Affordable Art With Giclee Artist Prints

What is a giclee? Giclees are digital prints on either canvas or paper. They afford an artist the ability to reproduce their original art paintings as high quality original prints. The correct spelling is actually giclée, as it is a French word. For the sake of most people searching who do not know to add the accent, I have decided to stay with the most common spelling of the word.I first discovered giclees at the New york Art Expo in 1995. There was a booth with a printer connected to a computer rolling out a near perfect canvas reproduction of an original painting. At the time, it was causing quite a stir with a jam packed booth full of amazed onlookers. The ISIS printer being used was the first of many more digital printers to come.Today these printers are 4-5 times the size of the original ISIS printer capable of reproducing extremely large prints on a variety of paper, canvas and other fabrics. The ISIS printer was favored by watercolor artists as it could produce original prints on the high end French watercolor paper with remarkable watercolor quality results. A giclee art print is exceptional over standard color printing as for posters. Giclee printing is capable of reproducing prints with all the subtlety of washes, layers and brushstrokes found in the original painting. They also allow an artist to apply touch ups if wanted to any giclee on canvas or paper, thereby enhancing the print even more closely to the original. This can result in the artist being able to produce more substantial prints that closely match the original. I have never in my own experience ever found it necessary to touch any of my own giclee artist prints.There are many giclee printing companies now across the country as well as individual giclee printers. Many of the large giclee printing companies tend to produce prints in mass quantity whereas the individual printers tend to focus on limited edition giclees primarily for artists. Giclee artist prints can vary in quality because of the difference in the printers focus and the type of printer being used. If you are looking to buy a giclee art print, it is good to know if the printer primarily produces in bulk or specializes in producing giclees for artists. I think it is best to purchase a giclee directly from an artist who oversees their production, Most artists are very particular that the colors in their giclee artist prints reproduce as closely as possible to the original artwork. You can be assured of getting a high quality giclee print if the artist is involved in the printing process.We are all feeling the crunch in this economy. For many, purchasing original art is a luxury they cannot afford right now. But art is a necessity for feeding our spirits, and inspiring our creativity. Art brings beauty into our homes, lives and souls. Consider the option to buy art prints over original art paintings, specifically giclee artist prints. Giclees are the next best thing to an original. They are original prints, and their quality is unsurpassed. The sophisticated digital techniques used to create giclees is able to capture all the fine details found in an original. A giclee art print is a fine substitute for an original painting, and best of all, it costs much less. Not only are the prices more affordable, but prints are almost always offered in many various sizes allowing for more options that suit your needs. Giclees are more expensive than other prints because they require a very high resolution image for printing, the inks are more exceptional for really great color and the entire process is more sophisticated than standard printing. But in the end, you will have a fine art giclee print adorning your wall for a long time to come.

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Become An Energy Broker And Help People Save Money On Their Energy Bill

