Google Alert: Schmitz-Horning Company

By Janet Dodrill

See some of the gorgeous wall mural art designs from my great-grandfather’s (Hugo Max Schmitz) wallpaper and art mural manufacturing company www.archive.org/details/San-kro-muraWallDecorations online at Internet Archive.

See my April 2011 post.

Be Your Best in Business

By Janet Dodrill

Are you doing everything you can to grow a successful business? By being self-employed, doing some things could put you in a better position to get work, grow your business, and acquire and retain the right employees. Katherine Miracle of Miracle Resources gave an inspiring presentation tonight to CDPUG members at Virginia Marti College of Art & Design on Cleveland’s west side. Her best advice is to read the book, “The Successful Business Plan”, by Rhonda Abrams.

A few things covered were, that, as business owners, we need: money to start the business, a good networking source, self-confidence, and a role model/mentor. Also, we need an accountant and attorney to stay legal. When selling our company and services, we need to inform what sets us apart from the competition and state how the potential customer could benefit by using us. Do we have an operations plan for the business, in case we are away, so things can run as usual? What criteria do we have for hiring, and are we prepared to resolve internal employee-related problems, as well as client-related problems?

How much profit are we making on projects and are we tracking our income and expenses monthly? Do we have money set aside for a business emergency, and are we always asking for a deposit on projects, and/or receiving progress payments?

It may be a good idea to communicate regularly with your client to give them a project status, even if it is in a short email. Build alliances with other designers in the event of overflow work to subcontract out or accept in.

Review projects well to avoid mistakes and to keep costs in check.

Stay flexible with this economy and be prepared to reinvent yourself and your offerings to stay appealing and relevant. Get opinions and feedback.

Most importantly, be good to yourself and get what you need each day, and each week. This will help you to be the best you can.

Get a Users Group

By Janet Dodrill

Do you belong to a computer users group or attend relevant training presentations or seminars? It is a great way to meet other industry professionals and keep your skills sharp. I attend regularly, and have made strong contacts in the local graphic design and publishing field. Plus, I enjoy the diversity of people and topics. This month I learned about producing digital sound recordings on a laptop using Garage Band and about other recording applications and equipment. Next month I will see an Adobe Creative Suite presentation with 4 Adobe speakers, and gain tips on running a successful business at another upcoming event. Some of my favorite groups include:

Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group (CDPUG) www.cdpug.org

Greater Cleveland PC Users Group (GCPCUG) www.gcpcug.org

CDPUG/GCPCUG Web SIG www.clevelandwebsig.org

The Web Association www.webassociation.org

Simplex-IT Lucheanars www.simplex-it.com

Check the calendar for area meetings at Cleveland Tech Events www.clevelandtechevents.com

‘Craigslist Helper’ Enhances User Experience, Adds Efficiency

By Janet Dodrill

Craigslist Helper is a free browser extension.

A powerful browser extension is available for Firefox, Chrome, and Safari, called Craigslist Helper.

I have been using it regularly in Firefox for a few months and absolutely enjoy using it, and want it on every computer I use!

For ads that post images, the images are viewable without clicking on each ad. Also, you can preview the ads without clicking on and opening them. This means you can skim the ads much quicker and save time.

Other features of the product include the ability to add notes to an ad, and bookmarking adds to see them all together. Designate which ads to remove from view to keep your search results lean. Get alerts when something matching your recent search term is posted. Fine tune your look and feel!

Above all the good things about it, is that it’s FREE. See other features, sample screens, and download it at www.ziink.com.

Art Festivals Inspire!

