Degas said, "The frame is the reward for the painting." Every good painting deserves a good frame. Over the years, I have seen that artists know very little about framing. Maybe one reason the gallery owner said not to frame was because most artists bring work to a gallery with nails showing on the back or rusted hardware was used - or cardboard without backing paper.  Presentation is important and the frame is the presentation.

Many artists have success with the new canvas wrap that does not need framed. This saves the buyer money for the framing and looks great on contemporary work.

 My work, for the most part, does better framed.  I use only new hardware, a printed gold label I order and commercial point driver.  When I framed prints, the mats were new, I used foamcore rather than cardboard and always sealed the back with brown paper.  My buyers were always pleased and I seldom heard of anyone who went to a frame shop for something different. They were happy to buy a work that they could display immediately. I could use the framing as a selling point: Take it off the display and show them how neat and complete the back is. A little more money and work but it pays off not to cut corners.     me

I use to have the same problem.  I wanted to put all of my work in frames.  Sometimes these frames were very ornate and even ridiculous on occassion.  Part of that was because I worked at a frameshop and saw everyone throwing there "expensive" paintings into these same frames.  Well it must be right then....oh but no.  It didn't dawn on me until I went to a gallery opening for one of my friends and a passerby said to him "Wow, that's a really great frame."  His frame was more impressive than the work.  Everyone's work is different and every case is different but if you find yourself staring at the frame more than the work...you've got a problem. 

In the past year I've signed on with a local gallery.  One of the things that the curator said was "you don't have to frame anything because most of our clients just rip off the frame and take it somewhere else to have it professionally framed."  If the work looks good with out a frame then don't frame it.  I take it on a painting by painting basis...ok i'm finished rambling...I hope that this has helped.

Hi Darlene,

Being a sculptor that works in metal, I noticed similar problems.  My philosophy is that alot of frames were boring and took away from the work of the artist.  I found a artist I really liked, and wanted to make a frame for the print.   I could have easily made a simple frame, but her work was so intriguing to me that I wanted to add to it and give it more life without taking away from her work.  The result is in my portfolio.  I was received with overwhelming responses from this.  It opened up a path of using nontraditional framing and lighting to work with the painters unique characteristics.  I think the problem of framing is that people think to linear and when you step out of the box--- or frame, great things can hapen.

Cheers

Steve