Confessions of a Frugal Framer

Swan Song

2010-12-29T22:41:00.000-05:00

Upon completing a job for a new client, she expressed such satisfaction with the work and service, that she said she would next bring in a challenging project and would need me to save the day. To which I said, "Bring it!"

A few days later she arrived with a dozen or so of these small needlework items she had made for her granddaughter. She sent them off to an unscrupulous framer who did her a terrible disservice. The items were cut and glued, both actions quite unreversible. And then that framer went out of business.

cut, glued, and backed

She explained that she had taken these all over town and mailed them to reputable shops all over the country, and they had always been returned to her with the response that there was nothing that could be done.

hard, gluey edges

I spent a good amount of time finding a layout. Ideally, I wanted to cut openings in a collage mat for all of them, to hide the gluey edges. But the birthday cake piece was not square, and even if I could cut a birthday-cake-shaped opening, it would look pretty strange in a frame. So then I wanted to piece them all together like a patchwork quilt, sewing all the edges together with no gaps. But that was mathematically impossible.

So I came up with the layout in the image at the top of this post: heads at the top, feet at the bottom, birthday cake in the center. I sent the photo to the client via email, she approved, we selected materials.

Below is the completed project. Items are floating and hand sewn to the mat.

sideview with an oversize vintage rock poster that happened to be in the shop at the same time :)

It pleases me to leave this blog having saved the day, as this author is moving on. xoxo

At the Movies

2010-12-05T16:59:00.001-05:00

The movie that touched nearly every Philadelphian's life while in production finally comes out next week. You may recall yours truly framed about a zillion sports images that reportedly appear in the gym scenes in the movie (those scenes are inexplicably absent from the above trailer, but whatever).

The city looks stunning.

Thanks, Google!

2010-11-09T12:11:00.000-05:00

Remember when this guy came out & photographed the shop? Google did this for select independent small businesses in walkable shopping districts in 7 cities internationally. The photos have now been added to the shop's Place Page.

:D

All that Glisters

2010-10-28T22:53:00.001-04:00

A client referred to me by an antiques dealer brought in the above vintage museum frame. The job he wanted done was relatively simple: change the mat, put in museum glass, and put the original art back in. After a brief consultation, the client decided to instead insert a wide fillet into the existing frame rather than a mat.

This is the original mat. I wanted to point out the orangey color of the bevel. This is the number one indicator that the mat is not acid free. In fact, the orangeness is caused by acid oxidation. Also, there is discoloration on the outside edges of the mat, which was under the rabbet of the frame. This is an indication that there was no uv protective glazing on this mat in its original setting. I mention this not because the original framing was inferior (quite the contrary! The art was mounted using very proper techniques and the frame itself is magnificent and very high quality.), but because this was originally framed before acid free products and uv glazing was invented. It is a really good idea to change old or inferior mats and glass to more modern conservation materials before irreparable harm comes to valuable art.

So, I chopped and installed the fillet.

And now for the art. Below is the art as it arrived in the shop in its original mat.

And here it is completely unframed. Note the discoloration of the paper. We know it was in an acidic environment, but it is also very old.

and clearly original art.

The client recently acquired this piece and had not yet had it authenticated. The art is unsigned.

This is the plaque on the original frame.

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1867) is a French Master. A Neoclassicist. Le Grande Odalisque (below) is perhaps his most famous painting, though his portrait graphite drawings are among his most well regarded works.

To be clear, I do not authenticate or appraise art, but naturally, I want to know what it is that I'm handling. I looked into the artist's catalogued works to see if there was anything similar in style, theme, or materials.

Virgin of the Adoption

Niccolo Paganini

Study for Vicomtesse d'Hausonville, born Louise Albertine de Broglie

So now you have all the clues that I have. Who knows? I may have just handled the real deal.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-13T08:11:00.000-04:00

Collage Walls

2010-10-12T14:24:00.000-04:00

Design Trend, Part I

Over the past decade or so, the trend for the display of family photos has changed from collage frames (large frames with multi-opening mats) to collage walls (lots of small frames arranged in a group). Here are some that I've happened upon quite accidently.

A friend snapped this at Brown Betty Dessert Boutique. The frames and mats are unified by color, but are varied styles and shapes.

And this one at the bosses' house has an eclectic mix.

This one, at Capogiro Gelateria has family photos transferred to canvas and put into vintage frames.

I spotted this one on a tour of neighborhood homes and the nice homeowner allowed me to snap this. The display is multi-dimensional! Special brackets mounted to the wall allow some frames to jut out.

This was in another home and another nice person allowed me to photograph (Oh, people must think I'm nuts--but I'm glad it didn't stop them from being so darned agreeable!). I have never seen step frames before! These were purchased ready-made.

Cavalcade of Stars

2010-10-10T18:23:00.000-04:00

There's been a run on shadowboxes lately at the shop. Here are 2 from this week.

I got to thinking about the varied objects I've framed and observed other talented folks frame and thought I'd share a few. I have been privileged to work alongside some really great people over the years, and they've graciously allowed me to show you some of their interesting 3D projects. All framers credited beneath their work.

Richard Fekete

Paul Ricci

yours truly

Charles Johanesen

yours truly

Paul Ricci

Richard Fekete

Rafael Ruiz

Richard Fekete

Rafael Ruiz

Ice Box

2010-10-05T21:47:00.000-04:00

These hockey pucks were brought in by a client who CAUGHT them as a spectator over her many years of fandom. I have framed tons of sports memoribilia in my career--baseball bats, footballs, uniforms, etc, but somehow I hadn't encountered pucks before. They are surprisingly heavy. I was sure to use gatorboard backing to support the weight and managed to use an adhesive-free mounting technique.

The mat is a shimmery rice paper board from Bainbridge. Suggests ice in a subtle way, methinks. Overall, I like the bold graphic look of this box. A perfect square with 4 circles inside, with like colors arranged on diagonals. The scale of this moulding is just right for the objects. I can barely take credit, this thing practically designed itself.

All Of It

2010-10-03T17:39:00.000-04:00

I am so glad I could make it in an 11th hour, race-to-the-closing-of-the-show, dash to Gallery Aferro in Newark, NJ to see Dahlia Elsayed's All of It.

Dahlia uses text and maps, among other things, to create personal histories and isolate moments and emotions. Hers was an untraditional display of over 100 pieces, arranged in such a way that an interesting narrative emerged. Items were tacked to the wall in various ways, and where there was framing, it was white-on-white.

and good for you, Dahlia, for appearing in the NYT recently as being a finalist for the Guggenheim Museum's "YouTube Play, A Biennial of Creative Video." (winner to be unveiled soon)

Go, Dahlia!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-15T08:53:00.000-04:00

Object Lesson

2010-08-31T22:49:00.000-04:00

I had a series of phone calls from a prospective client who wondered if her idea for a framing project was possible. Once she described it, I was really enthusiastic about it--very unusual and it involved 3-D objects (yay!) --and I assured her she called the right place.

Her idea: a display of eyeglasses in a shadowbox. A gift for her boyfriend who just had lasik eye surgery. Very clever. Here they are just laying in the box to help me visualize the layout and spacing.

The client coordinated with her bf's mother and located the very sweet Harry Potter eyewear from his youth (uppermost), through the ages of wire & half-wire ovals, to the recent very mature designer specs by Armani and Face à Face (lowermost two).

I decided that this project could and should be done adhesive-free. I first tried sewing them down to the matboard using elasticized thread for its great gripping ability. I would only need to sew in two key places.

But then I hated that it was so visibile.

So I used clear monofilament which required each pair of glasses to be attached in four places. But it looked so much better. For spacing, I set my topmost and lowermost glasses in place first.

And then spaced the others between. Since the Harry Potters were so much larger than the other lenses, the interval is greater for those to the one beneath, and all the rest are evenly spaced.

I love the look. Hunter green with a burl frame always connotes a gentleman's study to me, and this was the intention of the client (with a bit of a wink ;). Museum glass perfectly completes the exercise.

Street Cred

2010-08-20T23:01:00.000-04:00

(Don't I look tough?)

My clients are some pretty cool cats. First, there was that limited Steve Powers print from a few months back, then some wonderful lady brought in TWO Dr Lakra prints (and I suck because not only did I neglect to photograph the finished frames, but I am also about to miss the exhibit), and this week yet another client has brought in an oversize printed canvas emblazoned with a Banksy image.

Banksy is a very well-known (ok, nobody knows his true identity) London street artist who in 2008 curated The Cans Festival, an abandoned London tunnel which over the course of one evening was transformed into an amazing gallery of stencilled street art by Banksy and a handpicked group of other talented folks working in the same milieu.

The "shop" section of Banksy's website states:

"Banksy does not produce greeting cards or print photo-canvases or paint commissions or sell freshly baked bagels. Please take anything from this site and make your own (non-commercial use only thanks).

Banksy cannot be found on facebook/twitter/myspace etc."

And hence, a large format photo of Banksy's contribution to the entrance of the Cans Festival tunnel exists, and was printed on canvas. Below is the finished gallery wrap in the shop.

Oh, and the client for this particular piece happens to be a celebrated Philadelphia Eagle. Go birds! : P

White-on-White

2010-07-29T12:11:00.000-04:00

Design Trend

I wouldn't quite categorize this phenomenon as a coincidence, but several unrelated customers came in during a short period requesting similar designs: white-on-white. A white mat and white frame. Sure, I've sold this design several times in the past, usually on color photography, but never so frequently and on such diverse art.

Below is this clean look on oversize Massimo Vitali photographs from from an interior design site, Coastal Style Living.

