Narrow Mat Borders

Most of the time, I say the bigger the better on mats because it gives your eye a chance to focus on the art rather than the frame. However, sometimes a very narrow mat can be just the ticket. Because of where this was going to hang, we needed to keep everything smaller in scale. This matboard is only 1" wide.

The Design Process ~ Junkyard Dog

One of my favorite things about picture framing is the design process. Sometimes I can look at a piece and know instantly how to make it look it's best. Other times, I will ask a client if they mind leaving the piece with me for a couple of days so I can think up something totally fantastic. This little piece is a great example: it is very small (4" x 6") and very bold. It is painted on the bottom of a brown lunch bag. I have had it laying on my design table for a couple of days just letting it "talk" to me. This little guy told me that he was a junkyard dog that has now found a very special home. He is very macho and needs to stay true to his roots, but he likes his sophisticated new urban environment.

You never know when an inspiration will strike you or where it will come from. I was grocery shopping the other night and when I saw the brown paper bags, I decided to grab a couple of extra to see if they would work in this design. I'll let you know how it turns out in a couple of weeks!

Visualizing Your Framing Project

Sometimes it can be hard to picture what the completed framing project will look like. Framing Fashionista to the rescue! At New Editions we are proud to offer our clients the Integrated Framer service. We can take a photo of your artwork and show you right there on the computer screen what the end result will be! No more guessing and rest assured your design will be fabulous!

New Website!

Here is a screenshot of our new website! Please visit us at http://www.neweditionsgallery.com. There are still areas under construction but I am so excited about it, I couldn't wait until it was "perfect" to share with you. I will be finishing it up in the next week. Let me know what you think! Thanks to Todd at Clear Digital Solutions for an amazing design, affordable and easy to use website tool.

Tools of the Trade

This morning on the way in to the gallery, I had my high heel patent leather pumps and a crowbar in my car. Yes, they're both tools of the trade!

Enrique's Peacock

This was a fun Enrique canvas to frame. Rather than using a linen liner, we chose one of the new Max Moulding frames from the Latta line. It looks like weathered, riveted metal. This was capped with a daring purple outer frame. Even though the frame is bright, crayola crayon purple, notice how your eye is drawn to the peacock rather than the frame itself. This should satisfy the most demanding Drama Queen!

Here's the rest of the Latta family from Max Moulding.

Magic Moments ~ 2 Year Anniversary!

Today was awesome! It was the watershed moment I had been dreaming of. Not only did we celebrate two years of owning New Editions, but it was also the day that all doubts of success or failure were vanquished. There is no way to describe that feeling when you have dreamed and worked and sacrificed and doubted and pushed and got bucked off but kept getting up again and to finally realize that you're there...you've made it. I felt like I had just won an olympic gold medal. I treasured that knowledge and let it carry me through the day. And tomorrow, I pick up and keep going because you have to keep the momentum. What a day, what a life!

This is how the gallery looked when I bought it. We were preparing for our Fall 2006 show. See how cluttered it looks...

Ta da! This was taken tonight as I put the finishing touches together for our Spring 2008 show.

Family Photograph Challenge

This was a SUPER~FANTASTIC project!

It all began with a great client named Jeremy... He brought me this very special family photograph mounted on 3/4" very warped plywood (it had lived in the garage for several years serving as a convenient place to hang saws and various other tools).

The ultimate goal was to create a showpiece for his new condo. The first order of business was to do an on-site consultation to get a feel for the space. I always strive to create a design that does two things: 1) makes you say WOW! when you see the picture against a blank wall all by itself and 2) makes you say WOW! when you see it hung in your space.

We ended up using a very contemporary Roma frame in dark chocolate and old gold surrounding a linen wrapped bevel board from Raphael's Fabrics. Museum glass (which is invisible) was the finishing touch. The result is a modern classic piece that will be cherished and preserved happily ever after!

You're Invited!

You're invited to join us in celebrating the new works of Gary J. Noland Jr. The opening reception is this Friday March 14th from 6-8 pm. These fun new pieces are a total departure from the work we are used to seeing from him. These garments fused to canvas are a study in motion, color and texture. You must see them in person to fully appreciate their depth!

New Editions Gallery is located at 807 Euclid Avenue, Lexington, KY 40502.

