Canvas Press recently did a project of large scale canvases with float frames for Lanx, a medical device company out of Colorado that designs spinal implants. They sent in dozens of beautiful wildlife shots to spruce up their blank new walls, and they knew that photos on canvas in float frames was just the look they wanted.

Executive Assistant Renee Bohlen, in charge of the project, shared the details with us. “We recently consolidated our offices into one space and had no art on the walls.  The office was drab and was bringing the office morale down.  As we are a Colorado company, management had the idea of employees submitting their own Colorado nature themed photos.  We picked the favorites and had them enlarged and framed to decorate the walls…

The colors really livened up the office and people are excited to have their pictures displayed.  We plan to do another round of photo submissions to fill in some of the remaining empty spaces. Our thought is down the road we will auction off some of the favorite pieces, donate the money to charity and then replace them with new submitted photos.  This was a very successful and meaningful project for the employees.”

Soon they’ll post name plates next to each piece that explain who took the picture, where it was and the title of the piece named by the photographer. This gives the employees a great sense of participation and recognition by their company. The skill and quality of the photographs are professional-grade. As an artform, photography is very technical (when you want it to be) and we’ve seen many customers who work in hi-tech industries that take amazing photos and really bring their creative side out by printing with us. It is great to see a company rewarding employees for their talent, Lanx sounds like a wonderful place to work!

If you have an office with boring, empty walls share this idea with your management and give us a call. Canvas Press can help you create a positive working environment that allows everyone to participate by printing their photos on canvas.

iJango, an internet startup with a downtown Austin office had Canvas Press make a collection of canvas prints to decorate the walls. Using art from their own company in the form of logos and website screenshots, we were able to help them make a very personalized workspace.

Continuing our series on Holiday pictures and decorations…

If you’re planning a pet portrait, especially one to be printed on canvas, incorporating a seasonal theme is a great way to add color and interest.  With the fall and winter holidays approaching, Christmas might be the first theme that comes to mind, but don’t ignore the other holidays of the season.  More and more, people are appreciating Thanksgiving as a holiday that has all of the food and togetherness of Christmas, but almost none of the stress.  Thanksgiving is a perfect day for doing nothing but eating, napping and playing, so it stands to reason it would make a perfect theme for a photo portrait of your cat.  While dogs might give cats a run for their money in the eating and playing department, when it comes to napping, kitties are the hands-down champions.

While you might be tempted to dress Rover up in a black pilgrim’s hat and musket for a Thanksgiving portrait, it’s an urge you should resist with Fluffy.  Cats have a natural dignity that is foreign to most dogs, and, unlike them, tend to be insulted when you try to adorn them with silly hats.  Though where Thanksgiving is concerned, I should probably note that this ‘natural dignity’ will fly completely out the window should you leave the half-eaten carcass of your turkey out in an accessible area.  I distinctly remember one Thanksgiving where my Uncle Ronald’s cat, Oliver, ate his way inside an unattended turkey and was discovered trapped beneath the wishbone when my cousins went to the kitchen for a sandwich.  Much to Oliver’s consternation, his embarrassing predicament was indeed captured on film, and while it’s not the sort of thing most people would want to stage for a portrait, it does offer some ideas.

Allow your cat – just this once – on top of the table after everyone has eaten but before the dinner plates have been cleared away.  A photo of Miss Kitty licking her chops and looking pleased with herself while surrounded by the remains of mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie would make both a one-of-a-kind portrait and an amusing memento.  Football is another welcome diversion of the season, so why not use a jersey from your favorite college or pro football team as a background for your cat’s photo?  Drape it over the back of your sofa or a chair and wait for Kitty to come investigate.  (Since cats always want to be where they’re not wanted, shooing her away from it once should guarantee her continued interest.  If she resolutely ignores it, however, try sprinkling it with a little catnip.  If that fails, break out the leftover turkey.)  Another idea would be to use your own family as a backdrop.  Nothing says ‘Thanksgiving’ quite like a sofa-full of groggy relatives napping after dinner with a contented kitty curled up amongst them.

There’s hardly a more familial holiday than Thanksgiving, and if you consider your cat to be a member of your family, then a Thanksgiving theme would be perfect for a portrait of your feline friend.  If you need any pointers, call us at (888) 784-5553 or email us from our website www.canvaspress.com and Canvas Press will be glad to help.

-Karen from CanvasPress.com