Frequently Asked Questions about Fine Art Light

What is the difference between a "Picture Light" vrs "Fine Art Light"?

A "Picture Light" and a "Fine Art Light" has the same purpose but the expectations are different.

My typical client purchases an expensive painting from a gallery and when they bring it home they find it is dark. It looks nothing like it did in the Gallery.

They might call the gallery or they head off to HomeDepot and buy the only thing on the shelf. A cheap picture light for $ 39,00 and bring it home to find it "Not what was expected".

On Monday they go to a "Lighting Store" and order "another piece of shit" with no optics. and again.....

They then start searching thinking "There must be someone who builds a light for my painting"

Once they find me, I build them the 1st light.. They then call to confirm what I promised.

Next phone call or email says "Build Me a Light for "This One"
What tips do have for framing watercolors?

>Three tips for water colors. First of all use less light no mater if you have UV glass or Plexiglas. Never in a bright sunny room.

Second option that works for watercolors. Do not use a white matte, Why? The white matte always turns yellow and it will make your watercolor look darker.

Third is to have the glass only over the art and not over the matte as it will reduce the area of reflections. Exposed darker cloth or colored mattes will make your art appear brighter.
Can you tell me why you are the most qualified manufacturer of art lighting?

I am the only art lighting manufacturer who really understands lighting.

I joined the International Association of Lighting Designers ( I.A.L.D.) 49 years ago and worked with the top lighting design firms and was the Corporate Director of Lighting Design for the World's largest Architectural / Engineering firm for 26 years. I have received numerous lighting awards from the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, as well as The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)
Why do believe you make the best art light?

My clients will tell you mine is the best and because I have been asked to replaced almost all of the other manufacturers lights.
Can you explain how a "Framing Projector" works?

Framing projectors are quite unique instruments and can light art without anything hanging on the frame. My biggest concern is the angle of light striking the surface. Too flat or low angle of attack and the painting will look flat and you will stand in the light when you get up next to the painting.

My other complaint is when they focus the beam (Razor Sharp Edges) only on the canvas, It looks like the painting is lighted from behind and looks artificial. When I use framing projectors I always un-focus the beam and spill light on the frame and slightly on the wall. It is important to show that there is light on the art and not make it look like there is light behind the painting.

Below is a video I made years ago showing a Lightolier Track mounted MR-16 Framing Projector.

Can you advise me other ways to light my art?

Sure.... Over the years, as a lighting designer I have use track lighting, recessed accent lights, Framing projectors and picture lights. Call me and I will tell you the options and give you names of other products that will work for you.
What about picture hanging hardware? Do you have something that will allow me to hang very large heavy paintings?

A couple of years ago I developed a new adjustable hanger that can hold up to 500 lbs and makes hanging art much easier. Call me and I will send you all the details
Is it true that you are building your own safe spectrum LED replacement lamp?

Yes, No lamp manufacturer makes a LED that will dim with my on board dimming transformer or will fit inside my housing. I am going to build it with the help of Jon Elson. It is still under final development.

Call me and I will fill you in.
What is the best lighting for oil paintings??

see my background page on how much light?

Call me and I can help.
Recessed art lighting?

Yes, There is some wonderful recessed accent lights but if you design it for todays art, what happens when you change the art to something bigger?

Call me and I will fill you in.
Any Creative Ways to Hide Track Lighting?

When I was with HOK,   I was called in to fix the lighting on one of the finest private modern art collections in St. Louis.    The lighting designer had done a wonderful job of lighting each piece with recessed accent lights and wall washers, but never thought about what would happen when the owners art director rehangs the collection which happens every 6 months.   Some gets moved and some goes into dark storage, and some pieces gets replaced.
The owner was furious after being under construction for months and now finding out his lighting was not lighting the art.    Where there was three small paintings and now one large painting.

