A letter from the White House
A very good customer (and friend) recently received this hand-signed letter from President Barack Obama.
It was a very touching letter and it discussed equal rights and marriage. The President included the White House photograph.
Wow. Just wow.
Creative prompt...
Or, what triggers creativity for you?
The Red Wing community is blessed with many beautiful assets that can all trigger creative responses.
We have a beautifully preserved downtown, the Mississippi River, The river bluffs and all kinds of authentic working elements (the barges, the railroads and the manufacturing).
This time of year is especially creative because of the changing of the seasons and the longer autumnal light.
Blood chit
This is one of those peices that come through the shop that really makes you pause and reflect.
"I
am a citizen of the United States of America. I do
not speak your language. Misfortune forces me to seek
your assistance in obtaining food, shelter, and
protection. Please take me to someone who will
provide for my safety and see that I am returned to
my people. My government will reward you.”
This is the first paragraph written in English and
this is repeated in 13 languages. It is called a
blood chit and it is from the Vietnam War (1968).
A blood chit is a prepared message carried by
military air crews and by other service members
deemed to be at what the military calls “high risk of
isolation". It is written in local languages that a
lost service member can present to most anyone who
might help.
It is printed on silk for durability and was
distributed immediately before a dangerous mission.
Blood chits originated in England 200 years ago and
was introduced to US military during WW II. It has
been used during the Korean conflict, the Vietnam War
and through both Middle East conflicts.
Nested Acrylic Prints...
One of the products we have been working on is a
'nested' Red Wing
Digital Acrylic
Print.
We have learned over the past two years is that a
naked Acrylic Print seemed to be too contemporary for
most Midwestern tastes. So we modified it by
'nesting' it in a framed box. It still has some
striking high gloss effects, but the more traditional
framing design makes the product more attractive to a
broader audience.
Next month we are taking the Boxed Acrylic Prints on
a West Coast road show to drum up some interest from
the client base.
Wish us luck!
Happy birthday Dad!
He is our hero.
Happy New Year!
We
hope this year provides health and happiness for
yourself, your family and your lovd ones.
2014 was tough. We lost many friends and we think
about them every day.
2015 is a fresh year and we are pumped about what
that means. The Rochester location is plowing forward
and the local economy is growing stronger.
We are working on some new products and we are very
busy.
This is the beginning of our 13th year in business
and we feel we are just getting started.