Picture Perfect gallery & framing

A New Year’s Wish

For over 30 years American artist John Paul Strain has been amazing art collectors with his unique talent of capturing moments in time from the early days of the American Frontier, the glory and pageantry of the American Civil War, to contemporary scenic and romantic locations across the world.

From the early age of 21, Mr. Strain’s paintings were represented by Trailside Galleries, America’s most prestigious western art gallery.  For 15 years his beautiful landscapes, wild life paintings, and depictions of Indian life were represented by most every major western art gallery and top art auctions in the United States.

In 1991 Mr. Strain broadened his subjects to include historical art of  the American Civil War.  During the next 17 years Mr. Strain focused his work on the world of daring horseback raids and epic battles with great armies and leaders, capturing and preserving a unique era in history.  Over a period of years, Mr. Strain became known as America’s leading historical artist, with over 50 magazine covers featuring his paintings.   His work is featured in books, movies, and film.  Mr. Strain’s book, “A Witness to the Civil War” released in November 2002 was a Civil War art best seller for his publisher and quickly sold out of it’s first printing.  The book is unusual among art books in that it is written by the artist.  The Scholastic Resources Company purchased over 3 thousand copies of the edition for school libraries across the US.  His new book is scheduled to be released in 2009.  Strain’s paintings have helped to raise funds for many historical restoration projects and battlefield preservation organizations.  The National Park Service uses his images in their publications and at battlefield sites.  A number of historical private institutions have on site displays featuring his work such as General JEB Stuart’s home and estate, and General Jubal Early’s boyhood home.

Mr. Strain and his paintings were also featured on the television shows of C-Span’s Washington Journal, The History Channel, and Extreme Makeover Home Edition.  Throughout his career he has won many awards for his art.  Reproductions of his work have won numerous 1^st place awards and “Best of Show” honors, such as the PICA Awards, The Printing Industry of the Carolinas, and just recently at the PIAG 2008 Awards in Georgia, he won the Top Gold Award for his painting “New Year’s Wish”, and Best Of Category Giclée for “Fire In the Sky”. Strain is also a featured artist for internationally know collector art companies the Bradford Exchange and the Franklin Mint, where he has created a Civil War Chess Set, several limited edition plate series, sculptures, and many other collectable items featuring his paintings.  Mr. Strain has also completed a number of commissioned works for the United States Army, which are on permanent display at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Fort McNair, Washington D.C., and the battlefield visitor’s center at Normandy, France.  Today, Mr. Strain’s original paintings can be found in many noted museums such as the Museum of Fredericksburg, South Georgia Relics Museum, and at Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello.  His work is included in many private fine art collections, corporate collections, and is owned by dignitaries such as United States Senators, Congressmen and a number of State Governors.

Angel of Maryes Heights

He’s the premier historical artist in America – and now he focuses mainly on the American Civil War. When Mort Künstler began his current emphasis on Civil War art in the early 1980s, he had already accomplished more than a half-dozen artists could hope to accomplish in a collective lifetime. From portraits of prehistoric American life to the odyssey of the space shuttle, Mort Künstler had painted America’s story – and was already renowned as “the premier historical artist in America.” When he placed his focus on Civil War art, Mr. Künstler quickly established himself as the country’s most-collected Civil War artist, and earned unprecedented acclaim within the genre of Civil War art.

“Mort Künstler is the foremost Civil War artist of our time — if not of all time,” says Dr. James I. Robertson Jr., the dean of Civil War historians and the author of the celebrated biography, Stonewall Jackson. “To study his paintings,” says Robertson, “is to simply see history alive.” Pulitzer Prize-winning historian James McPherson concurs. “Of all the artists working in the Civil War field,” he observes, “none captures the human element, the aura of leadership, the sense of being there and sharing in the drama, quite like Mort Künstler. He has that enviable talent of being able to re-create history on canvas and to translate events into art.”

Mr. Künstler’s talent and training were nurtured from an early age. After studying art at Brooklyn College, U.C.L.A. and Pratt Institute, he became a successful illustrator in New York where he received assignments from book and magazine publishers. An important part of his training resulted from his affiliation with National Geographic Magazine. It was through their assignments of historical subject matter that he learned the value of working with historians so that accuracy was firmly imbued into his concept.

In 1982, a commission from CBS-TV to do a painting for the mini-series, The Blue and the Gray directed Mr. Künstler’s interest towards the Civil War. Although the research was painstaking, he devoted much time to making sure that his painting The High Water Mark was meticulously correct. The painting was unveiled at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum on July 2, 1988 in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the battle. Since then, Mr. Künstler has been concentrating on Civil War subject matter.

