plate in the process.

Painting - Works of art made with paint on a surface. Often the surface, also called a support, is either a tightly stretched piece of canvas or a panel. How the ground (on which paint is applied) is prepared on the support depends greatly on the type of paint to be used. Paintings are usually intended to be placed in frames, and exhibited on walls, but there have been plenty of exceptions.

Acrylic paints - Synthetic paints, with pigments dispersed in a synthetic vehicle made from polymerized acrylic acid esters, the most important of which is polymethyl methacrylate. First used by artists in the late 1940s, their use has come to rival that of oil paints because of their versatility. They can be used on nearly any surface, in transparent washes or heavy impasto, with matte, semi-gloss, or glossy finishes.

Watercolor - Any paint that uses water as a medium. Paintings done with this medium are known as watercolors. When made opaque with white, watercolor is generally called gouache or bodycolor. Tempera is another exception. Colors are usually applied and spread with brushes, but other tools can also used. The most common techniques for applying watercolor are called wet-on-dry and wet-on-wet, along with the dry brush techniques dry-on-dry and dry-on-wet. Most watercolor painting is done on paper, but other absorbent grounds can also be employed.

Oil paint - Slow drying paint made when pigments are mixed with an oil, linseed oil being most traditional. The oil dries with a hard film, and the brightness of the colors is protected. Oil paints are usually opaque and traditionally used on canvas. They can have a matte, semi-gloss, or glossy finish.

Photography - The art, craft, and science of producing permanent images of objects on light-sensitive surfaces. Most popular forms include black and white, full color and hand tinted.

Sericel - An image which may or may not have appeared in an animated film that has been printed -- by serigraphy -- onto an animation cel, usually as part of a limited edition. A sericel would not have been photographed in the making of an animated film.

Serigraphy - A stencil method of printmaking. The image is imposed on a screen of silk or other fine mesh. Blank areas of the screen are coated with an impermiable substance. The ink or pigment in the process is forced through the mesh on to the printing surface. Each color in the process is created using a seperate screen.

Three-dimensional assemblages - Built in deep shadow box frames, these images appear to have height, width, and depth. Most commonly, these assemblages are a series of layers of glass or serigraphic reproductions sandwiched together in a shadow box frame. An artist starts with a flat drawing or painting. On acetate panels, the artist redraws sections from the original work. Each panel is reproduced and elements are cut from the panels and hand-assembled. Layers of the hand-cut pieces are arranged and glued onto a flat print with adhesives.

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Standard Fine Art Proof Abbreviations

AP - "artist proof" - a print not in the regular numbered edition. May or may not be numbered. May or may not be hand embellished

BAT - "bon a tirer" - French translation of good to pull. The first proof or proofs acceptable to the artist, used as the standard by which each subsequent print impression is compared.

EA - "epreuve d'artiste" - French translation of an artist proof. A European artist proof designation. The same applies for these artist proofs as the AP designation above.

EP - "editor's proof" - A print impression reserved for the editors, or cromists, who assisted in the creation of the edition with the artist.

HC - "hors de commerce" - French translation is outside of trade. These proofs are usually held by the publisher or artist until the regular editions are sold out. May or may not be numbered.

PP - "printer's proof" - These pieces are designated for the printers or printing studios (atelier). They are usually released after the regular edition and other proofs are sold out.

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Glossary of Terms Used in Profiles

Name of Artist - All art exhibited at the 2nd Floor Gallery is guaranteed to be the work of the artist whose name appears on all listings and authenticity certificates.

Medium - Primary medium will be listed in the general description of each work. Some pieces will include types of media used by the artist.

Date - Unless otherwise indicated, the date given is the known date or generally accepted date of publication of the piece.

Signature - "hand signed" indicates works signed by the hand of the artist. These pieces may be signed in pencil, crayon, ink, or pigment. Pieces designated as "plate signed," "stone signed," "engraved signed" and "block signed" are not included as "hand signed."

Editions - Editions are given to pieces when known. Pieces are also listed as artists' proofs, hors commerce, etc.

Quality and Condition - Clients are advised that each piece should be inspected personally. Quality and condition is based upon personal judgment of each piece. Prior to obtaining future pieces for clients, quality and condition will be agreed upon first.

Sales and Payments - Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express are accepted for payment. Personal checks and business checks are also accepted. Personal or business checks returned for insufficient funds will be charged a fee of $50.00. Pieces are to be paid in full at the time of purchase and/or delivery unless otherwise arranged with the gallery owner. Future pieces contracted to be purchased for a client will require a deposit of 50% of the purchase value prior to the Gallery acquiring the artwork.

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Investment Art

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