I spent years living out of a backpack, traveling over much of North America from the Arctic Circle to Arizona, Great Britain, crisscrossing Europe repeatedly, and Western Asia.
"I made for myself the opportunity to go anywhere in the world, and I did, Scotland and Northern Ireland in particular. I love the people. They're strong and well grounded. And the beauty of the land is awe-inspiring. I worked with youth in hostiles in Loch Lomond and Glasgow. I go back when I can... drawing, sketching color noted and taking endless reference photos to take back to my studio."
That studio is in Traverse City Michigan, where I have lived with my wife, Tonja, for thirty years.
You don't have to think of yourself as an artist to do business with us, but if you want to create something beautiful and see it in your home everyday, you probably have that special something inside of you already.
We want artists to succeed at their work. We want creative people to enjoy their creativity, be glad of the gift, and be happy in the life that art can bring. To assist you in this, we would like to do your printing. Not only that, but we specialize in superior gallery wraps. Our process is to bond your image to a hard surface which is backed by a wooden cradle. These cradles are made by hand in our shop, glued and screwed together. The result is a drum tight image that will not sag. Ever. Prints on high quality papers and canvas are available here as well, but we are mostly proud of our gallery wraps.
Irving Stone wrote that before Michaelangelo began a sculpture, he hand picked the best iron rods he could buy and forged his own chisels. I admire that immensely and understand perfectly. If I can make my own tools, I do so. Incidentally, I love the ring of a blacksmiths hammer. If I could think of a reason to fir up a forge in my work, I would. I happen to have my great grandfathers anvil. I want others to have this kind of opportunity with regard to their own work. I want the creative process to be the purpose of my business transactions, and I want people to be satisfied with their own method - as if my prints are a natural extension of it.
As an artist and a printing technician for the past 40 years, my abilities evolved as our children grew. And it didn’t hurt them to see me working on a painting, making another effort, another attempt, never giving up. Talent is as common as old shoes. Persistence is everything. Think of Mr. Edison and his lightbulb.
Skill is not easily acquired. Now that I can blend both worlds, I want to make my best efforts available to you.
Send us your best jpeg or photoshop document, (.psd) try for 300 dots per inch, and we will load it into Photoshop. The easiest way to do this is to attach your image to an e-mail and send it to us at timcarlsonart@gmail.com. If it loads simply and correctly there is no charge for this. If we feel that there are quality issues we will contact you. We normally do not adjust your colors and will use what you send us.
If, however, you have an older photo that needs to be restored before you can use it, we have Photoshop experts on hand who can work on it for you.
