It has been said, “the clothes make the man,” the choice of clothes being a matter of image projection.  Well, the same could be said about frames for art.  The frame (or lack thereof) projects an image upon the artwork, and by repute, the homeowner.  Recently, I have reframed two older works that had been in storage.  One is a pastel that demands a frame and glass for proper display and protection/conservation, and the other is an oil (on board) that requires a frame to be able to hang it on a wall.  If you are framing an artwork or photograph that is valuable to you, make sure to confer with your framer about acid-free matting and conservation glass.  After that, the choice of frame is all about your personal style.

My home is a Victorian Lunenburg bump, but my furnishings range from Second Empire antiques to Modern 1930’s reproductions.  My choice of framing for artwork has a similar range depending on the room of display.  I know that framers will tell you that the choice of frame is all about the art itself, and that is correct—in a museum.  We don’t live in sterile environments and neither should our artwork.  I start by coordinating the colour of the frame (gold, warm silver, brown, or black) to the other frames in the room.  I usually keep similar tones together in one space, and then connect the style and detail of the frame to the style and detail of the artwork.  My pastel artwork (mentioned above) is a depiction of brightly animated coyotes by Markus Pierson (Google him).  Needless to say, the subject is unique—so unique, that I let the artwork dictate the frame.  I used a dazzling art-deco-styled gold frame that reveals red highlights--just like gold leaf.  The frame moulding is from Roma (www.romamoulding.com), a Toronto company that designs and imports frames from Italy.  My little oil will be displayed with 19^th century antiques, so I chose a gold frame to set off the impressionist style of the painting.  The frame features a scalloped detail, alluding to the classic design of the other furnishings in the room.  This frame is from Larson-Juhl.  Their website is amazing (www.larsonjuhl.com).  Try out the interactive “Adding Artistry to Art” pages, which allow you to create your own frames and matting on different types of artwork.  This glimpse into the process of framing will give you some visual experience before entering a gallery or frame shop and being forced to make a monetary decision.

Recently I helped a friend do just that in the Phil Secord Gallery in Halifax.  She had just returned from New York with two pen-and-inks with coloured highlights.  She had been advised by another friend to just add a plain white matt and a simple black frame.  BORING.  I asked her about the setting for her new pieces—a new loft space, very urban.  Well, I said, since the rest of your environment will be brick walls, concrete, and sleek modern furniture, why don’t we jazz up the artwork with an exciting frame?  We set her previous choice next to my choice—a 3-inch-wide sexy and sculpted black frame with black fabric matting.  I said, “this frame is who you are, and this (pointing to the other) is your friend.”  Which do you think she chose?                    

Caveat:  you don’t need a frame on an original canvas if the sides are finished and the work is important.  But most of us don’t have very many original canvases by Jackson Pollack, or Andy Warhol hanging around, although many of you do keep your large Valverde canvases so unencumbered.  Bravo!