FAQS

About Robert

1. Are you from Baltimore?
2. How did you end up in Baltimore?
3. What do like BEST about Baltimore?
4. What kind of DOG do you have?
5. Where did you study?
6. Are you related to the designer, Jessica McClintock ?

About the Art

1. What is an ORIGINAL digital fine art print?
2. Is an original digital fine art print the same thing as a “giclée”?
3. What’s the difference between an OPEN edition and a LIMITED edition?
4. How is my print made?
5. Does a digital fine art print require special handling?
6. How long will my print last?
7. Will my print fit in a standard-size mat and frame?
8. Do I receive some kind of documentation about my print?

About Robert

1. Are you from Baltimore?

   No, I actually was born in Brattleboro, Vermont and raised in Wilmington, Vermont. I literally grew up skiing at Mt. Snow and Haystack Ski Areas. I've lived and traveled around the U.S., spending 8 years in Denver, Colorado. I did a brief stint in Los Angeles and also spent a lot time in New York City where my mother and her family is from.

2. How did you end up in Baltimore?

   In fact Baltimore was not even on the radar when we relocated from Vermont in 1996. My wife Sue is from Bethesda, MD and I had been freelancing as a photographer in and around Washington, DC. I closed my photo studio in Vermont and we thought we were going to DC but we ended up here in Baltimore when Sue was got a job as a LCSW at Shepard Pratt Hospital's Forbush School. Honestly, I did not like it here at all, i thought Baltimore was huge mistake, until one day it hit me while driving down St. Paul Street one afternoon, i said "this place is kinda cool. much better than DC", Sue agreed and we dug in, living in Bolton Hill for the first 4 years. Eventually we bought a row house in Charles Village.

3. What do like BEST about Baltimore?

   I like that it's very friendly and although it's really pretty big and rough around the edges it has a home town feel. You see people you know all over the city wherever you go. People who live here are very loyal to Baltimore and have a lot of pride in the city and miss it when they're gone. I grew my whole business here based on people's love for the familiar and quirky iconic scenes of the city I call "Paris on the Patapsco".

4. What kind of DOG do you have?

   We don't have a dog, we actually have 4 cats which we adore. Both Sue and I LOVE dogs, (I grew up with big dogs in Vermont) and we're starting to get an itch for a dog but the cats would make our lives hell, so we're going to keep the peace! Our art framer Manny has a dog, "Kratos", who comes to work everyday, he's great to have around, plus we get tons of dog visitors daily which we don't have to feed or walk!

5. Where did you study?

   I am actually completely and entirely self taught. I owe my talent and interest in the arts to my parents, my father was very active artist, actor, singer and a hairdresser by trade. My mother was also very talented as a fashionista and also a hairdresser. They were both very supportive and encouraging for me in anything I wanted to do. They never pushed me in any particular direction. Most people thought i would go on to be a doctor. I attended the University of Vermont for about 10 minutes, I dropped out and spent over 15 years in the restaurant business as a waiter and bartender, but always keeping a hand in the arts, either painting or taking pictures. After burning out of the restaurant biz I became a full time professional photographer which lasted for about 12 years.

6. Are you related to the designer, Jessica McClintock ?

   Well as a matter of fact, YES! Seems I have an Uncle Fred who was in fact was married to Jessica McClintock for some years. Not sure how many years. Story goes Fred was a very good friend of Jessica's husband who passed away. After some time Fred and Jessica became close and married, Fred even adopted her son, Scott. They lived together on a 60 foot sail boat in the Florida Keys but eventually split up, but remain friends. They were talking about getting back together but Fred is a die hard recluse in Florida and she lives in Bel Air on the Westside of Los Angeles. Jessica's best friend Danielle Steele thought it might not work out.

About the Art

1. What is an ORIGINAL digital fine art print?

   An original digital fine art print is original artwork that was created digitally and printed by a high-resolution inkjet printer using long-lasting pigment-based inks and an archival quality substrate.

2. Is an original digital fine art print the same thing as a “giclée”?

   With respect to the printing process, yes. The term giclée began as a description of the way a fine art inkjet printer sprays ink onto a surface. Giclée has become, however, the label for inkjet-produced reproductions of art created in another medium, such as an oil painting. If a print is labelled giclée, ask if it is a reproduction or an original digital fine art print.

3. What’s the difference between an OPEN edition and a LIMITED edition?

   An edition refers to the number of art prints created from one image.

   Open editions refer to a print that may be produced an indefinite number of times.

   Limited editions refer to a finite number of prints that are made from one image. Limited editions are numbered by the artist with two numbers separated by a slash. The first number indicates the sequence in which the print was made. The second number indicates the total number of prints in the edition. A print numbered “10/50” is the tenth print made in an edition of fifty. Once the fifty prints in the edition have been produced, the edition is retired and will not be printed again.

   Limited editions also include a number of artist’s proofs that are retained by the artist for her own use or that are sometimes sold by the artist after the limited edition has been exhausted. Artist’s proofs are designated “AP” and numbered in the same manner as limited edition prints.

4. How is my print made?

   Prints are custom-made one at a time by the artist and his staff in the studio. The in-studio printmaking process takes from 3 - 5 working days. We use long-lasting Epson UltraChrome pigment inks and acid-free, 100% cotton rag fine art paper and coated cotton canvas. After printing, the print is dried for 24 hours and trimmed to finished size. Limited edition prints are titled, numbered, embellished and signed by the artist. Open edition prints are titled and signed by the artist. All limited edition paper prints are embossed with the studio’s printmaker hallmark.

5. Does a digital fine art print require special handling?

   You should handle fine art prints with great care, just as you would any other type of artwork. You should protect it against light, water, moisture, airborne contaminants, and fingerprints; it is still susceptible to damage.
   The best way to preserve and display your print is to have it professionally matted and framed with museum-quality materials. If you're framing the print yourself, use only “acid-free” mats, backing board, hinges or adhesive, and framing. Always use a mat; digital fine art prints should not touch the glass in a frame.

6. How long will my print last?

   The print permanence of the ink-and-paper combination used in our studio has been tested by Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc. and rated at 82 years (archivally framed prints displayed under glass), 160 years (archivally framed prints displayed under UV-filtering glass), and 68 years (unframed prints). The coating applied to the finished print may double the lightfast ratings if framed with archival materials and UV-filtering glazing. These estimates are not a guarantee, only a rating based on extensive testing by industry experts.

7. Will my print fit in a standard-size mat and frame?

   Although my actual print sizes are unique, they are formatted for standard size frames. You will need custom mat.

8. Do I receive some kind of documentation about my print?

   Yes. You will receive a Bill of Sale that completely describes your print, including the title, date, information about the edition number and size (if a limited edition), materials used, etc. A "certificate of authenticity" is available on request.