October 15, 2009
The Luxury of The Right Frame
By Leslie Hassler
Ok, great, you’ve selected your art and can’t wait to get it home. Quite frequently, your art will come without a frame, leaving you another world of options on how to frame it.
Let’s first start with the style of your piece and the style of your home. If you have a contemporary home and a contemporary piece of art, using a simple streamlined frame or back liner makes perfect sense! But let’s say your home is traditional, but the art is decidedly not.
Don’t fret, you actually have a world of choices. If you have a gallery wrap piece, you could choose to have no frame. Or you could choose a transitional frame, that is a frame whose styling is traditional, but it is subtle and refined.
The frame serves as the “marrying” piece between your interior and your art. Be sure to test the frame against the piece. There are undertones to even wood frames that can accent and highlight the art. I would also bring a large sample of your wall color. (Most of the major paint suppliers can send you a color sample to take with you.)
The next piece frequently skipped is the additional elements to framing, such as mats and fillets. Each component of a frame builds and supports the art. Often times, a piece of art with a single component looks wonderful, but with multiple framing components it looks exquisite. While you could change the frame on your art frequently, most people do not. Don’t let the investment of quality framing scare you. If the framing adds to the beauty of the art and you as a result enjoy it for 10, 20 or more years, then your investment per year is minimal.
I like for the color for the matte and fillet to highlight the art. The color doesn’t necessary have to be stark contrast to enhance the art, often the subtle off-whites can help to light up a piece. I usually start with a color that is an accent in the piece. Place the mat along side the art and step back. Sometimes we scrutinize items at nose distance, when that will not be how we enjoy the piece. So, step back three to four feet to observe the composition of the piece. Another trick I do is to squint until everything is a haze. Often times, if the color is wrong, you won’t get the “ahhh” feeling and know to move on.
The last key to framing is the artistic, design component. The playing with combinations of art, matte color, frame type, color and size is fun – but don’t overwhelm yourself. It is possible to overthink this decision. Start with three choices, settle on one that you “lean to”, still unsure, then pull two more options. Review your choices, often your first decision will be the best.
Want to play with the effects of framing and mattes can have? I actually love the tool on Art.com, which allows you to play with so many of the elements. I would remind you that this tool is great for you to understand the effect; but color renditions vary monitor to monitor.
- Framed Artwork (by Gregory Garrett) with Vanilla Matte and Simple Black Frame (www.art.com)
- Same Artwork, Eucalyptus Matte, Simple Black Frame (www.art.com)
- Same Artwork, Vanilla Matter, Burl Wood Frame (www.art.com)
- Same Art, Vanilla Matte, Transitional Frame with Bead (www.art.com)
The last frame option creates a more definite bordering of the painting. The dark brown finish, almost seems to muddy the painting, pulling out all the shadows.
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October 12, 2009
Art: The Luxury of Personal Expression
In the Park by Pamela Preciado. 9" x 12" Oil on Canvas. Offered on www.discoveredartist.com
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Traditional
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Modernist
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Contemporary
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Eclectic
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Flemish
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Renaissance
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Impressionist
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Cubist
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Abstract
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Oil
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Acrylic
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Watercolor
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Metal
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Multi-medium
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Stone
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Bronze
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The list here is too long to even begin, but as you may have guessed, if you have an interest in it, there probably is a few artists that produce art in that subject matter.
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Want to know what I’m drawn to? I love ink, charcoal, oils and bronzes. Subjects? I love architectural/structural drawings, I love theme and variations, I love art that focuses on the deconstruction and reconstruction, I have a special place for spanish art and I love the quality of light of Flemish. I love art that I understand the background of the piece, such as the art created as a conversation between Matisse and Picasso. I do love Picasso, nor could I forget Gaudi. Sorry spent a summer in Spain and it really influenced my tastes.
Sagrada Statue by Alan Berkson. 12" x 18" Digital Print on Baryta Coated Paper, offered on www.discoveredartist.com
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Start attending art gallery shows in your city, use online resources for directories, Art Dealers Association of America (http://www.artdealers.org/members.location.html), many art galleries and artists have websites, allowing you more closely follow your favorites. One website I have become familiar with is www.discoveredartists.com. I love how simple their navigation is. As I have mentioned here, you can search by style, subject or medium with so many options, it is mind numbing. Check out their blog http://discoveredartists.wordpress.com/ - they are great at highlighting their artists and the stories behind the art.
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Know that there are also art offered at different levels, accommodating almost any budget. Originals represent the highest quality and are the most likely to improve in value. Giclees offer more affordability than originals. They are generally produced in a limited quantity and are typically printed on canvas. Even within this level of art you will find giclees that have additional touches personally added by the artist, to ones just signed and numbered by the artist, to some with no alterations. These may also be offered in a variety of sizes, again allowing your more flexibility.
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Which ever way you decided to go – invest in art that speaks to you and represents the best you can afford.
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October 1, 2009
The Luxury of Before & After
By Leslie Hassler
I love before and after stories. Creating a before and after story for our clients always starts off with anticipation and excitement of something new, followed by the stress of change and always ends with the exhilaration of beauty. The process that we take our clients through is a proven one, but also relies on trust and open communication. I can tell you it will be beautiful, I can show you how beautiful it will be, but still it is hard to trust that it will be beautiful.
That is why we follow a design process and utilize tools that help us communicate our design vision. This project completed over the summer is a perfect example of how we use our talents and tools to create a before and after story.
Master Bath Before
Master Bathroom Before
Sketch Up 3-D Illustration
Master Bathroom After
Master Shower After
The best achievement we can have is to define and enhance our client’s style. I feel confident that we achieved that for this client. I can’t wait to see what we do for our next client. Can you?
