Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Framing Small Paintings


5x7, oil on canvas panel


5x7, oil on canvas panel
I have been painting even more than usual these past two weeks because I'm entering 4 group shows in November and December. I even have paintings I haven't posted on this blog! Yesterday I realized I hadn't done any really small paintings lately, and I like to put some on eBay. Many people who do not have original art in their home like to start off with a small painting, and I think that's a good idea. So I got busy last night, stayed up late, and painted these 2 5x7s. They will be on eBay tonight starting at 29.00. You can always access my eBay items by clicking on the icon on the top right.



So...what to do with those small paintings? First of all, buy more than one!--unless you plan to display it on a easel on a table. Second, frame it! A frame isolates the painting from its environment so that it becomes more of a focal point. Those large painting on gallery wrapped canvas can be the exception, but I'm talking big like 2 x3 feet. Above is an example from my house....3 would have been better, but I didn't have them. They are tucked away in a fairly small space and hung close together so that they become a unit. A small painting in a large space just looks lost, like a small child crying for his Mom. Folks, don't let this happen to your paintings!





Well, now that I'm on a roll, I would also like to post about wide and narrow frames. Above are examples of both. The top is an oil painting, not too large, and it needs a wide frame. The bottom is a collograph (original print) which requires a mat, glass, and frame. For these, such as prints, watercolors, etc., begin with a large, wide mat and then frame with a thin frame. If both were wide it would be too much. If both were small and narrow, the work would have no presence.
Oops, nothing like a photo to make you realize your paintings are a little crooked on the wall! Oh, well.
Connie



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