CHILDREN’S finger painting has been turned into contemporary art by Perth company Australian Finance Enterprise.
The company is taking finger painted drawings created by its employees’ children and having them transferred onto professional art-quality materials.
After staring at newly-painted bare office walls AFE managing director Nick French sought out the services of local child art preserver Earlywork to help create pieces of art that were not only unique but provided his staff with a sentimental gift from the company.
“We were at this stage were we had expanded the office and painted it and it was the classic office environment,” he said.
“We had the funky colours and at Christmas we decked it out but when the Christmas decorations came down it looked so boring.”
Mr French became aware of Earlywork and asked his employees to bring in their kids’ art.
“They had no idea what I was going to do with it,” he said.
The result was 13 pieces of art blown up and reproduced onto watercolour prints that adorn the office walls.
“It cost about $5,000 but I would have spent that getting everyday prints,” he said.
“The great thing about this is that I get clients in who say ‘My two year old could have done that’ and you can say a two year old did do it.
“It breaks down the barriers a bit.
“It does look like it should be in an art gallery. Each picture has a label underneath it that says the child’s name and the name of the picture. It’s the best talking point.”
Earlywork owner Kate Lindsay said the knowledge that artists were loved ones helped create a harmonious working atmosphere.
“More and more CEOs are recognising that the happiness of their employees is paramount to the success of the business,” she said.
For those wanting one in a million pieces this option is an affordable one, Ms Lindsay said.
“If you are Wesfarmers you can collect fine art but most people go to the printers and get prints that 25,000 other people have got,” she said.
“For about the same money you can use art from home.”
Earlywork takes a child’s picture, usually constructed on poor media, and transfers it to a selected material using scanning technology.
“We scan it as a drum scan so it’s a very high resolution and plot it onto watercolour paper so it comes out really sharp,” Ms Lindsay said.
“The reproductions have the qualities of a professional work of art while retaining all the freedom and freshness of the original creation.”
Ms Lindsay said watercolour was one of many mediums the company could employ.
“Works can be reproduced as stretched canvas, framed watercolour paper prints, translucent film light boxes, china, carpets, just about anything.”
Mr French said the art hanging on his company’s office walls belonged to individual staff members.
“It is a keepsake for them and if they move on they take it with them,” he said.