Confession Time

I confess, I have never worked in an art gallery prior to buying one. Not only had I never worked in an art gallery, I had only taken two art classes in my life. What in the world was I doing?


I had one traumatizing semester in high school where I struggled from pencil to brush to paper and back again. I was much more comfortable with math and English where I understood the rules and knew that my GPA wasn't in jeopardy. As long as you followed the syntax, you could define the outcome. I felt like I could control my destiny, as in get good grades, get good scholarship, get good job, work like a dog, die. Putting a brush in my untrained hand was too risky. How could I let myself go and enjoy the experience when I couldn't predict the destination? What if I failed? What if art ruined my life?


Then came college and I was again required to take the dreaded art credit before they would let me graduate and tackle the real world, become a success and get where I was going. "Art 1000- General Studio Art: This is an Art Appreciation course designed for students with little or no art experience. If you feel timid about taking an art class, then this is the class for you. This hands on class will explore a variety of art creating materials and approaches while descussing historical and contemporary art movements and artists. " Okay, I could handle that. I mean, if they knew we were timid about art, they wouldn't expect us to try and create it would they? Surely it would be like show and tell: this is a paint brush, this is a bigger brush, this is paint. They'd probably have a $100 textbook where we would be required to read about artists and major art movements. Yes, I could do this. However, the professor felt that the best way to vanquish timidity was to just jump right in. Textbook: $145 required, but don't read it and no written tests. Art supplies: stock up because you don't know what you're doing and you'll probably waste a lot and forget your social life because art is life and the sooner you embrace it, the less scared you'll be.


Don't get me wrong- I enjoy art. One of my favorite things to do when I travel is go to art museums and galleries. I just don't want to create it. Heaven forbid I mess up. I know art is subjective but what if I fail? I have a secret fantasy that I'm actually painting and if I could just summon up the courage to let myself go and stop worrying about the results, enjoy the process, forget about the destination; I am a brilliant artist. For now, I own an art gallery and so far it hasn't messed up my life!

Weekend Gallery Project

The gallery has looked pretty much the same since I bought it. And from what I hear from my clients, it has looked this way for the ten years it has been in this location. Plain vanilla walls, worn checkered faux finished cement on half and high traffic carpet on half. One wall of brick with a big sheet of plywood floating over it and a clunky design table finish out the main ensemble. It was definately time for a facelift! So this weekend the overhaul began with the floating wall. We changed it to Ralph Lauren Garden Spigot which I love. It does not have red or green undertones so art should look great on it. We're also prepping for our Spring show on Friday night so I'll have more pictures with the art on it later in the week.

This project claimed my Saturday day (thank goodness for 6 inches of snow which kept the foot traffic down) and my Sunday afternoon. Today was spent learning how to update my website and cheese tasting with my friend Deborah Banta-Westerfield.

Bainbridge Spring Matboards

Bainbridge matboards just released its new launch for Spring 2008. Look at these fun colors we now have to design with!!! These six suedes are super saturated with color and are designed to coordinate with their line of Vivids metal frames.

The next series in their release is a little bit more subdued but oh so sophisticated! The metals are opulent and have a rough texture to them. These are not your smooth, boring, foil matboards that we've all seen. The driftwoods have a very earthy, ground feel to them. They are highly textured and feel like a bark veneer. The silkens have a semi-gloss finish and have a wide range of suitable uses.

I can't wait until Wednesday so I can start incorporating them into my designs. Why Wednesday? Our hours at the gallery are Monday and Tuesday by appointment only. They are probably two of my favorite days of the week because I can go out and meet with clients in their homes or offices, or they can meet me here and we are uninterupted. This Monday and Tuesday, I will be prepping for our Spring Show featuring Gary J. Noland Jr. so I moved all of my framing consultations to the following week.

-FF

Monday Madness

Mondays and Tuesdays are two of my favorite gallery days because I work by appointment only. This Monday started off at 9 am at a client's home on Chinoe where I met with her and her designer. I took photos of her bathroom and measured for a custom mirror above her pedestal sink. It has a fresh, crisp feel to it and I'm delighted that we're considering using an acrylic frame by Paraflex.

