When I was painting only for myself and family the issue of frames was pretty simple. My paintings got the discount frame treatment. I would always stock up on frames at 2-for-1 sales, an occasional garage sale. I have even resorted to dumpster diving (only once). The frames were cheap and compared to gallery frame, they looked it!
When I began showing in galleries it was embarrassing how unprofessional those cheap frames looked. They simply were not acceptable in a professional gallery space - like brown loafers surrounded by tuxedos. The critical lesson I learned fast was that good frames are worth far more than their cost.
I also learned that professional framing is no small expense especially when you have 20 paintings to frame for a show. But here are ways that have helped me control the costs a bit.
• Paint Standard Sizes
The size and dimensions of a painting are simply elements of a painting, just like color, texture and edges. As an artist, I should be able to work within the small restrictions that standard frames present. There are many standard sized, ready made frames available in such a wide variety of styles, colors and finishes that it easy to find the right frame to compliment my work.
• Reuse Existing Frames
By using the same sizes for most of my paintings I can reuse the frames for new paintings. The great thing is that reusing frames eliminates the cost of a new frame all together.
• Custom Frame with In-Stock Molding
If I do paint using a non-standard size or dimension I need a custom frame. Custom framers often have leftover molding from other custom frame job available at a discount. This is especially true for smaller painting. Asking to see extra molding has revealed some real treasures.
Right now my favorite frame supplier is Pleinart Frames. Their frames are beautiful and reasonably priced. They have a great selection and could not be more friendly and helpful. The same people sell frames in other flavors: Impressionist Frames, Western Frames, and Classic Frames.
Please let me know if you have any other tips on controlling costs and/or any frame suppliers you would recommend.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Controlling the High Cost of Framing
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1 comments:
I just saw this post, and just wanted to share a few frame suppliers. I've bought from Impressionist Frames/Plein Air Frames before, and agree that they are a great company to work with. However, if you have a state sale tax ID #, you can buy a lot of the same frames wholesale and save yourself some money. I buy most of my frames from Omega Moulding (www.omegamoulding.com - specifically their "Gallery Frames") and JFM Enterprises (www.jfmenterprises.net). You have to have a tax ID to set up an account with either, but it's worth it. They sell a lot of the same frames at 1/2 the price you'd buy retail. I get my custom frames from Front Range Frames (www.frontrangeframes.com) and they do a great job, but definitely a bit more pricey since they do the finish to your specs!
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