Downloading My Art Off The Web Is Prohibited Sunday, Nov 29 2009

As a follow up to my blog post about me discovering 2 crafters this month downloading my art off the web I want to mention how I know it was clearly mine. Most of my fine art is signed and a lot of my graphic art shows Fig Street Studio on the image. The ones I do that do not have a name on them have clear marks I put in them. For example my Pontchartrain Beach design above. It is an adaptation of an ad run in a local newspaper in the 1950’s. The original black and white image has a clown face and the words “Fun at Pontchartrain Beach” and in the background a hand drawn image of the Zephyr Roller Coaster. My adaptation has a similar clown face I drew, one of the bigger differences is the hat on mine is different than the original and the background in mine is an old aerial photo cut down to one color matching the clown and in different font “Fun, Pontchartrain Beach”. The other Pontchartrain Beach images are fashioned from clip art and me adding in the words Pontchartrain Beach working the images so I know I did them. Those are not based in any historical image of the beach, but me selecting images to use. Pontchartrain Beach is not a trademark and in the public domain, my art work is my work product and thus copyrighted by me. All of it takes time and thought so the people who just download it without permission and use it on products will get caught and I will sue to stop them.
The issue is not new I ran into it in the past and will do a separate blog on the past incidents. However the reason it has happen recently is due to how Cafe Press is presenting the products I sell through them. They recently re-designed the presentation of the products using a larger un-protected image then in the past. The old images were too small and fell apart after downloading then enlarging them. They were so blurry they could not be used. The new presentation the images are larger and do not fall apart as badly so they reproduce up to 4 inches slightly blurry. Large enough for smaller crafts like fridge magnets. I have e-mailed Cafe Press to alert them my images need to have a water mark or be prevented from downloading like other companies do my art on the web.
The recent discover of my art being wrongfully used is gross as a lot of the images clearly have my name, mark, or Fig Street Studio on them yet were reproduced on products I also sell. Thus the person who took them has no work product or time in those images and sells them less. Selling my hard work in competition with me on products I also sell. Copyright is a lot easier to enforce now and so happens my brother-in-law does that legal work. As I no longer practice law, I gave it up to do art, he is consulted when this happens. I just hope the people who hijack my art realize I do things to clearly know it is mine and I take steps to protect my copyright. If you see my art being sold let me know via e-mail so I can prevent the wrongful taking of my art.

Some information on copyright by Brad Templeton-http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

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Replica French Quarter Street Name Murals Are Hand Made Friday, Nov 20 2009

Rue Chartres Tile Mural Posters by figstreetstudio

People ask about my replica tile murals found in the New Orleans French Quarter and how they are made. It is a long process. The originals are Spanish tiles given to the city of New Orleans in 1962. Some are falling apart. As the designs are public many artists take pictures of them and frame them for sale. I felt making a replica in ceramic tile was a neat idea. First I began by taking many pictures of several of the murals and bringing them to my studio where I could clean them up taking out pealed spots and blemishes. Using a photo software I fixed the colors and added my studio name at the bottom. The end result is a nice image I copyright as it took a lot of work to make those images and are not the originals but replicas. From there I have to properly size the image and cut it into small squares to fit on tiles. This is difficult and takes a lot of time to get the detail so it fits properly together. The smaller individual images are then fitted to special tiles that are made with a special risen and the images heat set at high temperature to make an individual tile. The several tiles then are fitted together to make a mural. On occasion I am also asked to personalize the design with a name or street address which follows the same process above. If you have a request e-mail it to info@figstreet.com and I may be able to make it for you.
Currently I have available Rue Chartres, Rue Borbon, Rue Orleans, and Place D”Arms. I can do the other street names using the same process but first would need to go fetch photographs of them to start the process.
Here is the link to the web page with the various ones available in several sizes- http://www.cafepress.com/figstreetstudio/4855160

Bourbon St Tile Mural Poster by figstreetstudio

All images sold and designed by Fig Street Studio are copyright and cannot be used, downloaded, or reproduced without permission. I mention this here as in the past someone took my fridge magnet images and re-made and sold them in violation of copyright laws.

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Kitchen or Bath Tile Back Splash Ideas Thursday, Oct 29 2009

Kitchen back splashes can be created from a variety of Fig Street Art Studio ceramic tiles. The favorite being the Spanish Tile Street Name Murals in the French Quarter. Using the many art tiles found at Fig Street Studio possibilities are endless. Find the designs you like for your Kitchen Back splash at the Cafe Press web page. From large back splash murals to budget friendly single tile designs you can put together yourself, using supplies of glue and grout found at home stores like Lowes. If you need to light up your back splash, home supply stores have those small tube lights for under the cabinet.
Follow this link for the pictures of the tile http://www.cafepress.com/figstreetstudio/397643

Can work well in bath too as tile mural back splash or in shower.

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An elegant tile backsplash need not be expensive – Monday, Oct 5 2009

An elegant tile backsplash need not be an expensive design element in your kitchen or bath. The homeowner can do it yourself easily by purchasing the art designed tiles offered by Fig Street Studio. Sold on the web for 9 years many families have purchased the tiles and applied them to the area behind the kitchen sink using supplies and additions found in all home stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot. Each store also sells the necessary glue and grout to mount the tiles and fill in the spaces between them. Using the white tile borders sold at those supply stores also allows the home owner to frame the art tiles. The studio will also do commission work and make a tile backsplash for the homeowner to match the kitchen or bath decor.
Mounting Tiles on Wall- Using a common Type 1 ceramic tile adhesive, clean the wall first with a good cleaner and be sure the wall is sound, not peeling or falling off. The tiles are 4.5 inches and light enough not to sag. For stronger adhesion use a non sagging mortar. Can use TSP ‘Trisoduim Phosphate’ solution and clean the wall then rinse thoroughly.

