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Green Framing


"Momma and Me," mounted on a silk covered board and framed in a handsome black molding with gilt trim.Available for purchase.

 
My framer's hubby beefed to me a few years back that he was no fan of how close I took my compositions to the edge. He struggled with how much of the painting to tuck inside the molding (we're talking less than a 1/4" all around). We both agreed that my work could look better with more breathing room.

 
I asked him how we might best address this. He suggested I not crop my paintings in as closely, which we both had a good laugh over. Then he went off to play with his tools and see what came to mind.

 
And this is what he devised - a floating frame environment where my work (painted on flat panels) is roughly centered and mounted to a scrap of linen or silk covered matboard. This board then gets framed in a fabulous box he builds (also from scraps - molding scraps, that is).

 
I love that I am using "recycled" frames (keep in mind my work is predominantly 8x10s or smaller, so this doesn't necessarily work for larger pieces), but I love even more that the presentation is unique and that it perfectly sets the paintings off.

 
And now I am not restricted to standard sizes in any way. Only the mat board upon which my work is mounted needs to fit inside the box frames.

 
If I sell a piece without the frame, I open up the back of the frame and remove the mat board and painting. Now I have a backer board that automatically protects the paintings' corners during shipment, and with a little bit of wrapping and padding, the piece is good to go and will ship affordably in a flat parcel.

 
Check your community for a framer who builds their own frames, and see if you can't work out a similar arrangement. If you are on a tighter budget, look into purchasing pre-assembled frames and using the panel-mounted-on-mat approach, purchasing mat blanks from a local framer and trimming them to size yourself.

 
And meanwhile, if you are in my area and want to work with a framer who knows their business (and respects your wallet at the same time), please visit Diana and DJ at Accent on Art in Lake Orion - 248-693-9826. Tell them I sent you!!

 
Have a great day,
Kim 


Making a Mark

 
A few weeks back on Katherine Tyrrell's blog (which should be mandatory reading for all artists, btw), there was a poll on the various elements impacting an artist's choice of painting sizes.

 
And, being Katherine Tyrrell (which also means "incredibly thorough"), conversations ensued on the framing and finishing costs of choosing non-standard over standard sized images. I piped in with my recycled framing idea, and Kathering asked me to write a post about it.

 
So this one's for you, Katherine!
 
"A Gentle Breeze," beautifully framed in a gilt box, available for purchase.
 
Detail of "You Are My Sunshine," mounted on a rough linen set flush inside a deep gold box frame, collection of the artist..
 
 
 
 

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