My house is being taken over by random works of art. One by one they come to me on their accord, seeking asylum from the horrors of a world too cruel to appreciate their beauty. I know some people think that’s crazy, but look, I have to collect something. It’s art or cats. My house will be a refuge for one or the other, and I can’t really afford that much kitty litter, so yeah, art it is.
And we’re not talking about fancy art anyway. Some are inherited, some are gifts, some are from the thrift store…but, almost none of them are by me (I don’t like looking at my own work after it’s done) however, occasionally, I like to look at my photographs. Especially if they hold some sort of personal significance. For a while now, I have been wanting to start taking photos of teensy things and blowing them up huge. I mean HUGE. If I could take a photo of an ant and blow it up billboard size and paste it up like wallpaper, I totally would. It would be awesome. And terrifying. But awesome.
In the meantime, I’m working my way up with a poster sized enlargement. Zam!
Now here is a game; Can you tell what is in that photo?
Cake sprinkles. On a napkin. Bet you didn’t see that one coming.
I laid down some serious bokeh in this photo so you can barely make out what it is, even in real life. It’s actually sorta disorienting to see these teensy rainbow bits blown up so large (which is exactly what I was going for).
If you have never sent out for a photo enlargement, let me tell you, it’s super easy. You just upload the image to their site. Pretty much the same way you upload an attachment to an email. They handle the cropping and resizing. The key is to start with a LARGE image in the first place. Phone pics are fine so long as you have your resolution cranked up.
I know lots of people get their wedding pictures and family portraits blown up, and that’s cool, but I like it when folks think outside the box. Here is a list of random things that would look super cool and arty without requiring special photography skills (read: I might be doing these one day but you feel free to beat me to the punch).
A leaf from the tree that grows outside your parent’s home.
Your shoes planted in the very spot where you met your significant other.
The sand on the beach from your favorite vacation spot (not the beach, just the sand).
The pattern of a shirt worn by someone who has passed away.
A close-up portrait of a favorite childhood stuffed animal or action figure.
Dirty paw-prints on the kitchen floor.
A matchbook from the restaurant where you got engaged.
….You know, things that mean something to you but nobody else would know without explanation. That’s what makes it personal. That’s what makes the image so special and artsy.
…Or, you could just do a big portrait of your cat. Because let’s be honest, you can’t beat giant cat photos now can you?
I’m so pleased with this piece. The enlargement came out great and they mounted it on black foam core with a hanger in the back. No framing required. Great price too. I have used other places for photo enlargements but nobody has ever mounted them like this. I’ll be coming back!
AND, because they are so cool, Imprints is offering a 25% discount to Aunt Peaches readers through June 17th. Just type the code “peaches” at checkout.
AND, because they are being double cool, they are offering to giveaway* a free 15×18” or 14×14” mounted image of your choice. You can choose anything you like. Just leave a comment below. “I’m in!” or “I want one” will do just fine. No other participation is required, but I encourage you to like them on Facebook. Just because they are neat like that 🙂 Giveaway now closed. Thank you for participating!
*Giveaway closes 5pm CST, Friday, May 9, 2014. One entry per participant. If your email is not accessible in your profile, please list it in your comment.
Special shout out to Jennifer, an AP reader who told me about Imprints in the first place (it’s her parent’s business – way to be a helpful a daughter, Jennifer!). I’m glad she put us in touch because I’m delighted with my new artwork. It’ll be here for years to come. Thank you Imprints!