Saturday, February 5, 2011

Rosemary - It's A Wrap

This evening I brought in some cleanup with this painting. Bits of color here and lifting there. I used one of my new acrylic brushes for scrubbing out Payne's Gray. Wow... extremely effective--that is compared to using a regular sable watercolor brush. That stiffness does the trick.

Next up is to find a frame. I'm thinking I'd like to go with a gold color. It has to be a wooden frame. No sawtooth hangers.

I cropped the painting to 7.5 x 10.5", then canvased out to 10 x 13", and finally dropped in a .5" frame. I suspect the real frame will have more width but this might be a close look.

Next up is to find a frame and get this all together. So far, I've only worked with Nielsen Bainbridge photo frames. I'll be needing help framing this painting.






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4 comments:

  1. ThreadspiderFebruary 6, 2011 at 10:21 AM

    The finished painting is great John-it captures the stiff bristlyness of rosemary so well. I feel if I touched it I could smell it too.
    My framing preference would be for a slightly wider frame but I find framing choices very difficult. We have an excellent local framer who makes all the decisions-she is much better than me!

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  2. JohnFebruary 6, 2011 at 2:49 PM

    Yes, I do think you are right. This was my first "framing" attempt with Photoshop. I'll be asking my NESBA folks for some help here. Jeez, and now that you mention it, I have a local framer just up the road. Perhaps I should give a visit...

    Thanks, Judith! :-)

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  3. gretchenFebruary 6, 2011 at 5:15 PM

    Love it, love it, love it!
    I actually worked in a frame shop for many years. My own personal taste for a botanical water color is for an extra wide mat and thin gold wood frame. But before you do anything, ask yourself if you are planning to exhibit this piece? Many galleries/exhibits/competitions have strict guidelines re: their framing preferences- some will not allow a colored mat, other will not allow metal frames or have other restrictions. If you are framing this for yourself, I see this in an extra wide mat (to draw the eye to the center of the subject much like jewel in an exquisite setting) in a soft whisper of a sage green. Some of the museum greys work beautifully for this. The mat should be a bit wider on the bottom to give the over all piece a bit of visual stability, and obviously of archival quality. For the frame I would look at some gold wood moldings with a relatively thin and restrained profile no wider than 1/2" max. Framing one's artwork is extremely subjective and these ideas are merely my own suggestions. It is totally worth your time to go to a frame shop with your piece and "play" with as many combinations of mats and frames as you can till you find "THE ONE" - you will know it when you see it!
    ~gretchen

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  4. JohnFebruary 6, 2011 at 5:55 PM

    Thanks, Gretchen! :-)

    This piece is for the NESBA exhibition at the Boston Flower Show in March. Requirements call for white to off-white mat, light wood or gold wood frame (probably restrained as you mention), and no sawtooth hanger.

    I'll check with Joyce, expected back from Florida next week and touch base with my local framer.

    I will also have to determine pricing or nfs.

    Ohh... My first show! Exciting! :-)

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