We have gone non-stop and I haven't blogged for a whole month! Holy cow - the time has flown by! So, where should I start?
Well, we came together and made an executive decision and decided, unanimously, that we were going to start a real-live family business and we are jumping in with both feet! YEE-HAW! It's something we've wanted to do for many years but the timing never seemed right. So, ladies and gentlemen, could I get a drum roll please, we present to you Braithwaite Fine Art & Custom Frame.
I mean, we already HAVE the building, it's on a busy street with about 25,000 cars driving by every day, and we already have all the equipment needed to frame. Add to that the fact that Doug started framing pictures as a teenager in high school. He's amazing at it. I want to be able to continue blogging, marketing and promoting his work and classes so, well, Wesley and I are going to go into business together! So there you go! With Doug's help in teaching us the "framing ropes," all the stars are aligning and we're ready to take the plunge!
We started by booting Doug out and moving him back over to his old and original studio (which he was actually thrilled about!) and moving US into the new frame shop (which we're equally thrilled about!). It was so much work taking his easel apart, moving it piece by piece - thankfully, just two doors over!
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| Doug's studio located in our back yard. |
We wore out several pairs of shoes making the move and got a few dings and "oops" on the way, but he's finally in and working productively again! Check out a little "before and after" action!
Okay, funny side note: With all the construction and rebuilding, we easily have made 5-10 trips to Lowes every day for the past month. The staff at Lowe's kinda know us by name and, well, I'm not sure but I think we're going to be invited to their company Christmas Party this year. We're kinda like part of the Lowe's fam and I think are paying most of their wages! I'm almost thinking we're going to be getting some red vests with our name embroidered on them so that we can just check ourselves out when we come and go! Every morning I wake up singing "Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to Lowes we go" and then I skip and whistle all the way to the shop!
Anywho, the new space is working beautifully and Doug's got every corner organized and every wall space covered . . . it's all on file for future records on our "My Lowes" card, btw. The paintings and drawings are some oldies but goodies that he did in high school and a few drawings from college (see the Ninja Turtle "self portrait" above) . . . ah, he's such a cutie . . .
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| Great space, no?? 24 x 30 with 12 foot ceilings. |
We are happy to have him productive and working again. This is the first painting off the new easel. A painting for some dear friends of ours, Nyla and David Pilkington. We sat next to them at the Jazz Games for a couple of seasons and have stayed good friends ever since. Thrilled to have gotten the chance to paint something for their beautiful home! Nyla wanted "color" - David wanted "movement!" I think he nailed it!
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| "Dancing" 28 x 28 Collection of Nyla and David Pilkington |
Back to the old studio and frame shop in progress and yes, back to Lowes for a little of this, and a little of that. No offense, hon, but dang, bring on the duster, scrub brush, broom and mop! Lowes has it all, I tell you! Before long, we are putting a long paint brush in the ol' master's hands and letting him at it again! And seriously, how many frame shops do you go in to that you get to FIRST, be greeted by a room full of Braithwaite paintings under some gallery lights! In-Credible!!
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| Put a different kind've brush in Doug's hands and said "paint away!" Jeff Kennedy asked "What, no purple paint as a base first?" bahaha Good one!! |
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| Max using some tape to take on a ninja look. Great look for you, Max! He seriously thinks he looks cool . . . |
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| Wesley's favorite is painting the closets. bahaha! What a trooper! Hard little worker and is going to make a fabulous business partner!! |
Carpet layers came (yes, from Lowes) and did a great job laying the carpet EXCEPT for the liberties they took in scratching up my beautiful paint! grrrr!! Never fear, Doug gets out the mud (again!) and touches up and before you know it, he's rollin that paint back on and it blends right in and dries beautifully . . . EXCEPT for, uh, "hey hon, isn't that supposed to dry the same color as the rest of the wall?" WTH?? Doug has some colorful expletives about now . . . he pulls out the two gallons of paint and, as my Dad would say "well I'll be go-to-hell! One says "primer!" Oh, did I forget to mention we used all the light gray paint? Never fear, Lowes has it on file! And as Aaaaanold would say, "I'll be back . . . "
So, hanging paintings was so stinkin fun!! We have a wall in front of the window so we can hang a painting there with a light shining on it at night like the cool galleries do . . . Oh man, we are so legit!! did that paragraph even make sense? I feel myself rambling because I'm so excited . . . you just have to come see it I guess!
So over the years, we have taken some of our favorite paintings that have sold and had them professionally scanned at a very high-resolution so we, and our families, could have the opportunity to enjoy them as a giclee print! (I'll ALWAYS say "there's nothing like having an original! but a giclee (pronounced zhee-clay) print is an "okay" second!) Try not to pronounce it like my friend, Ange Ellsworth . . . gick-lee!! tee hee
So along with a few original paintings, you also get to see some of these beautiful giclee prints (say it with me again, zhee-clay . . . you're getting it!) in some different sizes (from original size to some post-card and greeting card sizes!) that have turned out so beautiful and we've been thrilled that some of our family and friends have been able to enjoy some "Braithwaites" in their homes and offices!
We are going to do a "grand opening" that will be on Friday, October 4th, (hey, that's Wesley's 20th birthday!!) and invite you to come see the frame shop, gallery and Doug's new studio! We'll give you more details very soon!
In the meantime, a few more paintings that have been done in the midst of all this moving and remodeling over the last month or two that I failed to share with you!
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| "In Passing" 40 x 30 |
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| "Sculpting" 18 x 24 |
See you at the opening - or at Lowes. We usually have lunch in aisle 12! bahaha!
Find "Braithwaite Fine Art & Custom Frame" on facebook and "like" us for Pete Sake! Can you tell we're having a blast?
XOXO
Jeanette - da boss!!
