For my Picture It Framed DVD I worked on quite a few pieces yesterday. New works that will be used to demonstrate different ways to mount and frame textile art. My favorite of the day was made for a floating canvas frame. I think I’m calling it “scraps” or “Ode to Mirot.”
What is a canvas floater you ask? It’s a wonderful frame for a gallery wrapped canvas – the best of both worlds. You get to see the edge of the canvas and bring the artwork up a notch with a classy frame.
I’m really glad I got started on this one ahead of time because apparently I messed up my sizing on my order and the work I intended to use the frame for is too big. Or the frame is too small. It still looks great in the frame, but it doesn’t have that fabulous gap between the frame and the edge of the canvas – or in this case the tiny quilt – that makes it appear to float. (Wow – it’a hard to photograph black frames. Trust me that in this frame there is almost no gap at all.)
Last month I was in Grand Rapids and saw one of last years’ winners of the Art Prize at the museum. If you haven’t heard of ArtPrize I encourage you to go over to their website and take a look. It’s on my bucket list of to-do’s for sure!!! The entire city becomes a public art gallery, tourists and locals come, and a bucketload of prize money is handed out. The best part is that the public gets equal say with the fancy-schmancy-arty-juror folks. There are two 200k (you read that right) awards and one is viewers choice.
Sleeping Bear Dune Lakeshore by Ann Loveless
It’s a quilt. But it’s a large scale quilt, wrapped on stretcher bars and frames. Nobody will look at it and picture it on a bed when it is framed! The immediately understand it as a work of fine art.
And don’t misunderstand me. I think many, many bed quilts could just as well be framed and hung on the wall of any museum today. It’s just that a framed textile work is seen by most of the general public as “Art” while most people still think of quilts as something their grandma made that they use for a picnic. They don’t give grandma nearly enough credit, do they?
5 Comments
Geri deGruy
September 28, 2014 at 2:10 pmI agree. I love floater frames. They can give a finished look to a piece, they’re not very expensive and attaching the canvas is just a matter of a few screws on the back. No glass to deal with. I use them a lot with my mixed-media work. I’m curious Lyric about how you attach your quilts to the canvas? I’ve experimented with several ideas but am not happy with them.
Jeanne
September 27, 2014 at 10:59 amThe quilts look great in those frames. I will be interested in the DVD when it’s available.
Thank you for the link to the ArtPrize site! I went to the Grand Rapids newspaper site and they have lots of photos that made me want to be there. Maybe next year!
Sheila Barnes
September 26, 2014 at 10:37 pmOh, I absolutely adore floater frames – I think it has become my favorite framing method since I tried it a few years ago to showcase some very small textile pieces. They went into my ArtWalk exhibit that year along with several slightly larger ones in gallery frames and two just wrapped around stretched canvas. The floater frame ones sold before the opening reception! You are so right that framing can eliminate any question about what a viewer is seeing and helps textile works to look like they belong when sharing wall space with more traditional art mediums.
Ellen Lindner
September 26, 2014 at 11:27 amUsing the floating frames is an excellent idea! I’m ready to order the dVD!
But, my two cents, don’t name your artwork Scraps!
Lyric Kinard
September 26, 2014 at 11:32 amI agree about the name…. scraps is what is in my head. “Ode to Mirot” sounds much more sophisticated, don’t you think?
(Imagine my nose lifted, a cup of tea in my hand, and my best posh british accent.) 😉
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