pollard studio

15% Off Diploma Framing

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 01:13:00 +0000

During the month of June, bring your high school or college diploma and receive 15% off the total framing cost. No limits, so bring as many as you wish.

Small diplomas start at around $35. You'll be saving 15% though, so feel free to splurge a little.

Your document will be well protected with acid free matting and mounting. Conservation and museum glass is also available for those who want to provide the maximum in protection from UV light.

Come in, get creative, and show off that degree you worked so hard for.

The BISON is Here!

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Fri, 25 May 2012 17:12:00 +0000

Just wanted to introduce my new bison painting. It is 36 x 48 inches on gallery wrapped canvas. The price is $1500. Prints will be available soon. Come by and see it in my display window soon. I've also included snap shots of the work in process.

Make an Offer Monday!

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:55:00 +0000

Ok. This Monday May 14th only, come in the store and make me an offer on any ready made frame, artwork, or canvas, and you might just get a super deal. This excludes custom jobs. But you can make an offer on anything else in the store. So if you've had your eye on something, come in and give it a shot. If we agree on a price, it's yours. I'll even have my morning coffee so I'll be in a good mood!

Painting a Portrait

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Fri, 04 May 2012 21:06:00 +0000

I recently had the honor to do a portrait of the late Schree Brogdon and baby Lily. The end result, I felt, was touching and delicate.

In the following photos you can see my step by step approach to rendering the subjects in acrylic on canvas. The finish size was 16x20 inches.

In the first photos you can see I have made a detailed pencil drawing on the canvas. This is sealed with fixative to prevent smearing. Next the background is carefully worked in around the figures, and a sienna tone is added to the figures allowing the sketch to show through.

Outline areas are then reinforced with paint before adding a medium flesh tone. Each tone of flesh is added separately, since wet blending is prohibitive in acrylic. I add darker shadows then work my way up to the lightest values.

Lastly, details and highlights are added to finish the subjects. This includes teeth, eyes, hair, and jewelry. The same procedure is followed for the baby separately, because of the slight difference in skin tone on the newborn.

I enjoyed doing this portrait and hope it is loved by the family for years to come. If you would like a portrait of one of your family members, you can reach me at 501-278-5547 on week days or at www.pollardstudio.com.

The Final Result

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:34:00 +0000

This is the final entry in my TARDIS building project. Here the final coat of paint and distressing has been added for that ancient look.

The top lantern has been installed. It was made from a garden path light I found at Lowes. I made some slight alterations and painted the finish to match the rest of the box.

The signs were made of 3/4 inch picture frame moulding. These were filled with plexiglas. Black vinyl courtesy of www.conleygraphics.net was cut and added to the front of the plexi. I also sanded the back side of the plexi to give the letters a foggy matte look.

Finally I installed a sound effects board inside the roof area. This includes a sound to light modulator that controls the intensity of the lantern glow. I have hidden buttons to control the sounds which include the takeoff and landing "breathing" sounds that all Whovians adore.

All of the electronics are plugged into a single remote controlled power strip so everything can be engaged at once.

Thanks to everyone for joining me on my journey.

Ready Made Frame Sale

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:58:00 +0000

For the rest of April I will have my ready made frames on sale 50% off. This is only for my blog and newsletter readers. So come in any time before the end of the month and mention the ready made sale and receive the discount.

TARDIS Blue

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:52:00 +0000

Well you can't just go to the paint store and order TARDIS blue, but I did the best I could. Here is the first coat of beautiful paint on my phone box. Later I will add a layer of weathering to give it an older appearance. You can also see from the picture I've installed a working door lock and key.

It's all in the Details

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:58:00 +0000

Another TARDIS update: Each window was completed with dividers made of quarter inch dowels. Each bar is made of two dowels joined with glue. Next the long strips were custom painted and antiqued. Then each section was carefully trimmed to fit and glued into place directly onto the plexiglas windows with construction adhesive. This might not be the most orthodox method, but I've never made a claim to orthodoxy.

I've also completed the phone access door. Unfortunately it's a faux door as the cabinet design did not allow for anything else. Nevertheless, I have included both handle and hinges for an accurate appearance. The sign was adapted from some fan art I found online. It includes some nice weather spotting. This is placed under a piece of plexi secured by four screws. The frame is 1.5 inch lattice.

The added window details seen here are custom cut pieces of pebbled dropped ceiling light covers. These were applied with spray adhesive directly to the face of the plexiglas.

Till next time.

TARDIS update

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:54:00 +0000

At this point in construction the roof is being fabricated. It is made of several stacked frames. On the bottom we have flat 1x4's then upturned 2x4's then upturned 1x4's. Next I built a cross frame architecture to hold up the angled roof panels and lantern box. More next time.

If this is your first look at the blog, click on January in the blog archive on the right. This will clue you in on what a TARDIS is and why I'm building one.

Art Sale

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:28:00 +0000

Just two more weeks left in my Momentous Mad March art sale. 25% off all framed art and canvases. This includes my originals. Come in soon.

March Art Sale

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:22:00 +0000

Come in during March and get 25% off any framed art or canvas art. This includes my originals. I have a large variety of images available to decorate your home or office. Don't miss this chance! Sale ends March 30th.

Bison Sneak Peek

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:10:00 +0000

Just a look at my next mascot project. This will eventually be an acrylic on canvas.

