Great photography John! And have fun with the revival of the printing. I find that having a few end products (physical pictures) around the house adds to the enjoyment of the photography experience.
I have not used a printer in years, and many years further back I found pleasure printing in the darkroom. Now I get my physical pictures made by a printing company - I am interested to hear how your new printer works out. Best of luck with it!
Thanks Andy. As good as modern print labs are, there's nothing quite like pulling the image out of the printer (except for watching it appear in a tray, but those days are gone) and saying yes or no to the result. Don't like it in colour or maybe the shadows are a bit too dark? No problemo. Just make the adjustments and print it again. The feedback I get from printing informs not only how I process my images, but what I shoot. At least that's my goal. To use printing to zero in on what subject matter I most like working with. By taking the process full circle, I hope to strengthen the overall effort. We shall see. Maybe I'll bring a few prints to our next meeting so you can see how I'm making out. That's Monday night, right?
Great perspective John. I liked the aspect of adjusting when printing in the darkroom - easy to go back and repeat with a minor tweak or two to get the desired result.
That’s right about the next club meeting - see you Monday night - great if you are able to bring a print or two along as well.
Hi there, well John as it turns out we are neighbours...I have five acres on 6th Line West. And the local hunters sit up on the knoll adjacent to my acreage waiting for the deer; they come down through the conservation area off County Rd 30 south through the farmer's fields and end up eventually to get water from the brook that runs behind my property. This past Fall I had a youngish couple from Toronto ask if they could access the knoll from my property to shoot partridge. Who knew... I totally agree about the real hunters going north to hunt. I have regular visits from a Fox that goes from the adjacent farmer's field through my property and to my neighbour who has chickens... it always amazes me how the fox will go from tree to tree for cover.
I have artistic skills but not in the area of photography. And I put a high value on the skill of using a camera to capture the nuance of nature. I will look forward to more of your photos, especially those in black and white. Do you have a studio from which you exhibit? MAM-G
Ah, I think I may know your property. Did it used to belong to Michel Proulx who was once the President of Spirit of the Hills? I suppose you may not know that. Close to Bill Little's strawberry patch. Oh listen to me; I am getting old. Talking about people who are no longer around. I sometimes go to Campbellford that way, although not directly past your place, but I often use the 5th line via Mahoney road. If you check my post, https://johncharlton.substack.com/p/roadside-attractions-d3b you will likely see some familiar landscapes. If you are fond of B&W, I have some shots taken nearby in this post: https://johncharlton.substack.com/p/natures-return - I love both colour and black and white photography and often switch between the two depending on the subject.
I am strictly an amateur not associated with any gallery. Making photographs is important to me however. Like breathing. It's how I interact with the world. You can find me on Google maps by doing a search for John Charlton Web Design. Now mostly retired. My life has changed considerably in the last few months with the passing of my wife.
Good evening John, yes you are correct about my property. And certain properties always retain the original owners moniker. Mine for example will forever be known as The McCooks who were the original owners of most of the land on 6th Line and over to 5th. Their remaining heir sold in 1985 to Michel and I bought from him in 2005. Also even though Bill ( Little) has been "away" from his farm for over a decade and now a new family bought it last year, in my heart it will always be the home of Shirley and Bill. And I miss their cows that he brought down to the field in front of my place, every fall.
I read the post you wrote concerning your wife's passing and I was touched deeply about your sorrow. You were blessed with a perfect union. For the ancient Irish they had a name for such a union "Anamchara" and these types of unions are rare indeed. I recently lost such a union but consider it a privilege to have been chosen to experience such oneness.
My writing is my source of "air" and from time to time I still do some sketching...the creative gene thrives in some of us no matter our age...I personally will not claim 75 as my age any longer...
I will check out the website you mentioned. Thank you John for sharing.
Our property belonged to the Woods, but noone remembers them. Back in '86 when we arrived, a few people talked about it as the Amos property, but mostly for a wild party that got out of hand so not a particularly good reason. If I donate the house and land to the land trust, it may still become the Charlton property, which would be a nice way to be remembered.
Thank you for your kind words and also, I am very sorry for your loss. I thought our marriage would go on forever, but as it turned out I was only dreaming. Now that I am retiring and on my own, I have more time on my hands. I would welcome the opportunity to get together for a coffee at either your place or mine.
I like what you said about writing being your source of air. I hope you will consider posting here. It is a very friendly space for writers, quite different from most spaces on the Internet.
