‘Inspiration in the Trees’ – The video is here!

‘Inspiration in the Trees’ is here!

I’m very excited to have partnered with the experts at CrumlicMedia, the Creative Media Production company producing the finest Artist Videos, to present making art in the Treehouse Studio like never seen before!

This On Location video includes artist insights on color and light and captures me at work in the Treehouse Studio. There’s never before seen drone footage of the Treehouse Studio and its surroundings from nearly 200ft above!

Includes a guest appearance by Greg Telleri, ‘Manhattanite’, who recently commissioned JNFA for a 4 panel, Angular Stretcher Oil Painting.  With a goal to bring Nature’s spirit and energy into his beautiful West Village apartment, in the video, we see a literal transformation from nature to city.

I hope you enjoy watching ‘Inspiration in the Trees’, I am happy to bring nature closer to you.

Best!

John

JNFA Commissions – How it works

JNFA Commission Policy

I invite commissions and look forward to working together with you on our next project.

Not sure exactly what you want?  Like to create and explore?  Want something personal that is completely unique and different?  Then consider a JNFA commission to complete your space.

Why choose to commission a piece?

Commissions are a fascinating way to initiate and create a work of art where you are a crucial part of the process.  We collaborate on the design of the work, you get to watch it grow and ultimately enjoy having it placed it in your home or other preferred location.

Commissions are exciting!!!!  Using ‘Nature’s Secret‘ Stretchers, Wooden Hanging Structure, or Angular Stretchers, the possibilities are endless.  We have the ability to create just about anything!  Because the exact result of creating a piece is unknown, the anticipation keeps you on the edge of your seat.  The process is engaging and interactive – we get to work together on the design, the scale and the budget

We will produce a work of art that will not only be completely satisfied with, but will be guaranteed to eagerly share it with everyone you know.  It will bring lasting inspiration, energy, joy and nature’s spirit into your space and life.

As if that wasn’t enough, commissions are budget friendly.  Marketing artwork is expensive, as is having to move it to and from shows and galleries, and there is significant risk for the artist not knowing whether or not something will sell.

When you commission a piece, there is no marketing, no moving art and the risk of sale is significantly reduced.  I will pass these savings on to you.

So how does it work?

Once you indicate you’d like to initiate a commission, we will schedule a start.

Commissions are first come, first serve basis, so I encourage you to contact me right away if you are interested.

The first step, we get together, we can do this at your location, in the Treehouse Studio, wherever you prefer.  We will go through your interests, what is appealing to you, what is important for you for your work of art.

From there, I will draft up an initial design proposal for your review, with a cost estimate, and we then collaborate to get to a mutually agreed design concept and plan that will result in a personal, spectacular work of art.  At this point I will provide you with a final estimate.  If you we can’t come to an agreement, we needn’t proceed.  There is no charge to you whatsoever.

I am happy to work up scaled, ‘in-room’ mock-ups at no charge, so that you can get a feel for orientation in your space.

front Michele S

5 panel Commission for Michele S.

Once we do agree on a design, plan and estimate, I will charge you 25% of the total cost at the start of the project to get started, cover materials and expenses.  It is at this point your commission is official and you are placed in queue.

I will indicate the time frame when your project is going to start based on the current queue, and at that start point, I will then proceed to create your unique, personal work of art.  I will provide you with regular updates as the work progresses.

When the work is complete you can choose whether or not to accept it.

If you accept it, I will show up with your work of art soon after and install it for you (assuming it is within driving distance, else it will be shipped and we will arrange installation).  This is all included.  I will even cook and bring with me a batch (7 qts) of my family’s recipe Marinara Sauce as an extra special thank you and welcome to the JNFA Art Family.

If you choose to decline the work, I will refund your 25% in full and offer you a 20% discount on any JNFA Original work of art as a Thank You for trying the commission process.

If you need to cancel your project before it is complete, please notify me as soon as possible.  You will receive your initial 25% payment in full.

This is our NO RISK approach to commissions.

Timing for Delivery

Please note, since we start upon the work together only when it is initiated, and I need to create it, commissions do take time.  If you are looking for something right away, I would recommend you select something from our readily available, broad selection of JNFA Original Fine Art or Prints.

Sculptural Wooden Hanging Structures

Sculptural Wooden Hanging Structures

‘Nature’s Secret’ stretchers called for something different than traditional frames.   Both in their aesthetic, as well as the way they augment the concept and presentation of the work.  Following along my general approach where every part of the work of art is essential to its meaning, it was important to me that what the paintings hang upon are an extension of the story and structure of the work.  They should continue to build upon the story and become the next layer of growth.  Making them out of wood seemed like the way to go for so many reasons.  Since the paintings themselves are organically grown, in each case, it’s structure continues this growth and becomes another layer of the piece.  Since everything in nature is unique, each Wooden Hanging Structure is uniquely designed and constructed to be an essential visual and sculptural component of it’s work of art so that everything about the art is part of it’s story.  I create an initial design on paper, or create a mock-up, for each Hanging Structure.  From there the process gets really interesting.

