Buy Fine Art Prints
by Sharon Hudson
You can now buy beautiful archival prints of about 50 of my fine art images (and hundreds of fine art photographs). The ordering and printing is done through www.sharon-hudson.pixels.com, which is hosted by Fine Art America. The buyer deals exclusively with Fine Art America, rather than with me, when ordering. However, feel free to contact me with any questions or feedback about my images or your purchase. Artists always like to know people are enjoying their work, so I would love to hear from you!
Available figures
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Dandylion's Dream
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Ronin
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Thinking of You
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Calypso
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Nana
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Tropical Intrusion
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The Pink Philodendron
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Woman in the Wind
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Nude with Lines and Vines
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Woman in Two Worlds
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Girl in a Green Chair
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Felicity
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Maybe, Maybe Not
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Katja on Beige
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Bali Ballet
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Cirque
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Cuddling Couple
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Merav with Patterns
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Tango
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In My House
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The Faded Rose
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About Face
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Between Time
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Tani and Snowball
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Fireside
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Crown Princess
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Girls from Borobudur
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Pensamiento
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Available non-figures
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The Rocky Beach
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Garden Variety
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Birds of a Feather
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Inside Outside
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Eyes in the Woods
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Sea Horse
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Horn of Plenty
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Lizard Leaves
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M&M's, Etc.
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Tropical Storm
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For July
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Radiator and Shoe
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Ikebana II
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Jazz Time
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On the Edge of the Yucatán
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Garden of Earthly Delights
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Puzzle Bouquet
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If you would like a print
of another art work,
please contact me.
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How do I buy prints?
To buy prints, click any image above to access the buy page. There you can see detailed enlargements, a choice of paper finishes and sizes, and other display options. The site guides you through the buying process. (Note: No Fine Art America logo/watermark appears on any print.)
Fine Art America offers a choice of papers, from matte to high gloss, along with some special surfaces like canvas texture. The default paper is "archival matte," with a very smooth matte surface. Be sure to specify another paper if you want one. All their papers are equally archival, but be advised that dark tones don't appear as deep on a matte paper as on glossier paper. Therefore, if you want the maximum impact of rich darks, I think a nice option is the semi-matte photo paper. However, if the image does not contain deep blacks, then a smooth matte surface like the default "archival matte," or a slightly rougher surface like the "Somerset velvet," are nice choices. Generally a less glossy surface is more appropriate for a fine art work, but if you like a high-gloss photographic surface, get the "glossy photo paper." If you want the print to look like an original art work, don't use a canvas-textured surface unless the work was originally done entirely in opaque paint (no collage, pastel, etc.).
All the prints come with a 1" additional white border all around for ease of handling and to enable framing to the very edge of the art.
All images are available in a selection of sizes. I have set the maximum size for each image to yield a professional quality print in terms of sharpness and resolution. You can preview the resolution and sharpness of any part of the image with Fine Art America's full-resolution preview function. However, this shows the image at a much larger size than the prints will be; any grain and softness seen here will not be visible in the print.
Online shopping
As an artist, I am very concerned with the presentation of my art works, so I am delighted that I can recommend this print service. I have personally ordered, inspected, and tested for color permanence a number of prints and cards from this company, and am impressed by the quality of their prints and papers, and the hassle-free delivery and no-questions-asked return policy. In my experience, Fine Art America provides a great service by enabling the public to buy excellent archival prints at reasonable prices.
People often feel insecure when ordering something as personal as artwork online. However, as mentioned earlier, I have received a number of prints from Fineartamerica, and the quality has been excellent. The prints are true to my original digital files, and I have several on display in my home. The main uncertainty comes from the color accuracy of the buyer's own computer screen, so if precise color is a concern, view the image on a couple of different screens before buying. However, Fine Art America has a money-back guarantee, which they honor promptly, no questions asked.
Archival Print Prices
Print prices are set by the artists themselves, who determine their their own markups, which are added to Fine Art America's base printing costs. This is why you will see that print prices vary considerably among artists. We are in a transitional period as digital printing has permitted artists to offer quality prints at much lower prices than in previous eras, and artists are struggling to determine how to respond to the new marketplace. Some are pricing their work as if it were posters; others more like traditional fine-art prints such as lithographs or serigraphs.
I have chosen pricing between the two. I believe that because Fine Art America's print quality is excellent, and their inks and papers are archival, the prints merit more than "poster" prices. In addition, although reproductions cost less than original paintings because artists can make many of them, artists must still be compensated for their talent, vision, and time. On the other hand, prices must be competitive. Therefore...
I have set my prices in the mid-range of the prices on Fine Art America. This makes them a very good buy for archival works of fine art. In many (if not most) cases, an archival print will resist fading better even than the original work of art. With proper custom framing, archival prints are a great way to add unique contemporary art to your home
Shipping of Fine Art Prints
Fine Art America handles the shipping. Larger unframed prints will be shipped in mailing tubes. It's always a good idea to remove art from tubes promptly so they don't get accustomed to being cylindrical!
For framed prints, understandably, the packaging and shipping of large pictures framed with glazing gets a bit pricey: in the $40 range for a frame size about 30" x 36"; $25 to $30 for smaller sizes. However, I do not recommend buying framed art online anyway (see below).
Framing of Fine Art Prints
I always advise custom framing of art works on paper if economically possible, because the outcome is always much better. The available proportions, mat colors, and frame styles of ready-made store-bought frames are rarely ideal, or perhaps even acceptable, for any particular image. For medium to large pieces, allow at least $200 to $400 for conservation framing under glass, depending on size and media. Shop around for price, because prices vary considerably, but don't let a 10% or 20% price difference determine your lifetime enjoyment of your art work.
You might want to consider Fine Art America's non-traditional alternatives to framing (print on metal, floated print, print on wood, etc.). If you like one of these options, it will save you a lot of money in framing. But please DON'T try to use Fine Art America's framing service to frame your print. (Why?)
However, DO use the function to preview your potential print in various sizes using their viewing options. As Henry Moore once said, "There is a right size for every work of art." Some photographs are too intimate for a large print, and other images may be overwhelming if too large. On the website you can see what the framed print will look like in a room setting. (Oddly, however, they think everyone has minimalist decor with white walls.) Set the mat size to about 3" for larger works so the proportion of mat to image is correct. Even though you'll have to try to ignore the mat colors and frames, you can still get a good sense of how the image size will fit into a home. The final size of a framed and matted picture will be about 6" to 8" inches larger in both directions than the print size. So measure your wall space!
Another thing you can do with their framing function is to experiment with mat/frame color, design, and proportions. This is highly educational, especially in conjunction with the principles found on my page: Picture Framing & Art Conservation. Doing this, you will understand what to seek and what to avoid in custom framing (and realize why you can't frame through Fine Art America).
The bottom line is: Picture framing is a significant expense, and a well-designed custom frame adds greatly to almost any work of art. On the other hand, a bad framing job can make even the best artwork look uncomfortable, cheap, or tasteless. Even (or especially!) experienced picture framers would never attempt to design a frame without the physical components in front of them.
2022
Oakland, San Francisco Bay Area, East Bay, northern California