FAQ for Art Collectors
- All materials and techniques used in the creation of these original artworks are archivally sound.
- There are so many paper and mat choices at your print sites! What should I choose?
- At Imagekind, I recommend Hahnemuhle Photo Rag 308 paper, called "Photo Rag", and the rag mat called "Pure White", and for the glazing "Conservation Clear Glass".
- At Zazzle, I recommend "Gold: Matte Print UV", which is not gold paper, but rather a rating system.
- How do I buy an Original work of art directly from the artist?
- If you see a painting you want to buy, but it is not available yet due to drying time, you can use the buy-it-now paypal button, or send me an email and we can discuss reserving it for you using another payment method. To reserve a painting you will need to pay for it, and after the varnish is dry, it can be shipped or picked up on the stated date. If you are not in the continental U.S., you will have to pay shipping at the time it is ready to be shipped to you, so please calculate a shipping estimate and other charges. Foreign buyers are responsible for all insurance, tracking, VAT, customs, and duties fees. There are no refunds on reserve payments, so be aware before you buy what it might take to ship from Austin Texas 78741 for a 36x5x30 in. box.
- If my paintings become available through a gallery it will be in Austin Texas, and we can work out shipping. Locals are welcome to pick up.
- I currently only sell my original artworks online through this website, the 3rd-party site Etsy, and Ebay.
- Giclee Prints are sold through the 3rd-party online print site Imagekind.
- Posters and merchandise are sold through the 3rd-party online print site Zazzle.
- What forms of payment do you accept?
- Sales within the U.S.: I accept only Paypal (Ebay sales are Paypal only), credit and debit cards via Paypal, personal checks and USPS Money Orders, which are United States Postal Service only, I do not accept any other kind. Money Order or check must clear before item is shipped.
- International sales: I accept Paypal (Ebay sales are Paypal only), credit and debit cards via Paypal, and wire transfers only. Buyers are responsible for all VAT, customs, duties and fees.
- Giclee Prints sold at Imagekind are buyable with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and PayPal only and sales tax is charged on orders shipped to Washington State.
- Posters & Merchandise sold at Zazzle are buyable with Visa, MasterCard, and American Express only and sales tax is charged on orders shipped to California and Iowa.
- Buyers (of Originals) from Texas are charged 8.25% sales tax.
- I only accept the exact charge with no overages.
- What about shipping & insurance?
- For transactions within the continental U.S. ONLY, the shipping, insurance, and tracking fee are included in the Original artwork cost.
- All other select countries, Hawaii, and Alaska, please ask for shipping rates. Buyers are responsible for all insurance, tracking, VAT, customs, and duties fees.
- For Giclee Prints sold through Imagekind, they ship internationally. All duties and taxes are the responsibility of the customer, and must be paid at the time of delivery.
- For Posters and Merchandise sold through Zazzle, they ship to 67 different countries across the globe. International shipping prices differ, however, between Canada & Mexico shipments and all other International destinations.
- Artwork is carefully packaged for shipping.
- I ship Original artwork within 5 business days after payment clears. I will ship the artwork either through UPS or USPS.
- You will receive a tracking number on Original artwork by email as soon as item is shipped.
- Yes, to select countries. Please ask before bidding.
No, my Original artwork is shipped unframed. If you buy a Print you have the option to frame it during ordering.
- For Original paintings, it is recommended that you frame paintings that are on stretched canvas (3/4" deep). Otherwise, paintings on stretched canvas can be hung frameless, if the staples are not on the sides and if the sides are painted, but this is most commonly reserved for paintings on gallery-wrap canvas (1"deep). I do not paint the sides of 3/4" deep canvas. Artwork on uncradled hardboard needs to be framed.
- Original artworks on paper are sealed in fixative. Original artworks on paper need to be matted, and require a frame to be hung on your wall. Sometimes I include the mat, check the specific sale descriptions.
- Canvas Prints may or may not be "gallery wrap", depending on available options, meaning if the image does not cover the sides, it would be advisable to frame them. However, if the sides are not stapled you may choose to leave them unframed.
Every effort is made to produce Original artwork in common sizes, so that ready-made mats and frames can be easily bought by the Collector. However, for the best presentation, it is recommended you seek the services of a professional framer.
- Not on Original artwork, but I will work with you to aquire insurance compensation. A tracking number will be used to confirm your date of reciept, to assist with validating your insurance claim.
- You do have insurance on Original artwork for the full value of the artwork (insurance is not optional), and you can seek resolution through the postal carrier, which would either be USPS or UPS. Be aware that they take the artwork back from you, hold on to it, place it before a committee who decide whether or not it was their fault, and if they do decide to take responsibility, they keep the artwork and give you money for the artwork's insured value, which does not include shipping expenses. Sometimes they decide the artwork can be repaired, and if that is the ruling, it is preferable you ship it to me for repairs. I cannot reimburse shipping costs.
- Claims for damaged, insured articles should be filed as within 24 hours of delivery.
- Because of the nature of artwork and the art market, it is preferable for you to resale a piece you have decided you no longer wish to keep for aesthetic or personal reasons. Art is an investment. Please include relevant artist information, such as name of artist, when selling the piece. You can sell collectible artwork to other Collectors by word-of-mouth, via certain gallery and art dealers, through Ebay, and on websites devoted to art trades and auctions.
