Frequently Asked Questions...

A remarque is an original pencil drawing by the artist executed by hand in the lower left border of your print. This detailed finished drawing, which always ties in with the subject matter of your print, is personally and individually drawn for you by Paul McGehee. Remarquing is only done on a select few prints of each edition, usually designated to be the prints with the lowest numbers. Besides enhancing the appearance and collectibility of your print, it gives you the unique opportunity to own an original piece of work by the artist. Orders for remarqued Paul McGehee prints are always subject to availability. Remember, Paul's remarques are drawn by hand...your order for a remarqued print requires a bit of time to fill, as there is always a backlog...please be patient!

An "Artist's Proof". Whereas otherwise identical to the rest of the print edition (they are all created at the same time), the Artist's Proofs comprise a separate group (10 percent) of the edition and are marked "A/P" (ie: an edition of 2000 prints will have 200 A/P's). They are of the same fine quality as the rest of the edition...there is no difference. These are primarily used as "fundraisers"; when Paul is asked to donate a piece of artwork to one of the many charities in which he participates (over the past 25 years his prints have raised thousands of dollars for medical research towards battling cancer, cystic fibrosis, and other diseases; also monies for individual schools, churches, environmental conservation, historic preservation, etc.). Meanwhile, as the rest of the signed and numbered S/N edition sells, and then eventually sells out, Paul is left with the remainder of his A/P edition...which at that point, to satisfy collector demand, are offered for sale remarqued.

No. The print editions are released in number-specific groupings: For most of the recent editions, the first 200 prints (1/2000 to 200/2000) are set aside for remarquing. The prints from 201/2000 to the end of the edition 2000/2000 are signed and numbered only, and are not designated for remarquing. (Some of the earlier editions had only 100 remarques, and some 300). 

As long as it takes. "We will sell no wine before its time", as Orson Welles used to say. Paul "keeps painting it until it looks right". Most of the larger oil paintings take anywhere from 6 months to a year to complete. Research time for the historical pieces can take as little as a month or as long as 5 years (depending on the subject matter) to amass enough information (photos, written accounts, etchings, maps...along with, of course, on-location work). Certain places and times are better documented than others...for example researching a New York harbor scene would be aided by the thousands of photos from the past which have luckily been preserved, but trying to accurately re-create the pre-Civil War city of Richmond was a five-year project since the information is considerably harder to track down. Sometimes McGehee will interview people who have lived through events past, and pull things from these memories that end up in the paintings...things that otherwise might get lost as time marches on. He is an "art detective", trying to recreate an actual era and place, using the "clues" left behind for him in scattered fashion. In some instances, a race against time.

It's best not to ask that one! Paul prefers to keep projects under wraps until they are ready for release. Rest assured, there is always something interesting in the works. Keep checking the website!

The prints are created on the finest 100-lb acid-free paper stocks available, with fade-resistant inks. Even though the prints are very durable, one must nonetheless use common sense in their care and handling. Don't open your package and pass the print around at a party...that's a good way to have a bent and kinked print. Take them directly to a good framer who specializes in "conservation" methods involving the use of all acid-free materials (acids in some paper and cardboards can "burn" the print paper, degrading the value of your print investment). And keep them away from ultraviolet light..."UV"...which can challenge the pigments within the image. Direct sunshine or a close proximity to fluorescent lighting are the most common culprits. UV light can suck the life out of not only artwork, but furniture, drapes, carpet, etc. Use "UV protective" glass in the framing of your print to hold nature's wrath at bay. Remember, your print  purchase is an investment, and the quality of the framing you choose is the "insurance policy" for its protection for a lifetime of enjoyment.

Paul generally does not take commissions, with an exception once in a blue moon...only when the subject matter is something that is already on his painting "list". The majority of the works that you see issued in print form are all McGehee's own personal projects, reflecting his own varied interests.