I spotted these design images (above) while researching Vitali photos that came through our shop (below), framed in a similar way. Note that Vitali photos are generally beach shots from above with deliberate washed-out color. Beautiful.

This look is very modern and used often in conceptual photo exhibits. I always warn clients hanging this type of design in their homes that white-on-white looks best on a contrasting color wall, and not nearly as well on a white or off-white wall.

Below are some recent white-on-white designs on items that are not color photography.

original watercolor

contemporary artist print

original pencil in distressed white frame with coordinating fillet

Flag Waving

2010-07-07T00:07:00.000-04:00

A Celebration of Philadelphia Innovation

This unique (and well-timed!) object found its way into the shop this season. It is paper ephemera from the Centennial Exhibition, the 1876 world's fair marking our nation's 100th year, held in our great city.

fan front

detail

The Framing Challenge:

The fan is double-sided. Handpainted. Very fragile. Object must be viewable from both sides.

fan back

detail

Oh, and the fan is to float in the center of the frame, with glass margins on all sides. No mat. And adhesive-free if possible (as always).

This was a new one for me. I took the job in, assuring the customer that I'd figure something out on the worktable. He trusted me to find a solution. I talked about it some to framers and other problem-solving types, but ultimately, I went with my own minimalist invention.

The fan is lashed in 2 places to a solid mahogany dowel with monofilament.

Dowel is fitted into sidewalls.

finished frame (rear view)

Normally, a framer's job is to show no visible attachments. Here this was not possible. The mahogany dowel is similar in color to the fan spokes, and I think the simplicity makes for an elegant solution. Especially when viewed from the front.

Renoir!

2010-06-24T23:41:00.000-04:00

Straight & Butch

2010-06-16T15:26:00.003-04:00

July is Butch Month!

When last Butch Cordora was featured on this blog, he was just bringing his awesome Straight & Butch calendar to the art world.

The project puts the nude figures of straight men and Butch himself in iconic poses, and challenges about a dozen social mores. Butch is the visionary, the prop, and the director of these shots. He casts the photographers as well as the straight models.

Butch pretty much instantly became my client-BFF. He's met my husband, I've been in his home, but most importantly, I put him in touch with dear friend and photo savant, RA Friedman, principal photographer of Tsirkus Fotografika, and the subject of my very first blog post ever.

The shot below, as the others I've framed for Butch, is framed in classic gallery style: white mat, 3" exposure top and sides, 4" bottom, and matte black frame. The photographer of this one: RA Friedman!

A triumph in collaboration! I can easily see the sensibilities of both artists represented here to fantastic effect. The shot is an homage to (and a very clever interpretation of) the famous Annie Liebovitz photo of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno pictured below.

The homage and many other Straight & Butch photos will be displayed at the Ven & Vaida Gallery beginning July 2nd.

And I am proud to announce that Straight & Butch the documentary (a making-of the calendar story) will make it's debut at Qfest, Philly's GLBT film festival on Wednesday, July 14th! (Get your tickets now, there's very limited seating!) I am honored to have been part of the final focus group to view this film, just prior to it going to print, and I can tell you that it is poignant, interesting, and really freaking funny. I urge everyone to see it, it's really that good.

And be sure to attend the after-party at Ven & Vaida Gallery after the screening!

Right back atcha, Butch!

Meet the Langdons

2010-06-03T22:27:00.001-04:00

I am pleased to present to you my frame on a Langdon photograph (with a pretty terrific subject within ;). Steve and Sara Langdon are wildly talented local photographers and just so darned nice! Who among us can forget the time Steve trudged on foot across town in a blizzard to shoot a wedding that the couple's originally scheduled photographer could not? (The following images are grabbed from the Langdon's blog. Please visit.)

The duo is not limited to weddings, they shoot a variety of events and subjects. Recently they shot some great stuff at a unique art installation/parade, Wherever There is Water.

But they have a very special way with children as evidenced in the framed image reposted below.

It is framed in an elegantly playful Aegean frame--the whole line is great and available in six interesting colors and two widths. There's a unusually narrow 8-ply white mat (a basic rule of thumb is that the mat exposure should be wider than the face of the frame, but here I've thrown that rule out the window), and museum glass.

Public Art Jawn

2010-05-24T13:31:00.003-04:00

I just framed my first Steve Powers print! This one was designed by the boss and a client and I love this primary yellow frame with it, I think especially because the color is not present in the art, but yet the value of the color is spot on. (I guess he does know a thing or two after all ;)

The print, one of a very limited run of 300, was released just a few months ago and is based on one of the 50 murals in the greatest and most ambitious Mural Arts project ever. Love Letters is a succession of murals by Steve Powers along the tracks of West Philly's elevated Market St line. And they are f***ing amazing. Please read about them here and here, or even in the New York Times or Wall Street Journal.

And for you out-of-towners, here's some of my other favorite walls, all images from aloveletterforyou.com:

Philly is a great city for public art--did you know Philly has more public sculpture than any city anywhere, including European cities? (Not sure I can back that statement up, but I am sure I've heard it said.)

As I was looking over the accompanying book which documents the murals, I was pleased to find Zoe Strauss in the list of photographers (and other Philly geniuses, Adam Wallacavage, et al.).

Zoe Strauss just completed her own great and ambitious public art project I-95, earlier this month. Hers was a display of 231 photographs on the columns that support Interstate Route 95 in South Philly. It was held the first Sunday in May every year for the last ten years. The photos are up by 1 pm and attendees are allowed to take them down at 4 pm. Prints of the photos are sold for 5 bucks each at a table near the front. Totally accessible art. This short video pretty well sums it up:

I snapped this while there this year.

And I bought 2 prints, both images of folks in my neighborhood (Bunny, the woman, was the first person I met on my block--she has since moved), to have something personal to remember the installation.

And then came the daunting task of framing them. Ultimately I decided to suggest I-95 in the framing by floating the images on a concrete-colored mat, and then making sidewalls in a neutral metal frame to raise glass off the art. (Sidewalls in metal are unnecessarily difficult in this simple design, but framers will appreciate the effort, and I wanted to show some love.)

It may seem as though I've gone off topic, but I really wanted to talk about both of these artists in the same post. There is some overlap (and not just that I'm a total fangirl of both).

2 photos below are from Zoe Strauss's blog/flickr.

and below here a completed Steve Powers mural at S 60th St.

Tough Act to Follow

2010-05-19T22:23:00.002-04:00

This is a signed and numbered vintage Chagall litho. In every other situation, framing this would be the highlight of my week. However, this came in the same week as the Lautrec original from the previous post. In fact, it was brought in by the same client--we designed the two pieces in the same afternoon.

The image is called Bella's Wedding and is especially appealling to me as it contains a calf that "evokes Chagall's memories of his native Hasidic community outside Vitebsk. In the village, peasants and animals lived side by side, in a mutual dependence here signified by the cow. For Hasids, animals were also humanity's link to the universe." This motif is most dominant in his 1911 masterpiece, I and the Village (below).

Many other classic Chagall symbols appear in Bella's Wedding: the sprig, the bird, and Bella, herself. She was Chagall's wife and he painted several images of her that represent a perfect expression of love.

The Birthday, 1915

Bella's Wedding was framed magnificently in a 4" wide Bolshoi frame, pale blue silken mat, and distressed broken-bead fillet, and museum glass. This piece will be given the prominence it deserves as a focal point the client's home.

Toulouse Lautrec: Beyond the Moulin-Rouge

2010-05-14T23:41:00.005-04:00

Every item that comes through the shop is important. Clients bring in their most cherished possessions and it is my job to preserve them. Occasionally, items of such global import are brought into the shop that I am humbled just to be breathing air in the same room.

A familiar client (who on a good day has a flair for the dramatic, but on this particular day also was shrouded in intrigue) laid on my design table a small crayon drawing. He alluded to a recent exclusive private auction as we gazed together at this:

The image is that of a lady clown and a circus animal in the ring. A small "TL" circled on the upper right. Regular newsprint drawing paper. Some erasures. Very saturated colors. A hand-rendering. Before me was an original Toulouse-Lautrec drawing, authentication pending.

I noted a few condition problems--one, that is mounted to chipboard (this is an antiquated style of mounting that WOULD NEVER be done today) and another, that it is stained with the fingerprints of the culprit who mounted this (directly under the clown)--but both of these could probably be easily taken care of by a paper restorer. The client was unconcerned. He was madly in love.

I confess to you that I was then unfamiliar with this work, but the client understood and explained to me the theme, the subject (even the clown's name), the artist's state of mind--and spoke with such passion! I hung on every word and immediately after he left I went straight to work to discover more about this tender drawing.

Toulouse-Lautrec is best known for his lithographs of can-can girls and posters for the Moulin Rouge, but he did win some early acclaim for this circus-themed oil, cited by some has his first important painting:

Equestrienne (At the Circus Fernando) 1888

His love of the circus carried through to his time at the Moulin Rouge when a certain clownesse became his unlikely muse for a brief period between 1895 and 1896. Cha-U-Kao, her unusual stage name, was perhaps intended to sound fashionably Japanese. Cha-U-Kao was French, although little else is known about her, and her name was actually a phonetic transcription of chahut-chaos, a popular and exuberant dance similar to the 'can-can'. Lautrec normally depicted Cha-U-Kao wearing her platinum blonde hair in a topknot, and clad in pantaloons and a yellow (always yellow!) chiffon ruffle as can be seen in the following five examples:

Cha-U-Kao was a performer at the Nouveau Cirque as well as at the Moulin Rouge. A Boston Globe article explains the scene this way: "The circus in late 19th-century Paris, like the cabarets, offered many kinds of fun, but not all of them were innocent. 'To take the little one to the circus' ('amener le petit au cirque') doubled as an underhand reference to sexual intercourse, and the female horse riders, or ecuyeres, were generally understood to be sexually available. Indeed, it was a sign of class to flirt with them, so they were always in demand among the wealthier men."

