Ever since I started painting seriously, and even when I was just painting for myself, framing has been top-of-mind. Because watercolor paint is rewettable (unless it is varnished or waxed of course), paintings must be protected if you have any hope of preserving them for any length of time. The standard way to do this is framed behind glass, with an acid-free mat or mount between the glass and the actual painting. The mat serves many purposes: it gives the painting a nice crisp edge, it increases the visual size of the watercolor, it may enhance the painting by repeating or contrasting with the colors used in the painting, and it ensures the painting doesn’t touch the glass, which could lead to permanent damage. The glass itself protects the painting from outside elements; it can be acrylic or glass, and comes in various quality/protection levels, particularly for U/V protection and glare. Acrylic is lighter but prone to scratching, so glass is most often used. Framing can be very expensive. Custom framing, where a professional helps you choose the mat and the frame, and builds it to fit your painting, can easily run into the hundreds of dollars, even for smallish frames. Standard frames come in fixed sizes and are much more affordable than custom frames, although there is of course less choice of designs! To me, a frame is a very personal thing. Some people like fancy, traditional frames, and others prefer simpler, modern frames. Most like a mixture of both, depending on the artwork. For example, an old-fashioned pastoral scene would probably look better in a traditional frame than in a modern one. For paintings that I show framed, I try to keep to a standard minimalist look to keep things simple and not distract from the artwork itself. When I discovered the cost of framing (my frames would actually be more expensive than the artwork!) I started looking for alternatives. Being thrifty, as you know by now, and also wanting to keep my art affordable, I started looking for good-quality frames in second-hand shops or yard sales. I was quite successful in searching out gently-used, mostly simple silver or black metal frames, and soon built up quite an inventory, which would allow me to switch out broken parts from frames too damaged to use as is. I learned a lot about frame types and quality, what to look for and what to avoid. If you own any art bought from me before 2021, chances are excellent that the frame is one that was saved from the landfill! I must say that is one aspect that I really like about reusing frames, the other being that each frame I can re-use keeps a new “made-in-China” one out of circulation. Now that my art is a bit better and my prices are a bit higher, I have started occasionally using new frames, which of course I never pay full price for! I also have started offering matted but unframed work in standard sizes, so the buyer can choose the frame that suits them. It also helps to keep my prices down, and makes transporting, storing and even shipping that art much easier! I either cut my own mats or buy precut standard sizes, again to keep the costs down. I have yet to have one of my paintings professionally framed! For oil paintings, framing is different. There is usually no glass involved, as the oil paint does not need the same level of protection. I have less experience with framing oil paintings, and tend to prefer the simple modern look of the “floating frame”, which is a very simple border that is separated from the actual painting, leaving a space that makes the painting look like it is floating inside the frame. My darling husband has been making them for me on an as-needed basis, so I guess I could say I have my own personal custom framer! How lucky am I ?!? If you have some old frames collecting dust (let's face it, they all do, but I really mean 'not being used'), or if you know of any good sources of gently-used frames, do let me know! Thanks!
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorMy name is Claire Bureau. Archives
March 2023
Categories
All
|