Good evening John, I have never posted before and would need a guide. Possibly you would be willing to assist, and coffee sounds like the perfect opportunity to talk about the process.
Here is an example of the type of thing that I write other than the trilogy that I have been working on for the past six years.
blessed is the person...who delights...in seeing the inner child...in everyone...and the magic in all creatures...who does not shun difficulty...and can turn...with equal reverence...toward sorrow and joy...who can trust fear...as the balsam of courage...and pain as an instrument for opening the heart...who can pause to notice...the delicate lustre of a lichen...and the undulations of the light...who dares to make hope...an axiom of being strong enough to be changed by trust. Merle 705-653-6081
Thank you John for sharing your talent ( I am taking the liberty of using your first name because we do not know each other and this is the first time I have posted) to capture the beauty and grandeur of the deer. I have them on my property, and they bed down near my woods in the tall grasses. At all times of the year I see their tracks when I walk my meditative walk. In Trent Hills there are many active hunters; there may come a day when photos will be the only proof the deer are plentiful around these acres of mine. Merle A. Marshall-Garside
Hi Merle. thaks for dropping by and commenting. Your name is familiar. No doubt we have friends in common or maybe through Art Chamberlain's Trent Hills News. I'm just off Godolphin Road. I know we have deer year round here as well, but they are harder to spot once the meadow grows tall in the late spring. I have photographed them at all times of year however. Sometimes in groups of up to about 15. My personal take on hunting here is that the area is too built up now for high powered rifles. Given the technology and baiting that goes on with corn and such, I can't imagine it must be much sport locally, but that's just my opinion. The better hunters among us head north for a real hunt.
Beautiful deer; I have yet to see one here, but I doubt they are anywhere in Toronto (I would avoid if I were a deer). I did see many deer when living in rural New Hampshire. I almost hit one once during the Spring when she high-tailed across the road with what seemed inches of my car. Close call.
I wasn't so lucky once in Adirondack Park. It was Winter and late at night many years ago. We walked away with heavy damage to the car. The dear did not. The only good thing about it was the deer died instantly. An event I will always remember. I imagine deer stay out of Toronto, unlike the coyotes who have adapted to the new urban environment much like racoons have.
You are surrounded by coyotes. They are the most plentiful wildlife around you. Perhaps even more than racoons which is saying something. If you are anywhere near a major park or ravine, the coyotes are there all the time. Coyotes are now permanent residents of Toronto.
I never really thought of it that way, about the printed photo finishing the process but it does make sense.
Deer are such beautiful creatures; I love seeing them. This past spring I was cycling through a suburban riverbank park when I came upon twelve deer. They were quite docile, coming about fifteen feet away from me. I stood for about twenty minutes just watching them, with them watching me before they became bored and loped along.
I think I see a future photo exposition in the works… that would be terrific to be able to see in real.
Loved the song. I was captivated from the first chord. Thanks for sharing, I may just borrow it.
Thanks Steve. I've had similar experiences when cycling down at Presqu'ile on Lake Ontario. The deer here are quite skittish. We have what hunters in the area call a nursery. A quiet place away from traffic and people that the does come to give birth and raise their fawns. Usually, we see the deer as they pass through from the ravine to our north and the big cornfields to our south. They love the cover our overgrown property affords them and in the fall after I cut the meadow, they are easy to spot from the house.
You are welcome to do an expose on I Am a Song or anything by Stephen Wilson Jr. Another rabbit hole I'm afraid. The day has been miraculously full of them. I was looking for a song to put at the bottom of this post and did a YouTube search for print song and this is what came up. I've never heard of him before the moment I did that search. Now, I am an instant fan. What a talent and his songs about loss and grief are so relatable to me. I hope to introduce him to my grief group this morning. Speaking of which, time for me to get my boots on.
I hope the group is helpful and restorative, John. I'm sure they'll love the music, and perhaps the photos if you share those, too. Something mystical about the presence of deer... have a good day.
The group is always that. I shared the song "Grief is Love" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDXqSbZB_J0 and as you can imagine, this went over very well. It's a tight little group like a family but always open for new people to join or to welcome back people who've stayed away for a while. Everyone's grief is different and that's okay within this group. The holidays can be difficult for people and having a place to express those feelings is very helpful. It can get pretty intimate which is always a privilege. Being open to grief and being vulnerable in the presence of others is a gift to oneself. I didn't share the pictures, but I shared my commitment to printing my images more often and to caring less about what people think of me.
