I am currently exhibiting at the annual North Yorkshire Open Studios event and one visitor, in response to my monochrome drypoint prints of lighthouses, stated that he was: “waiting for coloured lighthouse cards”. Cards! Did he not realise that meant creating new drypoint prints and having scanned copies printed as cards. OK, I could reuse the existing plates; but I was rather taken aback!
Oh crumbs. One year I laboriously made an edition of small dry point etchings and sent them to special friends and family instead of Christmas cards. A few thanked me for 'the card' and I realised that a number had probably ended up in the recycling. One friend said she would treasure it as 'a Jane Duke original', but then corrected herself and said 'of course I realise it's not really an original, just a print'.
I just send ordinary Christmas cards now, usually packs of charity ones on a 3 for 2 deal at the supermarket...
You are spot on! The number of times o have heard these as a painter and an etcher is staggering! And as you say, often when I have just explained the process and shown them an etching plate!
Ha ha! Someone at a recent fair bought an unframed print rather than the framed option hanging on display, saying, unnecessarily I thought, "I object to that frame". Fair enough....
When I sold unique wireworked jewellery I got 'ooh that looks like the *insert jewellery item here* we saw in that shop'...your stuff is lovely ( after having shown them pretty much everything on the stall) but I only ever wear these( pointing to the large gold hoops in their ears...my stuff was silver), or the most damning ' oh yes...Ive got some wire, I could probably make that'...no you bloody couldn"t!
Don't. Get. Me. Started.
Oh go on Lev.... *fetches popcorn*
I am currently exhibiting at the annual North Yorkshire Open Studios event and one visitor, in response to my monochrome drypoint prints of lighthouses, stated that he was: “waiting for coloured lighthouse cards”. Cards! Did he not realise that meant creating new drypoint prints and having scanned copies printed as cards. OK, I could reuse the existing plates; but I was rather taken aback!
Oh crumbs. One year I laboriously made an edition of small dry point etchings and sent them to special friends and family instead of Christmas cards. A few thanked me for 'the card' and I realised that a number had probably ended up in the recycling. One friend said she would treasure it as 'a Jane Duke original', but then corrected herself and said 'of course I realise it's not really an original, just a print'.
I just send ordinary Christmas cards now, usually packs of charity ones on a 3 for 2 deal at the supermarket...
I hear you Jane. Your newsletter made me laugh, thank you!
Thank you, I'm pleased about that. :)
You are spot on! The number of times o have heard these as a painter and an etcher is staggering! And as you say, often when I have just explained the process and shown them an etching plate!
I think people often can't believe we really do all that. (They might have a point, why DO we do it??)
You missed out "Thats a nice frame!"
Ha ha! Someone at a recent fair bought an unframed print rather than the framed option hanging on display, saying, unnecessarily I thought, "I object to that frame". Fair enough....
When I sold unique wireworked jewellery I got 'ooh that looks like the *insert jewellery item here* we saw in that shop'...your stuff is lovely ( after having shown them pretty much everything on the stall) but I only ever wear these( pointing to the large gold hoops in their ears...my stuff was silver), or the most damning ' oh yes...Ive got some wire, I could probably make that'...no you bloody couldn"t!
And somehow we just keep smiling politely. I tell you we are SAINTS, Meg.