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| Western Skies 5 16" x 16" Painted paper collage landscape |
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| River Song 2 Finished 12/2016 Painted paper collage mounted on 1" board 16" x 16" |
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| Border treatment of above mounted work prior to painting being glued down. |
In addition to packing and getting the house ready, I was also trying to problem solve. All of my work in this style so far has been done on watercolor paper. My idea was to offer the finished pieces matted and ready for someone to frame themselves. I didn't really like the presentation though. When finished, these pieces feel kind of like a record album cover. They have the same sort of thickness and heft. They look fine but it's hard to envision what they will look like framed. Plus, I sort of thought they didn't look "professional." I felt that it would be better to mount them to a board. No matting, no framing and things would look neat and clean. The board really has some presence all on its own which the matted image lacks. The board and the mat/backing/bag set up are almost the same cost too.
The problem though that I needed to solve was this: all of my pieces are 16" x 16"with no room to maneuver. The boards are exactly 16" x 16". I was having trouble fitting them properly to the board. What to do? I remembered that when I was making fiber art, I frequently mounted those pieces to canvasses. I simply cut the piece about 1/2" smaller than the finished canvas. The piece went from, say, 16" to 15.5" (leaving a .25" border all the way around) and was then affixed to a canvas painted in a coordinating color.
I used that solution above which you can see in the 2nd and 3rd pics. The 2nd pic shows the finished piece hanging on the wall and the 3rd pic shows the border treatment. I had some of the same paper from the original piece leftover. I simply glued on papers to make the border. I really like the solution a lot. It adds another dimension to the piece and makes the whole work very presentable, in my opinion.
Feedback on any of the above is welcomed. Just leave a comment. Thanks for reading!
Libby
Libby, your evolutional thinking is inspiring. I am really excited to read about your transition from matted works to the board mounting with the border. It is extremely appealing to me. The finished work feels more accessible, set off with the border, and somehow more complete with the border, especially because it is not all one paper, and off-set from the colors of the piece, if you know what I mean. In a way, it is like when an image "goes off the edge" of a painting. The mind continues the painting, giving it more substance. Brava! I am really, really happy for you.
ReplyDeleteCarol,
DeleteThank you for the positive input! When I got the idea I remembered that you had mentioned trying to affix a piece to a board and the two sizes were not matching up. I had the same problem which led to the current solution. It pays to keep an open mind I guess:)
We will see what else comes of this. I am going to try a plain painted border also since for many of the pieces I no longer have the original painted papers. I like the presentation a lot. It's very "clean" to my eye:)
Thank you as always for your comments and visit. It's appreciated.
Libby
This looks fabulous, Lindy, the treatment lends itself best to your collages. They kind of match your column work too. Carol Beth (above) says it all perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI have always admired this treatment of edges whether done with paint or collage. I remember when these types of deeper canvases or wood deep cradled supports first came out - many, many years ago and the regular framing store did not have molding deep enough to fit. We all had to paint or treat the sides and it became a continuation of the art. Best thing no frame was needed. The contemporary imagery obviously looked best and years later the floater frame adds a little bit more finesse. We are fortunate to have so many choices.
Julie,
DeleteI think you are really right. Being forced to finish the sides really creates a whole new look. It's a continuation of the piece but also its own piece too. And I image in hard pressed, it could go into a floater frame. It's a win-win in my book.
Thank you again for your observations and visit. I appreciate it.
Libby
Dear Libby what an extraordinary way to finish your art. The sides being done really does give it a final polished look. I just love River Song 2. The dark patches just make this one sing!
ReplyDeleteDebbie,
DeleteThank you so much for your compliments. They are greatly appreciated! I thought the solution was really a good one. It solved several problems. I am always so grateful to those that have gone before me (solving these types of problems) and then being able to put things together. Art making is problem solving!
Thank you again. I appreciate your visit.
Libby