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!

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.

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).

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.