It can feel like an intimidating affair – but it doesn’t have to! As almost all works are sold unframed here at the gallery, there is a lot of room for considering different frames for different artworks. We’ve spoken to artists about their journey of discovery with framing; a topic they, unsurprisingly, gave some great insight on. It’s also worth bearing in mind that framing a work increases its value. Using a framer you can trust is important, and we can give you recommendations.
The important thing is choosing a frame that you like, and that works in your space. Various frames can produce new effects in setting off particular colours in the painting, or for emphasising a modern or traditional look. For example, Nicola Wiltshire addresses the advantages of colour versus black framing, also speaking to how for more earthy-toned works a warmer wooden frame can work really well. Rosemary Burns has an in-house framer, while Kate Cunningham and Tyler Watson address leaving a work unframed.
Most importantly, have fun with it. As Tyler puts it:
I just love that my work is being enjoyed. The piece is now yours, so I love the idea that you are keeping the life of the work going and the visual process of the painting alive. It’s yours, you can make it yours.
Some Essential Tips for Framing and Hanging:
- Moulding: don’t be afraid to use wooden moulding frames for very modern works, and vice versa: using a very contemporary-looking aluminium moulding for a more classical painting can also work really well.
- Try not to hang the work in direct sunlight. You can also get UV reflective glass for extra protection.
- Hanging securely: you can use plastic coated wires as these are particularly durable, and more than one hook for larger works.
- To hang: hold the painting carefully by the wire, roughly in the middle. Use a tape measure to measure the distance between the wire (whilst you are holding it) to the top of the painting. Hold the painting in place where you would like to hang. Use a pencil and gently mark where you would like the top of your artwork to be. You can then use the measurement you took previously to measure down from your pencil mark to show where to hammer in your picture hook.
Thanks to Kate Cunningham, professional framer of 5 years, who consulted on this guidance.
Nicola Wiltshire on colour or black frames, using tray-frames to show off patterned edges and on making frames herself:
I use charcoal in every painting, which is a wonderfully saturated sort of black. To emphasise this, I’ve been using matte black frames. I have the frames built to my custom sizes, then paint them using blackboard paint, which is the most matte black I could find.
The frame really soaks up the light, allowing my bright colours to pop. I always choose a tray frame too, to show off the patterned edges of my paintings. Recently I’ve experimented with a coloured frame with my painting ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’. I went with a blue-grey colour to create a softer feeling. I love it and will definitely try more colours in the future.
Tyler Watson on framing very modern works with a classic wood mould:
I do like my paintings framed, but that also differs from artwork to artwork: some pieces I feel don’t need it, whereas others I think benefit visually from a frame.
If it were up to me (which it sometimes is) I think my works look best in dark, stained wooden frames as it creates a contrast between the ‘plastic/modern’ nature of my artworks and the traditional antique aesthetic of the wooden surround.
Kate Cunningham on leaving works unframed and using shadow-box frames
My oil paintings are created on deep-edged boxed canvasses, with the edges painted white, and have a wire attached to the back for hanging. Many of my clients prefer to leave the paintings unframed for a modern, clean look, but others would rather have the work framed in order to match their décor or enhance the painting.
Selling my work unframed but ready-to-hang allows my customers the option of finding something most suitable to them. Personally, for my own work, I love the look of a shadow-box frame which makes the canvas appear as though it is floating within the frame.
Deep profile mouldings can be limited in colours but local framers can also remove the canvas from the stretcher if needed and bond it down to board which would allow the use of any frame.
And Henrietta Clavering, who worked for a while as an art dealer, tells us about the value in framing, well as well as what suits her oil landscape and abstract paintings on paper:
Painting oil on paper where the picture goes from edge to edge I have found that a simple floating board sat in a box frame shows the painting edge to edge – otherwise it feels like the frame cuts off the imagery.
If I had the funds I would frame them in a French impressionist style plaster moulded gilded frame! Framing can make or break a painting!
In my art dealing days we had a lovely Munnings landscape [Sir Alfred Munnings] in a dreadful frame. We had it reframed at a cost of £9k and sold it for 20k more. It was worth it.
Words by Maggie