A. What is a Giclee Print?
Giclees are  highly sophisticated ink-jet prints representing a milestone in image reproduction and archival longevity for fine art prints.  Giclees implement the latest technological advances in  print head design, delivering large format, ultra-high resolution (2880x1440 dpi), images on archival fine art media such as canvas and heavyweight fine art paper. A Giclee is a collectible-quality art object in itself.  Giclee is an ideal medium for reproducing original watercolors on paper, like Al's, becuase the copy can so convincingly capture their look and feel.   The technology is also absolutely integral to the fine art printing of digital originals (see below), as it transforms light and pixels into pigment and surface.

 

B. Who does our printing?
All printing at Lostenart is done in house on professional equipment by Al and Owen Lostetter. By cutting out a commercial printer we  have complete control over the printing process from start to finish. We maintain the ability to proof images in accordance to our own exacting standards of color reproduction and image proportion. In house printing is also particularly invaluable for special orders, as  all the tools and technologies are at the direct disposal of the artists.

 
C. How long will a Gicleé last? Is it Archival or not?
Giclee prints are currently the most archival fine art reproductions on the market today.   We use only media that is guaranteed archival: Ultrachrome K3 pigmented ink and fine art paper specifically designed for giclee printing.   After properly curing, we also take measures to ensure the longevity of our product.  All prints are fixed first with a polymer/acrylic sealer to protect from moisture and scuffing, then second with a UV protectant to shield harmful UV rays, which can cause fading. Framing images behind glass is always recommended to ensure the highest degree of archival longevity. However because the aesthetic nature of framing behind glass applies better to works on paper, and less to canvas, our canvases are treated with generous coats of the aforementioned substrates, and will perform as well as any origianl acrylic or oil painting  would.

 
D. What is a digital original?
Digital original implies that the image was created and conceived digitally, that is from the manipulation of light and pixels within a digital imaging software. A digital original may include input image files from any one of the following: a digital photograph/scan of a painting or drawing, a digital paint program, an image editing software or even a fractal generator. The amazing thing about digital originals is that they ARE original works of art, they have no real world predecessor. All digital originals at Lostenart are issued in series of either Open Editions or Limited Editions according to size and media, and are signed and numbered by the artist(s).

 
E. What is a digital reproduction?
A digital reproduction is a faithful facsimile of an artwork that was created non-digitally through a traditional means of art making, ie… water color and acrylic painting. The original artwork is either digitally photographed or scanned at a high resolution, and then it is uploaded into the computing environment to be optimized for printing. All digital reproductions at Lostenart are issued as Limited Editions or Open Editions according to size and media, and are signed and numbered by the artist(s).

 
F. How do the collaborations work?
Lostenart collaborations integrate the two aforementioned forms of giclee prints: digital originals and digital reproductions. The result is an exciting new digital original. Al Lostetter’s skillful paintings are digitized and prepared as if to become a digital reproduction. This image file is then imported along with one of Owen’s digital originals into a brand new image file. AL and Owen then participate together in integrating their respective artwork into one cohesive whole, making test proofs along the way. These collaborations further exemplify the advantages of in house printing, as it would be nearly impossible to collaborate in this manner with a middle man between them. (see Who does our printing? above).

G. How are AL and Owen Related, and are there any other Lostetters who make art?
Al, Kathie, Owen and Antony Lostetter are a family of talented artists. The Lostenart website is particularly dedicated to the father and son team of Al and Owen Lostetter. However there are other websites dedicated to the artwork of Al and his wife Kathie.  At www.lostettergallery.com  visitors are treated to examples of Al’s original watercolor/Acrylic paintings and Kathie’s Spirit Animal Art.  Kathie also has a site of her own dedicated to her sculpture: www.spiritanimalart.com.  Antony Lostetter is a videographer for KNME-TV, Northern New Mexico’s local PBS station located in Albuquerque, and is also a talented visual artist in his own right. Visit the about and the links page for more information about where you can see and/or purchase the art of this talented family.