Frame of Mind: The art of framing art

The framer I often use already knows that when I walk into his shop with an art piece, it’s like going to the playground for me. This is one of the creative endeavors of my work that gives me huge satisfaction, as choosing an art piece for a space is such a personal investment, and it’s often not really complete until the piece is framed.

Framing an art piece should enhance it, and there are many ways to do that. However, choosing the wrong frame can result in overpowering the artwork, not allowing it to shine, or simply not interacting well with the piece, as the frame does create a dialogue with what it is holding. Or going for a standard black frame--which by all means can be the right frame for a certain piece of art--might be a missed opportunity to make the art piece stand out as it deserves and make a statement in the space.

An artwork framer in his workshop

There aren’t many strict rules for how to frame a piece of art, as even a very small piece can be framed with an extra-large mat and frame, making a very small piece be ridiculously framed in the best possible way. The eye is drawn first to the frame and then to what it encloses. A frame can also take some aspect of the art piece to further emphasize it and show it off.

Let's look at this bright mixed media piece and what we did with it.

Mixed media art piece framed with black and white inlay and linen mat.

Here, I framed this mixed media art piece with this gorgeous inlay frame. The framer was hesitant about such a strong design on the frame for this light-filled piece. And yet it worked so beautifully. No doubt the frame enhances the art. My personal lesson, though, was that up until then, I had always thought of linen matting as old-fashioned and frumpy, but after trying out several cardboard ones, I decided to give linen a try, and wow! What a game changer. It softens the glossy, sharp-lined frame and acts as a beautiful yet unnoticeable bridge between frame and art.

Look how beautifully the striped inlay mirrors the lines in the art piece. Also, the linen mat creates a great transition between frame and picture.

Let's look at these two paintings acquired during the pandemic from a British artist.

A pair of acrylic paintings by a British artist

They’re naive in style and dreamy in vibe, so I chose a deep blue acrylic frame for these paintings. The ocean, the evening light, the figures which, though not any person or pet in particular, seem like a memory of one’s life. They fit beautifully in these semi-transparent frames, which add to the sense of depth already in the images.

A semi transparent frame enhances the feeling conveyed by the ocean and the deep colors of the evening sky in this pair of art pieces.

There’s a Chilean artist I love and I managed to purchase two original prints by him late last year.

Two prints by the same Chilean artist

One lives in my husband’s office and the other lives in mine. See how these two pieces ended up with such similar frame treatments that have a very different impact. Though the shape and mounting is the same, my husband’s is a strong, sophisticated lacquered frame and the piece is float mounted. Mine, an airy light wood frame, and the art piece is also floated. In case you're newer to the subject, float mounting or floating is when the art piece sits on top of the mat, rather than behind it. It works really well when the paper used in the piece has the irregular and textured edges as these two pieces.

One of the beautiful results of float mounting is that the print casts a shadow, adding a touch of depth.

Finally, a word about truly custom framing, which can be DIYed. This is a craft and an art in itself and it adds a lot of fun and joy to both the piece framed and the space in which it is placed. Here, the framer enters into a personal dialogue with the object to be framed and responds to it in a highly personal manner. A framer of this sort is an artist working with the artists that come to him through their works. It is very difficult to find a framer who does this kind of work.

See how the hand-painted frames are fun and help integrate the pieces into the spaces where they live. All three of these images belong to Kit Kemp.

If you are of the creative type and like working with your hands, you can partly create a frame of this kind yourself, just get a frame the right size, lightly sand it so that any paint you apply will adhere, and make it your own. You can even do this to customize your own mirror frame for a more custom space!

As an art consultant, I love art and I love giving art the placement it merits in the home. If you would like to get help in choosing an art piece for your home or to find the perfect frame, send me an email at natalia@nataliaallendestudio.com. I’d love to help you.

For more content like this, sign up to receive The Woof! https://www.nataliaallendestudio.com/thewoof