I create my work on canvas or wood panel, ready to hang directly on the wall, without needing glass or a frame. I generally paint the edges black, but will occasionally wrap an image around in what’s called a “gallery wrap”.
A frame isn’t necessary, but helps connect the artwork to your interior design. When I frame my work, I always use a"canvas floater" frame, which doesn't cover any of the painting. It is a style I like for my paintings when I choose to frame them. Professional framers have a broad selection but a floater frame is a clean contemprary look.
About the frames I make:
I make my frames from local Virginia Poplar or Maple wood, and I hand cut, assemble, and paint or varnish the frame. These two are ideal for frames (and art panels - in fact, the Mona Lisa is painted on Poplar ) since it resists splitting and warping, and it doesn’t have a strong rough grain like oak. It does darken over time to a muted gold tone.
Size and Shape:
The frames measure about 1'“x2”, with the tall edge standing about 2" from the surface of the wall. They add about 1.5” to the “nominal” size of the artwork, so a 24”x30” artwork will measure 25.5”x31.5” in the frame. The front edge of the frame is about ¼" wide and also "floats" ¼-½" away from the edge of the artwork. The artwork surface itself sits just slightly below the face of the frame, which allows the frame to remain visible as a border on the work, even from a side view. My artwork panels and canvases are typically 1½" thick, so a frame adds some depth to the overall work. On smaller paintings such as the 11x14 examples above, a frame is proportionately larger and so adds a visual weight to the artwork, while on larger pieces, the frame feels thinner, and acts more as a slim boundary between the work and the rest of the room.
Finish and Color:
I like natural wood but will sometimes hand paint them black or white on special request.
Pricing:
I frequently offer natural wood frames on my pieces as a “courtesy frame”. These take time to make, so frames independent of their painting are not something I generally offer, and the freight fee for an empty frame is the same price as for an artwork of the same size. I have to set up the framing portion of my studio to keep dust away from the work, so I only make frames once a month or so. Contact me for a quote if you would like to purchase a frame all by itself. When commissioning artwork, I will tell you in the quote whether the shape and size you have in mind is one that I generally offer a courtesy frame for, and if you have special requests I’m happy to discuss possibilities.