[Garth Herrick]

Hi Allan,

Perhaps you are more verbally articulate and insightful than I have ever been in defining to myself what I was after in the framing. Lebensraum is a new word to me. In its pure sense (and not the Nazi association), you may be close to the mark. There are several bodies cut at the middle and disappearing off to the sides. Psychologically, it may seem more comforting with more of a visual buffer between the painting and the wall environment it hangs upon.

As for the color, I wanted a close relationship to the paving, but not the same color. I like the frame lighter than the paving; why, I am not sure, but a darker frame puts everything into a different value context, with everything glowing too much. With this relationship, it seems to emphasize for me, the chiaroscuro of the boy's body, being the contrast between the light mass and shadow mass; and the shadow may appear more shadowy in context, without a darker frame overpowering it.

As for the extra space I added with the extra strip of wood, I was not happy with the proportional relationship between the frame and the spacing and cadence of certain elements in the painting, and I wanted to change that. Widening the frame by 3/4 an inch seemed the best option to me. Adding more would not have worked well either, making the painting seem too lilliputian in a huge frame. I was looking for a balance comfortable with the painting, and I'm happier with the current solution. Now the space above the upper elbow of the boy does not clash as much with the frame, to me.

Garth