Wooden Hanging Structures

In addition to their aesthetic, practically speaking, they have a significant function which is to preserve and protect the entire work of art.  To ensure an outstanding result from aesthetic to construction, I partnered with Robert Post, Furniture Maker and good friend.  Robert takes the time to understand the goals of each and every project, and is an essential partner throughout the process creatively and professionally.  With his extensive knowledge, experience and skill working with various wood types and construction techniques, we review his game plan for each project.  From there, we’re off to specialty wood suppliers where they have an incredible selection of woods from around the world (no endangered species are ever used – we wouldn’t do that!).  At this point we agree on the best wood for the project to facilitate the aesthetic as well as construction and longevity.  Once the plan and wood selection are finalized, Robert works in his professional level shop to create the sculptural wooden hanging structures.  Since these sculptural elements are so unusual, for each project he leverages his background to use different techniques for achieving the result.  Every structure is finished a Waterlox varnished, paste waxed finish, that gives the piece a high quality, fine furniture level finish that showcases the beauty of wood, as well as the overall work of art.

‘Nature’s Secret’ Stretchers

What are ‘Nature’s Secret’ stretchers?

Since I have been working in the Treehouse Studio, enshrouded by Nature’s structures, angular stretchers seemed to be more and more ‘inadequate’ over time for producing the kind of natural, energy-infused imagery I strive to depict.  The result didn’t feel like the ridges of bark that wrap around a tree, or the lightness of a cloud, or the infinite diversity that is every single thing in nature.  Countless leaves on countless trees, yet every single one is different.  Nature creates with minute building blocks and as they organically grow into what they become, made from the same ‘stuff’ we are made of, they result in unique, complex structures that are mysterious, elegant and beautiful.  Is it no wonder nature’s energy makes us feel good and we refer to her as Mother Nature?  We are made from the same stuff as nature which makes us all part of a natural family.

This is nature’s beautiful secret and this is what I wanted to capture.

I set out to come up with a way to create a stretcher that felt more like nature so that not only the image ON the surface of the canvas depicted nature, but the very thing itself from its building blocks up, was created in a way that nature would create it.  Additionally, the earth is an oblate spheroid, it is elliptical.  It’s not flat, it’s not square so why should the canvas be?  This created another level of complexity to the problem but one that was worth solving.  The overall shape should feel more like the curve of the earth, like looking at a horizon as such a scale that the curvature of the earth is apparent.

Setting out to solve this problem, ‘Nature’s Secret’ canvases are the result.  These uniquely shaped, curved canvases become natural objects in and of themselves which adds to the integrity of the overall presentation.  They feel like they could have fallen from the sky or you’d see them as a land mass on a map, or as a leaf dangling from a tree.  They’re not just pictures of something that was created in nature, they are natural things that with their imagery, capture nature’s beauty, light, energy, infinite compositions, complexity and wonder.

In the design and construction, there is a layered, ridged edge which is drawn freehand for each layer and built on the previous layer beneath it in much the same way a tree grows and adds another layer to its surface (these layers are depicted in the rings in a cross section).  Once the layers are cut, they are screwed and glued down to a curved backplane so that as the glue seizes, they lock in the curved surface.  From there, keyholes for hanging are installed and handles for, well, handling.

Creating Natures Secret Stretchers

The canvas is then stretched around them so that the reflexive surface can provide the push-pull that only stretched canvas can provide.  There’s a reason its been done this way for centuries!  These stretchers combine all the benefits of traditional painting with something completely new.  The cutouts then become the hanging plates that are used for painting the painting and ultimately for hanging.

creating natures secret stretchers process

READY TO PAINT!!!!  Here we see the results of the unique ‘ridged edge’

ridged edge

Artexpo NYC, April 14-17, 2016

Attend for FREE!

Artexpo New York, April 14-17, 2016 is almost here!  I look forward to having you attend as a guest of JNFA.

This year, I will be featuring ALL NEW WORK!

You’ll see paintings with canvas stretched around organic shapes that have parabolic surfaces.  The paintings are mounted on gorgeous sculptural complements, created by Robert Post, that are handcrafted from exotic, beautiful woods.

Experience for the first time, extensive coverage of the Treehouse Studio!

  • Watch the just filmed ‘artist at work’ video with mind-blowing, never before seen views of this unique creation space. This amazing video was shot on location and produced by the experts at Crumlic Media
  • Enjoy the large feature wall with beautiful photos of the many personalities of the Treehouse Studio

You’ll find all this at BOOTH #A to the left of the main entrance area.  I look forward to seeing you there!

2016 Booth Map v2

Here are your free passes for the event!

Trades/Businesses click me for FREE VIP passes!

Friends/Family click me for FREE VIP Passes!

To use the link, enter your number of passes, and click ‘Register’, do NOT click ‘Apply’.  Follow the remaining steps to print your passes or have them emailed to you.

If you prefer, I will be happy to generate and email your passes to you.  Leaving sufficient time (I will be largely unavailable within a few days of the show), send me a message (please include your address and zip for the ticket registration) and let me know the number of passes you need.

Event Details

Artexpo NYC, April 14-17, 2016 in NYC at Pier 94 (Click me for directions).

You are welcome to attend the ‘VIP Opening Night Preview Party’ on the evening of the 14th!

Take me to Artexpo New York

Artexpo New York logo