How to Frame Your Artwork
A quick guide to ensure a lifetime of enjoyment
Here are my tips for beautifully displaying and protecting your artwork in your home so that it brings you continuous joy throughout the years.
Watercolor and Ink Paintings
Watercolor and ink paintings on paper require protection from the elements, which is why its very important to frame them behind glass as soon as possible. Be sure to look for “archival” or “acid-free” when selecting matting materials — there are several online frame shops that will help guide you to selecting a standard or custom frame for your piece. You can also take your work into a framing shop where they can frame the work for you to your liking. Note: its a good idea not to hang your painting in direct light as the light can damage the pigments over time.
Oil and Acrylic Paintings
All of my original oil paintings come on stretched, gallery-wrapped canvas, have finished edges, have been varnished, and include hanging hardware already installed. All you need to do is choose that special spot on your wall! This method goes really well with a more modern decorating style.
If you’d like to add a frame to your painting for aesthetic reasons and for added stability and protection, there are a variety of framing options available. My favorite option is called a “floater frame.” Floater frames are simple to install and add just that little bit of polish without taking anything away from the painting itself.
For acrylic paintings on paper, there are a few options for frames as well: you can have the painting mounted on a board and then use any frame you’d like that fits your decorating style, or there are magnetic frames that support your piece from the top and the bottom and hang on your wall.
You can also take your painting to a framer if you’d like a professional to handle the framing (I can ship directly to your local trusted frame shop!)
Archival Prints
Similar to original works on paper, prints on paper should be framed behind glass as soon as possible. You can frame them with or without a mat, both options look great!
For prints on canvas, you can frame them behind glass, or have them stretched over canvas stretcher bars, and then either framed or hung on the wall just like an original work on canvas.
As with originals, you should try to keep your prints out of direct sunlight as this can cause colors to fade over time.