Things Art School Doesn't Tell You: Framing!

You are a passionate artist and all you want to do is make art. As you start your career you quickly  learn that your time is not all about making art- you have to put 30%  of your art time into online promotion, web work, applications for shows and then some. I think the percentage is much higher when you weigh in all the aspects of the business of art that I have not even mentioned here! Ordering art supplies is the fun part of the business, but the rest of it- not always so much. You sigh as you write another artists statement and bio.

Then the big day comes- you have a show! All the hours of creating the body of work, the self promotion, applications, walking the streets,  has paid off. You are ecstatic. When the warm glow wears off, you realize that the 24 (or so) pieces of art need to be framed and your precious messy pastel drawings need special mats, frames, spacers, backing boards, glass and hard wear.  

You head to the nearest frame shop to get a quote on a few sizes. It is then that you wish you had a  money fairy god mother, and quickly run around the house wondering what you can sell to finance this venture. 

You think- EUREKA! I can do it myself!

But how? 

And the how is important because when I go into galleries, I go NUTS when I see a fabulous piece of art ruined by a crappy framing job!

                      Stay tuned for the next installment on framing info/hacks/suppliers/ no-no's  etc.

I know I wish someone had written a blog on this when I was starting out. I would have saved some disappointments... and money!