The Fine Print

Giclée (/ʒiːˈkleɪ/ zhee-KLAY or /dʒiːˈkleɪ/)

Giclee is a french term, meaning to ‘spray ink’. This is a uniquely artistic form of printmaking that uses a very specialized inkjet printer with a higher resolution and more dynamic colour range than typical printers. Giclee prints are regarded within the art world as rendering the highest quality reproduction of an original artwork, and often times are sold in small batches as collectible artwork themselves.

I finally took the leap this winter and invested in running my first batch of giclee prints with the lovely family-owned and operated shop, Zhee Clay in south Vancouver. The owners showed me around their incredible studio and I was so impressed with the range of materials they’re able to print on. Seeing that my art-heroes, Mark Hobson and the late Chili Thom were clients there certainly helped my decision to go with Zhee Clay for my prints of “Sundown at Cayoosh.”

I’d recently completed “Sundown” just before Christmas, which was perfect timing to replace “Last Ride” that sold at in my show at Mount Currie Coffee. I was really happy with how “Sundown” turned out, and thought it would be a perfect opportunity to create prints of the original in time for Christmas. As it turns out, the original sold within a few weeks of going up at the café – so it’s a good thing I have the prints!

Since it was my first time printing originals, I only ran four prints – a very, very low batch since 75-100 prints is an average run. I learned that the colour blue I predominantly used in the original (French Ultramarine) is an extremely hard blue to replicate in an inkjet printer. Yay! What a good choice! Nevertheless, ZheeClay were able to work their magic, and I cannot tell the difference between the ‘fake blue’ of the print and the real ultramarine of the original.

I’m so excited to now have prints to carry on the legacy of one of my favorite originals, and recently donated one to a charity event very close to my heart. There are now only two prints left of “Sundown at Cayoosh”, but this summer I’d love to add prints of more originals to the collection.
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​*The remaining prints of “Sundown at Cayoosh” are available for purchase. Contact me for more details.