Two Doors and a Time Rotor

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:58:00 +0000

Here I have attached the door panels. The front and rear panels were attached with piano hinges to allow them to open outward. (Note: this is not the normal way for TARDIS doors to open, but it has happened on occasion. Most notably in "The Eleventh Hour" and "Castrovalva.")

Anyway, you will also notice I've added a middle strip of 1.25 inch lattice. On the front side the lattice is attached to the left panel.

I've also installed plexiglas or Perspex as they call it across the pond in each of the window openings. I have sprayed a light coating of grey primer to the back of each piece. This still allows for plenty of light to shine through from the internal lights to be added later, while at the same time obscuring any view of the interior from meddling Daleks or Sontarans. Each piece is glued in place, and I also used some framers points to make sure the windows don't fall out somewhere in the time vortex.

The Doors

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:25:00 +0000

As you can see, I had a little help from Jack Harkness at this stage. You may also notice there are six identical panels. I skipped the last two since that side will be facing the wall.

Each panel is made of 1x4 cedar boards with a solid 1/4 inch luan plywood panel. A hole was cut for each window opening. Later each panel was routed with a bevel tool to add dimension.

Ducks Unlimited Sponsors!

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:25:00 +0000

If you sponsor Ducks Unlimited, I've got a deal for you. Just drop off your print and I'll frame it for only $70, including tax! As you can see in the photo, this is no skimpy frame job. It will be double matted with a title drop cut, real glass, and real 2 inch wooden frame, measuring approximately 30 x 35. The regular retail on this would be about $150. So bring 'em in.

The Fourth Dimension

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:22:00 +0000

Here things are starting to take shape. I placed the base into position around the shelf system and attached the four posts to the base with four large screws each. It was important to hold the posts as straight as possible during this step.

Next I added some door lintels composed of stacked 1x2's. Here too, these were installed as straight and square as possible.

Not shown here is the addition of two large sheets of plywood to opposite sides of the box. These added stability and provided a place to attach extra shelves in the back side of the TARDIS.

The Four Corners

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:50:00 +0000

At this stage in the production of my very own TARDIS I assemble the four uprights. Each post is made of six separate boards: two 1x4's on the outside, two 1x3's offset from those, a core of one 2x2, and an outer corner accent piece of cove moulding. This was the simplest manner I could find to fabricate the posts and avoided table saws and routers, while still giving me an authentic presentation. Next time, the project begins to take shape!

The Foundation

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:51:00 +0000

The first step in building the exterior of the TARDIS was the base. It's approximately 4.5 feet wide and 4 inches tall. I used 2x4's and some angled door facing to give it a slope. I cut each piece on the miter saw and joined with 2" brads. The facing was mounted directly to the 2x4's.

Back to the Drawing Board

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Building a TARDIS is not something you just jump into without a plan. So, the first thing I did was research. My greatest help came from an online community of like minded Whovians over at tardisbuilders.com. I collected all the photo reference and real dimensions I could in order to produce the blueprints you see here. This is not to say that I didn't vary a bit from the plans during the project, but this was my dominant guide.

In order to fit the beast in my living room and encase the sliding bookshelf system, my box is about 85-90% of the size of the actual TV prop. The 80's prop was about the size of mine, just over 8 feet tall. Matt Smith explores the universe in a stylish 10 foot tall model these days.

Luckily this size worked out well for using stock lumber without having to rip it down to size. Additionally, I avoided using a table saw (which I don't own and am a little leery of) for the whole project except for a couple of pieces I had sized at the hardware store prior to bringing them home.

Next post I'll show you the first piece I assembled.

The Yard Sale and the Doctor

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:05:00 +0000

It all started with an old entertainment center that a friend of mine was selling at our spring yard sale. As I was looking at it I thought, "the TARDIS is about that size." From that point on I could think of nothing else but transforming that cabinet into a time machine.

My goal was to not only construct the most truly geek item in the county, but also make it functional. So it was to become a movie cabinet. Our old one had seen better days.

The first step was stripping the cabinet down to a shell. This was to house sliding shelves for our movie collection. In the photo you can see this early incarnation with TARDIS blue shelves.

Genesis of the TARDIS

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:42:00 +0000

For the next few posts I will be indulging in one of my favorite interests. Since childhood I've been fascinated with Doctor Who and become even more so since the series was rebooted on the BBC in 2005. For those who don't know, the Doctor is a 900+ year old Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey who travels through time and space in a ship called the TARDIS. (Time And Relative Dimension In Space) The ship has a cloaking device which allows it to take the form of a common object in the environment in which it materializes. But do to some internal quirk it has been stuck in the form of a British Police Box. Check back soon to see what I've been up to.

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 20:50:00 +0000

Just thought I'd send out a Happy Christmas to all my friends and customers. Thanks making 2011 a great year. Look forward to seeing you all again in 2012 minus any potential Mayan disasters!

More Shadow Boxes

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 02:07:00 +0000

Sorry these are in plastic wrap. But I wanted to share these exquisite medical displays I assembled a few months ago. The are from the customer's private collection, and will make a wonderful arrangement on his office wall. Almost any object can be placed in a shadow box. Suede covered backing boards like the ones used here add to the richness of the presentation.

Preserve your wedding memories!

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 01:19:00 +0000

You can include your invitations, photos, cake toppers, programs, anything you want. It's fun to work your colors into the matting too!

Birth of a Hog Part 7

noreply@blogger.com (pollard) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 06:32:00 +0000

In this last step I have finished the eyes, mouth, and tusks by adding white highlights.