I told the client if need to move the collection, he needed a flexible system that could be moved and re-aimed.   The owner said he hated light track lighting,   I told him "so do I".    The traditional house had very large molding around each room, so I designed a smaller beam version placed out from the walls about 4 foot and ran around the room. The wiring was routed inside the beam and had a dimming circuit for each piece of art. We used small framing projectors and MR-16 heads with deep hex filters to prevent spill.

Each time they rearranged the collection, I was called in to re-aim the lights. My pay was a couple of hundred dollar bills and a few bottles of wine.

I found a few photos on line but the lighting was washed out with the photographs with the flash.    It really was a nice lighting job and wished I had taken photos when we finished.

Direct wire picture lights?

If the light is attached to the frame, how do you remove it during a fire?

Call me and I will fill you in.

Did you ever teach lighting ?

Yes,

I taught Architectural Lighting Design at Washington University School of Architecture for 7 years back in the 90's to Graduate Students. I taught a class of about 40 students, half a semester. The other half was HVAC and Electrical. The Dean asked me to teach them only enough for them to understand what lighting is and to realize when they needed a real Lighting Designer. So in 7 classes 2 1/2 hours long, did not give them any design sessions but only enough time to explain and show lots of examples.

I later learned that 2 or 3 graduates went on to become full time Architectural Lighting Designers and are very successful. I must have inspired a few.

Are you the same David Munson / Computer Expert who invented Virtual Reality?

When I worked at HOK Architects, I developed and produced the first computer animations to visualize architecture. HOK's computer programmers built the first 3D Computer Design programs long before AutoCad.

I developed the concepts of key framing and directed the programmers on how the variable time and motion program would be programmed.
My first computer animation was a wire frame, flying through downtown St. Louis in 1983.

No, I did not invent Virtual Reality but I was the first person to to produce "Virtually Real Architectural Environments" That in "Real Time" you could walk or fly through the spaces. I had a fleet of Silicon Graphics workstations along with a full video production studio. We could use a mouse to control the path or we had a real 3D stereo headset with a head angle tracker that would allow us to lay in a hospital and turn our head to see what the patient would experience.

Back in 1995 I was featured on the TV show, "This Old House" and had 10 minutes of air time with Norm Abrams, Life doesn't get any better than that

How wide should a picture light be?

Depends on the optics of the light. Don't buy it if you can't return it.

Call me and I will fill you in.

How do you illuminate a picture?

There are lots of ways to light art and all can be a disaster if you don't know what you are doing. Lighting is complicated and 99% of the people trying to explain it are not very well informed and are usually sell you something that simply won't work. For example, Track lighting use to be simple with PAR lamps but now with the LED's they don't perform the same. Lighting is very difficult I am familiar with all of the art lighting products and how or how they don't work. Hogarth, House of Troy, DeBruyne, Cocoweb, Situ Lighting, Revelite (Good Stories)

Call me....

How do you illuminate an oil painting?

There are lost of ways to light art and all can be a disaster if you don't know what you are doing. Lighting is complicated and 99% of the people trying to explain it are not very well informed and are usually sell you something that simply won't work. For example, Track lighting use to be simple with PAR lamps but now with the LED's they don't perform the same. Lighting is very difficult I am familier with all of the art lighting products and how or how they don't work. Hogarth, House of Troy, DeBruyne, Cocoweb, Situ Lighting, Revelite (Good Stories)

Call me....

How do you properly light a watercolor?

There are lost of ways to light art and all can be a disaster if you don't know what you are doing. Lighting is complicated and 99% of the people trying to explain it are not very well informed and are usually sell you something that simply won't work. For example, Track lighting use to be simple with PAR lamps but now with the LED's they don't perform the same. Lighting is very difficult I am familier with all of the art lighting products and how or how they don't work. Hogarth, House of Troy, DeBruyne, Cocoweb, Situ Lighting, Revelite (Good Stories)

Call me....

Frequently Asked Questions About Art Lighting