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Joan Breckwoldt · 09-18-2007, 08:21 PM

Hi Pam,
I can add my experience, though I'm not in a gallery. I used to buy a lot of frames from JFM in a few standard sizes so I always had a frame to put a painting in. I did have some problems with their delivery time, I would often choose a frame and would be told it would be on back order for 3 to 4 months.

I now use a local framer. I bring in each painting (still lifes mostly, though some figuratives, all in oil) as each is completed. He and I work together to choose the frame that best enhances the painting. I try to frame my paintings in frames that are nice enough for someone to keep and not have to reframe. I stick to frames that are $18 per foot or under, I have only once spent over $125 on a frame. On a painting where I used to spend $69 at JFM I am now spending $80 to $100 and I feel it's well worth the small additional cost. Plus, I don't have to mail order a bunch of frames ahead of time just so I'll have them when I need them. This became a storage problem.

I did spend $250 on a frame for a portrait I painted. I painted the portrait as a 'sample' of my work but once the parents of the subject saw the portrait, they wanted to buy it. So now I'll get my money back. Even if they didn't buy the painting, it would have been well worth the money to have a beautiful frame on my sample portrait.

I would love to frame some large paintings in the simple wood 'gallery frames' but I can't figure out a reason to do this. I have small shows in different venues in town and I think (!) most people want to buy a painting and take it home and put it on the wall. My paintings sell from $300 to $1000 so we're not talking about very high priced art. If I have something framed in a 'gallery frame', I feel like unless the person's home is very modern, they would have to reframe it. But I could be way off on this, I just am not sure when it's appropriate to use a gallery frame. Do you know what I mean by gallery frame? I mean a simple wood frame, about 3/8" wide and 1 1/2" deep. They are often natural wood, not dark or stained wood.

I have a show coming up and I have in -progress four large figurative paintings. Well, large for me: 24"x30" each. I think it would be nice to frame all four the same in gallery style frames. But, again, I wonder if this would be a deterent to a buyer? My framer said the gallery frames are used in a gallery when the artist just wants to showcase his work. But when does an artist ever just want to showcase his work and not sell it?

I hope someone can fill me in on the use/appropriateness of gallery frames for oil paintings.

Joan

09-18-2007, 08:21 PM	#8
Joan Breckwoldt Associate Member Joined: Nov 2001 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 504	When to use gallery frames? Hi Pam, I can add my experience, though I'm not in a gallery. I used to buy a lot of frames from JFM in a few standard sizes so I always had a frame to put a painting in. I did have some problems with their delivery time, I would often choose a frame and would be told it would be on back order for 3 to 4 months. I now use a local framer. I bring in each painting (still lifes mostly, though some figuratives, all in oil) as each is completed. He and I work together to choose the frame that best enhances the painting. I try to frame my paintings in frames that are nice enough for someone to keep and not have to reframe. I stick to frames that are $18 per foot or under, I have only once spent over $125 on a frame. On a painting where I used to spend $69 at JFM I am now spending $80 to $100 and I feel it's well worth the small additional cost. Plus, I don't have to mail order a bunch of frames ahead of time just so I'll have them when I need them. This became a storage problem. I did spend $250 on a frame for a portrait I painted. I painted the portrait as a 'sample' of my work but once the parents of the subject saw the portrait, they wanted to buy it. So now I'll get my money back. Even if they didn't buy the painting, it would have been well worth the money to have a beautiful frame on my sample portrait. I would love to frame some large paintings in the simple wood 'gallery frames' but I can't figure out a reason to do this. I have small shows in different venues in town and I think (!) most people want to buy a painting and take it home and put it on the wall. My paintings sell from $300 to $1000 so we're not talking about very high priced art. If I have something framed in a 'gallery frame', I feel like unless the person's home is very modern, they would have to reframe it. But I could be way off on this, I just am not sure when it's appropriate to use a gallery frame. Do you know what I mean by gallery frame? I mean a simple wood frame, about 3/8" wide and 1 1/2" deep. They are often natural wood, not dark or stained wood. I have a show coming up and I have in -progress four large figurative paintings. Well, large for me: 24"x30" each. I think it would be nice to frame all four the same in gallery style frames. But, again, I wonder if this would be a deterent to a buyer? My framer said the gallery frames are used in a gallery when the artist just wants to showcase his work. But when does an artist ever just want to showcase his work and not sell it? I hope someone can fill me in on the use/appropriateness of gallery frames for oil paintings. Joan __________________ www.joanbreckwoldt.com