Inspiration & Technique
Folk Art Style
Artistic Inspiration
Artistic Journey
Painting Technique
Culling Cranberries and Catching Fireflies
USAir Magazine
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Testimonials
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marie@mariefox.com
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About The Prints
How can I share my response to your folk art print?
Does a particular image remind you of an experience or story in your life? Did you catch fireflies as a kid? Does the print of Nantucket bring back a delicious memory? Did you ride on a hay wagon or a Boston swan boat? I’d love to hear from you at Sign Our Guestbook or by email: marie@mariefox.com
Will you notify me when new folk art prints become available?
Yes. Join our mailing list at Email Sign-up. We will send information on pre-publication specials, exclusive offers and new products.
If you’d like to send me a comment or share a story, please Sign Our Guestbook. Here you can also read testimonials from my fans. Think of it as a folk art community bulletin board.
Is this a fine art print?
Yes. It is a high-quality reproduction of one of my signed original folk art paintings. The image is printed on archival paper with fade-resistant soy-based inks on a sheet-fed press. As the final step in the printing process, a protective varnish is applied to the image area.
Is this a limited edition print?
This is an open edition print because the number is unlimited. In the future we may issue artist-signed limited edition prints. To be notified of such special offers, go to Email Sign-up.
Will my print look the same as what I see on my computer?
As you know, monitors differ in representing color. We make every effort to show print colors accurately on our website. Your satisfaction is guaranteed. If for any reason you are not happy with your purchase, you may return it within 90 days for a full refund or an exchange. See our Refund Policy.
Will the colors of my print fade?
We print our folk art images on museum-quality archival paper and use fade-resistant inks so that colors remain bright. However, as with all works of art on paper, these prints should not be hung in either direct or strong indirect sunlight.
To preserve the vibrant colors even more, we encourage you to choose conservation framing. This includes the use of ultraviolet-filtering glass and non-acidic or buffered mats and backing. These archival materials are designed to protect your print from damage by light and acidity. Conservation framing, while more expensive than a ready-made frame, is the best way to give your print a long and colorful life. Read more below in Care of Your Print.
Do you offer matting and framing?
No. However, see Framing Tips below for our thoughts on why and how to frame your fine art print. Hints on Displaying tells you which prints are our favorites as pairs and threesomes. We also suggest creative ways to hang framed folk art prints in your home.
Do you offer discounts?
Yes. When you buy 2 or more prints, you pay $36 each instead of $40 each. You save on our standard shipping rates as well. See Shipping Rates. To receive notification of special offers, join our mailing list at Email Sign-up or go to Sign Our Guestbook where you can also share a story.
Do you have original paintings for sale?
Yes. Go to the Painting Gallery to view my original paintings currently available. Click on an image to see and read more about it. With the zoom feature you can enter the painting to view all the details up close, as you can at our Print Gallery. Read what my painting collectors have to say at Sign Our Guestbook. If you’re curious about my painting techniques or what inspires me, go to Meet The Artist.
Framing Tips
Should I frame my print?
Yes. Framing will celebrate your choice of artwork, enhance the image and give it physical support and protection. If left unframed, your rolled print might find itself despite good intentions in a corner of the closet.
What are my framing options?
- Do-It-Yourself Framing: The quickest and most economical way is with a ready-made frame. We have sized our folk art prints to fit conveniently into 20” x 24” frames. These can be found in wood, metal or composite materials at most art supply and craft shops. Ready-made frames generally come complete with cardboard backing and glass. You simply remove the backing, clean the glass, insert your print and replace the backing. Hanging materials are generally included.
- Custom Framing: Framing creates a focus to give the art an importance. You could put a frame around your print and leave the built-in 3” white edge visible. Or you could enhance your folk art image by adding a mat or thick paperboard border. Mats add dimension to art on paper and can be single or multiple and of any color and texture. They can be cut larger than the 3” print border.
Most importantly, custom framing allows you to choose archival or museum-quality materials to surround your artwork. Such conservation will protect and preserve the colors and paper of your folk art print.
