Linda Blondheim Art Studio Landscapes of the South

Town and Country Farm
8x10 inches
oil on panel

500.00
shipping 15.00

Purchase HERE

Art Notes Blog HERE


Painters Tip

Today I have a few tips for framing.

I use metal leaf frames because that's what my gallery dealers and patrons like the best. Often the rabbit area of the frame will have gold or silver leaf stuck in it. When you put your painting in the frame and then later remove it to put in other paintings, you painting will have strips of gold or silver on the front. Not good!! I have learned to turn over the new frames back side up and to wipe the rabbit out with either Q-tips or a paper towel. Scrubbing the rabbit out good will remove the metal leaf and keep your paintings clean.


I like to use mirror hangers or D-Rings as they are sometimes called, on my frames. They are stronger than eye screws and they allow the frame to hang flat against the wall. It is also better to use plastic coated framing wire. It will last much longer and not become stretched out and brittle.

Save the cardboard corners which come with ready made frames. I just reinstall them on any frames I need to transport to galleries or shows. Just staple them back on and carefully tear them off. They can be reused several times.

Sometimes I will get frames which are just slightly too large for the painting. A gap shows between the edge of the painting and the frame rabbit. To solve this problem use very narrow strips of foam board, which are cut to the depth of the rabbit. Glue them into the frame at the bottom and the picture will fit fine, not slipping down too far into the frame. You can also use tiny strips of mat board doubled or tripled, depending on how deep you need it.

For pastels, you can use slightly recessed strips of foam board or mat board glued to the inside of your mat, which will act as a spacer between the surface of the pastel and the mat.

To protect the thin metal frames which paper media artists use, go to the hardware store and buy the foam pipe protectors. They slide over the four sections of the frame, protecting it from damage.