Frame it like you mean it!
Artwork comes in all shapes and sizes, as do the glorious frames that make them even more evocative. Pragmatic as they may be, finding the right frame for your piece takes a special eye and when done properly can elevate the work to dizzying heights.
Here are some of our favourite framing ideas to help you find the perfect finish to your forever piece. (also sorry in advance for all the frame puns…#sorrynotsorry)
I want to be Frame-ous!
You’ve found the perfect print to bring your whole room together, but now what?! How can you do this spectacular piece of fine art justice? Well, one of our absolutely favourite ways to make your print pop is by pulling the key colours into the frame itself. By using the same hue in the frame you not only pay homage to your piece, but you extend its reach into, and beyond the artwork itself. This technique can be used for absolutely any type of art, and will add a contemporary flourish to even the most demure antique pieces. Check out this stunning example by Alecks 'themilkape' Ayling.
we're melting x 100 | Framed by Alecks 'themilkape' Ayling
It’s more than fifteen minutes of Frame
Framing is not just for design and presentation, it’s also very much about preservation. Photography, keepsakes, paintings, silks, line-drawings, you name it, they can all be affected by harsh UV rays, pollution, and moisture in the air. One of the ways to protect your collection is by investing in the proper glass for the display. Museums and private collectors rely on companies like Art Glass to make sure their pieces are protected for decades to come. Art Glass has created several unique glass formulas to suit each medium tailored to the chemical make-up of the artwork. They do this to ensure each priceless piece maintains the highest quality, and strongest protection. Innovations like this allow us to enjoy art in its original form for centuries to come. All good framers will offer archival / art glass as an option when framing, so be sure to ask about what options they have. It will cost a little more than standard glass, but the protection it provides your artwork is well worth the additional price.
A rose by any other Frame…
Some art work is just too special to be subtle, and requires a super duper extra extravagant all-about-me custom frame that is truly one of a kind. Luckily there are incredible framers out there who take their jobs very seriously and can design something so unique that it will make your already gorgeous piece second to none.
Have a look at this gorgeous custom framework by Urban Framers.
What’s in a Frame?
Other than art? The Mount of course! How you mount your piece will change the look and feel of your presentation by miles. Some pieces are what we call ‘Edge to Edge’ and they don’t share the limelight for nobody. They take up the whole frame and if paired with one of those gorgeous painted frames, can reach beyond the piece and then some.
A Window mount is pretty traditional, the mount is cut to size around the piece and lays on top of the artwork, but nowadays artists are getting more creative with the depth and abstract angles giving the art even more oomph. Window mounts can be in any colour, and be as thin or thick as you want, which makes the possibilities pretty endless. This style is popular for showcasing a series, if you want to include a description, or to create a striking contrast.
Floating mounts are another way to make your piece pop off the page, literally. The art is set above the mount floating between the glass and the mount, this adds depth, character and a look-at-me element to even the most subtle pieces.
Check out this incredible creative mounting and framing by photographer, Taryn Simon.
I was Framed I swear!
Love a pop of colour, but don’t want to be imprisoned forever…give them the slip! (Get it! Framed, prison, give them the slip! Come on people, that was some of my best work jeez…) One way that you can fab up your frame is by adding a colourful Slip into the framework. You can pull the colour from the piece itself or from the room where it will be hanging. Bright pops of neon to subtle pastels, whatever your flavour it is sure to add some flamboyance and flair to your piece.
Fear of the Frame only increases fear in the thing itself.
Framing your favourite pieces can feel daunting if you really don’t know what you want, but luckily there are experts out there who can give you the guidance you need to make your art dreams come true. Get on Pinterest and start saving a collection of your favourite pieces, and you will no doubt find your vision and be able to share it with your Framer. Remember as long as you love it, that’s all that matters!
If you are looking for some inspiration, check out our Picture Frame Ideas board on Pinterest.
Looking for some art to fill your frames? Shiver Gallery is your affordable fine art haven.