DIY Framing

Mass produced frames almost never fit the size specifications for my art works. One of the dimensions is bound to be off, or the combination of the two "doesn't exist"or "isn't sold here and you aren't going to find it anywhere either". I discovered these responses when I was searching for a cheep 20" by 30" frame. Sounds simple, yes?

No. At least not at first. I called Michaels Craft Store and talked to their framing experts. I talked to the Craft Warehouse people, and I also called up Aaron Brothers Framing and Art supplies.

Michaels told me that no one makes that size of frame anymore, it's just too uncommon. I could purchase metal pieces of that size and construct a frame myself, or I could have them make a frame. Same response from the Craft people. The nice lady I spoke to at Aaron Brothers told me that yes, they did have that size. They use that size for the BSU posters and she was going to check if they had them in stock and call me back in five minutes with a price... She never called me back.

I also tried to get a local framer, that also happens to be a family acquaintance, to make me frame. But she had to go out of town for three weeks.

So I never did go out and buy myself a cheep 20" by 30" frame for the Western Idaho Fair.




Months later, this week in fact, I went to Walmart looking for something that I can't recall at this moment, and what do I find? 20" by 30" frames. A lot of them. So they don't make these anymore, eh? Lies lies and more lies.

Today I went to Michaels, and while I didn't find the cheepy variety I did find a 20" by 30" frame.

Many anathemas come to mind, but for the sake of some of my readers I won't use them here. I guess the moral of the story is that people who "know what their talking about" might actually not have a bloody clue. And because I hate having to rely on other people to tell me if they have something (and they end up being wrong and/or not having what I believe they should have because they are a craft store), or to make me something (for example: going to a professional framer for each work of art I create) I've decided to turn my back on them and Do It Myself.

So now I have a new toy. It is called a Fitting Tool, and it's used when you make a frame. It puts in these nice little flexible inserts into the wood to keep the art in place snuggly in the frame. I also have my father and his wood shop tools available. And I have wood and black paint for that wood. With a few other things you can put them all together and you will have a framed work of art that didn't cost you $50 + each.


Plus the frame now counts as a work of art itself, since it's hand-made with love mixed with a wee bit of frustration and a pinch rage.

The Black Board Share

People are often surprised when they witness me working on one of my art pieces. And because most of you haven't seen this I shall explain why this is even relevant.



I draw on BLACK. Yes, you did read that correctly, black. Not your typical white drawing paper, cotton canvas, or even paper for that matter. I work on black matte-board.

A stiff board is excellent for drawing on as I usually draw on a soft surface... Like my bed, or the floor. If I tried that with paper, well... It would end up just being a real mess, and nobody wants that, nor would anyone wish to purchase it. The boards are also perfect for viewing when they are unframed as you can sit them up and lean them against anything without having to pin, tape, or hold them up yourself.

Matte-boards come in different colors. The most common being white, grey, and black. So why wouldn't I just use a white board for my ground color like any other sane person? Well, other than the obvious response (and some of you would be correct) I would have to answer that I the intensity and depth of the color that results from drawing on black rather than white is huge. It may just be the darkness inside me laying claim to my artistic preferences but there is a noticeable difference in the final product when completed on a black background.

Some may argue that developing color from light to dark is much easier than going from dark to light and that it is the standard and/or most correct way to create an artwork. I would say that is true when working with watercolor. With graphite pencils you can use an eraser, with acrylic, oil, and other paints you can wait till the first layer of paint dries and just paint right over the top with a new color with little or no problem, with textiles you can employ the use of bleaching. With color pencil, as long as you don't overuse the surface of what you're drawing on you can generally add more, darker and lighter, colors and shades.

When I begin one of my drawings or collages I start by using the white pencil. It is a light layer and when you've worked with color pencils you know that a light layer means plenty of little spaces between the color you just added and the surface you are drawing on.

Close up of the white layer.

After that initial layer where I define shapes I add the color. This is the fun part because this is when the subject gains debth and defines its essence. One thing that you must remember when using color is that the first color you see, for example when you look at grass you see green, is generally not what is there. Don't misunderstand, there is green in the leaves, but there is also brown, yellow, blue, grey, white, and yes, sometimes even red shades. There is shadow and light and there is a depth to the colors in things that a lot of people aren't trained to see.

Close up of a finished portion of the drawing.

Drawing showing the black board. This is the Iris ColorBlind Drawing.

So... What color is your canvas?