Picture Framing Restorations And Art Sales

Pictures are worth a thousand words but that does not mean you have to pay hundreds and thousands of dollars into picture framing. As much as we might want to install our family portrait into a picture frame that boasts of elegant wood or the gold-plated type, we are a bit reluctant to spend the cash for it. It is understandable that we would want to display our photos with prominence but as much as possible we want to do it in a simple, easy and affordable manner!

Picture framing is not that difficult to carry out. You do not have to buy expensive materials for it. Unless you have tons of money to spend on the luxurious type of picture framing, then you might want to start a DIY or Do it Yourself picture framing hobby! Here are some things to consider before you proceed!

Picture Framing Tip #1: Make the Photo the Focal Point

It is pretty easy to get carried away when it comes to picture framing and most often, people are so enamoured by the design of the frame that they forget the important element – the photograph! You have to consider what fits the colors of the room and the mood in which you want to portray the picture. Make allowances to suit the décor of your home as well but make sure that the photograph stands out and does not blend with the curtain, carpet or the furniture.

Picture Framing Tip #2: Match with your Home’s Style

You have to consider that picture framing is also an art form. It requires a semblance of taste and style and a whole lot of common sense. You do not want your frame to be metallic or modern if the entire design of your house is classical or has antique furnishings. It is always easier to frame something that matches your décor so that it fits well in your home.

Picture Framing Tip #3: Longevity

When it comes to picture framing photographs that have sentimental value, consider how long you want that photo to remain on display. Do you need a permanent framing job or do you think you’re going to require constant changing of the frames? You have to consider whether the photo would need a matboard to prevent condensation damage. Condensation damage is when the photograph adheres itself to the glass and ruin its colorful surface.

Picture framing need not be expensive. If you can pattern your frames perfectly to blend with your interior design’s motif, you can achieve that classic, expensive look. Keep your photo frames clean and spruced up so that they do not appear cheap or lacklustre. And most of all, do not forget that it’s the memories you want to give emphasis to and not the look of the photo frame.

David Larwill, the expressive artist with originality in his work almost none could match. Born in the land down under in Ballarat, Victoria he became inspired by trips up to Central Australia where Aboriginal art quickly flared his artiest aspirations. He successfully co-founded Roar Studio in Victoria where he had helped build up to an empire of Australian art which still stands today proud and strong remembering him and his masterpieces.

He has travelled everywhere from Morocco to New York and brings into his art the cultures and the modernisation of the world he had voyaged through. Larwell’s artwork bring out a sense of exigency in the onlooker that draws them into a realm of flight of response where us as the bystander need to decide where the art work should continue and where it should end.

His art work seems similar to that of Aboriginal art but with a flare of originality that cannot be matched in Australian art to date. Although not of a Native Australian background he has been well embraced into their culture with a lot of admiration

Traditionally to Larwill his paintings sparked imagery of purity and unprompted innocence. Although in the late 80’s and beginning of the 90’s he began drawing and painting much more violent and life full artwork that quickly caught the eye of Australia.

Unfortunately with his death on the 19^th of July 2011 we don’t get to witness this great artist continues his amazing work.

I leave you with a quote from one of his closest friends Tony Oliver.

“You were such a beautiful and kind bloke Dave – I will al;ways remember you with fondness and carry images and thoughts about your wonderful life – those years in Fitzroy and more recently at Somers. My love and thoughts to Fiona and the boys.”

Art restoration is the process of restoring a piece of art back to its original state. The original state is what it looked like when it was just finished by the artist. But recently the idea of preserving the art work for the next generation by making the art look new but still look old. Restoration is quite dangerous to the original art work. So there is a lot of debate on how the art should be restored.  The modern goal is to restore the painting to new but make the restoration reversible.

One of the modern techniques is the use of water colours to restore a painting. This method was used in the 20 year restoration of “The Last Supper” By Leonardo Da Vinci. Art restoration can also be just cleaning a painting but cleaning art is not reversible and this process is quit controversial because of fears of damaging the art work or that the dirt and grit was intended by the original artist.  Michelangelo’s statue of David has gone through two cleanings to remove dirt from the statues surface.

Art restoration is not just art restoration there is frame restoration, text restoration, film restoration, phonographic record restoration, photograph restoration, ivory restoration, stained glass restoration, architectural restoration and many more.

Picture framing is the process of framing a picture. Picture framing is an old process that has been around for many years. The earliest findings of picture framing was in a Egyptian tomb, 2000 D.A. and was made out of wood that was  around a picture that is suspected to be the mummy’s portrait.  The first appearance of the picture framing that is around most pictures today was around small paintings in the 12^th and 13^th century Europe.

Picture frames are usually traditionally rectangle or square put in modern times a frame can be any shaped.  Most frames are made using “L” shape joins at the corners. To protect a picture glass or plastic that is held by the frame is placed in front of the picture so the picture can be displayed. Then board is placed at the back of the picture that is held in with little latches to hold the back board so the picture that has been placed in the middle does not fall out.