Your group sounds wonderful and reminds me a little of one that Alys-Lynne and I co-hosted online with friends from a Colorado non-profit that folded during the pandemic.
And I have a sense of what you mean about the privilege of witnessing others’ grief in an intimate setting. It’s a powerful thing to share in a community so I’m glad you have that. Ours had folks from Canada, US, Europe and Australia. I shared this song one time, a song I had stumbled upon through “random” plays: https://youtu.be/lGBAbb3jiJI
Sounds like some good intention setting on your part re: your photos.
Well that's a different take on Didn't It Rain, which is also the famous Sister Loretta Thorpe song she played in 1964 at an abandoned railway station in Britain. Your linked song is quite interesting so thank you, but the other is a master work. Completely different song of course. I looked it up on my Jukebox site and was shocked to see it's not already there. That's definitely going to have to be corrected on my next post. I have a few tracks like that listed on my old website that can now be included in the Jukebox.
yes.. & excellent shoot/edit .. be most interested in learning more of The Print Shop.. The setting is the charm too.. though highly understated ! Am interested in what they shot with.. & any ‘post notes
I couldn't believe my luck finding that tune. That video is part of a larger interview/session and I encourage you to find out more about Stephen Wilson Jr., who's story is quite remarkable. And that guitar. I love it as much as the sounds he pulls out of it. Thanks for your comment and for dropping by.
So beautiful! I had 5 deer in my front yard on Christmas Eve, and I wanted so badly to get some photos, but they were so close I would have frightened them off.
That sounds like a beautiful moment. Thank you for sharing it. Sometimes we need to take the picture with our mind's eye. Without the camera to distract us we can really be in the moment to bare witness to the remarkable.
Lovely photos and lovely deer in the snow. I haven't been printing my work for a few years either. I have a shop set up on FB and I kept having issues with it and finally shut it down. The two yearly events I did prints for also stopped and never started back up during the pandemic. I do occasionally have friends ask for prints of photos they see on my FB and I usually use a print service online. I will be curious to hear about your Epson. They do print very good quality photos.
Yes, the quality is remarkable. Better than I expected and as good as any machine print I've seen. While the features aren't as roboust as some of the more professional printers, this model strikes a swet spot that occaisional printers like ourselves will find very appropriate to our needs. Even leaving the printer for a few weeks does it no harm. I always felt like my old Epson was a delicate flower that was too fragile given the way I treated it. I just wanted a machine that didn't break the bank and could print up to 13x19 prints. I am also experimenting with printing on watercolour paper like you can get from an art store in pads. These need to be coated with a spray to preserve them but they produce remarkable textured prints with slightly less contrast than regular matte photo paper. Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOzJjffz2lI&t=12s for a great review.
John, thanks for the link. No doubt that the quality of the prints is outstanding. I love the larger format too. A girl can dream about a printer like that. Not so long ago I would have seriously considered getting one. It really is much more satisfying to be able to print your own work rather than send it out. It completes the equation of, I created this image, this art.
I have a standard Epson 5 color ink jet that does lovely small prints, but as I said earlier I really am not printing these days, that includes written work. Who knows perhaps 2025 will change all that Congratulations on your new tool! Curious what you are spraying the watercolor paper with?
I bought a 30 sheet pad of Canson Watercolour paper, 12x18" and a can of Krylon UV resistant matte clear acrylic coating from Michaels, an art supply store here in Canada. I'm told both sides of the paper need to be sprayed to keep the inks from getting oxidized. I do have a problem at the moment printing larger than 8.5" wide, but I did manage one print 8.5 x 18" and it came out great. The problem seems to be a bug in Epson Print Layout software running on my Mac OS. Hopefully, I'll get that sorted.
Printer bugs are the worst. I just looked over and mine had a message that it needed a firmware update! Good luck with it! And have fun printing! I am feeling a little inspired to try some small prints now!
Great photography John! And have fun with the revival of the printing. I find that having a few end products (physical pictures) around the house adds to the enjoyment of the photography experience.
I have not used a printer in years, and many years further back I found pleasure printing in the darkroom. Now I get my physical pictures made by a printing company - I am interested to hear how your new printer works out. Best of luck with it!
