We call ourselves "a brand new concept in fine art and publishing." That claim is centered on the art the Waterman family creates. The Waterman family (see "about us") has an extensive and unique combination of creativity and experience that spans from commercial design to traditional fine arts to the use and science of digital print technology. As a family of artists we pool our resources and talents to create our unique fine art and prints. A typical concept to completion process starts with inspiration; from an exchange of ideas or a single moment of clarity. Once conceived, the idea is then discussed and refined by the family. The development of the image(s) and series is given to the family member whose style and talents best suit the defined goal. The source for these concepts is driven by different factors: personal interest and experience, an awareness of art trends, or simply desire to create art that inspires and engages. Often, an idea is formed because of our awareness for each other's talents.
Through this process the Waterman family is able to pool inspiration, ideas, talents and motivation that result in the growing work you see on this site.
Another hallmark of the art pool is our collection of colorway series. As you'll see on this site, many of the images are presented in a specially created set of color palettes. These palettes have been customized by Ann Waterman for the art pool. Ann's 35 plus years as a textile designer and educator have made her one of the world's leading color stylists for the home and contract furnishing industries. Although "seasonal" color trends will always have an impact on the industry, Ann has defined six colorway palettes that represent the "foundation" of color use in environmental design (interior design). This foundation gives the professional designer (and everyone) a greater range of choices and flexibility. Instead of being forced to use art that "says" the right thing but in the wrong color (or vice versa), the designer now has the ability to get both. These colorway series also create terrific options for using the same image in a complementary color series or to have the same image work from room to room or floor to floor despite color scheme changes.
Limited edition, hand-embellished giclees…
The term "hand-embellished" is one that is often used loosely. Many artists and publishers will call their works "hand-embellished", yet these works will have but a minimal amount of enhancement. Many times the embellishment is poorly considered, inappropriate or applied assembly line by persons other than the artist.
Our hand-embellished giclees, however, are special. The Waterman Family, as part of the overall concept process, will discuss the possibility of embellishment long before the work is in progress. Webster's defines it this way, Embellishment: That which adds beauty or elegance; ornament; decoration; as, pictorial embellishments. We consider embellishment to be just that; it is intended to enrich a work that is already beautiful. Many of our series are available with hand-embellishment, where others are not. The simple reason is that sometimes it is appropriate, other times not. When we do offer works with hand-embellishment, you can be assured that it is done by the artist and will add that special extra. When offered, a description of the embellishment technique is always found on the details pop-up screen.
Custom Print Sizes…
We can, upon request, produce custom prints that are available on a substrate sheet size up to 35x46 inches (A substrate is the material printed on, such as paper or canvas). Contact us for more information.
Colorways
The term colorway refers to the traditional practice of taking an existing repeat surface pattern design and applying a new color palette, ultimately creating a range of color schemes for that design. Usually preformed by a color stylist, this practice gives the environmental designer color flexibility when choosing textiles for furniture, draperies, walls, or floor coverings. The art pool has taken this traditional approach and applied it to fine art printmaking
Giclee printing
Quality giclee printing, although not new, is just beginning to impact the fine art industry. Giclee printing is a fairly general term that by no means defines the level of print quality. There are several manufacturers producing giclee printers, but only a few produce the highest quality. The art pool utilizes only the best this advancing technology has to offer. This is always our policy, whether it's the type of giclee printer, the archival inks, or the substrate used. Why wouldn't we, we're very proud of our art! If you have specific questions on the giclee materials and printers used, please email us (see "contact us"). For more information on giclee printers, inks and other related information, we suggest you visit: www.fineartgicleeprinters.org for additional information.