Convex Artist
Services Available at
The Brogan-Bowen Company
Vintage Convex Prints/ Portraits, Copy and Photo Restoration, Original Artwork restored,
Photographic Oils, Freehand Painting
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Convex Prints
Dot Brogan and husband JW Bowen have combined their talents in order to bring to the public the return of the beautiful vintage oval convex portraits. These portraits were popular during the late 1800's and early 1900's, and are often seen in antique stores. For those who may not know, Convex prints are photographs that have been created with a unique forward bowl pressed shape that fit in a frame with the same shape glass (bubble glass) to accommodate the prints dimensional convex depth which is approximately 1 to 3 inches in the center.
This photo demonstrates a semi-profile of an actual convex photograph without glass.
Notice the print itself is convex shaped through a special technique with the use
of presses.
Convex Photographs can be created from
almost any photograph, print, or other form of art work. Convex photographs are
available in archival quality sepia toned (brown and white), black and white, or in full
color photos. The artisans at the Brogan-Bowen Company use the original presses
and have the capability of producing a variety of different sizes and shapes. They also
carry a complete line of frames with beautiful convex glass, (which can be customized if
necessary) for any of the sizes and/or shapes that you may desire.
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Visit our convex
oval photographs and portraits gallery to see examples beautiful convex oval portraits that were created from amateur snapshots and professional color pictures. |
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Visit our antique oval frames
(reproductions) gallery to see a collection of Tiger Oak oval (and other shaped) picture frames that are available through our company. We also offer convex bubble glass replacement. |
Copy and Restoration
We use some of the latest computer technology in combination with
artistic creation to take those old ancestral photographs, (or other prints) copy them,
and digitally restore them as close to their original appearance as possible.
After digital restorations are made a new negative and photograph are created. Even
if damage to the piece is caused from water, aging, mold, mildew, fading. cracks, or
punctures, and tears, Brogan Bowen Company can repair most images.
We can also use the copy and restore method to colorize a black and white photograph,
making it full and natural color with out the use of oils, air brush, or other medium.
A great benefit of choosing the copy and restore method is that results are
achieved without affecting the original.
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Visit our photo
restoration gallery to see examples of how we can repair old photographs, (convex or regular pictures) through copy and restoration, digital imaging, photo retouching, and other techniques.. |
Original Photographs and Artwork Restored
Where the situation permits, Brogan-Bowen Company restores damaged original works. Depending on the medium the piece is created with, and how extensive the damage is, special techniques are used and applied to the piece in order to directly manipulate it back to it's original appearance as close as possible. We can repair things like holes in canvas oil paintings. Cracks, and blemishes on photographs. Water damaged art, etc.
Photographic Oils
A Photographic oil is a method where an artist begins with a black and
white photograph, (most often an enlarged portrait printed on a special textured paper)
and applies either a transparent oil paint, or a heavy brush oil directly to the
photograph. One benefit of the photographic oil as compared to the regular color
photograph is that the archival quality of the portrait increases immensely. This
method is preferred by some because it is a a great way of getting a beautiful oil
portrait look with the exact likeness of the subject, which can be slightly compromised in
freehand portraits. This method is also a wonderful way to colorize a black and white.
Photographic oils are offered by the Brogan Bowen Company with artist Dot Brogan using her
artistic skills in this technique to create full color, or partial colored oil portraits.
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Visit our photographic oil
enhancement gallery to see examples of photographs that are hand colored with oils, taking on the appearance of full color oil paintings and portraits. |
Freehand Oil Portraits and Oil Paintings
If you are an individual who loves the nostalgia of a Freehand oil painting, this is another service offered by the Brogan Bowen Company. (For those who may not know, a free-hand means that an artist begins with a blank canvas, and creates a painting/ portrait on it from looking at the subject, or by looking at a photograph.) On request, artist Dot Brogan can create your freehand oil portrait on canvas while looking at almost any photograph.
DOT BROGAN, National Award Winning Artist
DOT BROGAN has more than 20 years of experience in
oil paintings, enhancement of photographs and restoration of old portraits. Her creative art work display was exhibited at the Charlotte North Carolina's Spirit
Square. She has written several articles for publications and conducted many lectures for
the professional photographers about her work in restoration of photographs.
Some of her credits include:
Dot Brogan's creative art work has been featured on television station WBTV in Charlotte,
NC.
For seven years she has been awarded the Professional Photographers of NC's artist of the
year award.
She has earned a scoring grade of 90 to 94 in oil-painting, print-enhancement and
restoration of old photographs at the State and National levels.
Much of Dot's work has been selected for the Professional Photographers of America's Loan
collection. Dot has had several prints chosen for display at Disney World's Epcot Center.
JW BOWEN
JW Bowen has over 15 years experience as a professional darkroom lab technician. Not only has his knowledge and skills contributed to the expert developing and photographic enhancement within the darkroom at Brogan Bowen Company, but his background in the mechanical engineering field has been key to his inquisitive success with the convex print presses. With precise accuracy in the delicate operation of the equipment, and the use of only the finest quality materials, JW Bowen has perfected the same techniques his predecessors used in making convex prints as far back as the 1800's.
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