The grand party was over for Toulouse-Lautrec in 1899 when suffering from alcoholism and a mental breakdown, he was committed to a sanitorium by an intervening group of friends and family.

It was there that he created an incredible folio of circus drawings. There is some debate whether he created them just to prove his sanity to his doctors, or as an expression of his captivity. (Interested parties should read this incredible thesis.) There is also debate on whether he drew them from memory or from life, as a circus rehearsed nearby the sanitorium and it is suggested that Lautrec could have been taken on outings to watch and draw from life. However, the images he created at that time of the clownesse, Cha-U-Kao, are undeniably from memory.

When researching these drawings online, I found conflicting numbers...some sources say there were 50 or more, some say 30, but most agree that a folio of 39 circus drawings was created then. I ordered this book from amazon, not sure of what I'd find in it.

When it arrived I scanned through it, and stopped short at page 36:

The introduction of the book explains that Lautrec gave all these drawings away shortly before he died (and he died a year after he was released from the sanitorium at age 36). An intrepid collector rounded them all up for one brief, shining moment in 1953 to create lithographs, and then once again they were dispersed to the four corners of the globe.

I found in this book's collection 2 other images of our clownesse:

I think neither compares with the image on my design table, though I am completely biased, and by now you should be, too:)

Allow me to show you some details from the original:

see the crispness of line?

the faint erasures?

the saturated color?

the dainty gesture? the delicate hand?

I hope these give you a sense of the artistry and sensitivity of the work. Just incredible.

Materials arrived, I prepared mentally for framing. I would not touch anything and not use any adhesives whatsoever.

I built up sides with 2-ply mat as it was the same thickness of the chipboard.

Adhered mats to to 2 ply (not to chipboard), glazed with museum glass, and put on the loveliest frame--so evocative of a Parisian circus! And do note Cha-U-Kao's signature yellow in the bottom mat.

I love my job.

Upon seeing it, the client gasped with joy and reached for a chair. He was thrilled, as I was to tell him how much I enjoyed learning about his piece and helping him to preserve and display it. We embraced as now we each had a connection to the art and through that, to each other. I showed him my book and he asked me to order another one for him. We will both have dog-eared souvenirs of our unique experience.

Bon Vivant!

2010-05-11T15:30:00.002-04:00

A break from the ordinary (though I have become quite accustomed to the extraordinary of late): an original Hunt Slonem painting walked in the shop this week!

If you are unfamiliar with this contemporary expressionist painter, then the youtube clip below should tell you everything you need to know about his unique personality and style.

But if you don't have 9 minutes to invest just now, let me give you the Cliff's notes: Hunt Slonem's paintings are in the collections of about 80 museums internationally. He is a collector himself of furniture, objects, homes, and tropical birds. If you follow no other links in this post, do click here for a photographic tour of his EIGHTY-NINE ROOM STUDIO in NYC. (He is also well-known for throwing fabulous parties :)

Here is the original painting our client brought in for framing:

back view

Hunt Slonem paints several variations of very specific interests, Alfred Hitchcock among them. (also, Abraham Lincoln, rabbits, monkeys, birds, butterflies, and many others). I grabbed this image of the Hitchcock/birds hallway from the studio tour linked above:

Our client knew immediately what she wanted on this recent addition to her collection: a very ornate gilded frame, Castillano, by Larson-Juhl. At nearly 4 inches wide and adorned in the most incredible trellis-like carving, I think it is something the artist himself would have selected.

C'est magnifique!

World Traveler

2010-04-24T18:16:00.002-04:00

A well-travelled client brought in this beautiful authentic Maori skirt--a souvenir from a recent trip to New Zealand (you may recall his Maasi necklace from a previous post). We shadowboxed it in a moulding from the Java line. It is sewn to the brown linen mat using heavy-weight cotton thread, and allowed to fall naturally. The ties were tacked in one spot to give the illusion that they also fall naturally, but they are actually carefully and deliberately arrranged.

The internet is filled with contemporary images of Maori warriors wearing traditional dress, but I love these older photos.

Big Plans

2010-04-19T22:33:00.007-04:00

A client who is a professional builder in the city showed up at our door with several tubes under his arm. Inside were some things he found on a job site in a building he had purchased: oversized architectural prints of some of the area's most important landmarks.

Here is the front elevation of the main branch of the Free Library. It is 60x40-ish. (!!!)

In case you are unfamiliar, here is the structure today:

You can see in this detail that the print bears approval signatures and is stamped with a date of 1922.

And the detail below shows the architect information. Horace Trumbauer is an architectural legend and one of Philadelphia's native sons. Among some of his notable designs are the main library at Harvard University, the chapel at Duke University, the Irvine Auditorium at the University of Pennsylvania, and he was one of the collaborators on the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

We paired it with a 3" wide black ornate frame with architectural ribs.

Also in the client's tube was the site map of Princeton University dated 1962. It is in two sections, each being about 48x36.

Below is a contemporary aerial view of the area. (Click on any of these to enlarge)

These were paired with 3" wide black beaded scoops, with leaf detail on the outside.

They are fascinating to me as architectural renderings, but even more so because of their scale and important subjects. But I also love the mystery of them; found in the rafters by a builder on the job.

Friends Who Frame

2010-03-29T23:43:00.011-04:00

The first post on what I hope will become a regular series.

Ron Bruck, Assistant Production Manager, A.I. Friedman, NYC

I have been fortunate to work with dozens of top-notch framers in my over decade-long career in the industry and maintain contact with many of them. I love hearing about their interesting projects and happily welcome guestblogs!

Who better to start the ball rolling than this guy: my first framing boss & mentor, Ron Bruck! I picked up all my good habits from him and cannot stretch a canvas without remembering his enthusiasm and love of a challenge. We worked together for many years, attended each other's weddings, and will certainly be friends for life.

at Decor Expo 2004

Ron's in the big leagues now, framing in New York City for corporate clients. Here he shares a recent complicated glass-trap.

This lil' project came out pretty cool. It is a vintage Sex Pistols shirt that I framed for an exec at Converse. It was designed by Jeffrey Feigenheimer, the corporate frame designer/salesman for AIF and executed by yours truly.

What I like about this design is how I have float/sewn it to an Onyx mat with an opening that reveals the back of the shirt. The assembly is siliconed to the back plexi. Another Onyx mat is added to the outside of the back plexi to conceal the silicone. There are 1/4" black spacers between the plexi. The assembly is held in with black balsa wood.

I was very pleased to hear via voicemail to Jeffrey that the recipient was thrilled with the outcome.

(Thanks, Ron!)

Google @ Frugal

2010-03-29T11:50:00.002-04:00

A guestblog by shop owner, Mark Muhlig

The Google photographer showed up on Wednesday afternoon for the shoot. Nice guy, we had pleasant conversation and he explained the whole program to me.

Google is going into seven cities to help local businesses in 'walking' shopping districts. For not a penny from the 'Mom and Pop' shops, they are doing 360 degree panoramic inside shots to be placed on the web. New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sydney, and Tokyo have been chosen to start and study this program.

I'm a photography guy and was amazed at the fish-eye lens that Google was using for the panoramics. With each angle they take three exposures, (underexposed/ overexposed/ proper exposure). Google brainiacs are currently writing a program that will take the best clarity of each and meld the three shots. Because of this code in progress, we don't know when you will be able to see the results online.

He also took a series of 'feature' shots that will also be placed in our business listing. In this shot, I take a pic of him with my cell phone while he shoots me.

Camera-Ready

2010-03-23T18:20:00.002-04:00

The Picasso Window is finished!

Just as I was hanging the last item, Google called and asked to photograph the store. Following their ambitious and amazing Street-View Project, Google has decided to photograph the interiors of local independent businesses. They're in our area tomorrow and shooting the store!

Very soon you'll be able to view a 360 of the shop right on your fancy phones. :)

Dear Google:
xoxoxo!
Love, me

Inspiration Strikes!

2010-03-15T14:36:00.005-04:00

A new exhibit at the Art Museum impacts the shop window and my framing design.

The exhibit features the varying styles of Picasso and others in Paris during the same period. The frames in this exhibition are widely varied from fin-de-siecle Spanish to contemporary gallery. The display of the art is mostly done gallery-style, but also has one amazing room hung salon style.

Today I began work on my shop-window homage.

RIP Framing Legend

2010-01-30T14:52:00.002-05:00

News from The Grumble:

Vivian Carli Kistler passed away on January 6, 2010 in Akron, Ohio.

Vivian was born in Niagara Falls, New York, on January 4, 1945 to C. Isabella Cutini Carli and James Carli. She attended private schools in Niagara Falls, NY and Niagara Falls, Canada. After she graduated with an Art degree from The University of Buffalo, she earned her teaching certificate and taught second grade at Prince of Peace. Vivian then married Richard Kistler and moved to Akron, Ohio where she founded Kistler Art Supply & Framing. Vivian was a strong advocate for women’s rights and fought local Title IX battles. She founded the Akron Arts Expo at Hardesty Park as a venue for college artists to showcase their art. Vivian was a former president of the Fairlawn Chamber of Commerce and taught business classes at The University of Akron.

Vivian began teaching traveling seminars on picture framing and business which took her all over the world. Vivian was a well-known speaker and instructor for the picture framing industry and was known for her entertaining and informative presentations. Vivian founded Columba Publishing in 1984 and produced the Library of Professional Picture Framing in addition to authoring over 20 more books and hosting over 15 videos.

