To Frame or not to Frame…..

That is the question!

Often a painting doesn’t need a frame especially if it painted on a large canvas or a deep canvas. It’s difficult to decide what frame to use and perhaps it’s only your preferance not the buyers choice.

Do you keep  it neutral, or dramatic? The best frames I can remember seeing were at an open studio, in an artists house, and the paintings were very serene and looked a little like Hopper. Her frames were hand painted in beautiful dusky colours taken from the colours in her paintings they were so harmonious and exquisite.

A frame certainly finishes off a piece of work and I think adds something. There are definite fashions in framing, visit a few galleries and you get the gist of what’s happening at the moment, simple plain white, with white mounts, or lime wash.

Then there is the frame that works so well with the painting that fashion goes out of the window, many of the old masters, the impressionist painters had the most elaborate hold frames which we ignore when we view their work, we  hardly notice them and just see their beautiful work.

It’s certainly cheaper not to frame and it makes a statement about the finished piece. Bold, even arrogant ….possibly.