Hint: When you are ready to take your print to the framer, do not roll it tightly or fasten with rubber bands, paper clips or tape. These may cause damage. Lay the print flat on a table, gently roll it to a size slightly smaller than the shipping tube and slip it back in. Let your framer remove it from the tube.
What are the practical reasons to frame my print?
Support and protection. Framing provides support so your print can be mounted on a wall for easy viewing. Even a simple ready-made frame with glass will protect the artwork from dirt and keep it flat.
However, conservation framing is best for protecting artwork important to you. Art on paper can be damaged over time by exposure to strong light and acidic framing materials. Ask your framer to use a buffered or acid-free mat and backing for your folk art print. Better still are archival or museum-quality mats which are made of 100% cotton fibers. Using a mat means that its thickness keeps the print out of direct contact with the glass and the pocket of air created protects against moisture build-up.
Ultraviolet-filtering glass, while more expensive than regular glass, is essential to preserving fresh colors. At home, hang your beautifully, safely framed folk art print in a cozy spot out of direct sunlight. For creative ideas on pairing prints or arranging them on your wall, see Hints on Displaying below.
What are the artistic reasons to frame my print?
Framing is itself an art form. You can choose the style, width, color and texture of the mat and frame to complement both your print and home decor. Framing can also draw the eye to subtle colors and details, underlining favorite parts of each image.
The next creative step is arranging your newly framed folk art prints on the wall. See Hints on Displaying below for our suggestions. Here we also share our favorite print pairs and threesomes.
What kind of mat should I use?
Mats are available in various textures and hues and can be doubled or tripled for dramatic effect. They can also be cut wider than the 3” border, thereby increasing the apparent size of the overall print.
When choosing a color, it’s best to stick with neutrals. I’m always amazed at the range of colors within ‘neutral’ and how powerfully each affects the art it surrounds. That said, you can achieve an elegant look by adding a richly colored inner mat, using a hue found in your folk art print.
Care of Your Prints
How do I take care of my print?
Preserve your artwork by limiting its exposure to sunlight, acidity and moisture.
- Light: Never hang your print in direct sunlight. Ultraviolet light and heat from the sun can damage art. This point was vividly demonstrated to me by a pair of late 18th century portraits I was hired to restore. My client’s oil paintings of her ancestors matched each other in every way except their physical condition. The one hanging every day in direct sun had become extremely fragile, its paint faded, cracked and in danger of falling off. It required extensive conservation. The other painting, displayed nearby but away from the window, was in absolutely perfect condition. It was as if one painting had worn sunblock!
The best way to protect your folk art print from light damage is to have it framed using ultraviolet-shielding glass. I strongly recommend this extra measure of effort and expense, especially if you hang your artwork in a brightly lit room or under fluorescent light.
- Acidity: Acidity is another enemy. Prints mounted directly on cardboard backings are vulnerable to damage by the acidic paper pulp of the cardboard. Over time, acids can migrate from the backing to the print paper, causing discoloration and deterioration. Acidic mats can create the same problem from the front.
Ask your framer to use conservation-quality materials for your folk art print. These include paper mats and backings that are buffered which means their acid content has been neutralized. Better yet are acid-free 100% rag archival materials. Either way, your print will travel safely through time to become a family heirloom.
- Moisture: When storing your art, choose a place without extremes of humidity or temperature. Moisture from a damp basement or non-insulated exterior wall may cause wrinkles and bulges in your folk art print, mat, and backing.
What’s the best way to clean the glass of my framed print?
Leave the framed print on the wall or lay it flat on a table. Spray glass cleaner on a paper towel and rub the glass gently. Do not spray water or cleaner directly on the glass! It may seep between the frame and glass, causing moisture damage to the print, mat and backing.
If you’ve framed your print using clear acrylic (plexiglass) instead of glass, clean it with a soft cotton cloth slightly dampened with a mild solution of soap and water. Paper towels could actually scratch the soft surface. Glass cleaners, especially those containing ammonia, can turn acrylic milky.
Use a soft dry cloth to dust the frame. Moisture could damage paint, gold-leaf or other special finishes on your frame.
Hints on Displaying Your Prints
Which of your prints go best together?