Over one million of Vivian’s books and videos have been sold. Vivian wrote articles for Picture Framing Magazine (PFM), Art World News, Profile Magazine and DECOR Magazine. She was also a former Senior Chairholder for the Color Marketing Group. Vivian’s work with the Professional Picture Framers Association included service at both the local and national levels. She created and developed National Picture Framing Month to promote public awareness of the craft.

Vivian held professional certifications of Master Professional Picture Framer (MCPF) from the Professional Picture Framers Association, and Guild Commended Framer with Honors (GCF), from the Fine Art Trade Guild in the United Kingdom.

Vivian was awarded the PFM Lifetime Achievement Award and the PMA (Photo Marketing Association) Distinguished Service Award. In 2010 the Professional Picture Framers Association honored Vivian by renaming their prestigious award to The Vivian Kistler Lifetime Achievement Award. Vivian was awarded the PPFA Award For Innovation in 1999, and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.

This lady wrote the book on framing. Literally. I enjoyed her column and often tried to channel her guidance (WWVKD?) RIP, dear industry leader and teacher.

GUITAAARMAGEDDON !!!

2010-01-28T22:17:00.003-05:00

a guestblog by shop owner, Mark Muhlig

Every now and then, I get to do something I've never done before. A gentleman walked in with an autographed guitar, signed by Bruce Springsteen and the whole E Sreet Band. He had recieved it as a Birthday gift from his friends (nice friends!)

The client had a very special vision of what he wanted. Hard Rock Cafe (I'm sure you've been to at least one) frames and boxes their guitars in a very oppulent, rococo manner. This is what he was requesting, only not sealed. He wants to be able to play it. This challenge was particularly entertaining for me. It marries two of my favorite things...guitars and picture frames.

We decided on a hot pink, towards the red, suede matting for a very Regal look. After looking at many frame samples, the one that had that 'Hard Rock' look was part of a value line from Larson-Juhl. Oppulance and affordability!

This frame had to have strength. We started with a half inch plywood board. Placed the suede mat on top of that and then screwed and secured a wall hanger specific to guitars.

If you look close, we built a little suede bumper so the hollow body Gibson look-a-like would't smack against the hard wood when replaced. Popped the frame on and voila'.

Pretty stunning, no? I'm going to build a couple for my guitars.

Do Your Bidding

2010-01-25T18:32:00.006-05:00

This, aside from being gorgeously framed, is a special piece up for auction to benefit a great cause. A local preschool is hosting an auction on Friday, March 5th to support its wonderful scholarship program.

The photo, taken and donated by Taylor Crothers, is an image of Bruce Springsteen in honor of Pete Seger's 90th birthday.

It's a striking and rare image and framed in one of our best: 4" Belmont Veneer.

Interested individuals should dig deep and contact: 215-563-6368 or click here.

This Stuff Cracks Me Up

2010-01-04T22:05:00.002-05:00

Pop Culture & Mock-Museum Frames

Mark Mothersbaugh draws inside a Hy-Jo Museum RM on Yo Gabba Gabba!

my first art show playset

Have you seen this new one from Ikea? It's plastic. I've been eyeing it up for months and contemplating putting a mirror in it. Anybody know where I can get a convex oval mirror in a euro-standard size?

I saved the best for last. This stopped me dead in my tracks when I saw it in a local boutique's window. Tee-hee!

We frame only with real framing materials at the shop, btw.

Art & the Modern Preschooler

2009-12-26T21:49:00.004-05:00

a word on policy by an alumnus of this particular preschool

this hangs in the school's lobby

Ok, this post may be a tad self-involved, but I have a post scheduled in the very near future which highlights an event at, shall we say, a preschool at which my child does not attend. This is something of a pre-emptive strike at equal time.

There are many fine preschools in the City of Philadelphia and beyond. Many of them are arts-based. I love the one my child attends.

Some parents hang kids art on the fridge. Others do this sort of thing.

The above art, by a wonderful young artist and fellow student at my child's preschool, was floated and then has a raised top mat which was fitted into Ikea RMs (ready-mades). Economical and chic!

And this art, by my own dear 3-year-old, was floated and put into an RM metal shadowbox.

And this may be a little overthetop for normal people. But it is an original portrait, and a surprising likeness. And also a holiday gift for a framer's husband. : )

Check out the Bolshoi RM. (!!!)

Exotic Jewels

2009-12-14T21:35:00.004-05:00

A client recently asked me, "What types of items do you most like to frame?"

My answer: "Items I don't have to glue."

I will avoid using adhesives if possible, though there are about a zillion situations where it is required. In all of those situations, I use the most archival and least damaging adhesive available to me.

All of the following items are mounted using adhesive-free techniques. And they all happen to be fabulous jewelry.

These are pieces of jewelry from Jordan, possibly antique.

Another client brought in this is a set of bracelet weapons from Kenya.

And the same client brought in the above necklace set, also from Kenya, a gift from a Maasi with whom she studied.

And coincidently, a third client brought in this Maasi necklace a scant few days later.

I poked very small holes in key places through the mats, and then used a very fine jewelry wire to mount the items. Almost completely invisible and the item can be easily removed from framing package if ever necessary.

And FYI, my least favorite items to frame are dried flowers and taxidermy.

Helping Hand(s)?

2009-11-24T20:04:00.006-05:00

One of our regulars brought in the above canvas, unframed. The client is a retired curator of one of the city's (and the World's) finest museums. In his spare time he likes to restore paintings. This one was purchased directly from the artist, Cesare Ricciardi 1892-1973, many years ago from his Pine Street studio.

The artist told our client that Philadelphia's most prominent artist, Thomas Eakins 1844-1916 (also the artist's friend and mentor), painted the hands on this particular canvas.

It is nearly impossible to prove as no photographic evidence exists of Eakins' hand touching this canvas, but if one accepts the word of my client (and I absolutely do) and the word of the artist, then this portrait is quite the jewel in my client's collection.

After studying this painting at length, I came to accept that the hands are stylistically different than the rest of this work.

But then I had an issue with the dates: Ricciardi was born in 1892, and Eakins died in 1916. Ricciardi would have been only 18-years-old in 1910, allowing for only a six year window when the two would have been artist-contemporaries.

I decided to take a field trip to view the largest collection of Eakins' portraits. (I did not have to go very far.)

There I learned that Eakins began his career in portraits later in his life, beginning in 1886. (I have subsequently learned that Ricciardi's portrait career was very early in his.) Of the Eakins collection, I found these most similar to the Ricciardi portrait that turned up in the shop.

Thomas Eakins, Portrait of Mrs. Frank Hamilton Cushing, 1895

Thomas Eakins, Portrait of Lucy Lewis, 1896

Note that these are framed by the Museum very simply in a flat wide natural wood. Very unusual. Whereas Eakins' landscapes are framed in ornate gilded frames. I read that Eakins was not a terrifically profitable portrait artist because he did not idealize his subjects, and the end result was very natural, perhaps even unflattering (these two ladies I've selected for you notwithstanding). Perhaps the museum's framemaker chose to illuminate that aspect of the work with this style of frame.

Our Ricciardi, however, was framed in our shop using a gorgeous distressed Isabella, with just a hint of hand painted gilt detail peeking through. This beautiful frame has inspired our client to continue his work to restore his fascinating treasure.

A Few of My Favorite Things

2009-11-03T22:35:00.002-05:00

Although I've been framing for over a decade, my work never fails to keep me interested. Sure it's great to get the big movie or corporate document jobs, but the most fascinating jobs are brought in by regular folks who want to preserve their most treasured posessions.

Above is a portrait brought in by a smart local businesswoman who really likes pugs. The framing here is just as amusing as the portrait, if I do say so myself.

Above here is a tiny acrylic original purchased on a client's recent trip to Prague. I love a chunky frame on tiny art, and thrilled this daring customer allowed me to design that way.

And this, a hand rendering brought back from the front lines of WWII, folded and tucked into the pocket of a brave leader. One from his troop pencilled and painted the portrait of him, and presented it to him. Now, over 60 years later his children have brought it to me to preserve for generations to come.

And finally, this is a sonogram. Not an ultrasound, but a revolutionary visual representation of sound waves done in the 1940s. My client, a historian, explained that she had studied under a woman who created and developed this method of charting sound waves. The woman died and left all of the sonograms to my client. As this is a lost method and impossible to recreate, my client gifted all the sonograms to the Smithsonian. Except one.

Bring It

2009-10-10T21:20:00.005-04:00

Once again: from the top. A Set Decorator for a big movie needs bunch of frames in an impossibly short period of time.

This script writes itself. As it turns out, it's an industry cliche. We didn't even bother with extraneous dialogue.

Movie lady: "Can you do it?"

Me: "Yep."

Short & sweet. Cut & dry. Standard sizes, non-glare glass. 24 hours.

I endure my usual protagonist's struggles: problems with supplies, late delivery of materials to the shop, and sudden change of pick-up time to an hour earlier.

This shot was snapped as I was running by with 2 frames under one arm and my camera in my free hand as I helped the Set Decorator load her van. For real.

But I did pull it off once more (and on time)!

Framer raises arms in triumph. Music swells.

Quis faci?

2009-10-06T19:38:00.021-04:00

A Classical-Modern Framing Conundrum

FACT: the Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the greatest museums in the world. Its period rooms and incredible special exhibits always command international attention, but its modern collection, in my opinion, is unparalleled. I felt this way even during all the years I lived nearer to NYC, and was a member of the Met (whose 20th – 21st Century collection still remains inexplicably lackluster). It has been my pleasure to be a member of "The Art Museum" since the minute I moved to Philly.

