Show Coming! Framing flurry!

Framing in-progress!

It's one week to delivery day for my exhibit at Longwood Art Gallery (Kennett Square, PA), and I'm busy framing the newest 'crop' of pastels and oils. Although it's a slow and exacting process (every 1/16" counts, and one smudge on a white mat does it in), I like seeing my paintings through to the final presentation, literally coming off the drawing board, and in to a protected and complimentary frame. Several pieces will be in natural unstained cherry hardwood (custom-made by my husband), and others will appear in a new style gold/ red undertone frame which I recently discovered and like a lot. For more info. about the exhibit in eastern PA (opening reception Friday, Sept. 7, 6- 9 pm), take a look a my website (www.alicekelsey.com)- there's also photos of many of my new works (more coming soon!)

Finishing Day

"Penns Creek in Sun and Shade", Pastel

I've been in the studio lately, completing a series of paintings which were started on location earlier this summer. It seems like I often work this way- explore around outdoors, find places which I resonate with, paint on location searching for the feel and colors of the place, and then bring home the 'starts'. Often I need to 'rest' the painting at this point, until I can see it more as a whole, and know what (usually little) touches it needs to come in to a pleasing balance and clear mood. This part is often the hardest for me, and I'm very pleased that several paintings have 'ripened' this week, and now stand on their own, ready to frame and go out in the world!

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!