Frame Design by Tim Franer, CPF, CMG Designing Within a Space

ave you ever been challenged by a frame project in which a client was looking for something that Hrequired almost the exact opposite of your nor- mal design procedure? Several months ago a client asked to have four items framed. Instead of the usual design procedure, the assignment began with some specific requirements that normally come later in the design process. First, there were specific frame dimensions. Then, each frame had to be selected from a different ven- dor, and each frame was to use a different type of mat- ting (such as 8-ply, conservation, and fabric-covered). Finally, each frame had to have artwork selected to fit with the designated frame size and hanging instructions.

The Design Process Frame A: A Fotiou 9224SI It sounds like a strange request, but it fit with the goals of Distressed Silver Leaf brown the client, a matboard manufacturer. The idea was to use wash cap frame was com- bined with a Peterboro dou- each framed piece to present various ways matboard ble fabric mat to create a successful design. The out- could be used. Each design needed to have a different side mat, DF933 Weave, look while keeping with the idea that the matting would has a custom-wrapped beveled edge and a space enhance and complement the artwork without overpow- between top and back fab- ric mat DF900. An antique ering it. silver leaf fillet was placed in back mat to add detail. A giclee by The client specified four types of matboard to be Jennifer Goldberger/World Art Group was modified to fit the required space. Tru Vue Museum Glass was used to finish the project. used in each frame: • Project A: a fabric mat using silk, linen, or weave • Using inlaid matting with hand-drawn ink lines on • Project B: a conservation suede mat the matboard • Project C: a conservation alpha cellulose mat • Crafting a shadowbox mat to provide spacing for • Project D: a 100% cotton museum mat. floating, sub-mounted artwork Since the focus was on different types of matboard, • Designing with white-on-white mats to add a dimen- the first design concept was to focus on the detail of the sional effect without detracting from the artwork matboards. To give each frame a unique look, a variety of • Using wide or weighted-bottom mat proportions to different matting techniques was used: add focus to the matboard while enhancing to overall • Float mounting the artwork design. • Reverse bevel cutting the window openings The next component was selecting the artwork. • Using spacers between double mats That meant researching and locating the right pieces. • Creating hand-wrapped fabric bevels using pre-covered First, pieces were selected that would work best with the fabric board customer’s matboard specification. This included using • Designing with fillets contemporary art for the museum matboard, a contem-

16 PFM April 2014 porary work with earthy colors to blend Frame B with the textures of the fabric mats, a The second frame, 23½”x17½”, was to traditional botanical piece to fit with employ a conservation designer suede conservation matting, and a traditional mat. The moss green color was chosen watercolor to blend well with rich color to blend with the colors and style of suede mats. the artwork, a watercolor of grapes and The biggest challenge was finding a vines painted on white paper stock. To size that would fit each mat-designed adapt the square watercolor to the elon- format. The dimensions did not always gated frame, a reverse-bevel, double- fit the original design layout. But using mat opening was cut with a 4½” top a variety of different mat borders and border, 2¼” sides, and a 6” bottom. A unique mat-cutting techniques led to dark bronze suede inner mat with ¼” final designs that possessed a good bal- reveal was used to create a contrast ance of presentation. Some of the art between the subject background and pieces were hand-embellished to pro- the double mat, directing the eye to the vide texture and dimension. In one subject. The reverse-bevel mats helped case, a watercolor wash was used to create a smooth visual transition from enrich a stark white background. The the outer frame to the subject. images included both fine and deco- Frame B: In this Valley Moulding deep rabbet frame, To bring attention to the mat, a rative art, but all pieces were framed #1565-23, a shadowbox type Peterboro Conservation Designers suede outer mat DS953 adds detail to the Moss 1” matboard strip was placed on all as if they were fine art pieces. Green suede. To add focus to the hand-colored watercolor four outside edges between the glass “Grapes” by Jerianne Van Dijk/World Art Group, the art- The requirement that each frame work was placed behind a reverse-bevel double mat with and the matboard to give the design a should be selected from various ven- the inner Peterboro Mat DS592 Bronze. Eliminating the white bevel in mat windows and adding spacing added to shadowbox look. This depth created a dors meant that the profile shape, the overall appearance. Tru Vue Museum Glass was used. volume of space that enhanced and design, and finish had to be selected featured the smooth-textured suede. so that it coordinated well with the artwork as well as with the To tone down the white paper stock of the watercolor, a matboard color, texture, and finish. Each piece was mounted to burnt umber wash was applied to the artwork. The style and preservation framing standards, and Museum Glass was installed finish of the frame were selected because they worked well to complete each project. with the other frame components. The 2” deep moulding added depth to the shadowbox-style mat structure, and the Frame A distressed earth tone finish and the antique silver-leaf bead This frame was to be 23½”x26½” and was to use a designer accents added enhancements that provided a sense of visual fabric mat. A natural linen fabric was chosen for its rich, natural completeness to the overall design. appearance. It had a consistent weave pattern that could be used in any direction. An original artwork was selected for its color Frame C match, textured finish, and contemporary style. To provide the For the next frame, 23½”x17½”, the focus was on conserva- artwork with a look of space, a double mat was used. The top tion alpha cellulose matboard. The objective was to use vari- mat was a 5½” fabric mat with a hand-wrapped, reverse-bevel- ous matting techniques to add subtle enhancements to the edge window. The inner mat had a 6” border with a darker design. The look was not a standard window mat but some- linen, and an antique silver-leaf fillet was used to coordinate thing more akin to sub-mounting the artwork. Several tech- with the outer silver-leaf frame. The darker linen inner mat cre- niques—such as mounting the artwork to different boards, ated a contrast with the outer mat, helping to bring the eye into floating the mounted artwork, cutting a slant bevel to let the the subject. A ½” black foamboard spacer was placed between mat core be part of the accent, and cutting an inlaid mat with the top and the back mats to add extra depth. The outside added hand-drawn ink lines—resulted in a custom look. frame had a distressed silver-leaf antique finish with walnut-fin- The design started with a traditional 8”x10” botanical ished sides and was 1½” deep. It had a deep rabbet that allowed selected for its subject, size, and bold color. The mat colors for extra space and depth. The artwork was hinged and met all were chosen from the colors in the artwork, with greens being conservation requirements. the primary color. The three shades of green worked very 18 PFM April 2014 nicely together to create a soft, rich, botanical appeal that added closure while also coordinating with the black, slant-beveled subtle accents to the artwork. The artwork was first mounted to matboard and the black background of the artwork. The the face side of Lichen B118, leaving a 5/16” border on each Winsor-Newton gold paint had a crackle look once it is dry. side cut on an exposed slant bevel. When the mat was cut like These effects added a sense of depth and subtle sparkle, espe- this, the Lichen face color and its black core provided small cially compared to using just a flat gold ink line. accents that coordinated nicely with the colors in the art. Next To complete the work, a 2” burl wood swan-shape profile the artwork was mounted to a Celery A4009 with a ¼” border was selected. Burl wood is particularly popular on botanical pieces because of its natural look and the intricate detail of the burl. The swan profile leads the eye towards the subject and gives the inside rabbet more depth. This is especially impor- tant when sub-mounting artwork and adds many design options.