Mr. Künstler was selected as the Official Artist of the Ohio State Bicentennial, and his painting of General John Hunt Morgan’s raid through Ohio was featured in a long-term exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

Mr. Künstler continues to participate in a variety of charitable causes that are close to his heart. In 2001, following America’s 9-11 tragedy, he contributed one of his most popular limited edition prints – “Old Glory” – for a fund-raiser by the American Red Cross. The non-profit program raised more than $150,000 for the Red Cross to use on behalf of the victims of the 9-11 attack. He continues to provide art and assistance to Timber Ridge School – a residency academy for special students in Winchester, Virginia. In 2003, a residence hall at the school was named Mort Künstler Hall in his honor.

In 2001, Mr. Künstler was named the official artist for the motion picture Gods and Generals, and in 2002 Greenwich Workshop Press published his newest book: Gods and Generals: The Paintings of Mort Künstler. He also served as a consultant for the heralded Ron Maxwell motion picture, Gods and Generals, and his art publisher, American Spirit Publishing, released a series of historical Civil War limited edition prints of key historical events on which the motion picture was based.

Mr. Künstler has also been named as an Official Artist for the H.L. Hunley, and unveiled a new painting of the H.L. Hunley during ceremonies in Charleston, South Carolina on April 17-18, 2004. He was commissioned to design and furnish all the artwork for the Middletown, Ohio Veterans Memorial, which was unveiled on July 4, 2004.

Probably no other artist in our nation’s history has recorded so many events in American history and certainly no one has painted them with the extraordinary authenticity and drama as Mort Künstler. Mort Künstler is America’s artist.

Extend the display seasons for your Byers Choice Carolers. This Colonial Harvest Man is ideal to display from September through Thanksgiving, as a reminder of the bountiful autumn season. He adds a lovely touch to seasonal décor. Try pairing him with the Colonial Harvest Woman and with the Colonial Harvest Girl & Boy for an entire family unit. The Harvest Fence makes a great background and the Harvest Wheelbarrow finishes the scene.

The Colonial Harvest Carolers are all handcrafted in the America. Made of wire and cloth stuffed bodies, even the faces are hand sculpted and hand painted. Each one unique.

Hello. My name is Judy and I am a 6 year breast cancer survivor. When I was diagnosed, several women appeared at different times encouraging me with their survival stories. One was a 5 years survivor, one a 9 year, yet another 12 years. I received the most hope from some women who were 25 year survivors. My strength came from sharing with others.

If you know of someone who is diagnosed with Breast Cancer, please contact me. I will be glad to send encouragement to her, or him (yes, men do get breast cancer too.) And I will be glad to share tips that your doctor will never tell you about preventing or minimizing skin burn during the radiation process.

This Pink Ribbon Caroler is near to my heart. Byer’s Choice company is giving a portion of the sale of this Caroler to raise Breast Cancer Awareness. But Picture Perfect gallery & framing is going a step beyond that & will give a portion of our own sales of the Pink Ribbon Caroler to Breast Cancer Research. That is double value for your purchase.

Visit my website to see all of the Byer’s Choice Carolers.

Touch-up Tips:

If the cheeks on your Caroler fade, apply some powder blush with a soft cotton-tipped applicator. A faded lip can be touched up with a natural-looking shade of nail polish. A small chip on the base can be smoothed with a nail file and colored in with a dark green felt-tip marker. Likewise, a scuffed shoe can be polished with a black marker.

A little hairspray can calm a frizzy hairdo, and a hand-held clothes steamer is great for taking the wrinkles out of a skirt, jacket or paper scroll. To curl a paper scroll, roll the ends around a pencil. A lint brush or the baseboard attachment of your vacuum cleaner is useful in removing loose fur and dust from clothing. A very soft, pliable dry sponge is also helpful. A small, soft cosmetic brush can be used to dust off the face, hair and base. Adhesive tape dabbed gently against felt clothing will remove loose fluff.

Many accessories that become unattached can be fixed by applying a small amount of white craft glue.

Storage:

When storing your Byer’s Choice Carolers, avoid damp areas. High humidity can cause metal parts (such as the frame) to rust or mold to grow on some fabric. If a Byer’s Caroler should get wet, quickly blot the excess water with a clean towel and dry with a hand-held blow dryer set on low.

