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I'm writing this with my Society of Equestrian Artists judging panel hat on. At this year's exhibition we noticed there were more than ever, inappropriately and nastily framed pieces of work submitted. I would like to put an article in our newsletter to encourage artists to put more thought (and in some cases more budget) into framing their work instead of shoving paintings into whatever used frames they happen to have lying around or some awful thing from Wilko's sale bin. How I'd really like to do it is to list some quotes from you as the experts, short and to the point so even the flakiest will bother to read them. Please will you help?
I will attribute your quotes to your name and business name if provided, otherwise I'll put your username. I'll ask them to put a directory at the bottom so if you can tell me your town and phone number or website, and if I use your quote, you'll be included in the list
***For copyright purposes, here's the small print: by replying on this thread you agree that I may quote your comments in part or entirety for the Society of Equestrian Artists newsletter***
One little analogy I like to employ in this situation is about going into a restaurant and ordering a decent bottle of wine. What would be the reaction if it were served up in coffee mugs? Nothing wrong with coffee mugs. The wine would taste the same. It's just 'not the done thing'. A matter of presentation. Attending a wedding wearing wellies is another one.....
Just the other week I reframed probably the worse example I have ever seen of this. A modern sort-of surrealist oil in a black 'Louis' type frame with foiled gilt highlights on the ornaments. Wrong style, wrong proportion and the corners were gaping. Yes, it was plastic.
Also we could use any tips on how to decide what makes certain framing suitable or unsuitable would be good, to helps folks realise they're making bad choices and may need professional help
It`s like a disappointment and a distraction at the same time. Someone dressed to the nines, all made up, groomed and ready to go ........with a large piece of cabbage sticking out between their front teeth.
A great idea Mary, I'll have a think about a quote.
Maybe though people will be a bit cynical if it is just from framers who will obviously want to say custom framing is the way forward, so what about quotes from other artists that are already sold on custom framing?
lol I love the cabbage one Sean!
You're right, pramsay13. We do have to be realistic in that not everyone is going to stretch to custom framing and AR glass, many will still use ready-mades, but even so there are good and bad choices to be made so any advice that will help them in the right direction would be grand. If they choose to walk through the doors of their friendly and helpful local framer to buy that ready-made, instead of IKEA, it will be a start
Apart from the quality and style of a frame enhancing a picture making it more desirable, we mustn't forget the hidden work that goes on inside the frame
Appropriate mounting of a picture, particularly art on paper, means it is reversible without any damage to the paper. Every time I peel off a l..o..n..g strip of masking tape on the top edge of a watercolour or pastel etc., to remove the artwork from the back of the windowmount, I'm thinking to myself, if only the artist or framer had known about how easy it is to hinge to an undermount with nice friendly T-hinges
The are many safe ways to mount art on paper, some without any adhesives at all, but masking tape is not one of them
To me framing should enhance the painting but be sympathetic. It should help focus the eye onto the artwork as on its own a painting can get lost without something to focus the eye. The frame however should not compete with the artwork, the artwork is the piece of art after all. However so often we have seen examples where the framer feels compelled to add their own artistic stamp to the piece.
Of course the most important aspect of framing is the protection it affords to the artwork. There is no excuse for badly executed framing and mounting or the use of substandard materials.
Good framing will always sell a piece of artwork or should I say a bad piece of framing will always put off buyers without a doubt. I am always humbled when one of my regular artists tells me that his collectors have been complimentary about the framing at exhibitions.
My aim is to present artwork beautifully using only the highest quality mount boards, mouldings and glass,
a fine attention to detail so that the presentation of the artwork will stand the test of time.
I thoroughly enjoy taking time to advise over the right mount and frame for each picture;
and because I can hand paint, gild, silver, stain and or wax your frame to order, there is an infinite choice,
but don’t be overwhelmed by possibilities,
as there is usually one combination that will perfectly suit both the image and the place in which it is to hang.
Check out the slideshow here http://www.equestrianartists.co.uk/inde ... slideshow/ the standard is very high and reflected in the prices, I haven't watched the whole slideshow but saw one for eight grand and the cheapest I saw was £395, none were shown framed but take an average, I dunno, let's say £900 - you're going to put an Ikea frame around that?
Not your average framer wrote:From my personal experience, with most artists the problem is money, or the lack thereof.
This had always been the perennial problem. Usually it's because the artist is grossly underpricing their work and no room for framing costs. I do try and impress on them that a nicely framed and presented work will go a long way to attracting a higher price. Better to sell one work for 300quids than 10 at 30.
I like to work closely with artists, whether established or 'happy dabblers'. Evolving a signature style of framing that suits their work. Sometimes the difference between a carp frame and a decent one is not very much. It's nice if the artist thinks about the framing while doing the art. Sticking to standard sizes allows paintings to be easily switched and frames re-used if they get a painting that won't shift. Attention to the craft side of producing art also pays dividends. Stretching or pre-mounting watercolour paper. Basically, the more you can make life easier for the poor framer the cheaper the framing is going to be.
I have art society come in all the time.Normally they have not got the money or do not want to pay the prices charged...
"A good framing/mounting job can make an average picture look brilliant"...
Pete...
When an artist looks at a picture the first thing they see is the art. When a framer looks at a picture the first thing they look at is the framing. When a customer looks at a picture they see the overall decor. Commercially all these things need to come together to increase the possibility of a sale. A photographer customer of mine simply says: "your frames sell my pictures".
We have many artists come in and say they really can't afford to have a bespoke frame for their work. With a little time and patience we can normally persuade them that they really can't afford not to have their work framed. A good frame gives the work status - it compliments and doesn't dominate the work.
Taking your work to the framer should be a pleasant cooperative experience. Artist nearly always know when a frame works well with their art - they will often have a strong opinion on how their work should look and the framers job is to turn that vision into a practical reality.
Its always worth looking at exhibitions and competition's, it's normally the well framed pieces that sell, and they are almost always the pieces that achieve the best prices. The cost of framing should always be factored in to the selling price by the artist.
The artist that get this right will still recognise that framing their work is a significant expense, but that its money worth spending and that time spent with the framer is time worth taking.
perfectly put
