Happy New Year!

Looking Ahead to a Colorful 2015

We hope this year brings health and happiness to you, your family, and your loved ones.

2014 was tough. We lost many friends and we think about them every day.

2015 is a fresh year, and we are excited about what that means. The Rochester location is moving forward, and the local economy is growing stronger.

We are working on some new products and staying very busy.

This marks the beginning of our 13th year in business, and we feel like we are just getting started.

Quality is in the details...

Meeting Matt: A Journey of Craftsmanship

We first started working with Matt eight years ago when he was a senior in high school. Initially, he only needed mats cut because he was building his own frames.

But Matt wasn't just building frames. He was milling his own frame profiles and carefully staining and waxing the wood. His attention to detail was remarkable, and his carpentry skills were undeniable.

Since then, Matt has graduated from college, gotten married, and has two children. Despite his busy life, he still maintains a complete wood shop. As Matt puts it, "shop time is good time."

When it came time to have custom cabinetry built for our new Rochester location, the decision to work with Matt was an easy one.

The paradox of the Minnesota winter

The Love-Hate Relationship with Minnesota Winters

Winter in Minnesota is an emotional roller coaster of love-hate-love.

It begins beautifully, with the whitest, lightest, and gentlest snow transforming the landscape into a fresh and different world. This is the first "love."

This initial love affair with winter typically lasts through December—or until the first day the high temperature doesn't climb above zero, or the first time you have to jump-start your car or change a flat tire.

Enter the first "hate."

For the next six to eight weeks, you need to endure this because there's no escaping it. You can try heading south for a couple of weeks, but you're only running away from reality. And reality will be waiting when you return.

And return you will.

Then, quite suddenly, things begin to feel positive again. Usually, it's a bright sunny day in March or the first time you hear a robin sing—enough to give you a burst of positive momentum. This is the second "love."

Minnesota winters have a sinusoidal rhythm, and there's a certain comfort in that regularity.

Treasure Island family portraits

An annual delight: Family Portraits at Treasure Island Casino

This business is project-driven, which means we get involved in projects that have a beginning and an end. Some projects have longer life cycles than others, and all projects are unique.

Our most recent project is a series of family portraits. The Human Resources department at Treasure Island Casino has contracted us to provide family portraits (photos taken, printed, and framed) for all of their 1,500 employees who want to participate. At first glance, this might seem like a church directory project, where efficiency is prioritized over creativity.

But it isn't, and here's why:

Each family has their own story to tell. There was the man who, despite being extremely body-conscious, proudly showed me his gastric bypass scar. Or the young family with a little boy who had serious skin graft scars all over his body from a bad burn accident, yet he was busy running around, trying to keep up with his older siblings. Or the married couple who have been together for 55 years and still enjoy ribbing each other with wisecracks. This photo is of a young mom who had just found out she is pregnant. Her joy is obvious, and she is so excited that she is exaggerating her pregnant belly.

Another aspect was the challenge of using a very spartan set consisting only of a white vinyl backdrop and a simple bench while still making every image unique. It was easy to fall into patterns of using common poses that would always work. The challenge was to slowly add to the repertoire of winning poses by experimenting.

Initially, this project was not especially welcomed because the hours were long and crazy (the casino operates on a 24-hour basis), but after two weeks of photography, I am really sorry to see it end. The casino employees are fun and genuinely fond of each other. The demographics are at the lower end of the income scale, so it has been an especially well-received perk by the employees.

This has been a lot of fun.

Finally, a chance to use 'ubiquitous' in a sentence

The Artistry of Cash's Silk Embroideries

Cash's (sometimes called J&J Cash) is a UK company located in Coventry, England. For over 150 years, Cash's has been producing silk embroidered bookmarks, luggage and clothing labels, and name tags. You might assume that something as ubiquitous as a clothing label wouldn't merit museum-level custom framing.

But you would be wrong.

Cash's produces products that are clearly motivated by quality and pride in craftsmanship. These items are genuinely works of art, much like a beautifully machined watch—a labor of love.

One example is a silk embroidered horned owl, part of a limited run of coniferous forest animals Cash's produced. Other animals in the series include a peregrine falcon, an otter, and some wood ducks. Each piece is about the size of a business card, and each will have its own frame.

Cash's is currently producing a series of Beatrix Potter silks, which are perfect for the embroidery medium. The price is very reasonable, considering the quality and craftsmanship involved.

Ode to my Honda Element

Admittedly, it might seem odd to write a haiku to a vehicle, but I feel I owe it at least that, especially since I am about 2,000 miles behind my scheduled oil change.

The 2006 Honda Element has been a beast for me (in a good way). It is the perfect art transport vehicle. Once the rear seats are removed, there is almost 73 cubic feet of very rectangular space, which is perfect for hauling art upright. It is very dependable and practical. On the downside, it is a bit cold-blooded, and the passenger ride is somewhat upright.

So, in lieu of an oil change (maybe next week) and in the tradition of 5-7-5 haiku rhythm:

Ode to Element

A square can roll round

Even in winter

Happy New Year!

Today was a good day

A Pleasant Surprise from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune

This morning, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune business columnist Dick Youngblood wrote a very favorable column about our business here in Red Wing. It was a lot of fun getting to know Dick over several conversations and meetings, and I really didn't know what to expect. Needless to say, I was very happy and a bit embarrassed by the attention.

But it was the sub-headline on the second page of the hard-copy article that really made me smile. For many years, I thought I was a "washed-up sales rep" when, in fact, I was only a "burned-out sales rep." Imagine my relief.

You gotta love it. 😊

The article can be found here.

Thanks for the article, Dick, and thanks for the support, Dave Murphy from Red Wing Shoes.