Some stand-outs: (Left) Sol LeWitt, On A Blue Ceiling, Eight Geometric Figures: Circle, Trapezoid, Parallelogram, Rectangle, Square, Triangle, Right Triangle, X. And (Right) Marcel Duchamp, Etant Donnes (see the retrospective exhibit NOW!)

Occasionally, the Museum hosts tours of its frames (yay!), and I attend with bells on. A few years ago, during a tour of contemporary frames, my small group stood in the Cy Twombly gallery. The guide pointed out something that should have been obvious to me: most of the canvases in the room were too large to fit through the door. She offered no concrete explanation, but left it to us to silently ponder.

I have thought about it some: the canvases were certainly stretched in the room. I do not accept that the door was finished after canvases were in.

Canvas stretching is one of the services we offer at the shop. Usually, a client will come in with a rolled canvas and want it stretched on wooden stretcher bars and then framed. A traditional look will include a linen liner, and a more contemporary look will put the frame directly on the canvas. An ultramodern look might involve a floating frame OR a gallery-wrapped canvas.

A gallery wrap means the canvas is stretched and stapled to the back of the stretcher bars, rather than stapled to the sides, which is typical when the piece is going into a regular frame. When the canvas is stapled to the back of the bars, and the image extends onto the sides of the bars, then there is a clean, finished edge and suitable for display sans frame.

Here's a proper gallery wrap done at the shop.

Then back to these Twomblys: to my horror I discover they have EXPOSED side staples! (?!?) Furthermore, they’re not even stretched neatly—the staples are not evenly spaced or angled the same way. Huh? What framer would do this and defy their sworn oath? Quis Faci?!

My theory: Perhaps this was in the artist’s instructions….to have the stretch be as visceral (a crazy scribbly mess) as the art. However you feel about Twombly’s work, he may actually be quite thoughtful and consistent.

PS. I am fond of Twombly’s work, particularly this gallery in the museum. However his stuff really annoys most everyone I love and admire.

The Big Picture

2009-09-26T21:34:00.003-04:00

Oh, the movie is coming out soon! I caught a glimpse of some of my framing in the first couple of seconds of this trailer. (I think I framed over 20 pieces all told for this flick, if you'll recall.)

Shout Out

2009-09-25T21:39:00.004-04:00

The new issue of Philadelphia Home Magazine, a quarterly supplement to Philadelphia Magazine, includes a great article with designer Kevin Derrick, who is a local authority on the proper display of art. Knows his stuff. Singled us out (ok we're one of 2) as his favorite framer.

Thanks, yo.

PDF of the article can be found here.

Momma's Frugal Framer Loves Shortnin' Shortnin'...

2009-09-01T22:07:00.003-04:00

a guestblog by Frugal Frames Owner, Mark Muhlig

hazelnut shortbread

Our customers are real people…not just walking wallets ripe for the picking. Yes we make a profit on what we do, but we pride ourselves on not mugging them. It’s an industry image that we have had to struggle with ever since we opened in 1996. You know the scenario…walk in with a decent poster; get quoted well over 400 bucks for a simple frame job. Bingo…lost profits and a disillusioned consumer who probably won’t step into another frame shop for a decade. Because of this gouging behavior, thousands of potential customers have been thrown away and I have never even met them, let alone quoted them a price.

But alas, this post is not about money. No, quite the opposite.

It’s about cookies.

Delicious home-cooked-from-scratch cookies, brownies, lemon bars…anything that comes from the heart, requires a little effort, and tastes like a slice of heaven.

We love our customers (most of them anyway). We will go the extra mile for them whenever possible to show them that we value their business. The problem is, we don’t have a chart that quantifies that little something extra. Sure we could put a timer on it and ask for cold hard cash. But we are not Taxi Drivers.

Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about. A Lady customer of ours realized that in a short three days her Wedding Anniversary was coming due. She had nothing but an old Blue Print of a Ship that her Husband had under the bed, hoping one day to frame it. She grabbed it and rushed it to us wondering if it was possible to get the job done.

Mind you, this was not some quickie dry mount with a cheap metal frame job. She wanted double matting, a fine wood frame, a good mount and quality glass. My wife was taking the order as I listened from the production room. It all sounded reasonable to me, but since I was going out of my way, I wanted something for my efforts.

I leaned out of the small room and asked, “Do you bake?”

She glanced at my wife, puzzled, and then back to me, “Uh, you mean like cookies or brownies?”

“Yes,” I responded, “I am a terrible baker and my kids love to eat ‘em. If I’m going to make you very happy in three days, could you bless me with some of your baked goods?”

She lit up with a big smile, “Absolutely, no problem, consider it done.”

In three short days, she had her husband’s present and my wife and kids had a tin full of home cooked brownies (with and without walnuts).

Now this sort of transaction pleases me in so many ways.

A] My kids have brownies
B] I’m a great cook but a terrible baker
C] The customer and I have entered into a relationship that doesn’t involve money.
D] It’s awful neighbourly.
E] It reminds me of times long past.

This brings us to our latest confectionary treat: Elaine is involved in several local groups (mostly involving mommies and/or crafts) where the subject quite often turns to art and subsequently framing. Now this is Center City Philadelphia, with a ton of fine restaurants, chefs and bakers. A few of which happen to be in these same circles. Elaine came to me with a request. Can she offer a bit of a discount to her friends in these groups?

This put my inner Ferengi into a little conflict. I thought about it for a moment…and asked,

“Do they bake?”

Valhrona chocolate

Science!

2009-08-17T19:44:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I really do split the atom.

A client interested in conservation turned up at my door to discuss framing some Swedish stamps. He requested that they be handled only with gloves (hand oils), that they be mounted without any adhesive whatsoever, and that the stamps be floating in the framing design.

To float an item in framing terminology means to display every square micrometer of the item. Most often, items are matted, which means that an opening is cut in a mat to reveal the image. The opening is generally cut 1/8" - 1/4" smaller than the item to slightly cover the edges. This holds the item down and gives a sharp edge. Normally, items with unusual or interesting edges are floated so those characteristics can be viewed. The deckled edge of a stamp is a great example. Adhesives must be used in a float design. How else would the item stay up?

And then I remembered that my old buddy Chas had taken a class in encapsulation. A new mounting technique that is adhesive-free. Even in a float situation.

First a layer of thin duralar (a clear acetate-like product that is archival) is adhered to the mat using a thin strip of ATG at the top. Here the top mat has already been museum-hinged with linen tape.

Then the stamps are positioned on top of the duralar. More ATG is applied around the stamps and a second sheet of duralar is applied on top. The stamps are between the two sheets and they are kept in place by static electricity!

Voila!

Closet Goths

2009-08-11T22:10:00.007-04:00

are among us!

It started when dear friends/neighbors arrived at the shop with GORGEOUS oversize archival print photos.

Here are The Professors atop Notre Dame.

and here a Vision of Joan of Arc!

Note the dark, ornate, Victorian frames selected. Perfect!

And then one of my favorite customers showed up with this freak show a few days later ...

Naked Angel with Satyrs

Weird Mannequin at Dinner Party for One

Detail with crazy-shape mat-opening, cut by moi!

These clients looked like nice, normal people. Who knew they had such dark, creepy sides lurking within? And what would possess them to think I could appreciate that aesthetic?

hmmmm.

Coincidences

2009-08-04T22:54:00.003-04:00

Whether you're playing cards or working in a retail frame shop, always pay attention to coincidences.

The topic of this blog came to me tonight as I was speaking with an old framing buddy. He was explaining that he had recently come through a period where he made a lot of double-sided frames for a variety of clients in a short period of time. Double-sided frames are hardly the norm...a regular shop maybe does one or two in a year, but things do tend to come in waves sometimes.

For instance, earlier this week, a client walked in off the street. She wanted to discuss a project she needed in a rush. She works in a very prestigious archive and needed to present 2 framed copies of a historical document to visiting foreign dignitaries. The document? Oh yeah, it was written and signed by George Washington.

I asked, "Do you know I framed an original George Washington letter last month?"

After all, I did blog about it AND put in on my Facebook ; )

She claimed she was unaware.

"I can authenticate that signature for you," I said jokingly to the prestigious archivist.

Evidently my historical document humor needs work.

Anyhoo, I don't recall ever framing George Washington stuff before, and here I was being honored by framing 2 unrelated important docs in a month. Hunh.

Dog Girl

2009-07-30T22:25:00.007-04:00

in Glorious Living Color

A Guestblog by Frugal Frames Owner, Mark Muhlig

This is a piece from my own personal collection of Comic Art. Charles Burns has been creating extremely wacky characters for years. I can remember when I first read “DogBoy” In the large format RAW comic series.

This here is Dog Girl.

Dog Girl is pictured naked in the moonlit forest night, partaking in her treasured favorite meal…a bologna sandwich on white bread. She seems deep in thought…in the zone. I wouldn’t want to disturb her.

Generally, when people see a black and white image, they tend to think” I know, I’ll keep it simple with a white mat and a black frame…I wouldn’t want to take the attention away from the piece.” In my mind, and our store, nothing could be further from the truth. Surrounding the art isn’t framing the art.

Dog Girl required peaceful natural framing to extend the foliage around her. A nest if you will. A safe place to eat and contemplate. The art and the frame must become one unified piece.

We started with the matting. I once considered this the UGLIEST mat I had ever seen. It’s called Tamarack by Bainbridge. It kind of looks like Jackson Pollack ate way too much broccoli and then tossed it up onto a matboard. Regardless, I knew it would be perfect.

The frame took a little bit more time to get right. My wife and I went back and forth on a few different frames, finally settling on a roughly finished, brownish-green, deeply setback cube. ( an Arcadia product…very inexpensive.)

