Father’s Day is what some of us would refer to as the followup holiday for Mother’s Day. However, at Canvas Press, we like to look at it as a day to celebrate everything different from Mother’s Day.

Instead of celebrating baking cookies, or flowers, or making lovely greeting cards, Father’s Day is a day to celebrate cookouts, fishing, and doing absolutely nothing. Who else is better at shrugging off doing the laundry? Or who is usually guilty for eating the last Girl Scout cookie but still placing the empty cookie box back in the pantry? Or better yet, dads are the best at acting like they had no idea the family dog had an accident in the living room carpet in order to avoid cleaning up the mess.

But before we dump on Dad for his supposed shortcomings when it comes to housework, his fatherly qualities outshine all else. Who’s better at teaching you how to clean out the exhaust port on a Lawn-Boy mower? Dad. Who’s always the first to vanquish even the ugliest of spiders? Dad. And who can develop some of the most unorthodox uses for duct tape? Dad.

So, for this Father’s Day, we challenge you to go beyond the safe zone of getting Dad a new tie. Forget the golf supplies and tacky shirts. Get Dad something that is just for him, maybe even something that Mom would never approve of hanging on the wall. Whether it’s a Gallery Wrap canvas of his favorite longhorn bull, or an Alumiprint of his latest hotrod addiction, Dad deserves a gift that makes him smile every time he walks past it in the man cave.

Dads, this one’s for you. From all of us at Canvas Press, we appreciate all the dads out there keeping it real. Happy Father’s Day!

*photo credit above: courtesy of Dustin Meyer

Tweet

The Radice family from New Jersey wanted a family room with something for everyone! Good Housekeeping came to the rescue to help them create the perfect space with all sorts of fun, personal touches. They sent a favorite family photo to us and requested a unique design that incorporated a “Pop Art” effect and split into multiple panels. Canvas Press created a custom design in fun colors and sizes to make the most interesting and personal artwork for their new room. Check out the video from Good Housekeeping TV…

Christmas and Halloween seem to get the lion’s share of everyone’s holiday decoration budget, but there’s no reason to leave out Thanksgiving, especially when photo to canvas prints make such unique and beautiful decorations.

While the images of Christmas – Santa, reindeer, angels, stars, and evergreen trees – and those of Halloween – jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, witches, and black cats – are quite particular, those associated with Thanksgiving are somewhat less so.  Halloween shares its pumpkins with Thanksgiving – though they have generally become pies by then – and Christmas shares its turkey and lavish family dinners.  Crisp days, autumn leaves changing color, and football – either participating in friendly family games, or watching the pros on TV – are things we associate with both Thanksgiving and the fall season.  The only things that Thanksgiving doesn’t seem to share with the rest of the season are the images of our pilgrim forefathers.

With so many possibilities, Thanksgiving really should get more decorative attention.  Thanksgiving reminds us of family, friends, and food, and the memories that combination can make also serve as great ideas.  A few examples:

• 
  

  Norman Rockwell’s ‘Thanksgiving’ painting of the family seated at the table in the foreground as the grandmother presents the golden turkey and the grandfather prepares to lead grace is a true American icon.  Why not re-enact the painting with your own family?  A white table cloth, an oven-roasted turkey, and enough people are all you need.  A photograph like that would be not only a one of a kind Thanksgiving decoration but a treasured family photograph.

• 
  

  Another family picture idea: dress up as pilgrims.  Costumes are available or easy to make if you’re a bit crafty with a sewing machine and a glue gun.  It’s something that will make a great memory year after year.

• 
  

  Football season – and football weather – is another great idea to explore.  Some families play touch football before Thanksgiving dinner – to work up an appetite – or afterward – to work off the pumpkin pie.  A photo of your family scrambling around in the fall leaves would make a beautiful printed canvas; even better if you have family team jerseys.  If your clan is more the ‘weekend warrior’ and ‘armchair quarterback’ type, snap of shot of everyone on the couch in the living room watching the game.

Once you have the digital photos you want to transfer to canvas, send them to Canvas Press and we’ll take care of it from there.  Your holiday printed canvases will be not only beautiful, but durable and easy to care for.  Gallery wrapped canvases need no frame, so there is no glass that might break while hanging or storing.  While the quality of your printed canvas will be such that you may want to display it all year, if you do want to use it just for seasonal decoration, just keep it in a cool, dry place where it’s safe from moisture.  When you bring it out for the holidays, your stretched canvas will need only a light dusting – if that – and it’s ready to hang.

If you want to know more or get some guidance on a project, visit www.canvaspress.com and let us show you how Canvas Press can make your holidays brighter.  Email us at the website or call (888) 784-5553 and we’ll be glad to help.

-Karen from Canvas Press

Canvas Press CEOs Doak and Jenny Walker are proud to announce the birth of their daughter Autumn Lael Walker. Autumn arrived after much anticipation at 2:01pm on March 3, 2009 weighing 8lbs. 7ozs. She already has her dad singing The Temptations 1965 hit “My Girl”. We wonder how long it will take her to learn to stretch a canvas. Hmm…..