Review the many style tiles sold at Fig Street Studio here- http://www.cafepress.com/figstreetstudio/397643

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Rangia Cuneata Clams of Lake Pontchartrain Saturday, Jul 25 2009

Lake Pontchartrain Clam Fest by figstreetstudio
More Lake T-Shirts

Prehistoric peoples of the Gulf Coast ate large amounts of the Marsh Clam and left garbage heaps full of them behind. Early European settlers in New Orleans found the Lake Pontchartrain clam shells could be used for roads and driveways. Growing up in Lakeview the service alley at my old home would get regular dumpings of fresh shells and often other things would be found in them like arrow heads and even bullets.
I never tasted the Lake Clams, Rangia Cuneata, but the local Native Americans did a lot as we find shell middens all over the area from them leaving behind the white calcium rich sun bleached shells. I am told they are boiled and the water changed to clean them out and remove a muddy taste. They are considered too small for commercial eateries but locals still dig and boil them especially in Virginia and Mexico.  A local dish is made called, “arroz a la tumbada”,  a rice and seafood soup.
Growing up these small clams benefited the local economy as many material trucks would carry them for construction. That was until the dreding was banned and now we use gravel which is heavier and more costly. Eating the local clams could now benefit the local economy. Local restaurants should give them a try.

Lake Pontchartrain Clam Diggers by figstreetstudio
More Lake T-Shirts

From USGS at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2002/of02-206/env-issues/clam-abundance.html :

“From 1933 to 1990 Rangia cuneata clam shells were harvested in Lake Pontchartrain. According to 1980’s estimates, these shells had a gross annual value of $34 million and were used for the construction of roadways, parking lots, and levees and in the production of cement ( USACE , 1987). Forty-four percent of the Lake was opened to shell dredging. Dredging operations were prohibited around the shoreline, bridges and gas pipelines. Shell dredgers used a large suction device to draw up shells, sediment and water, creating trenches 1.5-2 m wide and 0.5-1 m deep. The shells were removed and the sediment and water were discharged back into the Lake ( USACE , 1987). This slurry produced a localized increase in turbidity. Despite the economic value of the shell mining industry, dredging in Lake Pontchartrain was banned in an effort to improve water quality.”

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White Wing, Pirate of the Rigolets Friday, Jul 17 2009

 Named for the birds that frequent the waterway that allows access to the Gulf of Mexico from Lake Pontchartrain was a pirate. Not as familiar as the pirates of Barataria Bay, White Wing plied the waters at the mouth of Rigolets Pass using the marsh as his escape. He survived for about 2 years and no one really knows if he was killed or joined Jean Lafitte in his move west. To celebrate this relatively unknow pirate I made graphic designs at-
http://www.cafepress.com/figstreetstudio/4855161

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Blogger Info Friday, Jul 17 2009

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Secrets To Framing Art Prints Sunday, May 3 2009

     After years of selling my art I have learned a few tricks to getting good looking frames at a reasonable cost. Too often clients tell me they love the inexpensive prints I sell but having them framed is expensive. I tell them, ” get the frame first.” Many art and craft stores have seasonal frame sales. Frames come in standard sizes, 8×10 and 11×14, some have mats in them too. I have been able to find 11×14 frames with a mat for as low as $15 on sale at many discount, import, and crafts stores. I also find “postcard size” collage frames 4×6 with one, two, or more places to put a 4×6 print in them. Clients can also use the greeting cards I sell  5×7 as small prints framed with a mat.

 First shop for a nice frame knowing what size prints are available, 4×6, 5×7, 8×10, 11×14. Be sure to know when the sale goes on and look for a frame with a mat. I also get discounted pre-framed prints and remove the store bought print and put in its place my prints. Above is a photo of an off size painting I did for my daughter, framed in a frame I found at a discount store with an existing food print at half price. The painting fits perfect into an existing frame and was $12.

 Framing a print need not be costly when you keep in mind to get prints to fit a standard frame. Look for frames first, on sale, then frame your print yourself.

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Royal St. Musicians Painting Friday, May 1 2009

I posted information on my  “Art News”  blog about my painting of the Royal St. Musicians print sold on the web at both my shops on the web.

Street performing is associated historically with the Gypsies. Several Gypsy fortune tellers man the Tarot Card Reading Tables in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Mostly known for the Street Art, New Orleans has many fortune tellers, street musicians, and other street performers. Usually they perform for tips. Most are allowed to perform for free but painters are forced to get a license and sell only original paintings. Because they sell an object sales tax must be collected.The street performers are interesting subjects for artists and I have painted some on occasion, most recognized is a group of good musicians on Royal St.JK Schwehm, Art In The News, May 2009

Royal St. Banjo Player by figstreetstudio
View other posters At www.zazzle.com
Browse other Painting Posters

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Jazz Fest Fridge Magnet Thursday, Apr 30 2009

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Jazz Fest After Matisse by figstreetstudio

 Many Jazz Fest designs sold at Fig Street Studio

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