For the finishing touch, we inserted a Larson Juhl Acropolis fillet to give separation between the mat and frame. The final combination giving a feeling of bark, branches and impressionist foliage.
I consider this my best attempt so far at ‘Anti-Black and White’ framing. I think Dog Girl would agree.

Family & Community

2009-07-27T19:36:00.003-04:00

I love framing vintage family photos, and anyone who has ever framed with me in the past knows my design style on these types of images. If I have my druthers and the client is agreeable, vintage family photos would be framed with ALL of the following components:

A gilded wood frame (gold, silver, pewter, copper) with architectural elements or carving detail.

A suede mat--the texture is similar to crushed velvet and makes me think of the luxurious lining of a jewelry box

A fillet (thin strip of moulding inside the mat)

museum glass

I recently had a wonderfully agreeable client ;)

After these framing packages were designed with the client, an order for materials was placed with our distributor. I was informed that top mat of the uppermost design was discontinued and there was no more to be had at the manufacturers! The client and I spent a lot of time choosing that color, and felt it important not just to the design of this piece, but to coordinate with other framed treasures in her home's entry.

What to do? I went to the framing community for help. Did you know there is an online social network just for framers? Yep. It's called The Grumble and it's pretty much like Framing Myspace. (There's a similar thing for knitters, too--you can find me at either place, user name: supereight.) I asked if anyone out there had a piece of that color left in the small size I needed, and lo, Lori from Gallery of Framing in OH responded to my query and shipped the same day.

The framing world is very small and remarkably supportive. I did not know Lori, she didn't owe me any favors, but she helped me out and in short order. In the past I have even asked for help from a shop competing in my own market and received it. I really am very proud to be a part of this industry.

Janis

2009-07-03T22:20:00.002-04:00

The art here is a very limited edition c-print from the vault of Baron Wolman, Rolling Stone photographer from 1967-1970. It's a great image of Janis Joplin--she's decked out in opulent fabrics from across the globe, more glam than I've ever seen her, yet such a fresh-faced, young, happy smile--a real innocence about her. Wolman was famous for his informal portraits.

The customer purchased the photo directly from the photographer, who remembered a sweet detail about the shoot: Janis was nervously humming the whole time.

Great materials are used in the framing of this piece: A shimmery navy shantung silk mat (grain running vertically, of course!) 3TS/4B, a champagne gold large beaded fillet to echo the eclectic textiles and motifs in the photograph, and a classic extruded museum frame in an identical finish to the fillet. Glazed with Museum glass from TruView.

And once again, I have given you the gift of a large format upload, just click to enlarge.

His Excellency

2009-06-25T23:32:00.009-04:00

It is my great pleasure to show you this unique project. A client arrived in the shop after a referral by a very reputable historical institution. He had with him a previously framed item which has belonged to his family for generations: a handwritten condolence letter by George Washington to one of his ancestors after another of his ancestors had passed away. It was written in Philadelphia, during Washington's Presidency.

Above is the project as it entered the shop. Framed side by side with an antique engraving of the Founder. I did not ask the client, but from the looks of it, this framing was done in late 1960s, well before the advent of archival materials. The mat was clearly discolored is spots from acids in the paper.

Here is the back of it on my operating table (yes, it is dual-sided with a mat opening to reveal the addressee), with more apparent discoloration.

and here it is with the back mat removed. The mounting technique is very sound, done in linen tape, and caused no damage to the document. However, the original mat shows ALOT of foxing in here.

The document and engraving on their first acid-free surface! The operation a success! (Note cotton gloves to protect paper from oils that exist on human hands.)

The original glass with the ghost image of the President and his letter permanently etched in its surface.

This is the back of the new mat which is acid free (we sell nothing less) cotton rag museum board, with gold imperial fillets on the insides of the openings, and then a layer of 2 ply cotton museum mat to buffer the surface of the fillets against the art.

The completed project. Front and back views.

Your most obedient servant. Photo by the pleased client.

PS. The image of the raw letter at the top of this post is a large format upload. Clicking on it will greatly increase its size and the text can be read. Enjoy!

Straight & Butch

2009-06-22T22:44:00.004-04:00

I LOVE the location of my job. Right in Center City where The Gayborhood meets Antiques Row. An interesting mix of people, businesses, architecture. My customers range from Art Students to Drag Queens to Federal Court Justices and I wouldn't have it any other way.

On a day that in every other way was ordinary, into the shop walked Butch. A certified Philebrity. Talk Show Host and Provocateur. He had a project to discuss. Framing large format photographs of his successful calendar. He explained the concept to me, the photos are of himself (Butch) and various straight guys (Straight), nude and posed in homages to iconic pop-cutlure photos. It is a study in sexual tension and discomfort. I am all about it.

The quality of my photos of this project kind of suck. Just as well. Buy the calendar.

We chose gallery style framing , white mat with 3TS, 4B exposure (see previous post), matte black frame, and conservation glazing.

The Kiss (prior to framing)

John & Yoko

Abbey Road

Don't Mess With Texas

2009-05-22T22:31:00.005-04:00

But first a brief lesson on gallery style framing.

Standard gallery style convention dictates that a wide white mat and matte black frame should be used to best display art. The mat should be 3" on the top and sides and 4" on the bottom.

I have done a few other variations, a gallery show of miniatures was done with 2" top and sides, and a 2.5" bottom mat exposure. But mostly the entire Western World accepts 3TS, 4B as gospel.

And then I got a call from Texas. A man placed an order through a series of phone calls and emails. His daughter was moving to Philly and he wanted to frame some giclees of his originals to hang in her new apartment. As we got into it, he said he wanted them done similarly to how they had been done by his local gallery. 4.5" top and sides, and 6" on the bottom! Texas-style!

I must admit, they look pretty hot.

Oh, and this is no ordinary matte black frame, either. Gramercy black Shadow box. 2" deep.

Frame and Framer

2009-05-21T23:12:00.002-04:00

There's been a run on oversized jobs at the shop. Here are 2 recent stand-outs. Above is a huge linen-backed vintage French advertising poster for foie gras. The piece is SO oversized that it is greater than 40 x 60" (the largest glass we use), and the customer requested museum glazing. Luckily, almost on the same day the order was placed, 48 x 96" museum plexi was born and made available to framers. Hooray!

And this one is a pencil sketch done 40 years ago by a fascinating customer who is a master hand-carver of wooden ventriloquist dummies and also a professional exterminator. (I meet the most amazing people!) It's roughly 20 x 60" and is framed with a suede top mat.

A Taste of Asia

2009-05-21T22:55:00.002-04:00

Some interesting asian pieces came through recently. Above is a 4 panel 2-opening job where the top opening is a fan shape. It is a simple looking shape, but yet it cannot be cut on a straight cutter or oval cutter, and also does not exist as a template on a popular computerized mat cutter. The boss had to cut it freehand (I WILL cultivate that skill one day, it shames me that I have not.). I did not ask the customer, but I would expect that these represent the 4 seasons.

And this is actually an oversized job (24 x 60-ish") for the same customer. I am very pleased with the result of the asian-style mat borders: wider on the sides and narrower at the top and bottom to elongate the finished size and maintain the scroll proportion. The customer did tell me that this style of calligraphy is called "waterfall." Also used in the design is a shantung silk top mat, with the grain of the mat running top to bottom, as is proper, and museum glass. Just lovely.

Child's Play

2009-05-06T20:33:00.002-04:00

Since I left the 'burbs to be a Big City framer, I have consequently seen very little kid's art, cruise art, and family photo collages. I really miss the kid's art. However, on the rare occasion that kid's art comes through, I am totally prepared for it.

Kid's art calls out for vivid colors. Here is the shop's full complement in vinyl & suede mats from Bainbridge (the colors of these are more saturated than paper mats could ever be) and shimmery vivid metallics metal mouldings from Nielsen.

This is a preschool needlework project where I even sold the client's mommy a weighted bottom mat to achieve the proper look for a serious pre-k artiste.

And here we see a thank-you note to a grandma for a wonderful vacation.

I will never dismiss kid's art as not being real art. One of my favorite museums doesn't either.

You again?!

2009-05-05T00:00:00.013-04:00

Gramercy on giant paintings...before the last ones even left the building!

The odds are astronomically against this, but lo, while the last test of my framing mettle still took up valuable real estate in the small Pine Street shop, in walked three oversized 3-dimensional canvases for a prestigious Graduate Program art show. What moulding was selected? Gramercy! Oh, but also not your ordinary fit. Gramercy Shadowbox was to become Gramercy Deep Floating Frame, just needed to turn the moulding upside-down and paint the bottom, which is now the top. No problem.

Floating frames look awesome on contemporary abstracts. They are a different construction than conventional frames, they do not fit on top of the art and hang over it, but rather they reveal ALL of the canvas top, and just cover the sides. They can also be positioned a distance away from the canvas to allow a glimpse of the canvas sides (but this is only done with finished canvas sides or gallery-wraps). This new job would place the frame directly against unfinished canvas sides.

freaking gorgeous

and the art's not bad either.

You're Dead to Me, Gramercy!

2009-04-22T00:20:00.008-04:00

alt title: The Job That Killed Its Framer

I titled this piece and wrote crazy stuff in this space two weeks ago, but pulled it almost immediately. Dear Me-in-the-future: Do not blog while exhausted and beginning a second beer.

An extraordinary job came through the shop two weeks ago: 9 giant abstract oils for a major hotel. They were painted on solid wood and were sooo HEAVY and also still wet(!). But that's neither here nor there. The job was particularly difficult because of a highly unusual stack (stacked frames are 2 or more mouldings fastened together to create a wider or deeper moulding) with a very sensitive finish. The moulding style is Gramercy from Larson-Juhl, and it is modern, simple, inexpensive, and really great-looking. (However it scratches so easily one need only think about it too long from an adjoining room to cause damage.) It is available in silver and black and I have some of it hanging in my own home if you need an endorsement to proceed with your order.