All my folk art prints work well together because they are the vision of one artist. A different story is told in each print but their 19th century New England settings and overall palette of colors are the same. (Read more about my New England origins and how they affected the creative process at Meet The Artist.) We have also made the prints the same size: 20” x 24” (image 14” x 18”) for an easy mix and match.
You could creatively combine two or more prints by theme. For instance, you can pair off day and night, the seasons, interior and exterior, seaside and farm, family and community. Think of them as left and right hands, or bookends for dreams!
That said, I do have my favorites! For a child’s room, Sweet Dreams would pair nicely with Once Upon A Time. Both are intimate, interior scenes set in different rooms of an old house. Mother remains herself as the seasons change outside. Between these two prints, you could add another element to this story of magical, protected childhood with Catching Fireflies. Such a grouping would invite us to look both inside and outside a family home of long ago. Displayed on the wall of your family room, this trio would dramatize intimate connection and help your children travel through time.
Catching Fireflies is also a great companion piece with When Lilacs Bloom. The colors complement each other and the scenes depict children at play outside. I like the pairing of night and day, and different styles of New England architecture: the grand and welcoming Federal house with the snug antique Cape.
My country farm prints make another perfect pair. The kids in both Last Day of School and Moonlight Hayride are newly launched on big adventures. Perhaps these are the first day of summer and its last, but both are full of fun. Night is companion to day, and a red schoolhouse visually echoes a red barn.
To bring the temperature down a bit and make a handsome threesome, you might choose to hang Skating Party between the two prints above. Its cool wintry tones and symmetrical design will be enhanced when flanked by the vibrant colors of the spring and summer images. Children having fun in a protected environment is the continuous theme.
Historic Boston and Nantucket Island are bird’s-eye views and a natural match. They describe the larger community rather than relationships among individuals of a single family. I find it amazing that the historic sites you see on the prints are real. I encourage you to visit them for a dual experience of our country now and when it was younger. In the meantime, take a virtual heritage tour at Learn More: Historic Boston and Learn More: Nantucket Island.
How should I arrange my prints on the wall?
You become the artist when you choose where and how to display artwork in your home. Space, color and composition are key to creating art and displaying it.
That perfect spot above the fireplace or over the sofa may already be taken but there are many other places to display artwork in a home. Take a creative look at the shapes and sizes of spaces you may have overlooked. Remember that each room can tell a different story.
A narrow wall or a small room can often support a single dramatically framed print. If you have a larger wall to decorate, frame your folk art using a mat that is wider than the 3” built-in print border. This will greatly increase the apparent size of your print. Other ways to focus attention on the artwork are to double-mat it, one mat being a strong hue, or use a wide or colorful frame. In general, mats are kept neutral but I’ve seen striking effect when my folk art is framed with very dark green or blue mats.
When decorating with two or more folk art prints, you may want to use matching mats and frames. In a narrow space, try hanging one print above another, spaced close together. Brighten up a long hallway as your art gallery by mounting three or four framed prints horizontally. These can be hung at eye-level or staggered.
On a large wall, as in a room with a cathedral ceiling, arrange four prints in a square. Hang them close together and near eye level. Another idea for a home gallery is to step your framed folk art prints along a stairway where their story unfolds as you go up or down.
Is it safe to hang my print in a sunny spot?
Our folk art is printed using fade-resistant inks on archival paper. However, for the same reasons that museums keep light levels very low for exhibits of tapestries, watercolors and prints, you should also hang your artwork away from bright direct or indirect sunlight. Over time the ultraviolet light of the sun may fade colors, especially the reds. In art conservation these colors are described as ‘fugitive’ because they are generally the most light-sensitive and first to ‘flee.’
You can protect your print by choosing conservation framing with its ultraviolet-filtering glass. This helps preserve the vibrant colors of your folk art print by limiting exposure to damaging light rays. Keep the paper of your print safe by framing with 100% rag or buffered paper mats and backing materials.
-How does folk art address contemporary life?
-Where do you find inspiration for your paintings?
-Which artists have inspired you the most?
-Was there something that jumpstarted your career?
-How do you begin a painting?
-How long did it take you to paint Historic Boston?
Drop by for some Artistic Inspiration and Technique and the answers to these questions and more.
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