I've Been Framed

I finally bit the bullet and took some pictures to be framed. To be completely honest it was a bit daunting, and not just because the framers are in Stokes Croft (google Tesco riots Bristol). I needn’t have worried about anything. Jane at Niche Frames was brilliant at making me feel relaxed. I was up front that I needed help because I didn’t have a clue about what to ask for.

First up we looked at Waves. This was the only painting where I was clear that I wanted a clean white broad box frame as it suited the modern style of the painting. “Hmmm.” said Jane “Let me just try something.” She picked out a narrow grey brown wood frame that she held against the picture. It was a perfect match for some of the deep tones in the waves. She then placed the white frame on the outside. The picture instantly came alive and the colours shone.

Next up was one hour painting. “What a lovely picture” Said Jane so I told her about painting it in an hour with only four colours. Her jaw dropped slightly. Then she walked the wall of frame examples and pulled out a broad, ridged frame in a lilac-grey colour. The picture didn’t look lovely. Now it looked beautiful.

We carried on chatting while we looked at the choices and Jane updated the system. I told her I had only been painting for 9 months and she was a little surprised. She told me that these pictures were easy to frame. Carried away in the excitement I told her I had entered some into the RWA open competition and showed the the next picture to be framed, The Owl.

“Now what were you thinking of for this?” Oh, just a plain simple natural wood frame. Jane paused and then asked if she could just show me something she thought might really make it look special. She sorted through a massive collection of card, pulling out the same teal blue that was hinted at in the owl feathers, and funnily enough is the colour of the banner on this website. Then she selected card in the purple of the highlights in the eyes. Suddenly the picture was propped onto four stands to hold it away from the card and a limed oak box frame was placed on the outside. “Just imagine this picture suspended inside a box frame with the pale teal colour behind it and the sides of the box lined in this purple. What do you think?” I think that having seen it I couldn’t just go for a plain frame so decide to just go for it. I wonder if the RWA will allow me to increase the cost of the picture if it sells as I think I might be making a loss!

Jane promises to go for plainer frames on the remaining pictures so I bring them out. The Norfolk three, which are to be put up as a tryptych in our lounge, get a narrow brown frame each but it is uncannily close to the brown used in the pictures, pulling them together in a theme I hadn’t even realised was there.

Last to go was the Broads at Night. This has the honour of being the first print I have ever sold and my team have asked for the picture to be put up in our office. Jane selects a frame in the colour of the reeds which is such a close match that the reeds appear to be growing from the bottom of the frame.

The final bill came and it was big but I got a lot of pictures framed for the money and every single picture was improved for the experience. She has a good eye, that Jane and she didn’t once make me feel like a novice.

I was already feeling pretty good but then she asked if I had ever thought of producing cards of the owl picture. I told her I had ordered some and she promised that if I ever took them in she would stock them in the shop to sell. Not bad for an amateur. I buzzed all the way home!

Update 13/09/2014. Here is Waves in situ. Painted by me, framed by Niche, rejected by RWA and installed by my handy husband.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think.