Black Parrot

Black Parrot is very proud to support the full breadth of artists, enthusiasts, art collectors, art societies and galleries in the Southern Highlands with quality picture framing, art supplies and other art services. 

Anthony and Prudence Macleod-Springford set up Black Parrot in 2014, initially offering exhibition and other services to professional artists. Prudence and Anthony moved to Bowral in 2015 and expanded the business to include our 'Art Room' in Mittagong. The Art Room is a custom framing and art supply shop, as well as a gallery and a space for local artists to meet and work. 

The Black Parrot team now includes Aaron, our industrious and very experienced full-time picture framer, Atlas, our bumptious Bernese Mountain Dog puppy, and Arthur, our very small human baby.

Custom Framing

We enjoy pretty much any framing challenge - we frame needleworks and old documents, ethnographic pieces and personal memorabilia - but our main focus is serving the artists and art collectors of the Southern Highlands with quality, understated framing that best compliments individual work. 

For many artworks a simple, hand-finished hardwood frame is ideal, but other works call out for a flash Italian frame. We offer both and will enthusiastically advise you on the frame we think suits your individual piece.

Similarly, some artwork is meant to last many lifetimes, and you will want to use the finest archival framing techniques and materials, but a poster or personal photograph may not justify the cost of the best archival methods. We won't push the most expensive options, because sometimes a cheap option is the right one. Rather we will endeavour to advise you on the best, or the cheapest, options to match your needs, and make sure yo can make an informed decision. Just let us know your priorities.

We are members of the Fine Arts Trade Guild, the Picture Framers Guild of Australia and the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material; the three industry bodies which represent and support up-to-date methods for conservation framing.  

Editioned Prints

Print editions mean an artwork, which may take weeks to make, can be seen and enjoyed by more people, and is more affordable than is possible with a one-off painting or sculpture. 

The practice of artists' prints and multiples dates back to medieval woodcuts, and later the development of engravings and etchings (think Rembrandt and Goya), lithography (think Toulouse-Lautrec) and silkscreen (think Warhol). In the Twentieth Century it has become normal for artists to produce artworks in limited editions.

While a photograph can be printed indefinitely, and an etching can be printed hundreds of times, artists in these media generally set a limit to the number of works that will be produced. By numbering and signing each print, the artist makes a public contract that there will only ever be a set number of works printed. This ensures that every print is made with the full care and involvement of the artist, that each is checked and signed by the artist, and that collectors can be confident that there will only ever be a limited number of examples and so the investment potential of the work remains.

Artists use different printing techniques depending on the effects they are after, but the principle of a ‘print edition’ is always the same. Every print is marked, at the bottom, left-hand side, with the print number and edition number. For example “1/10” would mean this is the first print of an edition of ten. “2/10” would be the next print in the same edition, and so on. At “10/10” the edition is finished and no more will be printed.

Our prints come with a certificate of authenticity. Both print and certificate are embossed with the Black Parrot Editions seal and signed by the artist.

Giclée Technology

We have the expertise and equipment to print etchings, engravings, woodcuts and lithographs and we plan to release editions in a variety of media, however we are especially excited about the potential of giclee technology.

Giclee is a new, highly sophisticated form of digital printing using 12 specialist, archival, pigmented inks. The result is a print with extraordinarily vibrant and nuanced colour, incredible detail, is more chemically stable than many traditional media and, if treated well, should last over a century. Our giclee prints are on museum grade, acid-free Canson Rag 310gsm Photographique paper, made in France.

HOW GOOD ARE OUR PRINTS?

We use the best scanning and printing technology available to produce archival, museum-quality, fine art prints. Giclee prints don't get better than this! 

Click here for a more detailed explanation of giclee.

Anthony

Anthony Springford is the creative vision behind Black Parrot. 

As an artist Anthony has exhibited at various Sydney galleries for about 15 years. He also has a PhD in Art History, and about 14 years experience teaching at major art schools - mostly CoFA (now UNSW Art & Design). He has done a bit of curating, a bit of freelance art writing, and some work delivering tours and events for museums. 

Like many artists after the GFC he saw galleries close and his career options dwindle. As a result he began to hatch schemes for an alternative art economy based on concepts drawn from education and museums. He wanted something better than a normal art gallery, that didn't just sell work but fostered a reciprocal, equitable and welcoming environment in which new audiences can discover and support the work of local artists. 

"A perfect gift. Thank you."

Pallavi Schroff, Seattle

"As a long time collector of Anthony Springford's art, I have to say that the quality of his Black Parrot prints is just phenomenal. I look forward to seeing both his and fellow artists being available through Black Parrot Editions."

Neil Topham, Sydney

Shipping

Shipping of unframed prints within Australia is free. We will supply your print in a protective cardboard tube.

We expect to have unframed prints in the mail within 24 hours of receiving your order. We can notify you by email when it is shipped, and provide a tracking code from Australia Post.

Shipping  unframed prints to other countries is a flat rate of $25. 

Framing

The standard price for each print is the unframed price. If you choose we can organise to have your print framed, which will take approximately 10 working days.

Please email us your phone number and we will ring to advise you on different styles of frame and organise a quote. With framed prints it is much cheaper for local customers to pick them up from us. If you are unable to pick up framed works we can also quote for a courier service.