Frames can be made out of many different materials. Silver and gold leaf is glued on to wood to cut time, cost and weight. Metal is used to frame pictures.  Many different types of wood are used for framing pictures. Plastic is also used and the cheapest option for framing but will brake easier. But each frame should complement the picture.

Picture framing may be a thing of the past because of the digital age. Pictures can be scanned and reprinted if damaged. Pictures can be up loaded to social networks like facebook and twitter. Pictures can be viewed on computers, laptops, televisions, Ipods, mp3’s, DVD players and gaming consoles. But digital picture viewing frames will do the most damage to people that frame pictures because each digital picture can hold a couple hundred pictures on it and the pictures can be changed and swapped as the owners pleases.

Picture framing is a great hobby and can bring a room to life as a vocal point or even a main feature of a room but before going off and putting anything in a frame and sapping it up on a wall some where there are some things you should know and this article will help you get started.

The tools you need to get started are picture frame, drill (if your hanging it from a wall) a stud detector (if your hanging a heavy frame) and what your framing.

When picture framing there are a couple of things to consider such as size, shape, weight, style and colour. Other things to take into account are where the frame will go and does it match the room’s day core.  The first thing to do is find a spot for the frame and measure how big the area is where you want the frame and how big a frame you want. The second thing to work out is the shape of the picture frame you want and what you want to put in it be it a picture/ painting/ drawing or even medals or jerseys. The shape will add or subtract from the item or image in the frame so choose something that fits in with the other furniture if most of the furniture is rounded choose a rounded frame. The weight of the frame is also important because if it’s a heavy frame it may have to be hung on one of the studs behind the plaster board. The colour of the frame also very important because a hot pink frame would look more than a little out of place in a room where everything is white.  Finally the style of the frame is also a thing to think about because not all frames are the same you may want an embroiled edged frame wooden or metal. You now know the basics of picture framing.

There are people who dedicate their lives to art restoration because art in its every form is considered a treasure. One of the most important and popular forms of art is painting. A lot of great names are remembered because they have created masterpieces like Van Gogh’s Starry Night or Da Vinci’s The Mona Lisa. Others have been created so long ago that artists are forced to retouch or employ art restoration to revive these masterpieces into their former glory.

There are several varieties of art restoration and they can be considered a huge undertaking. It requires the skills of a professional and the keen eye of an artist. Here are some of the variations involved in restoring artworks.

Art Restoration #1: Repair

One variation of art restoration is through repairing an old painting and restoring it to make it appear as if it was just recently done or completed. This usually requires the careful putting together or the painstaking recreation of a family portrait or a scenic oil painting. Repairing and conservation is a bit different though because conservation requires a more difficult process. It entails matching the original pigments and binders used before to those that are generally used today.

Art Restoration #2: Cleaning

Another variation of art restoration is the delicate job of cleaning art. There are artworks that might look damaged but in reality they have just collected debris, dust and grime that have become imbedded in the protective varnish layer. It is like a screen door that has become clogged with dust making it difficult to see through it. However, it would be easier to clean a screen door than a painting. One has to have the delicate touch of an artist to clean the painting without actually ruining it while restoring it to its original condition.

Art Restoration #3: Complete Restoration

This type of art restoration is probably the most difficult and complicated form because this deals with art that have lost any of its visual appeal and is now just considered as a historical artifact. This is the most detailed course which requires the most technique not just in the process of restoring but also in selecting the methods and materials used in the original piece. It involves a lot of time, effort and research to achieve success.

Art restoration is not just limited to oil paintings and those made in canvasses. It encompasses all avenue and media of art. Although it is a job that requires many hours of repairing and hard work, the end result is often more than worth it.

Bruce Watling Galleries on Ferry Road Southport is the only place to bring your art restorations. With more than 40 years in the art restoration and framing business (as well as having one of the most extensive collections of art in Queensland) Bruce has established himself and his staff as the most professional and service- orientated art experts on the East Coast. Bruce offers second-to-none art restorations, a complete art valuation service and a dynamic and design-orientated framing service. To top this off, his two-storey state-of-the-art gallery has a vast and exciting collection of local, interstate and international art pieces and sculptures from leading  “creators”. Works by David Larwill, Lindsay, Del Mace, Duarte, Griffiths, Wilks, Ando, Andres, Boyd, as well as stunning Koori art from the brushes of Dorothy Napangardi, Napanganka, Ronnie Tjampitjinpa, Pearl and Tjungarryi make the Ferry Road galleries one of the most exciting places to visit when it comes to art. Also, Watling Galleries has one of the biggest displays of sculpture in  Queensland. In keeping with modern trends, for the next few weeks Watling Galleries has on exhibit a collection of stunning manga art from the imaginative designs of young Gold Coast artist, Kendyl Marwood. On August 17, Watling Galleries will host the once a year Watling Annual Indigenous Art Exhibition and Sale. Keeping you in touch with the art scene!