Thanks Andy. As good as modern print labs are, there's nothing quite like pulling the image out of the printer (except for watching it appear in a tray, but those days are gone) and saying yes or no to the result. Don't like it in colour or maybe the shadows are a bit too dark? No problemo. Just make the adjustments and print it again. The feedback I get from printing informs not only how I process my images, but what I shoot. At least that's my goal. To use printing to zero in on what subject matter I most like working with. By taking the process full circle, I hope to strengthen the overall effort. We shall see. Maybe I'll bring a few prints to our next meeting so you can see how I'm making out. That's Monday night, right?
Great perspective John. I liked the aspect of adjusting when printing in the darkroom - easy to go back and repeat with a minor tweak or two to get the desired result.
That’s right about the next club meeting - see you Monday night - great if you are able to bring a print or two along as well.
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. The article, the photos, the song at the end. Bravo. I hope the restack helps put this out to more of the world.
Hi there, well John as it turns out we are neighbours...I have five acres on 6th Line West. And the local hunters sit up on the knoll adjacent to my acreage waiting for the deer; they come down through the conservation area off County Rd 30 south through the farmer's fields and end up eventually to get water from the brook that runs behind my property. This past Fall I had a youngish couple from Toronto ask if they could access the knoll from my property to shoot partridge. Who knew... I totally agree about the real hunters going north to hunt. I have regular visits from a Fox that goes from the adjacent farmer's field through my property and to my neighbour who has chickens... it always amazes me how the fox will go from tree to tree for cover.
I have artistic skills but not in the area of photography. And I put a high value on the skill of using a camera to capture the nuance of nature. I will look forward to more of your photos, especially those in black and white. Do you have a studio from which you exhibit? MAM-G
Ah, I think I may know your property. Did it used to belong to Michel Proulx who was once the President of Spirit of the Hills? I suppose you may not know that. Close to Bill Little's strawberry patch. Oh listen to me; I am getting old. Talking about people who are no longer around. I sometimes go to Campbellford that way, although not directly past your place, but I often use the 5th line via Mahoney road. If you check my post, https://johncharlton.substack.com/p/roadside-attractions-d3b you will likely see some familiar landscapes. If you are fond of B&W, I have some shots taken nearby in this post: https://johncharlton.substack.com/p/natures-return - I love both colour and black and white photography and often switch between the two depending on the subject.
I am strictly an amateur not associated with any gallery. Making photographs is important to me however. Like breathing. It's how I interact with the world. You can find me on Google maps by doing a search for John Charlton Web Design. Now mostly retired. My life has changed considerably in the last few months with the passing of my wife.
Good evening John, yes you are correct about my property. And certain properties always retain the original owners moniker. Mine for example will forever be known as The McCooks who were the original owners of most of the land on 6th Line and over to 5th. Their remaining heir sold in 1985 to Michel and I bought from him in 2005. Also even though Bill ( Little) has been "away" from his farm for over a decade and now a new family bought it last year, in my heart it will always be the home of Shirley and Bill. And I miss their cows that he brought down to the field in front of my place, every fall.
I read the post you wrote concerning your wife's passing and I was touched deeply about your sorrow. You were blessed with a perfect union. For the ancient Irish they had a name for such a union "Anamchara" and these types of unions are rare indeed. I recently lost such a union but consider it a privilege to have been chosen to experience such oneness.
My writing is my source of "air" and from time to time I still do some sketching...the creative gene thrives in some of us no matter our age...I personally will not claim 75 as my age any longer...
I will check out the website you mentioned. Thank you John for sharing.
Our property belonged to the Woods, but noone remembers them. Back in '86 when we arrived, a few people talked about it as the Amos property, but mostly for a wild party that got out of hand so not a particularly good reason. If I donate the house and land to the land trust, it may still become the Charlton property, which would be a nice way to be remembered.
Thank you for your kind words and also, I am very sorry for your loss. I thought our marriage would go on forever, but as it turned out I was only dreaming. Now that I am retiring and on my own, I have more time on my hands. I would welcome the opportunity to get together for a coffee at either your place or mine.
I like what you said about writing being your source of air. I hope you will consider posting here. It is a very friendly space for writers, quite different from most spaces on the Internet.
Good evening John, I have never posted before and would need a guide. Possibly you would be willing to assist, and coffee sounds like the perfect opportunity to talk about the process.
