The Final Step -
Signing Your Artwork
by Pamela Grossi
"Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This wonderful wood burned mask was created by Ontario artist Lea Galcso. Notice that Lea burned in her signature at the bottom of the mask directly underneath the mouth.
The final step in the completion of a work of art is the creator’s signature or mark. Many gourd artists are shy about this important step. In this article I am going to present a few points which will highlight the reasons why you should be signing and a few tips on designing a signature that will be effective and recognized.
I bought this lovely gourd to add to my Jennifer Henry Collection. In the following photo are Jennifer's initials burned into the bottom of the gourd.
WHY BOTHER SIGNING?
1.) Your signature connects you, the artist, to your work. Even if your style is very distinctive, without a signature, there will be no real proof that it is yours.
2.) A Collector purchases your work for their personal collection. Your signature is very important to them as it identifies you as the artist.
3.) A signature or mark increases the perceived value of the object. In the marketplace this can result in quite a bit of money. Would Monet’s paintings be worth as much if no one knew it was Monet that painted them? The same holds true for beautiful gourd art.
4.) It gives your work long term recognition and ownership meaning that if your art outlives you, it is essential that people know who the artist was. Without a signature no one would have a clue. To a collector or museum or even to your family, a signature is essential.
5.) Intellectual Property – There is always a nagging concern with copying and art & design. If you were ever in a position where you were entering litigation, without a signature you would be presenting a weak argument right from the start. Protect yourself with this final step of signing.
Please note there have been changes in the copyright laws and now notification is not required. However it is still a good practice for protecting your work from infringement or copiers. If you decide to use a copyright symbol include the year. ie © 2007
To do the copyright symbol on a PC keyboard press Ctrl and Alt at the same time and then press C. On a Mac hold down Option at the same time and press ”g”.
Burning in your signature is the best technique to use.
DESIGNING YOUR MARK
1.) It is important that your signature be clear and concise. Be consistent with a legible signature. Messy writing is too hard to read. Don’t use a different style of writing on every gourd. Choose your style and stick with it.
2.) The signature or mark can be initials or a full name. Some people add a date the work was completed (10/05/07) while others use this opportunity to use a catalogue number. i.e. 946-07 which is the 946th gourd they have completed and the year is 2007. This number could correspond with sales paperwork, which makes it a nice tidy package.
3.) The signature should not be too large as you do not want it to be a main feature. Most people sign the bottom of their work but I have seen it in the face of the gourd, particularly with detailed wood burned pieces. The name could be burned in along an edge and in a case like this can add to the beauty of the work.
4.) Instead of a name the logo of your studio could be used, anything really, as long as it is used consistantly.
5.) Most people burn their mark into the gourd. Do not use permanent markers or a pen as these fade over time.
Lastly make sure you take photos. If you are selling into galleries devise a cataloguing system for yourself. I know that this is the last thing in the world that artists want to think about but it is very important. Not all galleries are very together when it comes to paperwork and it may be that it will come back to haunt you when no one has a record of what has transpired.
In conclusion don't be shy about signing your artwork. Practice on a piece of paper and use transfer paper to practice on a scrap gourd. (PyroPaper would make it really easy.) Burn away baby, burn away, you will soon be in business!
This is a sugar cane worker in the Dominican Republic. A skilled harvester can cut 500 kg of sugar cane in an hour.
Dear Carolyn!
Northern Dipper,
I ordered some things from you and was very satisfied with my order. I was not very impressed with the fact that I had to wait 3 weeks to get it. What was the problem? Is this a normal shipping time?
Rachael Williams – Texas
Hi Rachael,
I am glad you were happy with your order. I do understand your frustration at the time it took for your order to arrive at your door. I, as the seller, get frustrated as well as we ship on a regular basis and do not let orders sit around.
Since 9/11 shipping to the US from Canada has slowed down. Some orders arrive at record speed; others can take up to 3 – 31/2 weeks to get to their destination. It has to do with the amount of mail that is crossing the border at any given time & the security procedures
which are deemed necessary by our governments.
If you are ordering from the US please allow a bit of extra lead time. For example if you need something by June 1, put your order in on May 1 to avoid disappointment.
Carolyn
Dear Carolyn,
Do you have information on sealing and/or finishing gourd interiors? I grew gourds last year and now that they have dried I am finding that some have very thin shells. I don’t want to throw these gourds away if I can help it. Can they be saved?
Thank you,
Joseph Beale - Regina, Sask.
The inside of this gourd has been coated with Apoxie Paste which thickened up the walls, added weight and waterproofed the gourd.
Hi Joseph,
There are a few things that can be used to seal and add weight to gourds. A friend of ours uses fibreglass. It is smelly and safety equipment is necessary during the application but it leaves a beautiful heavy inside coating which would be suitable for thickening up thin-walled gourds.
Other people use Plaster of Paris. This is usually used when extra weight is required in the bottom of the gourd. For example if you have a wobbly gourd that just won’t sit, Plaster of Paris is fantastic. It is easy to use; just follow the directions on the box.
The easiest and most effective product we know of is the Apoxie Paste, which we carry. It permanently fills, bonds, seals and repairs most materials. It is a 2-part medium that must be mixed thoroughly in equal parts. It is safe to use and is waterproof with 0% shrinkage or cracking. It is perfect for thickening up thin-walled gourds.
Here is a link to an article we wrote about Apoxie Paste in Issue 23. The article is about waterproofing & adding weight to gourd flowerpots. Once in click on Issue 23.
Dear Carolyn,
I started my gourd seeds a little early and now they're up, but so LEGGY - about 4 inches before the first set of leaves. Is that ok? Should I submerge the stems when I plant them like I do with my tomatoes? They are going into my greenhouse so I can plant them out fairly early, so do I wait until they've got their first set of real leaves? HELP
Annie Boquist - Sooke, BC
Cotyledons - First leaves but not true gourd leaves
Hi Annie,
Leggy is normal with gourd seedlings - they are like a 2-year old in a growth spurt with the stems going on forever before the ‘first’ leaves appear. One reason that gourd plants do get leggy is that they are striving for the light.
You are correct to submerge the stems back into the soil just like with tomatoes. You can do this even when they are in their pots - be gentle and they will root up quite nicely. Due to watering, the soil levels in your pots will go down so just keep topping them up with fresh soil as needed.
Be patient and wait until your seedlings are well established with lots of leaves and a good root ball if you are planting outdoors. In BC plant on high ground or in hills because of the potential rainfall. Gourds do not like to sit with wet feet. If you are growing in your greenhouse you are well on your way. Let us know how your crop does Annie.
Carolyn
**Annie Boquist is a well-known BC artist and currently some of her work can be seen at the Sooke Region Museum which is presenting 'Fine Arts Unlimited'. For more details click here. http://www.sookeregionmuseum.com/
To send in questions to Dear Carolyn! click here.