By Janet Dodrill

A Few Appealing Upcoming Festivals:

Art on the NDC Circle
Sat. June 25, 10am-7pm, Sun. June 26, 11am-5pm
(free admission)
www.notredamecollege.edu/artonthecircle

The Larchmere Festival
Sat. July 2, 2011
10am-5pm
(free admission)
www.larchmere.com

Cain Park Arts Festival
Fri. 3-8pm (free admission), Sat. July 9, 10am-8pm ($5), Sun. July 10, 12-5pm ($5)
www.cainpark.com

Facebook is Ever-Evolving

By Janet Dodrill

It seems like Facebook is always adding features and changing privacy settings. There are personal pages and professional pages. Do you have a, or more than one, professional page? Here are some recent articles and links to teach you more and help stay up-to-speed:

HOW TO: Set Up a Facebook Page
www.mashable.com/2011/05/22/how-to-facebook-page/

HOW TO: Use Social Media During Your Family Vacation
www.mashable.com/2011/05/22/social-media-vacation/

5 Easy Ways to Liven Up Your Facebook Stream
www.mashable.com/2011/05/22/social-media-vacation/

HOW TO: Implement a Social Good Campaign on Facebook
www.mashable.com/2011/02/28/how-to-social-good-facebook/

Facebook Launches Non-Profit Resource Center
www.mashable.com/2011/05/16/facebook-non-profit-page/
and www.facebook.com/nonprofits

Facebook Dislike Button Scam Gets More Sophisticated [WARNING]
www.mashable.com/2011/05/17/facebook-dislike-button-scam/

Avoid Facebook Spams and Scams
www.cleveland.com/consumeraffairs/index.ssf/2011/02/avoid_facebook_spams_and_scams.html

Facebook Changes Mean That You Are Not Seeing Everything That You Should be Seeing
https://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/mark-hull/please-read-facebook-changes-mean-that-you-are-not-seeing-everything-that-you-sh/10150089908123789

Resources: www.mashable.com, www.facebook.com, www.cleveland.com, Facebook Page/Mark Hull

Photo-Editing Applications To Try

Article Review by Janet Dodrill

Do you work with digital images and need a photo editing software? Recently, I read a informative article on photo editors (Maine Antique Digest, May 2011, “Photo Editors” by John P. Reid) which, suggests good less-expensive alternatives to industry leader Adobe Photoshop, for under $100 or even free. The free photo editors are used online through your web browser, and they are:

Pixlr (www.pixlr.com)
FotoFlexer (www.fotoflexer.com)
Free Online Photo Editor (www.freeonlinephotoeditor.com)
Pho.to (www.pho.to)
MyTheme Animator (www.blibs.com/editor)
piZap (www.pizap.com)
Kizoa www.kizoa.com)
Splashup (www.splashup.com)
flauntR (www.flauntr.com)

Traditional software-based installed photo editors include:

Google Picassa 3 (picasa.google.com)
Adobe Photoshop Elements ($99.99, currently only $69.99 – Enter code ELEMENT11 at checkout.) (www.adobe.com/products/photoshopel)
Corel Paintshop Photo Pro ($99.99, currently only $39.99) (www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/us/en/Product/1208716806081)

The author of the article recommends that last two mentioned. Photo editors in different price ranges are reviewed at TenTopReviews (www.photo-editing-software-review.toptenreviews.com).

Schmitz-Horning Company Created Wallpaper Murals and Art

By Janet Dodrill

Schmitz-Horning Co. wall art.

Hugo Max Schmitz of Schmitz-Horning Company, Cleveland, Ohio.

In the early 1900s there existed a Cleveland, Ohio wallpaper and mural art manufacturing company named Schmitz-Horning Company. Artist and printmaker Hugo Max Schmitz, co-founder, artist, and a second or third generation German immigrant, produced large scale decorative wall pieces known as “friezes”. These pictorial wall decorations were applied to the upper third of walls in high class home and hallways or public buildings (the lower area was typically covered in a solid wallpaper to serve as background for furniture). The company was innovative in its German imports of large scale plates for their color lithography and chromolithography printing, and the first to develop, though unpatented, a washable wallpaper printed in oil colors and cleanable with a damp cloth without injury to the paper.

Wall paper mural sample showing A, B, C, and D sections. Sanibel Pattern No. 77211, Schmitz-Horning Co., Cleveland, Ohio.

Hugo wrote an article on ‘Wallpaper News’ for Arts & Decoration architecture magazine, October 1912 (pages 439-440) about this wall treatment and its application. According to the article, the wall decoration frieze was of a different concept than a typical wall border, which were to be used with wall-hangings. The designs were more independent in character, to take up not less than one quarter of the wall space (high room ceilings preferred), and its base should not be more than seven feet from the ground. The company also manufactured advertising posters.

