I’ve Been Framed

Selecting the best frame for a painting can be challenging, and it’s often helpful to have a professional framer to assist. The watercolor competitions I often enter require very plain frames with white or neutral mats around the artwork, so that makes for simple choices. There’s method to this madness… once the exhibit is hung, the entire display has a uniformity and each painting stands out without attention to the framing. However, when I’m framing my non-competition artwork, I have the freedom to select framing which enhances the painting rather than taking a back seat to it. And I can have some fun too!

Soon after completing my recent scratchboard “Purple Cow” I visited my favorite local frame shop, Fuller Frames and Gallery in Athens TN. On the wall of frame samples, a few purple frames caught my attention and planted a seed in my brain. What a perfect accent for the purple hues in my overall black scratchboard of the cow, with an added playful touch. On my next visit to Fuller Frames (where Lisa Bell also produces my giclee prints) I brought “Purple Cow,” to see which of the purple frames matched the same purple in my painting and looked best. I envisioned bringing out the white in the artwork by using a white linen liner – a fabric-covered smooth wood moulding inserted between the artwork and the frame. As I tried the various purple frame corners and linen liner on my artwork, I felt the liner looked too wide, particularly since my artwork is only 6″ x 6″. The frame shop owner Timberly suggested a new option, and pulled a narrow white frame from the wall. She substituted it for the linen liner, placing it inside the purple frame I liked best. The combination looked perfect, especially because the white frame had a rustic finish – just the right accent for my barnyard subject. Combining two frames this way is called “stacked frames.” I was sold, and the framed piece is shown here. It helps to seek the advise of an experienced expert!