Sarah Croft Nightingale Art

A Quick Guide To Framing

Whether you choose to take your artwork to a professional framer/frame shop or DIY a frame solution, this quick guide will help you appropriately choose your frames.

Choosing the perfect frame is rewarding. I suggest that you find a frame that first compliments the style of the artwork, and then the style of the space it will live in. Remember, the frame is not to overwhelm the artwork, but it is only to enhance it. My personal favorite frame is one that is about 3” wide and simple in detail.

Framing an Original:
Original paintings should always be framed. A frame not only protects the artwork, but it also enhances it and adds a personal touch of the collector, you.

Original oil paintings should not go behind glass as they need air to breathe in, but original watercolors should go behind UV protected glass to ensure they do not accumulate anything on their surface and/or fade.

Similarly, original oil paintings do not require a mat, and it is not typical that they have one. Original watercolors, however, do require a mat or spacers between the artwork and the glass. If the artwork is touching the glass, it can damage the art over time.

Even art that is made with quality, archival materials are still prone to fading if kept in very sunny areas. To have the art in pristine condition for years to come, keep this in mind.

Framing a Print:
There are many ways to frame a print.

If the print is on canvas, it can be framed like an original or a print and supported with backing board (foam board or acid free card board) of the same size; it can go under glass, but it doesn’t have to. If the print is on paper, it is always best to cover the artwork with glass. Paper prints under glass will last many more years than paper prints not under glass.

Again, it is important that the artwork never touches glass whether it is a print or an original. Overtime and due to humidity and changing temperatures, the art can stick to the glass.

A paper print can be either “floated” in a frame or matted in a frame. I do not recommend framing a print without a matt or space between the edge of the print and the frame, like you would an original:

Float mounting is when the artwork or print is mounted to backing board or an uncut mat with adhesive spacers. It creates a shadowbox-like effect. A floated print is common when you do not want a mat to cover any of the artwork, and it also has a unique look that many prefer. It is also standard for prints and artwork that have interesting edges that want to be showcased.

Matted prints not only are great at keeping the glass off of the artwork, but they can make your print feel much larger. Mats help draw attention to the art and look beautiful with both narrow and wide frames. Often, framers will suggests adding multiple mats layered on top of one another, but only one is necessary. (I think it looks best with only one, anyway.)

I hope this quick guide to framing has been helpful! There are so many choices when it comes to framing, have fun and enjoy your beautiful newly-framed art! :)

A few of my favorite framing options:

Blick Simplon Plein Air Frames with Liners, Black w/ Gold, 8&quot x 10&quot

I love this frame for my original oil paintings. There are different colors to choose from and a large selection of sizes. There's also an option to not have the liner, if you prefer that. I framed an entire show (24 paintings) in these frames in 2014. I think a matted print could sit easily, but you may need to keep looking if you want to float a print in this frame; otherwise, you can't go wrong with these frames! Keep in mind, these frames do not come with glass or anything but the frame.

Blick Ready Mat Singles, Manor White, 8&quot x 10&quot (4-1/2&quot x 6-1/2&quot opening)

These mats are inexpensive and come in lots of different sizes and colors (though I always prefer white and sometimes ivory.) I've used them a number of times around my own home and studio, and they're perfect.

For a more contemporary, feel I think these Maier frames from Blick (left) and Contour Floater frames are beautiful. I haven't personally ordered either, but I plan to! I don't have any reservations about these frames, and I think they would be stunning on a wall!

If you're DIY-ing your frames, it's good to have the basic supplies on hand for framing hardware, if your frames don't already come with hardware. With a screw driver or small drill, a hammer, and this kit, you'll have all the necessities.

*Please note: This post contains compensated affiliate links with BLICK ART MATERIALS.

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Art Feature

Daffodils for Spring

People often ask me how I decide what to paint. The truth is, I have a few running lists of things to paint at all times. It’s more of a matter of when to paint something. One list is an extensive file library of photographs I’ve taken. It’s a collection of images ready to paint. I tend to view this library every day hoping that one in particular will jump out at me. Another list of things to paint, I keep as a note in my phone (and computer) that I keep track of while I’m out and about and get an idea. And lastly, the other is just in my head. Funny enough, I typically paint something that is fresh in my mind though, and because of that, I don’t believe that I will ever finish my lists of things to paint. I guess you could say that what I paint is an ever-evolving subject with no true pattern. I paint what I love in that moment, and when I do that, I don’t feel like I’m working at all.

On a morning like today, for example, despite my calendar telling me to work on a landscape piece, I decided to paint a pot of daffodils and small bunch of floral filler I bought this weekend to paint with some friends (which we did, and they did a beautiful job for their first time!) When I walked into Trader Joes looking for a floral subject to paint, I originally went in for ranunculuses or yellow tulips, but the daffodils were absolutely the star of the show! I literally walked out of Trader Joes with my face buried in the petals of the daffodils and filler (the filler smells heavenly! Does anyone know the name of it?)

I was still so jazzed about the paintings and daffodils after painting with friends that Monday morning in my studio couldn’t come soon enough! I ended up painting an entirely new daffodil piece that was more refined and “life like”, but I loved the softness in the first one I did with friends more. I went back into the first one and spent around 4 more hours refining areas and adding extra subtleness. (If you look close enough in the last image of the three of us together, you will see how different my piece was before!) I am so pleased with this painting! It is a breath of fresh air, and a very welcome peek at Spring (it snowed a bit here this weekend!) It's even sweeter to me because it's filled with great memories with dear friends! (Thanks, girls! You did so so well!)

