the Art of Framing (ep. 1)
Hiya! Is this how you write a blog?? I dont know. Anyway…
Lately while at work I’ve been thinking about offering some tips and info to fellow artists about framing! My day job is framing for a locally owned shop in McMinville, OR. A lot of my job is designing and assembling pieces. The OTHER part of it is redoing shitty frame jobs.
I’ve only been doing this for a few years now (ands I love it), and my bosses have been in the biz for a couple decades. They prioritize conservation and timeless designs (e.g. simple mat colors and frames). I personally love going a little crazy with colors and styles when given the chance. What I’m trying to say is, there isn’t a correct way to design a frame, but there IS a correct way to mount your art
ADVICE FOR ARTISTS:
For the love of god, DONT tape or adhere the front of your art to the mat or mounting material. Don’t use duct-tape! Don’t use masking tape, or scotch tape. It’s not acid free, and the adhesives are far too intense. Invest in some acid-free paper tape, or if you have to, use the painters tape or washi tape. This is a LOT easier to reverse for us framers.
Honestly, don’t worry about conforming your art to standard sizes. Really. We can make things works depending on the person’s budget. I would actually encourage you to make odd sized pieces if you can help it to discourage use of crappy department store frames. They’re not gonna last or protect your art.
MUSEUM/MASTERPIECE GLASS. Its pricey, but it’s a game changer.
Speaking of which, when youre framing something, dont be afraid to tell the framer your budget.
Okay theres actually a lot I think artists should know about framing. It’s important to know that framing will NOT be cheap, and its not cheaper at a major retail location. I know because I worked in a Michaels frame shop for a while before working for Pacific Frame. Frankly, PF’s prices are comparable to Michael’s “70% off”, which are basically marked up anyway. I was a framing manager at Michaels and I STILL couldn’t tell you why we were so expensive. Support a local shop if you can help it, and I assure you theyll do a better job and it’ll mean more to them that the miserable (untrained) corporate framers.
Anyway thats all I got for now
Ta-ta!