Your dog or cat may be attracted to the fur used in dressing the Carolers. Pets have been known to completely devour a Caroler, leaving behind broken fragments of the head and base. So make sure your Carolers are out of the way of these potential mischief-makers.

Beware of mice! The felt and tissue paper used in the construction of the Carolers makes great nest material. Wrap your Carolers in tissue paper and add a few mothballs to the packing box to help keep pests away. Avoid storing Carolers in Cedar; it has been known to dissolve the paint on their faces.

Avoid bright sunlight when choosing where to display your Byer’s Choice Carolers. Prolonged exposure will fade the clothing and face paint.

“No two Byers Choice Carolers are ever the same. Our artisans create a unique character and personality in each figure by using a variety of techniques and materials. Each crafter leaves a little bit of herself in every figure she touches. As many as ten people will work on one Caroler. Consequently, it is almost impossible to find two Carolers that are exactly alike.” – Joyce Byers

What does Christmas look like to you? It was the late 1960’s and Joyce Byers, an amateur artist with a degree in fashion design, was disappointed in what she was seeing in the stores: aluminum tinsel trees with garish blue lights. She was looking for holiday decorations with warmth that showed respect for timeless traditions and her own memories of Christmas.

“A scrap of fabric, part of my mother’s old fur coat, some hair from the kids, a coat hanger, some plaster and paint. The first ones were made with simple things that I had around the house,” says Joyce Byers. “I dressed them in plaids and made them cheerfully singing because that reminded me of Christmas.”

The first Carolers graced the Byers’ dining room table that Christmas, and they received compliments from all of the relatives. On a tight budget, Joyce knew what to make for presents the following year. A neighbor suggested taking some to a local store, where they sold quickly.

Joyce pressed her husband, Bob, and their two sons into service to help produce the figures each autumn. It wasn’t long before the Carolers overwhelmed the dining room table, where the family gathered to work together. “Every year the house would be a total wreck, and I’d say that we’re never doing this again!” remembers Joyce.

But when a downturn in the economy hurt his construction business, Bob looked around and saw some potential in the Carolers. He decided to devote more of his energies to the fledgling business, and in 1978, the couple hired their first employee, and turned the garage into a workshop.

The unique appearance and handcrafted quality of the Carolers quickly gained a following. Each year, Bob & Joyce would work with their crew of trained artisans up until Christmas Eve putting the finishing touches on Carolers.

The two sons joined the company upon graduating from college and have played an important role in the growth of the firm, with Bob working in production and Jeff helping with marketing and design. “We always say that mom’s hobby has gotten a little out of control,” jokes Jeff.

The company now resides on a park-like campus near Chalfont, PA. Collectors are invited to tour the facility and watch the artisans at work.

In the spirit of Christmas, Byers’ Choice donates over 20% of its profits to charity each year.

“The expression of joy that can be found in any Caroler comes directly from the love and caring that our skilled artisans put into their work. They bring the magic of Christmas to life everyday. Every Caroler is created in our Pennsylvania workshop by the loving hands of a team of skilled artisans. Although Joyce still designs each Caroler, it is the following steps which bring to life the figures that have found their way into people’s hearts.” – Bob Byers

Plaster

Each Byers’s Choice Caroler begins with a coat hanger. This is cut and bent to form a wire frame. Plaster is hand poured on a table, with the coat hanger placed in the plaster before it dries.

After the plaster hardens, it is painted with a specific color of green. The body is then sculpted with tissue paper.

Joyce sculpts every original head, from which plaster molds are poured. Clay is then pressed into the plaster molds. As the clay is removed from the mold, it gets slightly distorted. The artisan “cleans up” the head ensuring that each one is unique.

Feature

After the clay dries, the head receives a coat of flesh colored paint, and then the features are added. Each artisan uses an impressionistic technique to bring life to each face. No two are exactly alike!

Cutting

Joyce designs every outfit worn by the Carolers. She has hundreds of different fabrics, ribbons, and laces available to be mixed in various combinations to create Traditional and Victorian Carolers. There will only be 100 sets of any design cut to send to our dressing department.

Dressing

Dressers will take the body, head and clothes to combine the parts into a unique handcrafted Caroler. By changing the posing, or adjusting the draping of the clothes, a dresser adds life and personality to each Caroler.

Finish

Through the combination of loving care from each artisan, we now have a hundred unique, handcrafted Carolers that capture the warmth and spirit of Christmas. These figures will be divided among 3000 retail stores, all of which will have entirely different selections.

So when you find the Caroler that reminds you of your niece’s first Christmas, please don’t expect to find that same Caroler anywhere else!

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