Gramercy black

framed oils

completed order awaiting pick-up

stack side view

This stack is difficult because it bevels a square moulding inward and is then attached to the back of another square moulding. The result, I have to say, was beautiful in a way I hadn't expected. It is really attentive to the depth of the art and the look from all sides. Fitting these was probably one of the biggest challenges of my career, and I wasn't even the one who had to cut the frames (thanks, Mark!).

Fillet Frenzy

2009-04-11T00:22:00.010-04:00

This glorious image was emailed to me by a client so I could view my finished framing in situ. I often wonder how some projects will be displayed and this is perfection.

Here is the piece in the shop:

The customer brought me his own frame which I believe he said was a flea market find. The art is tiny...maybe 4"x6." He asked for a neutral mat, and then we started to look at fillets. Fillets are thin strips of moulding that fit under the mat as in this case, or can be fitted to enhance frame mouldings, see lower right. Fillets create a museum-style look to just about anything. So, he was talking my language. And then, when I figured that the image and frame sizes were set, and the placement of the art could either be centered or have a weighted bottom (top and sides mat exposures are equal, bottom is heavier), the client actually finished my sentence for me in favor of the weighted bottom. And we were in love (in strictly a framer/client way)!

A weighted bottom is typical of galleries and museums and homes where someone within has gone to art school. I have read many reasons why this is done, one of them involves the way art used to be hung, salon style (ala The Barnes) and angled away from the wall from the top, so a mat with a weighted bottom would create a visual illusion of it being even all the way around. Now art is typically hung gallery style, one piece every few feet at eye-level, but the weighted bottom remains to give the art sort of a pedestal to sit on.

And now to see the piece in situ, among his amazing mouldings and hung at just the proper height (eye level from the chair), I love him even more. Come back anytime, beautiful stranger!

Here are some more recent fillet jobs. These two each have double fillets! Double the fun!

And this last one is just lovely in a gilded frame and suede mat.

Don't do it, Martha

2009-04-09T23:41:00.006-04:00

Don't get me wrong, I like Martha Stewart. I can even admit that I am a subscriber to her magazine (I especially love her Halloween issues!). And you know what else? The lady knows framing. I have seen her on various programs doing framing projects, and noted her obvious education. However, (and I know this is hardly current), her magazine published a series of framing projects last year that still has me rattled. Oh, the framing is sound--but the look and techniques are so antiquated!

The project detailed the proper execution of french lines, a practice that has barely been seen professionally since the 80s (and really tricky to do perfectly!), printed mats (yuck!), and paper wrapped hexagonal shapes to emulate old-timey scrapbooks (the complete opposite of contemporary framing!).

I realize Martha has the power and influence to set trends and break convention, but this is my turf, lady, and I will have to offer these services if your little vignettes catch on! So far so good..it's been a few months since the projects were published and clients have not clamored to my door demanding french lines, but when they do, I'm sending Martha the bill for my Rapidographs, posh European gouache, and pain relievers.

Night of 1000 Shadowboxes

2009-03-26T22:32:00.010-04:00

Whew! This is the after photo and I did all the sidewalls and fitting in one afternoon.

This collection of fans was brought in previously framed by the collector. She had ordered metal shadowboxes online (the type with the glazing channel) and thin plexi cut to fit. And as most home framers do, she did the mounting and fitting herself with her own invented techniques. I will not embarrass her by posting the before pics (but framers, pm me for details), but I will show some of my professional 3D object framing process for future home framers.

I prefer to sell wood shadowboxes, though we do offer metal with channels, too...I just don't like how the glass rattles around in them. Wood frames give you a better fit, but require sidewalls. I now do my sidewalls in a pinwheel configuration rather than top and bottom first, then sides. (Thanks, Raf!) and ALWAYS atg AND glue. These are done with black foam instead of a coordinating mat over foam to reduce cost.

And as for 3D object mounting, my basic rule is to show no visible attachment, almost at any cost. It should look like it's staying up by magic and should be able to stay that way forever. And as always, the mounting should do no harm to the object. I have many secret and creative solutions to this problem. The fans were mostly done with stitchery tape and my new favorite glue.

And this bowl was recessed slightly through a small circular opening in the mat.

Obamarama!

2009-03-21T14:35:00.013-04:00

This is decidedly not a political blog. You won't see me debate any religious, moral, or ethical issues here either, unless they pertain to framing. (And also, fyi, you won't see any client names, info, or pricing.) But I do need to comment that I've seen a ton of Obama art come through the shop and the guy hasn't even been in office 100 days yet!

Most of what has come through are variations on the iconic Shepard Fairey poster. My first client arrived in the shop with one last August, even before Obama was the official Democratic Nominee. I thought nothing of it at the time, I didn't even photograph it, I just thought it was a cool image by a great street artist. Evidently that original first-pressing is worth some serious coin, now.

Here are some more recent incarnations:

And I have also been privileged to frame an original portrait.

I began my framing career during Clinton's second term, and I can tell you that I have seen more Presidential images in the past 6 months than I have seen collectively in the ten years prior.

I went through my photo archives and all I could come up with for any previous President was this collage I did for an attendee of a White House Hanukkah Dinner Party. She took a guest towel from the rest room (lower right).

The Antique Map: A Must-Have Item

2009-03-18T14:32:00.010-04:00

And Pretty-Much Required for all Philadelphia Residents

I have been framing on Pine Street for over 2 years now and have seen dozens of historical Philadelphia maps come through the shop. I have grown to really appreciate them independent of any cartographic knowledge and shamefully limited study of city history. Fortunately, my clients are very well informed and articulate and friendly (not to mention stylish and fascinating ;)! I have learned much through them, and recently this book has been suggested to me and is in my Amazon cart as I type. I look forward to furthering my knowledge on antique maps and doing subsequent blogs on the topic.

All the maps here are large format uploads, so clicking on them will greatly increase their size.

These are two of my favorites. You'll note they are very similar. They are unusual in orientation (West is at the top, North is right), and they both have gorgeous botanical motif borders, though the borders are not identical. They are both hand-colored with various effects.

This one is diminutive but unique in its mileage circles which center on Independence Hall. (City Hall is in every other consideration the city's center.) I also like that the neighborhoods are labeled, and those names still exist today. I thought Northern Liberties was a modern convention, like NYCs Tribeca and Noho, but lo, the area has been designated with that name since the city was planned, or so a client informed me.

And here are 4 more that have been through the shop recently. You'll note the bottom 2 are very similar as well.

And as for the framing of them, I love to do them in ornate dark brown mouldings with wheat-colored mats, and a fillet if the client is agreeable. Here are 3 recent examples.

Ahh, Spring!

2009-03-14T14:51:00.027-04:00

And a young(ish?) framer's fancy turns to...

Mounting, of course!

But first, the fever took hold when my toddler and I made bunches of construction paper flowers together. They adorn my dining room table at home and have made their way to the shop as well. Just in time for the Flower Show and a new window display. Just anticipating the milder weather inspired me to change up the coif a bit, too.

And because my mood is so great, I am now compelled to reveal simple mounting secrets to the DIY crowd as a public service. I am doing this because I see a lot of talented struggling artists trying to make money in this town, and attempting their own framing to conserve funds. To see art handled improperly makes me weep. Truly. And also, I think of families struggling to get their treasured photos into an Ikea frame and and doing more harm than good. A brief tutorial is the least I can do in these uncertain economic times.

Mounting 101

In general, a framer's job is to do no harm. Wherever possible, no adhesive should be used on any sort of art. Here's how this is accomplished using acid-free photo corners.

This is a technique that can be used if your art has margins that extend 1/2" or so beyond the image. Center art on the backing board and get it as flat as possible, using a weight if necessary. Slip photo corners onto each of the four corners and press firmly to adhere.

Apply acid-free double-sided tape, here shown being applied by a special gun, (but craft stores carry inexpensive disposable ones for the home framer) around all four sides close to the image on the backing board. Lay mat on top of the art, position into place and press firmly to adhere. And mounting is really as easy as that in an ideal situation.

Here's how it should be done when you don't have 1/2" wide margins to work with. Here, the client wants to show the margin around the image, so if photo corners were used then they would show under the mat. As before center the art on the backing board. Place a piece of single-sided acid free tape under one of the top two corners, only allow 1/8" tape onto the back of the art. Next, put a second piece of tape across the first, forming a "T." This is called a T-hinge and you'll need 2 of them. Just at the top two corners.

Do not do anything else to the art. Do not attempt to tack the bottom corners, it will look better is allowed to hang behind the mat naturally. As before, run a line of double-sided tape around the backing board on the outside of the art and press the mat down firmly on top. The image on the right is the completed piece. Oh, alright, I guess if I'm giving away free information, I might as well get the job done. Let's go back to the first image as it goes into a wood frame. I think most readymade frames are wood and probably a little easier for the home framer to work with.

Clean glass and fit mat package into frame. Readymade frames usually have flex-tabs that bend to hold the art in place. On the back of the wood frame (metal frames have an entirely different fitting procedure) run a line of the same double-sided tape near the edge of the moulding. Lay kraft paper (ours is fancy black paper at the shop) neatly over the frame and crease. Trim excess with a razor blade. This will give you a professional-looking dustcover on the back and prevent the casual insect passer-by from entering at will. Apply hanging hardware and you're done!

The art here is a silver gelatin print by great Philly photographer, JD Dragan.