This painting will be part of a Spring Collection available on April 20th! If you've been following me on Instagram, this was originally a landscape series, but I can't help but add some florals for Spring. :) Mark your calendars!

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Books

Book Review: The Oil Painter's Pocket Palette

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Color

Oil Painting with Color Inspired by Monet

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Framing

My Favorite Trick For Framing Art For Less Than $100

If you’ve ever walked into a frame shop or waded through a sea of websites in search of a frame for your favorite piece of art, you’ve probably been a little shocked at the price tag; I’ve been there too. I am still shocked when I find that perfect molding only to see that the starting price for an 8x10in. is $64 and I need a 20x24in! Those prices go up fast. That’s not to say that sometimes you really do need that perfect frame that costs nearly as much as the art itself, a good frame can go a long way! Over the years, from gallery shows, to competition exhibits, to filling wall space in my home and others’ homes, I have found myself needing a lot of frames. Not having always had the budget for “a lot of frames,” and having expensive taste (sorry, Alex), I have found affordable options that don’t compromise quality and visual appeal.

The trick:

1. Shop your local thrift stores or antique stores for a frame of any size that is bigger than the art you are framing. (I often check clearance sections at places like HomeGoods, too.) Another great place too look is Ebay and Etsy, but I find that the places in my local area have lower prices. If you don’t see any frames in local stores, be sure to ask! I recently went into an antique store looking for a frame only to find they didn’t have any; I asked the worker there if they ever get any in, and he said no. Two weeks later, I walked passed the same store only to see six beautiful antique frames in the windows. They were large, thick frames and all priced under $30!

2. The frame does not have to be empty, in fact, I have taken many old prints, cross stitchings from grandma, and even mirrors out of frames. Occasionally, if the shop is very small, I explain to whoever works there what I want to do with the frame and ask if I can leave the print or whatever is in the frame with them and get the frame for an even lower price.

3. Once you’ve found your perfect frame, take it to a local framer and ask them to cut it down to the size that fits your art. I have never been turned away, and once my framer (because I was in there often) cut it down for free. Typically, however, I find that framers will charge per cut: a low quote for this service (all four cuts and assembly) is $15 and a high quote is $50, in my opinion.

4. Lastly, once you’ve found a framer to rebuild or resize your frame, sometimes they will “fit” it for free. “Fitting” just means putting your art in the frame. Sometimes the art is secured by hardware screwed in or flat nailed in, etc. If they charge you more than $15 for this service, however, It’s much more affordable to decline and fit the art yourself at home, while still leaving the frame to be resized. Craft stores, hardware stores, sometimes even the grocery stores, will have hardware for you to secure your art in a frame. (Tape and a piece of board works too, but you didn’t hear that from me!)

As a note: one of my favorite frames I’ve ever put on a piece of art I purchased at a tiny antique store for $10, and after all was said and done (aka after it had been to the framer) I hung a $34 frame that looked incredibly similar to the $160 frame I almost bought for the same painting. The painting went on to be a finalist in a gallery show (where frames really, really matter!). I hope you’ve found this helpful! Happy, affordable, and beautiful framing to us all!

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Personal

A Visit to The Metropolitan Museum of Art

At the end of February, my husband Alex and I spontaneously planned a trip to New York City to visit his sister, Ruby, who is making her dreams come true in the big apple with her incredible voice. Yes, you should look at the link. Not only did we get to see Ruby, but Alex's mum flew in from Prague. Both Alex's mum and Alex had been to New York City before, but it was my very first time. It didn't disappoint; it was a really spectacular trip filled with macarons, chocolate for dinner (literally, see "Max Brenner",) and so many more yummy treats. We went to a few major NYC must-see places like Times Square, a ferry around the Statue of Liberty, and the 9-11 memorial and museum which was an incredible experience.

One of my favorite days in the city was spent walking around Central Park eating cookie butter sandwiches, listening to an accordion player, and people watching all the happy New Yorkers come out to play in the sunshine. We made our way through Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I was giddy! Every museum seems to have its own charms, and the Met was no different. I must say, I really love even the lobby area of the Met. (The big pots of yellow flowered branches against the stone are so, so beautiful!) As always, I was most excited to see the impressionists, and this time, the American painters, too. I had about a gazillion favorites and my phone is full of detail shots.

Standing in front of Madam X, however, was an incredibly impactful moment for me. First of all, I never expected her to be so huge! I know that Sargent often painted quite large, but for some reason, this elegant beauty was always smaller in my mind. I was not disappointed, though! Sargent really lives up to his reputation. I love his deliberate, yet masterfully haphazard brush strokes. I love that when I see a Sargent painting in life I feel like there is something really human about the figures, and there is something equally really painterly, too. I love that when I see a Sargent painting I feel like Sargent himself has just finished the piece and is right there in the room observing his masterpiece react with the museum goers.

Below are a tiny portion of the amazing work that caught my eye. It's really true though, you can spend days in the Met and still not see it all! I can't wait to book another trip back to NYC to visit the Met again soon! What are your favorites at the Met?

Above paintings are not to scale. Left to right, top to bottom: Theodore Robinson, A Bird's-Eye View; Franks W. Benson, Children in the Woods; John Singer Sargent, The Hermit; Camille Corot, Cow in a Barn.