FRAMING OPTIONS

What’s a poor painter to do?  You paint and paint and paint, you finally get a show and then – oh no, gotta frame those puppies.  Call it my poor planning skills, but this is always a mad rush to pull together with the cost being a really unpleasant factor.

I read some time ago that the rule of thumb was that the frame should cost 20% of the price.  So a $1000 painting should have a $200 frame on it.  But I think there’s some room for creativity too.  Here are some ideas:

Don’t frame it.  The cheapest option of all!  Either sell it unframed, or use one of those gallery wrap canvasses with painted or unpainted edges.  Pros: Cheap.  Cons: Cheap!

Build it yourself.  Depending on your tools and handiness, this can be anything from a simple box of L-shaped molding or lattice strips, to real framing moulding and gorgeous finishing.  Pros: Money saving. Cons: Tool startup cost can be substantial.

Rehab old frames.  Keep an eye out for snazzy old frames at estate sales and thrift stores – then have your local hardware store cut panels to fit.  You can find some outrageous profiles that maybe only need a good scrubbing and possibly a coat of paint.  Pros: Value and selection.  Cons: You have to keep a stockpile.

Buy premade.  Well, Michaels tells us it is the largest framer in the world, and they have all those Chinese imported frames in standard sizes.  And they’re on sale for 50% off more often than not.  Pros: Easy, cheap.  Cons: Everybody knows you got an easy cheap frame.

Buy online for cheap. This sounds like such a great idea – good prices, shop in your jammies, buy in bulk…  But the frames always seem shoddy and shipping is an invitation to damage.  Then, you’re stuck with a damaged “great deal” that it’s too much trouble to return.  I’ve used Pictureframes.com and similar sites in the past, and they have been a huge disappointment for me.  Pros: cheap, easy.  Cons: poor quality.

Custom framing at a small local shop.  This is my favorite option right now.  You meet someone in your neighborhood – they walk you through the selections, and that networking is almost as valuable as the price they’ll give you.  I’m using another artist, http://www.lastingframes.com, and the price was better than the big box stores with great quality.  Pros: Selection, quality, advice, relationship.  Cons: Leadtime can be weeks, location may not be convenient.

Custom framing at chain craft stores.  You’ll get some help from someone who kinda knows what they’re doing, and it’s probably on sale…  But it’s always on sale!  That’s not really a sale in my opinion.  Also, same stock, but usually higher process than your local frame shop, oddly enough.  Pros: convenient locations, lots of selection.  Cons: not as great of pricing as they claim.

High end custom framing.  Oh, dare to dream!  One day!