FIN. for now.

2009-03-07T21:51:00.001-05:00

The last in my series on Frames and Film (probably)

When last I blogged, I gave you my list of great framing moments in film history...but it left so many of you asking, "but, Elaine, what about the small screen?" And to those of you, I say there is no greater program for fabulous framing than Frasier. No joke. Check it in reruns and you'll see what I mean. Although I'm told there was some fine stuff in Hack, too ;) And incidentally, I have now had two lawyers on separate occasions ask me to frame their degrees and documents like those they'd seen on Law & Order. I'd never seen the show, but the look as explained to me is 8 ply pure white mats and wide matte black wood frames--a gallery style look typical of contemporary fine art, but not usually parchment colored documents with ornate calligraphy. The result is really clean and simple and probably looks elegant in a high rise office.

And speaking of lawyers, these are the most recently completed items for the big movie job. The Set Decorator said they are to appear in a scene in a lawyer's apartment--great jazz posters in pewter-toned Ferrosa wood frames from Larson-Juhl.

And also there's the charming print of a nun in its perfect frame from Omega, a 2" Tuscan Distressed Gold Panel.

I will keep an eye out for my little starlets when the film hits theaters next year.

And the award goes to...

2009-02-25T13:24:00.001-05:00

Part Three in my week long series on Frames and Film

In honor of the Academy Awards last Sunday and the stress of the rush movie job being over (there's still more to come, just at a more leisurely pace), I give you now my top 5 framing movies. Oh yes, there are some great moments in framing on film.

5. John Waters' Pecker (1998). There is a wonderful scene where Pecker has his first photography exhibit in a Baltimore sandwich shop. The framing is AWFUL and obviously done by the artist who has no formal framing education. Outsider framing. The frames are garage-sale finds and the glass doesn't fit so newspaper is wedged at the top and bottom to hold things together. If I had more time on my hands I would do a screen-cap from my signed copy. I love how John Waters can even make framing hysterically funny. I reference this scene all the time at the shop when art students get sticker-shock and look for alternatives.

4. How to Steal A Million (1966) starring Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole. This is a comedy about art forgery and thievery shot on location in Paris in glamorous mansions and museums. The frames are gorgeous and tacky in a fabulous 60s way. Worth watching for the art direction alone, but also there's Audrey in her Givenchy wardrobe, too.

3. Vertigo (1958) Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak star in this Hitchcock classic. In one of the beginning scenes, Kim Novak arrives home after having been to the framer's. Her parcel is enormous and covered in brown kraft paper. I am from modest beginnings, so this was the first time I had ever seen someone return from a frame shop and the package looked very elegant to me! There are some later scenes in an art museum which also contain some nice frames, but the kraft paper wrapped parcel is what has stuck with me through the years.

2. Unbreakable (2000). Philadelphia's own M. Night Shyamalan directs a second picture with Bruce Willis and great framing. There is a scene in Samuel L. Jackson's lair that includes dozens of gallery-style images of superheroes. I worked in a very well-staffed frame shop at the time this film was released (I had not yet come to Philly or Frugal Frames) and this scene influenced some of my colleagues and our designs. It also led to our hypothesis that M. Night Shyamalan might have at one time been a framer himself.

1. The Sixth Sense (1999). One cannot discuss frames on film without mentioning this, M. Night Shyamalan's first feature film. There are lines of dialogue in at least two scenes that talk about how stunning a particular piece of framing is, which may be unprecedented in film. Again, I would screen-cap if I could. The frame is a Stradivarius veneer, and back in the day I sold it to customers as "The Sixth Sense" frame, unaware that eight years later I would work in the shop that created it.

Here's the Stradivarius and photo of the newspaper article (sorry, it's not archived online--just click to enlarge). And go figure, Frugal Frames on Pine Street also did 100 pieces for that great scene in Unbreakable, too.

Action!

2009-02-24T18:20:00.001-05:00

Part Two in my week long series on Frames and Film

So today is Tuesday and the day the balance of the frames were to arrive for the big movie order, but there was yet another comedy of errors (again, I am blameless for real) and they nearly did not. At some point during this very frantic morning I even contemplated buying ready-made frames at a craft store just to deliver the job on time. (And did I mention it's my birthday today?) Sidenote: when the order was placed I suggested to the Set Decorator that we put everything in standard sizes, so the rectangles would look proportionate on film and also so that maybe they could be recycled after the shoot. These very practical objectives gave me more options today when things started to go awry. The job would be delivered somehow, because it sure would be nice to work in film in this town again.

Through some sort of magic (read: very "assertive" phone calls from the Boss), the frames arrived at noon. Since I had everything prepped including glass, it was really just a simple matter of fitting and I had all pieces complete by 1:10 pm--just 10 minutes over schedule and I was not seen to break a sweat.

Here are the remaining frames completed today. And for getting this order in on time...

I'd like to thank all the little people who got me here.

I oughta be in pictures...

2009-02-23T20:21:00.001-05:00

Part One in my week long series on Frames and Film

Last week a Set Decorator for a major motion picture bounded into the shop with tubes and bags and sleeves of art under her arm. This is the second time I have assisted a Set Decorator (though several have been through the shop over the years). Each needed the completed projects in less than a week, and each competently made decisions with me while simultaneously handled various calls on her cell phone. Amazing.

This time it was 20 pieces, 15 of which were needed for Tuesday (it was Friday at noon). No problem. I would receive frames and mats Monday morning and have them completed for the Tuesday deadline.

So, today is Monday. There was some sort of mix-up at the distributor (the ordering was done right on our end, fyi), and only half the frames arrived. After some calls were made (thanks Mark & Alexa!) the others are sure to arrive tomorrow, and I am certain I can still pull it off by 1:00 pm.

And as is often the case, when it rains it pours. Feast or famine. Or by whatever cliche you like, I had a gazillion other things to occupy my time today, like framing a whole gallery show which I cannot show you just now, and 7 documents for the hospital (right).

Here are the first 7 completed pieces for the movie (left). Maybe they'll make their film debut or maybe they'll end up on the cutting room floor. Oh and some things I learned about framing for film is that one should not frame with stark white mats--they look too harsh on film. We selected a nice off-white here. Also, ALWAYS use non-glare glass to stand up to the lighting. And since the frames and art are ostensibly props and likely to be thrown out, auctioned off, or given as souvenirs, there is no need for conservation glazing and permanent mounting techniques can be used.

proper proportion

2009-02-22T14:12:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to make a quick note today regarding proportion. Many clients get scared when I suggest wide mouldings for their art. The fear is that the moulding will overpower the art and be a distraction. This week I can exhibit an example of modern frame proportion.
The image here is 20 x 24" and the moulding width is 4." Rather than detracting from the art, this moulding elevates and enhances the art, displaying it as the substantial work that it is. And it doesn't hurt that the moulding is a gorgeous "Belmont" veneer from Larson-Juhl.

One Man's Trash

2009-02-21T15:53:00.001-05:00

A new client appeared in the shop and unfurled five stunning original vintage travel posters. They were in prisitne linen-backed condtion and wonderfully oversized. I have seen hundreds of vintage reproduction travel posters in my career, but I had never seen these particular images. My client explained that he grew up in a town where there was an elderly travel agent. After he died, the travel agent's sons cleaned out his office and put some office furniture out for the trash. My client, then in college, was in need of a desk and the one on the curb looked ok. Once he got it home he discovered the posters in the drawers. He held onto them and later in life had them appraised. They were all orignials and worth quite a tidy sum! He had just had them linen-backed when he arrived in the store.

We selected materials, 8 ply mats with 3" exposures on all. The frames on some are matte black with Conservation Clear glass, and the remaining frames are espresso burl with Museum glass, lest they be mistaken for garbage again.

The large format posters are roughly 40 x 52" finished.

steampunk ingenuity

2009-02-18T12:55:00.001-05:00

When one of Philly's most fabulous photographers, Tsirkus Fotografika, came to me and asked me to try to create a daugerreotype-inspired enclosure for one of his gorgeous original polaroids, I said, "yes," without hesitation.

We selected materials and decided on a reverse-fillet moulding and tiny 1/2" exposure on a gray museum rag mat.

I had only ever done reverse-fillets on items going inside some larger frame like a shadowbox collage, but was certain I could figure out how to do one that would be its own frame. I would come up with a solution on the fitting table (where else?)

2 weeks later, when the materials had arrived and I had some time to work it out, it dawned on me that reverse-fillet contruction has no rabbet to hold the glass in place and we had definitely agreed upon glazing. I could fit it in under the mat, but there is so little depth inside that the glass would have to be in direct contact with the photo. Also unacceptable (both to the client and against the framing oath). I slept on it and came up with a beautifully simple solution.

The first step was to cut and join the fillet. Fillet was joined in the vice with some amazing new adhesive I've discovered. Then the gray top mat was cut with reverse bevels on the ouside and adhered to fillet inset. Conservation Clear glass was cut to inner dimension of fillet. Then I decided to try to cut another museum mat with a larger opening to fit under the glass, but on top of the photo to be a platform for the glass to rest on. The exposure on this mat was a tiny 1/4" so it was really tricky--outsides had to be trimmed after the fact and extreme care not to overcut to maintain shape integrity. But the mat turned out to be too thick to fit inside with the glass and the art (only about 3/16" clearance--glass is 1/8"). So what's a girl to do?

I just peeled off the top layer! Normally this would not be enough surface area to ensure no glazing contact with the art, but the subject is only 3 x 4" wide! It worked! So simple!

Then I cut a nice suede backing with bevels on the outside to cover the whole back of the project. I mounted to photo to the backing, and adhered the backing to the back of the fillet. Voila!