FRAME SHOPS ---Can be intimdating!

Keith Hewitt · Post by **Keith Hewitt** » Thu 14 Dec, 2006 8:03 am

I am overseas and cant get my e-mail server to work, so just Googled "Framers Forums" to find this site, and instead this came up first

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/archive ... -2619.html

I read that an artist finds a frame shop intimidating just because there are a lot of mouldings on display!! I am surprised ...an artist surely should appreciate the need for a big choice of mouldings to enhance their paintings. If an artist is intimidated by a frame shop, then what about Joe Public? Do you think this opinion applies to more people than we think? How do we as an industry overcome this perception, if it does indeed exist? We dont want prospects "intimidated"by frame shops, we want them to be comfortable. How do you achieve this?

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HERE IS THE POST FROM

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/archive ... -2619.html

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stoy Jones
I'm curious to know if discussions about framing could be held here. It seems relevant to studio tips, but someone expressed interest in a framing forum

I would vote FOR a specific framing forum since it is something not really related to many artist's studio practices. I'm thinking here of those artists who choose to have their work framed by framing shops rather than doing it themselves. But going to a frame shop can be intimidating

in and of itself, with the huge selections of frames and styles and colors and etc, so discussions on the topic of framing would probably be useful to all artists.

OTOH, there is SOOOO much to know about use of shop tools for making one's own frames that I think the discussions relevant to creating frames and the "how to" aspect would be ongoing. I've seen long threads on the question of which matt knife is the best one to buy, as an example.

So yes! Let's have a framing forum! But until then, it seems to me perfectly appropriate to post to this forum any questions on framing and tools.
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Lets hear your views and opinions!

Merlin · Post by **Merlin** » Thu 14 Dec, 2006 7:23 pm

Hi Keith
Yes, an interesting site, especially the framing forum part.

Some of the advice (??) given could be quite contentious though. e.g. using fishing line nylon instead of cord or wire on the back of the frames. Plus the use of eyelets instead of D rings.

I will be one of those who will just sit back and watch for a while..

mick11 · Post by **mick11** » Fri 15 Dec, 2006 1:03 pm

I often answer questions on that forum,and am probably the only framer on there. It is a real challenge

You have to realise that the vast majority of people that use it are "hard up" American artists, and very few are prepared to spend any money, to do even a half decent job of mounting or framing their art.

Merlin · Post by **Merlin** » Fri 15 Dec, 2006 3:25 pm

Hi Mick11
Yes I have noticed your up hill struggle on there at times.
It is just a pity that some of their work - and some are very good - is ruined or could be ruined by penny pinching.

Like any customer though, we can only give advice. It is up to them at the end of the day.

kev@frames · Post by **kev@frames** » Fri 22 Dec, 2006 10:00 pm

artists get intimidated in frame shops because there is a danger they might have to hand over some money

Penny Pinching "artists" are more the norm than the exception. Sadly they dont appear to teach them anything about the art business at college, and by the time the amateur progresses to producing saleable work its too late, and the penny pinching ideology has set in.

If they dont spend on decent presentation -mounting and framing- then why on earth would someone pay top money for their work?

On the other hand, we do get a few art students from two local colleges (the minority of students admittedly) who do come in and have their work mounted and framed for presentation. I think this is the beginning of a new generation of artists who place enough value on their own work to make sure it has every chance of selling, so things are looking up.

As for he penny pinchers, they still dont appreciate that a suitable frame can often DOUBLE the final selling price of their modestly priced work ("affordable art") , yet they still root about in the clearance bins and ready mades and then if they cant find someything suitable they hold up some horrible frame half the size ask you to hack their picture down to fit the cheap frame they got for two quid.... thats if they haven't walked into the shop in the first place with something from the charity shop.

I do have a large amount of respect for the artist who makes his/her own frames. That is someone taking complete control of the artistic process frm start to finish, and that process isn't finished till the picture is sold and hanging on someones wall.