What is a “giclée” canvas print?

The term ‘giclée’ is a french word meaning ‘a spray or a squirt of liquid’.

It is a method of printing to create high quality, archival fine art prints on canvas and other substrates.

The biggest difference between a standard inkjet print and a giclée print is that giclées are printed using pigment-based inks rather than dye-based inks that are found in lower-cost inkjet prints. Pigment-based inks have a longer lifespan: they can last anywhere from 100 - 200 years without significant fading

What are your paper prints?

Paper prints are printed using the giclée printing process, using archival inks.
The paper used is professional photo paper, with a slight sheen to it, to help avoid glare.
The prints come with a printed mat outline, and the title under the image.
Larger prints will be shipped rolled, to help with shipping costs.
Paper prints should be framed under glass,
uv-glass if you can, and hung out of direct sunlight.

Do you paint commissioned art as well?

Absolutely, yes.
To start the conversation about your custom art creation, please use the contact link in the header or footer of the website.

How long will it take for my order to arrive?

Once your order is received, you can expect it to arrive at your door within 5-10 days, depending on the product(s) you have ordered.
Canvas giclée reproductions that are
hand-embellished have additional processing time, due to the hand-crafted process involved in creating them, so please allow an additional 5-8 business days for those.
Obviously, we have no say in how fast usps, ups, fedex, et al do their part in delivering your order. For that reason, we ship orders over 1lb with tracking numbers, so you can see where it is in the process.

What about returns?

If you need to return your art piece because it was damaged in transit, please take pictures of the package at arrival, close-ups of the damage, and retain all packaging materials, so we can get some answers from the shipping entity.

if you decide that you don’t like the image you ordered, or your décor style has changed, or your husband/wife/significant other doesn’t like what you purchased, can exchange it, with a 10% restocking fee.

Returns need to be initiated within 30days of delivery.

What in the world made you paint sheep?

That is a very frequent question, best answered with: “life made me do it.”

The sheep started showing up in my landscapes and abstract paintings I was selling on Ebay, back in the ‘90s.
As one of Ebay’s top self-representing artists during that time, I hit a burn-out phase, as I was not only painting 3-5 huge oil paintings per day, but also trying to raise my three daughters, all under 10, at the time.
The sheep showed up to take my “serious art” into a “funny art” direction. They made me giggle while painting - which lightened my mood, and allowed me to paint my commentary on politics, social issues, marital issues, parenting issues, and pop culture, without being offensive with it (for the most part, that is…).
The Sheep Incognito gave me a voice about life in general - and the sheep incorporate the perfect mix:
They fit into every culture. Every country. Every life-style. Every political stance. They are known in nursery rhymes, religious stories, menu lists, fiber craft projects, and landscape decor - and still, they are just sheep, that make ewe smile.

Can I come visit your studio?

While we LOVE meeting people, the studio is currently not open to the public.

But, you can still find Conni’s mobile art gallery - and meet the artist - at events throughout the year.
Click the “events” link at the top of the page to see where we will be next.

You can also follow conni on instagram, facebook, etc. to see what’s happening in our corner of the meadow.

Do you offer painting classes?

Painting lessons can be arranged, but to ensure that you get the most out of them, we strictly limit the number of participants to 2 students per session, at the moment.
This might change in the future, but for now, this seems the best way to actually learn techniques from me.

Do you do wholesale and/or art licensing?

We can definitely work with you on either of those topics - we offer low minimum orders, and can also arrange some exclusive agreements if that is needed.

Can I use your art to make my own t-shirts or cards to sell?

Due to copyright legalities, printing and selling things with my art on it is not allowed.
We offer commercial licensing agreements, and occasionally, I do give permission on a case-by-case basis for individuals to have a t-shirt for themself printed, or to have a tattoo designed.
Copying images of my artwork, downloading them, enhancing them, and having products created with them is a definite no no - it might result in unwanted legal disputes, that honestly, neither you, nor iI, would like to deal with.
All images are ©Conni Togel and Charisma Art Gallery LLC.

To obtain permission to use my art for personal projects, please drop me a line.

To discuss commercial use, art licensing, or commissions, please contact the studio as well.

Can you illustrate my book?

While technically, yes, I could - practically, my time is limited to running my gallery, illustrating my own book series, and creating new paintings, while also caring for my grandson during the week.
So, ultimately, the answer to that question is currently: sorry, no I unfortunately can’t illustrate your book.

What art materials do you use?

My paintings, use only professional-grade paints, from companies like Windsor & Newton, Norma, Liquitex, Golden, Old Holland, etc..

Quality work requires quality materials.
My professor used to tell me to use my materials as if I owned the art store.

That was good advice - my original paintings, prints, and giclées have proven to be lightfast for the past 22 years.

For paint brushes, I roll with that same mantra: Good brush work requires good tools.
For watercolors I exclusively use DaVinci Maestro Tobolsky Kolinsky brushes are the best out there - and they are worth the investment, if you will be painting for a long time. I’ve had mine since 1991, and still use them frequently.
For oil paintings, I do like using sturdy bristle brushes I bought back in 1991 - they are still in great condition.
Treating your brushes with care makes a big difference - always wash after use.

For paper and canvas:
Arches papers for watercolors are my favorite - not cheap, but again, very much worth the extra expense. Fabriano and Sennelier are two other I do occasionally use as well.
The cheap paper from the hobby stores is not worth the money for original paintings that have a lot of work put into them.
It is great for little quick sketch paintings, for a cost-effective solution.

For paintings on canvas: I’ve used so many different versions, it’s hard to name them…
Fredrix was my choice for a long time, I also use Blick Studio Canvas frequently.
Making my own canvas - there is no time for that, and cooking my own gesso is not what i would consider a good time had.

For my 3d sculpted wall art pieces:
Anything is fair game. I’ve used metal mesh, sand, wool, papermaché, sculpting medium,rocks, car parts, sari silk, wood, concrete, and other proprietary things to make those be the rusty-looking, stunning pieces they are.

My digital paintings:
All my digital paintings are created on my IPad Pro, using the Apple Pencil (1st Gen) and the Procreate app.
The final painting is the produced to canvas as a fine art giclée, as described above.