Frame D For the fourth frame, at 15½”x26½”, the focus was to be on Museum Board, 100 percent cotton rag board. Three 4”x4” contemporary designs were selected. Each piece of art was embellished to give a textured effect, creating unusual light reflections and angles. A good way to direct focus to the art- work is to use a combination of mats with the same color but with different weights, such as combining 4- and 8-ply mats. In this design, an 8-ply white rag outer mat with a 5” wide border surrounds a 4-ply white rag mat with three 4”x4” openings. What makes this design effective is that the bevel dimensions for the 8- and 4-ply mats are the same. Another method of bringing attention to the artwork is a ½” back- ground fabric matboard. When assembled, this design directs the eye into the subject by using the same mat color, different

Frame C: This CMI Honey Burl mat thicknesses, and mounting the artwork on a darker fabric Wood swan profile provides a mat. The overall mat width provides ample breathing room. rich natural finish for the “Whimsical Dragonflies on The frame for this contemporary piece is a 23k white gold leaf Black” by Vision Studio/World Art Group. The combination of cap frame. The 1” cap profile, with a hand-laid, gilded silver- three Peterboro Conservation Mats using various techniques such as submounted artwork, inlaid matting, and hand-drawn ink lines give this piece a very upscale, tailored look that brings out the beauty in the botanical artwork. Tru Vue Museum Glass was used. that was cut on a reverse bevel. After determining each mat border width and where the artwork would be positioned, a Balsam A219 mat was cut and placed inside the back mat. The sub-mounted artwork was then spot-glued in the center of the back mat with a ½” foamboard spacer between the face of the inlaid mat and back side of the artwork. A spacer created a floating effect. Next, two hand-drawn ink lines 1/8” apart were added to the back mat 1/8” from the inlaid mat. A selection of Frame D: In this white gold antique Silver Leaf Fotiou frame, there is a combination of 8- and 4-ply Peterboro 100 percent white rag matting. black drafting ink and Winsor-Newton Liquid Gold were The art, “Out of the Box, 1, 2, 3” by Alicia Ludwig/World Art Group, have been embellished for this presentation. A double mat of 8-ply used in a drafting pen to draw each line. The black line was white mat on a 4-ply white mat adds the additional space without com- placed outside of the gold one to provide a visual sense of peting with the subject matter. Tru Vue Museum Glass was also used. 20 PFM April 2014 leaf finish, is simple and elegant. Added together, these four examples show how simple, Tim Franer, CPF, CMG, has framed artwork for heads of state, added techniques can create effective frame designs no mat- corporations, galleries, and fine homes for more than 40 years. Tim consults with industry leaders to define color and design, ter what kind of preconditions you face. The most impor- and is a speaker and educator on art, design, and framing. Tim tant point is that all of the elements used to create enhance- is an instructor of seminars and workshops throughout North ments treat the artwork as a strong focal point without com- America, Europe, South America, China, Russia, Australia, and peting with it. ■ New Zealand.

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