Here is an example of the type of thing that I write other than the trilogy that I have been working on for the past six years.
blessed is the person...who delights...in seeing the inner child...in everyone...and the magic in all creatures...who does not shun difficulty...and can turn...with equal reverence...toward sorrow and joy...who can trust fear...as the balsam of courage...and pain as an instrument for opening the heart...who can pause to notice...the delicate lustre of a lichen...and the undulations of the light...who dares to make hope...an axiom of being strong enough to be changed by trust. Merle 705-653-6081
Beautiful. That would be my honour. I'll call you tomorrow.
Thank you John for sharing your talent ( I am taking the liberty of using your first name because we do not know each other and this is the first time I have posted) to capture the beauty and grandeur of the deer. I have them on my property, and they bed down near my woods in the tall grasses. At all times of the year I see their tracks when I walk my meditative walk. In Trent Hills there are many active hunters; there may come a day when photos will be the only proof the deer are plentiful around these acres of mine. Merle A. Marshall-Garside
Hi Merle. thaks for dropping by and commenting. Your name is familiar. No doubt we have friends in common or maybe through Art Chamberlain's Trent Hills News. I'm just off Godolphin Road. I know we have deer year round here as well, but they are harder to spot once the meadow grows tall in the late spring. I have photographed them at all times of year however. Sometimes in groups of up to about 15. My personal take on hunting here is that the area is too built up now for high powered rifles. Given the technology and baiting that goes on with corn and such, I can't imagine it must be much sport locally, but that's just my opinion. The better hunters among us head north for a real hunt.
Beautiful deer; I have yet to see one here, but I doubt they are anywhere in Toronto (I would avoid if I were a deer). I did see many deer when living in rural New Hampshire. I almost hit one once during the Spring when she high-tailed across the road with what seemed inches of my car. Close call.
I wasn't so lucky once in Adirondack Park. It was Winter and late at night many years ago. We walked away with heavy damage to the car. The dear did not. The only good thing about it was the deer died instantly. An event I will always remember. I imagine deer stay out of Toronto, unlike the coyotes who have adapted to the new urban environment much like racoons have.
Saw a coyote only once--beautiful and timid a block away from my house. Have also seen a red fox, an opossum, a skunk and quite a few racoons
You are surrounded by coyotes. They are the most plentiful wildlife around you. Perhaps even more than racoons which is saying something. If you are anywhere near a major park or ravine, the coyotes are there all the time. Coyotes are now permanent residents of Toronto.
Live at the Print Shop… hmmm, I see a connection…
I never really thought of it that way, about the printed photo finishing the process but it does make sense.
Deer are such beautiful creatures; I love seeing them. This past spring I was cycling through a suburban riverbank park when I came upon twelve deer. They were quite docile, coming about fifteen feet away from me. I stood for about twenty minutes just watching them, with them watching me before they became bored and loped along.
I think I see a future photo exposition in the works… that would be terrific to be able to see in real.
Loved the song. I was captivated from the first chord. Thanks for sharing, I may just borrow it.
Thanks Steve. I've had similar experiences when cycling down at Presqu'ile on Lake Ontario. The deer here are quite skittish. We have what hunters in the area call a nursery. A quiet place away from traffic and people that the does come to give birth and raise their fawns. Usually, we see the deer as they pass through from the ravine to our north and the big cornfields to our south. They love the cover our overgrown property affords them and in the fall after I cut the meadow, they are easy to spot from the house.
You are welcome to do an expose on I Am a Song or anything by Stephen Wilson Jr. Another rabbit hole I'm afraid. The day has been miraculously full of them. I was looking for a song to put at the bottom of this post and did a YouTube search for print song and this is what came up. I've never heard of him before the moment I did that search. Now, I am an instant fan. What a talent and his songs about loss and grief are so relatable to me. I hope to introduce him to my grief group this morning. Speaking of which, time for me to get my boots on.
I hope the group is helpful and restorative, John. I'm sure they'll love the music, and perhaps the photos if you share those, too. Something mystical about the presence of deer... have a good day.
The group is always that. I shared the song "Grief is Love" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDXqSbZB_J0 and as you can imagine, this went over very well. It's a tight little group like a family but always open for new people to join or to welcome back people who've stayed away for a while. Everyone's grief is different and that's okay within this group. The holidays can be difficult for people and having a place to express those feelings is very helpful. It can get pretty intimate which is always a privilege. Being open to grief and being vulnerable in the presence of others is a gift to oneself. I didn't share the pictures, but I shared my commitment to printing my images more often and to caring less about what people think of me.