If you haven’t heard by now, about 1/3 of the United States has deregulated it’s energy policy. Most simply stated, this means local utility companies can now charge what they want for electricity and/or natural gas. This is both bad news as well as good new for customers. Rates will increase, but it also means that customers will now have a choice where they get their energy supply from.So what does that mean for you if you want to become an energy broker? It means that there are potentially millions of customers out there just waiting for you to contact them. They would love to be shown how to save money on their energy bill and you could be the hero who saves the day! But everything in life isn’t peaches and cream. In order to become an energy broker and profit in this deregulated market you must have the right components in place. You must join a company that gives you the best chances of earning what you want. Here’s a list of what you will need:1. Sound Company Management And ExperienceThe worst mistake you can make is to join one of these new energy companies and have to worry about poor management and lack of experience. Experience is everything and you need to ensure that the company founders and upper management have successful and profitable experience in the energy industry. I can guarantee you that over the next five years dozens of new energy companies will pop up, offering broker positions, but die off just as quickly as they were started, simply because they lacked experience.2. Tools And TrainingAs an energy broker you need the right tools and training to acquire customers and increase awareness. Some of the required tools include plenty of promotional and sales aids to help spread the word about your company and what you offer. You also need to have effective training in place for new brokers. The majority of people who become an energy broker, including you, have zero prior experience in this industry. You need to be trained quickly, have resources in place and be knowledge in the marketplace. Only then will you have the confidence to know what you are doing and have the right answers when you are questioned by potential customers and prospects.3. Competitive OfferAs stated earlier, there will be plenty of competition in the marketplace from other energy suppliers. The question you have to ask yourself is, “what makes my company unique and what can we offer customers compared to everyone else?” Your offer needs to be to the point and the rate you offer customers must be competitive. Usually your company will be offering a variable rate to customers that typically will be lower than their local utility company. You have to be sure that rate will stay competitive based upon fluctuations in the marketplace.So now that you know what you must have in place as an energy broker, let’s talk about the pros and cons of this exciting and new type of business venture.ProsNo Overhead – As an energy broker you don’t have to worry about the typical overhead in a traditional business/ franchise. There is no product, no inventory, no selling, and no collections.
Simplicity – With this type of new business you are simply showing people how to pay less for something they already purchase.
Earning Potential – Practically every single person you know uses energy, which makes them a potential customer. Depending on your state, there could be thousands and in some cases, millions of customers, just waiting to switch to a cheaper energy supplier.
No Sales Experience Required – As a broker you are in the business of telling and not selling. None of your customers need an explanation of the need for electricity, unless they live in a cave.
The Timing – When it comes to opportunity in the world of business, timing is everything. Eventually, every state in the U.S. will be deregulated. This gives you as an energy broker, a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on this exciting trend. Even big-time names like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet believe that energy deregulation will create some very rich people in the next two to five years.ConsLack Of Training – Some energy brokerage companies will have very inadequate training. If you aren’t trained correctly, you will lack the required knowledge to acquire residential customers and have a rough time closing larger commercial deals.
Work hours – Many new energy brokers will find it surprisingly difficult to find enough time to commit to this new business venture. Typically you will already be working during the day and the only time you can allot to your broker business is at night when most businesses are closed and most people retire for the day.
Lack Of Awareness – Depending on the area, most customers will have no clue they have an option of which energy supplier they can choose. You may find yourself doing a lot of explaining, encountering skepticism and wishing that the local news station would just help get the word out. But, for the energy brokers willing to take the time to explain and inform their customers, they can expect to be rewarded.So in closing I would like to leave you with this question. If you are considering becoming an energy broker and taking advantage of this new trend, are you willing to commit your time and energy (no pun intended) until you are successful? I truly believe that energy deregulation will create many future success stories and save millions of people money, but the only new energy brokers who can expect to be rewarded will be the ones who are serious and committed. Will you be one of them?

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Mental Health Continuing Education – Is Distance Learning Right For You?

For many people who choose mental health continuing education, distance learning is an attractive option. You’re not 18 anymore, and now you’ve got an entire LIFE to coordinate. These programs are tailored to people who work, have families and are otherwise engaged in everyday things. However, it’s not for everybody. First, let’s look at the advantages of distance learning for mental health continuing education; then, we’ll consider some of the disadvantages.You Can Study When And Where You Want. These courses allow you to log in at any time and do your coursework. This is really convenient for those of us with busy schedules. You can also study anywhere, which means that you don’t have to spend time traveling to and from school. It’s just a matter of turning on your computer wherever you are.Save Money As Well As Time. You may also find yourself spending less money with distance learning. You can get your mental health continuing education coursework done without having to spend the money on traveling, attending seminars, eating lunch on campus and other things.Focus Your Time To Use It More Effectively. In a normal classroom setting, you have to sit through the lecture, even if you’ve already covered it. With distance learning, you move at your own pace, which means that you can skip over things that you’ve already studied or that don’t pertain to you.These are the reasons so many people choose distance learning for their mental health continuing education course, but you should be aware that there are some downsides too:The Technology Can Be Tricky. To make your lectures, discussions and tests, you’ve got to have a computer that’s capable of running all the necessary programs. You also need a certain speed and memory capability. Sometimes, upgrading or getting the necessary software presents challenges you weren’t expecting, as well as added costs.Planning And Time Management. For some people, distance learning isn’t such a good idea. It takes a certain kind of discipline to make all of your assignments and take care of all the little things, especially if you’ve also got a job to think about. You have to be good at planning and time management, and even though you don’t have to show up for tests, the deadlines are serious. There are also lots of other little things to remember, like posting to discussion threads.Teach Yourself. Distance learning is a little bit like teaching yourself. If you’re doing a mental health continuing education course through distance learning, you’ve got to be a self-starter.No Direct Access. Another disadvantage is that you don’t get to actually meet your instructors or classmates. This can be a big turn-off for students who need that face-to-face contact.You can get your mental health continuing education certification in a real classroom or through distance learning. Consider the pros and cons of each before you make a decision. You might want to talk with someone who has done a distance learning course for further advice.

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