Email lark@larkstrattonart.com or select the little envelope icon at the top of any page on my website.
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I feel strongly that original art should be available to everyone, not just wealthy folks, so I do my best to keep my prices affordable for anyone. This is why I also offer specials and sales to those in my VIP email community.
Just select the “newsletter” link at the top of any page of my website! If you follow me on Instagram, you can also find a link in my bio. I send one or two emails each month sharing my most recent/favorite paintings often before anyone else has seen them. My goal is to beautify your email box!
The prints that I sell are on a set of 4 folded cards, 5.5 "x 4.25" with envelopes.
Not usually; sorry! But you can always ask.
I sell them mostly unframed. For 8x8 and larger I often offer the painting framed since I feel that the frame really enhances and is part of the complete painting.
I order wooden frames, customized to my specifications, from a company in Tennessee. For panels smaller than 8x8, I often like to use floating frames. If you’re interested in finding your own frames, I can recommend a few online framers that are very good (from least to most expensive):
www.webpictureframes.com - Web Picture Frames (floating frames for panels)
www.frankenframes.com - Franken Frames
www.kingofframe.com - King of Frame
www.metroframe.com - Metro Frame
I use acrylic paint. I love that it dries quickly, usually in less than 30 minutes, so I can easily layer paint and make changes. Also, it has none of the toxic fumes that often come from oil paints and the products needed to clean them, like turpentine. I do my best to avoid toxic chemicals in paint and use cadmium-free paints. One of my cats took a stroll through my palette one day and then ran across the carpet and up the carpeted stairs. Since the paint was acrylic, clean-up was quick and easy!
Paint colors that I use most are: cadmium-free yellows and reds, ultramarine blue, phthalo blue, quinacridone magenta, sap green, dioxazine purple, yellow ochre, ivory black, and titanium white.
My favorite brushes are Trekell Opal Flats. I also like Princeton Aspen Flats. They are synthetic and have a nice crisp edge. I mostly use sizes 4, 6, 8, and 10.
I currently use 1/8" Centurion LX linen panels, but I used 1/8" cotton canvas panels for a long time and like them too. I switched because I paint rather thin, and I felt that the texture of the cotton panels was competing with the texture of my brush strokes. I rarely paint on canvases; I like the rigid surface a panel offers.
Yes, I use a semi-gloss, polycrylic protective finish, which I apply when the paint is dry. I am also able to paint over this if I want to make changes at any time.
I use clear, protective bags; I ship framed paintings Priority and all others either First Class in a cardboard envelope or in a Priority Padded Envelope. The packages are insured, and domestic orders generally take 2–4 days to reach the buyer.
It has taken me painting every day for 3+ years to get to the point where I can paint one small painting in 2 to 4 hours and be satisfied with it. Anything bigger than 8x8 takes longer.
I mostly use the northern light that comes into my studio. If I have already coated the painting with a semi-gloss varnish, it is somewhat reflective, so I have to use a photo tent to cut back on reflective light. I take the photo with my iPhone; I can then crop it, change the image size, and use Image>Levels to adjust the values. Finally, I save it as a JPG file. My monitor has been calibrated to match the true colors of my paintings, so photos are fairly accurate though all monitors may not be.
Posting takes me 30+ minutes, from photographing, listing in my gallery, and sharing to Instagram. I tend to agonize over what to write about my paintings, so sometimes it takes even longer. My emails usually take me a few hours to put together. I want them to be informative and beautiful.
I began painting in 2019, a painting a day. I did this for over 3 years. This was, for me, the best way to learn and improve. I spend most of every day in my studio working on paintings. I have also taken classes, both from a local painter and online.
I find flowers in my garden and other subjects around my house. I also like to paint from my own photos and find copyright-free reference images online.