Frequently Asked Questions

All work available on this site is original, hand-made work:

• If you are interested in digital reprints, please navigate to the Order Prints tab.

Shipping & Returns:

• Work ships as soon as your payment is processed.  Work is shipped via UPS, insured.
• All returns must be received within 2 months (60 days) of initial sale.  Full refund is issued on return of work in fine condition, packed as it was sent. A refund does not include return shipping, or initial shipping costs.
• All returns must be initialized within 2 weeks of receipt of work. (Contact us indicating you wish to initialize a return, we will forward shipping information)
• Return shipping costs are provided by FitzgeraldArt.
• Prices are quoted including frames. 
• Panels do not require framing – works on paper do.
• Your new work of art will be shipped with a bill of sale document.  Similar to a car title, this document should always be kept with the work – if you sell the piece to someone else, add information to the document and pass it along with the work.  This document establishes the provenance of the work and will be key should you ever have your collection appraised.

Care of work:

• Work on panel is sealed. To prevent scratching, do not attempt to clean or dust the surface. Most panel pieces are sealed with Acryloid B72, a conservator's sealant. This sealant is easily reversed, for example, if someone draws on the work with crayon, or spray-paints on it. During conservation, this sealant is removed, while the original work beneath is left in tact. That said, the sealant will NOT prevent scratches. Once these occur, a prolonged, difficult conservation effort is required. Contact me, or a professional conservator if your gilded painting gets scratched.
• Framed work is sealed to prevent moisture reaching the surface of the work.
• Display in bright sunlight is discouraged: if you intend to install work where it receives direct sunlight, you might wish to have the work framed with museum glass which contains a UV protective coating that will shield the surface of the artwork.

Gift Cards:

• Gift cards are shipped via US postal service when payment has been processed. Get them here.
• Shout if you need assistance: 646.369.7184

Technical information about the work:

• Monotype refers to a printmaking process.  Unique, (singular) images are produced by applying ink (or paint) to a bare plate and running it through an etching press.
• An MDF panel is "medium density fiberboard". It is a product made of finely ground wood fibers embedded in a super stable chemical mixture. The medium does not absorb water, does not "breathe" as normal wood panels do, and does not shrink or dry with age.
• Gilding is a process of adding precious metal to a surface.  It has a long tradition: gold (or copper, aluminum, etc.) is beaten until it is thinner than a human hair.  A surface is carefully prepped and the leaf is adhered using particular kinds of size (e.g., glue).  The use of gilding in this work re-connects with how it was used in cultures from long ago: its presence indicated something was sacred.  Gilding used for this purpose is found in almost all ancient cultures: Egyptian, Chinese, Japanese, Hindu, Judeo/Christian, and Islamic.
• Watercolors are traditionally done on raw paper. Not so with the work on this site. The paper is prepared before marks are made on the page. The paper is stretched - soaked in water and stapled to a hard surface - and coated with several layers of acrylic gesso. This creates a barrier between the paper fibers and the pigment, allowing each to act in their own natural ways. It also safeguards the raw fiber from discoloration with age, and protects it in the proximity of acid-based materials.
• Oil paint is a traditional medium – many artists use it at the consistency of tooth paste. Thinned oil paint is fluid; when layered, it produces a powerful luminosity that does not always translate well in digital imagery.
• Tondo refers to a round panel.  The word comes to us from the Renaissance. Fitzgerald has worked exclusively on tondo forms since 1988.
• Copyright: all of the work on this site is copyrighted.  When you buy a piece, you are not also purchasing the copyright.  The copyrights remain with FitzgeraldArt.  If you also wish to purchase licensing rights, please contact us.

How can I keep up with your new work?

I send a newsletter about once per month. In addition to featuring new work, I also frequently feature other artist's work, discussions of related ideas, processes, and observations. I often feature poetry, as this is an important source of inspiration in my work. Sign up on the contact page, see examples here.