Then it was off to Starbucks for some caffeine. I love Mondays, but hey, they're still Mondays! While I was there, I bumped into Christopher and Beth from BNI so I joined them for coffee and networking. Christopher is an amazing hair designer. You know how hard it can be to find someone good when you move to a new city? Well, when I moved to Lexington, it took me about six months to find Jenni. I loved her because she never rushed me and she taught me to pincurl my hair. She spoiled me and she was so good that she left to go to Las Vegas to do hair on the strip. So here I was back at square one... After several recommendations and four bad haircuts and an orange blob on my head instead of a blond do, I finally found Christopher. I told him my sob story and the first thing he asked me for was Jenni's phone number so he could consult with her about my hair before he touched it. How great is that? He turned me into a blond again, gave me a to die for scalp massage, and called a couple of days later to follow up. Beth is a wellness consultant and is great about helping people learn how to feel better and live healthier.

After coffee, I met with an advertising rep for a local magazine. Typical sales pitch...we have so many readers and they're the demographic you're looking for... Hmmm. I'll pass for now.

1pm met with a business consultant at the gallery. Sometimes it is hard to have perspective when you deal with all of the day to day stuff. My goal is to have Dave help me translate what I see in my head into a written action plan. I can see very clearly where I want to go but it is hard to know if I am spinning my wheels or actually getting someplace. It will also be good to have some accountability.

4pm went to Patchen House to find out about an open house they're hosting next week. They've invited me to hang art in a mini gallery that will be open to the public. More about that later.

Whose Closet is This?

This image was taken from the Metropolitan Home 03/08 issue.

I love this!! Custom picture framing featured in a closet? Wait, you say, I don't see any frames at all. Well, look carefully because there are no less than four custom framed elements. The first is to the left of the red boxes. The second is the Univeristy of Texas at Austin diploma behind the face. The third is a Saturday Evening Post cover behind the window. The fourth is in a gold frame above the ties on the right.

I must say that I don't go peeking around in other people's closets but this is making me curious. Are there other designers or architects incorporating these elements for their clients that I don't know about? Do you have framing in your closet?

This is a fabulous idea for clients who may be transitioning from framed prints to original art. Maybe you have pieces that you framed in college or when you were first starting out. You still love them but are looking to start buying original art or maybe just update your look. Why not move the older pieces into the closet where you can still enjoy them and at the same time, make room for some new pieces that speak to who you are today!

Thanks to Jeffery Povero of Povero and Co. and Met Home for this great idea!

Metropolitan Home 03/2008

All three of these images were taken from the March 2008 issue of Metropolitan Home. I love scavanging through magazines to find out the latest trends in picture frames! This issue had some fun things that I couldn't resist sharing and commenting on!


Minus the dog, I love this room! I could definately see myself sleeping here...well, maybe if it had a different chair. Notice the way the pictures are grouped on the far wall. They are all different sizes but have the same mat and frame, lending uniformity. They are hung with each side touching it's neighbor and perfectly centered along a single horizontal line. It adds interest without being distracting. So classically elegant!

Now just try and come into my gallery and tell me you don't have enough wall space!!!

These four photos are framed in classic, single white mats with closed corner, hand gilded frames. Setting them on a custom shelf rather than just hanging them on the wall just kicks it up one notch further.

Friday

Today started at 5am to prep for BNI which begins at 6:45 every Friday morning. Today we were divided into powerteams to further enhance our networking. For my 60 second commercial I showcased this project for a client from Pikeville, KY.

She wanted to do something fun and funky to create a grouping with two identical images. We decided to invert one image, offset both openings, and add an art deco flair. I chose to showcase this project for two reasons: 1) this client commutes 280 miles roundtrip for her framing which makes me feel like a design superstar!!! 2) some of my projects are fun and small.

After BNI it was time for a grande skinny cinnamon dolce latte from the Starbucks around the corner. Yikes! 9am time to be open and get the heat turned on! Today is a framing day ~I'm finishing a shadowbox for a signed Cal Ripken baseball jersey. I also have two double frames and two fillet projects on the docket.

Then it's off to the Lexington Opera House for the opening night of Hansel and Gretel. My mom would die laughing if she could see me right now. I parked three blocks down in a friend's private parking. I'm in black patent leather pumps with velvet bows, black fishnet stockings, black dress, and black sequined jacket. I'm surrounded by wranglers, hats, and pickup truck cowboys all headed to the George Strait concert two blocks the other direction!