That’s a good one, yeah.
Your group sounds wonderful and reminds me a little of one that Alys-Lynne and I co-hosted online with friends from a Colorado non-profit that folded during the pandemic.
And I have a sense of what you mean about the privilege of witnessing others’ grief in an intimate setting. It’s a powerful thing to share in a community so I’m glad you have that. Ours had folks from Canada, US, Europe and Australia. I shared this song one time, a song I had stumbled upon through “random” plays: https://youtu.be/lGBAbb3jiJI
Sounds like some good intention setting on your part re: your photos.
Well that's a different take on Didn't It Rain, which is also the famous Sister Loretta Thorpe song she played in 1964 at an abandoned railway station in Britain. Your linked song is quite interesting so thank you, but the other is a master work. Completely different song of course. I looked it up on my Jukebox site and was shocked to see it's not already there. That's definitely going to have to be corrected on my next post. I have a few tracks like that listed on my old website that can now be included in the Jukebox.
Agreed, completely different. The songs that one embraces in a period of grief can be all over the map, in my (and I'm sure others') experience.
Speaking of the Jukebox, I'm slowly making my way through your Zappa special. I don't know where all the time goes each day...
yes.. & excellent shoot/edit .. be most interested in learning more of The Print Shop.. The setting is the charm too.. though highly understated ! Am interested in what they shot with.. & any ‘post notes
I couldn't believe my luck finding that tune. That video is part of a larger interview/session and I encourage you to find out more about Stephen Wilson Jr., who's story is quite remarkable. And that guitar. I love it as much as the sounds he pulls out of it. Thanks for your comment and for dropping by.
.. it’s kind of my ‘field of opportunity.. ploughin time again .. 🦎🏴☠️🍁
So beautiful! I had 5 deer in my front yard on Christmas Eve, and I wanted so badly to get some photos, but they were so close I would have frightened them off.
That sounds like a beautiful moment. Thank you for sharing it. Sometimes we need to take the picture with our mind's eye. Without the camera to distract us we can really be in the moment to bare witness to the remarkable.
Lovely photos and lovely deer in the snow. I haven't been printing my work for a few years either. I have a shop set up on FB and I kept having issues with it and finally shut it down. The two yearly events I did prints for also stopped and never started back up during the pandemic. I do occasionally have friends ask for prints of photos they see on my FB and I usually use a print service online. I will be curious to hear about your Epson. They do print very good quality photos.
Yes, the quality is remarkable. Better than I expected and as good as any machine print I've seen. While the features aren't as roboust as some of the more professional printers, this model strikes a swet spot that occaisional printers like ourselves will find very appropriate to our needs. Even leaving the printer for a few weeks does it no harm. I always felt like my old Epson was a delicate flower that was too fragile given the way I treated it. I just wanted a machine that didn't break the bank and could print up to 13x19 prints. I am also experimenting with printing on watercolour paper like you can get from an art store in pads. These need to be coated with a spray to preserve them but they produce remarkable textured prints with slightly less contrast than regular matte photo paper. Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOzJjffz2lI&t=12s for a great review.
John, thanks for the link. No doubt that the quality of the prints is outstanding. I love the larger format too. A girl can dream about a printer like that. Not so long ago I would have seriously considered getting one. It really is much more satisfying to be able to print your own work rather than send it out. It completes the equation of, I created this image, this art.
I have a standard Epson 5 color ink jet that does lovely small prints, but as I said earlier I really am not printing these days, that includes written work. Who knows perhaps 2025 will change all that Congratulations on your new tool! Curious what you are spraying the watercolor paper with?
I bought a 30 sheet pad of Canson Watercolour paper, 12x18" and a can of Krylon UV resistant matte clear acrylic coating from Michaels, an art supply store here in Canada. I'm told both sides of the paper need to be sprayed to keep the inks from getting oxidized. I do have a problem at the moment printing larger than 8.5" wide, but I did manage one print 8.5 x 18" and it came out great. The problem seems to be a bug in Epson Print Layout software running on my Mac OS. Hopefully, I'll get that sorted.
Printer bugs are the worst. I just looked over and mine had a message that it needed a firmware update! Good luck with it! And have fun printing! I am feeling a little inspired to try some small prints now!
Excellent!