Thursday, March 11, 2010

Framing

Had to do some assembling this morning. Had some band posters from a few imfamous saloons scattered around the mining towns in the San Juan Mountains dry mounted and the glass cut- two things I hate to do and am really really bad at, but I put them together with gallery clips. Did it at the dining room table with the morning sun providing more light then needed.
Took me back to Art School- when I only did framing at midnight, the day before artwork was due, when I didn't have everything I needed and if I screwed up, well there would be no more mat board, etc. Made me think of all the things, now at over 40- I find very easy to do, the things that just through time, patience, pratice and confindence I can now easily do, when twenty years ago, I struggled with. 
I remember kneading bread with my grandma, who just touching the dough, could tell me it wasn't ready and would correct my kneading, though I thought I was doing it exactly like she was- now, I find myself testing and correcting my daughter skills in the kitchen and know they have the same thoughts I did.
I actually shared my pondering with my sixteen year old this morning, who was bomping around with her Ipod in her ears, whille I was framing- I encourged her that things she struggled with right now, would eventually come easy to her- and I got the typical teenage cliche response.
Actually I probably am mature enough now to frame- to get the proper tools, take my time and do it right- I just don't have to, I have a great relationship with a framer in town.
Two pluses for my own art are I don't have to frame them- when I do finish them- it is with a fabric backing- and I also don't usually have to think of light source or shading....yeah!
I also know that my draftmenship skills, design skills, ability to execute on fabric what I see in my mind is way better then it was twenty years ago.
I really am not tooting my own horn- I am tooting the boring mundane idea of "practice"- because "practice" and maturity does make perfect. ( well nothing is ever perfect, but hopefully you know what I mean, and you do get closer to the mark than with a youthful coky-ness that hasn't learned yet that skill comes after a lot of work, well unless you are a child prodigy, which most of us are not !) 

All done- I should clarify, wildly into the whole bar/band scene I am not! I like these poster because they really have the "local flavor" of the area and their graphic style.

Was going to show you a lovely picture of spring, where under the trees the snow had disappeared and shoots of grass could be seen....but then it snowed again!! 



4 comments:

  1. Hi Julia-

    I agree with your sentiments on the particulars of framing (I HATED cutting matts AND I left it to the night before, too! I have a neat circular scar on right middle finger where I was once polishing up a piece of glass readied for framing, and sliced a perfect crescent of skin clean off! Now there's a blog entry- artist scar stories! I do almost all my framing professionally, too. BUT, there are other things that I get better at with age (I'm 40-ish,too) like whipping out a logo in an hour, if I'm asked spontaneously. I really like that.

    Sorry about the snow- you know Iowans feel your pain. I can't believe most of ours has melted in just a few days. We may have flooding again, which is not cool. Have a good one.

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  2. I've been thinking a lot about these very same ideas lately:) I remember when I was younger I used to want to know everything RIGHT NOW! And now I feel like I can really enjoy the process of getting closer and closer, little by little. Even frustration has become a sort of friend to me--keeping me mindful of how far I've come, helping me to celebrate learning one new little thing each day.

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  3. Hey Julia, more snow? We are supposed to be having rain, but right now it is a bit mixed with snow.
    I loved your framing comments. I used to do a lot of framing of my watercolors, but since I am so much more digital these days I haven't done so. When I produce a very large print, however I do try to find a frame that fits. If I can't, then I'll frame my own. I too hate the glass cutting part, but my husband is great at that . I love the images on your side bars, very very nice.

    And I can't believe you have a sixteen year old... where does time go?

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  4. Shame about the snow again, just when we need signs of Spring on it's way (so I won't mention the sunshine outside my window!)
    I often leave framing until the last minute too, and can be found an hour before an exhibition, frantically labelling sculptures! Last year, I dropped one on the morning of submission as I was in such a fluster!!!

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