Frames: Choices and Construction

Tim making natural cherry frames

Here's a photo of my husband Tim working in his shop, making frames for my upcoming shows.

 I find that the frame is very important in presenting the painting- a final stage in finishing the work, really, since it can help to support the work, or may actually detract from it if doesn't harmonize with the painting. There's so many variables in moulding selection:  finish (wood, gold or silver leaf, shiny or matte), color,  width, texture (distressed or smooth), and shape to mention a few! I often prefer frames with clean and simple lines, and am very fortunate to have a husband who is a woodworker, and creates custom frames that partner beautifully with my work. I like how the grain of the wood, native Pennsylvania hardwoods such as cherry, maple, and walnut, creates gentle motion in the frame where my eye travels and returns to the painting. The natural wood seems especially pleasing with the series of paintings which I'll be exhibiting this fall- landscapes of Chester County, PA and paintings of central PA streams- more about this in upcoming posts! And then there's mat choices- single mat, double mat, color, etc.- sounds like something else to explore in a future entry!

If readers have any thoughts and experiences about framing choices, I'd love to hear your comments!

Many thanks, Tim!