Wife, Queen grew up in this E. Cleveland home on the north side of Euclid Avenue at Ivydale (across the street and down from the Rockefellers).

Mr. Schmitz knew many of the Cleveland School Artists, painted and sketched among them, and hired some of them to design wallpaper murals, including Henry Keller, and August Biehle. He also spoke of other local artists like Frank Wilcox and William Somer. He was close friends with Archibald Willard of Bedford, Ohio, who is known for his painting, The Spirit of ’76. Archibald Willard presented one of his landscape paintings to Hugo and his bride, Queen Reynolds for their wedding in 1902. Later he gave Hugo a table statue of the three soldiers depicted in his famous painting.

Schmitz-Horning Co. wallpaper mural, sports series.

National Painters magazine, Volume 39. 1912 (pages 734-735) stated the company first appeared at the wall paper show in 1905 with their panoramic friezes. Early popular designs included the “Navajo”, the “Chase” and the Cupids and Garlands”, and were considered dominant features with their bright colors and more importantly real works of art at a considerable low cost. Other newer named catalog items are named in the article with color variances including a ‘Wizard of Oz’ series, and subject matter including gardens and castles, foliage and tree tops, grasses, sunsets, tropics, brooks, fabric effects, sporting panels and fox hunters, poker games and horse drawn carriages, witches and caldrons, animal cut-outs for children, even story-telling “Pocahontas and Captain John Smith”, ranging in size from 10-41 inches, some in repeats, and some in continuous designs extending to 20 feet. Schmitz Horning had small scale illustrations made in actual colors for their catalogs.

The Schmitz-Horning Company building, Cleveland, Ohio, about 1925.

In Building Age architecture magazine, 1919, (page 78) the catalogs are noted as of interest to the trade, and the friezes are described as affordable decorations which retained qualities of hand work or mural paintings, were sanitary (cleanable) and were said not to stain or fade.

After the death of Hugo Max Schmitz, Schmitz-Horning Co. was run by his son, Warren Reynolds Schmitz.

Potter & Potter Auctions of Chicago has carried a number of Schmitz-Horning wall lithographs in their auctions.

The company was a member of The Wallpaper Council of New York, NY. After his tragic death by automobile accident in 1938, the business was run by Hugo’s son, Warren Reynolds Schmitz, until it closed sometime around 1960.

Original watercolor by Hugo Max Schmitz.

Hugo Max Schmitz was my great-grandfather, and though I never met him, I have admiration for him and share his passion for art and printmaking. His personal artwork included original portrait work in watercolor and oils.

Copyright article and images. All rights reserved. Not to be used without permission.

Seeing More of Someone After They Have Gone

By Janet Dodrill

Everett Lewis Dodrill, Jr., 1950s

Why is it we learn so much more about people after they go? You’ve probably heard the expression that an artist (the same may be the case for authors, musicians, composers, and other creative people) never really get famous till after death! Since my dad, Everett Dodrill, died earlier this month, we have pieced together many more facts about his life. People have provided us photos and stories of their encounters with “Ev”. Now I’ve gone from proud to really proud. We wish we knew some of these facts when he was alive to let him know just how wonderful he was and how good a life he had lead. We also heard his life’s story according to him in his final months–what a treasured time to hold onto. People are more complex than we see day-to-day. Have you gotten to know your elders and their accomplishments? What about past generations in your family?

Some information about my father can be found at:

Everett Lewis Dodrill, Jr., Brown-Forward, Cleveland, Ohio

March 9 Post: Everett Dodrill – 1926-2011 by Kelly Ferjutz

Everett Dodrill appeared on local stages and stations, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

Recommended Free WordPress Themes

By Janet Dodrill

Retro MacOS Theme

Recently, I’ve been working with free WordPress themes in order to build a custom artist web site, and have some success using Gigantic by Leon Paternoster and Manifest by Jim Barraud.

A fun one I stumbled across is Retro MacOS Theme, Stuart Brown’s first attempt in building a custom WordPress theme, which resembles a monochrome Mac with System 6 interface. View the Retro MacOS preview, and download it free.

I am thinking of installing it onto a section of my web site.