- At Imagekind, if your item arrives damaged, they will ship you a replacement at no additional cost. To return your damaged item, please pack it in the original packaging and include the completed Return Form. Please call them at (800) 351-8986 and they will ship you a replacement. If for any reason you are not satisfied with your purchase, you may return it within 30 days of receipt for a full refund on the price of the item. To return it to them, please pack it in the original packaging and include the completed Return Form. Shipping charges will not be refunded. Please send all returns to: Imagekind Returns, 3323 NW Yeon Ave, Portland, OR 97210
- At Zazzle, if you are not satisfied for any reason, you may return any unused products for a replacement or refund within 30 days of receipt. Contact Customer Support to receive a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number. Please specify whether you want a replacement or refund.
Every monitor has different brightness and contrast settings, resolutions, and variances. Graphic cards, the different technologies of brands and their user-defined settings, are also factored into the results of how images on computers and the internet look on individual computers. Some of the minor differences you will notice are color hues, texture, subtle shading, luminance, boldness or brightness, and darkness or lightness. What will still be the same is the overall linework, form, composition, primary colors and image. Rest assured that artwork always looks lovelier in person.
Not at this time.
- The Collector is buying the physical piece of the individual, original artwork only. The physical piece of artwork becomes the Collector's property.
- In the event that the artwork was sold in California or the European Union by the Artist to the Collector, the Collector may have resale of the piece bound under the rules of the droite de suite or resale rights law. You can see a copy of the California law here. (At this time, the Artist is living and selling work in Texas, which has not yet aquired this resale law.)
- The Collector holds no copyrights to the image itself. The Artist retains all reproduction rights and copyrights to the original image. Artist reserves the right to reproduce and sell the image as limited and/or open edition prints and merchandise.
- Manipulation or alteration of the image by any other than the Artist is strictly prohibited by copyright law. Restoration to restore the original image on a damaged piece of artwork is allowed.
- Any form of reproduction by anyone other than the Artist, and officially licensed Print and merchandise services, specifically Imagekind.com, Zazzle.com (and also my older shops at DeviantArt.com and FinerWorks.com), is strictly prohibited by copyright law.
- If you wish to display the works online, you may at a resolution of no more than 72dpi and 500 pixels on its longest side, in jpeg format only, for reference purposes for discussing this artist only. You must attribute the work by linking the image to "http://victoriachampion.com" and giving the full name of this artist, Victoria Champion, as the sole creator of the works.
They are the same thing. Masonite is a brand name of hardboard, although that company is no longer in business. Also, if you are familiar with the debate over types of hardboard, modern-day tempered masonite is not the same as old-fashioned tempered masonite, and is archivally sound if primed properly, just as with untempered masonite.
- It is recommended you let a professional restorer do any restoration work. Send them to this site's gallery image of the actual painting and have them email me, so they can know what exact media, supports and techniques were used.
- All Original artwork is sent out in perfect condition. If it becomes damaged during shipping, you should send me an email. Or, insurance was included as part of the shipping costs during our transaction. Please check your records.
- It is best to hang artwork where it will remain out of direct sunlight. Even prints can be bleached by the sun.
- All Original oil paintings are varnished with Winsor & Newton Conserv-Art Removable Varnish or Winsor & Newton Artisan Removable Varnish. Should restoration be necessary, it can be removed carefully with turpentine or mineral spirits, or Winsor & Newton Artisan Varnish Remover. Always revarnish using the same varnish after repair work is fully dried (approx. 6 months if any oil medium or paint is applied).
- If patches of an oil painted artwork become very dulled (what is known as "sunk", as this is a result of linseed oil within the paint sinking to the canvas) the varnish in that spot can be temporarily removed and the spot can be re-oiled using Winsor & Newton Artisan Water Mixable Oil Painting Medium (the one actually called "Painting Medium"). This will enrich any dull patches. Great care is taken during painting by this artist to avoid any future sinking or dulling.
- To remove any lint or dust from artwork, use a featherduster or very soft paintbrush, wiping or brushing softly. Do not use your hand as this will leave oils and acids on the artworks.
- If a canvas should become torn or punctured, you can repair this by carefully bringing the torn pieces in line, or pressing the original canvas back into the puncture as much as possible, and adhering a scrap of new clean canvas to the back with "acrylic matte gel medium", a particular art glue which dries fully in 72 hours. At this point the restoration on the painting can be done.
- If an artwork on illustration board, bristol board, and other papers becomes soiled, unfortunately there isn't alot you can do. So it is important that you take good care of your treasure from the beginning. Frame it behind glass as soon as possible. You can attempt to blot, not wipe, gently in very small sections using tissue but if you see the lines begin to smudge, stop blotting immediately and let dry. Do not further attempt to blot or wipe off any spills. You could ruin the artwork. The original art is behind fixative, but this is not as much of a protective barrier as glass, and it can still potentially be scraped or wiped off. Don't be too upset about discoloration of the paper, as long as the drawing itself is intact, the artwork is still somewhat valuable. You can repair any tears with archival Japanese paper & wheat paste tape on the back.
- If your Print becomes torn, just tape the back carefully. It is a personal preference whether or not to frame a Print. Obviously it would be safer to frame it, but this is not always possible for everyone.
- If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly via email or the feedback form on this site.
| 
