How My Paintings Are Framed

A Little Reluctant to Purchase Paintings Online?

Are you a little reluctant to purchase one of my paintings through my online store? Worried about breakage? Or cost?

That's all understandable, and in your shoes I would feel pretty much the same way. However, allow me to pull you into the hows and whys I frame my art the way I do.

Acrylic versus Glass

A Little Personal Background

For 50 years my husband and I ran a large application tempered glass contracting business. In short, I was the administrator. He was the well-respected glass contractor who took on jobs many of his colleagues declined because they were too technical, too challenging, too much.

The Properties of Glass

Because of his knowledge, which then became mine, I came to understand that glass is in fact an amorphous solid, meaning the molecules aren't captured into a grid, and, over time, move, or flow. Which is why old glass tends to become brittle.

Then there's the colour cast of regular glass, whether tempered or not, which has a green hue because it's usually made from melted soda-lime sand which has trace elements of iron. Because of that composition, the material compound of the glass absorbs certain wavelengths, while allowing the green spectrum to flow through.

There are many other types of glass. One which we sometimes used was known as starphire glass, which is a low-iron formula which renders a clearer colour cast, although we did find it to have a very slightly blue hue. It's also hella expensive.

Add to that, the thickness of regular glass (around 2.0mm to 2.5mm) which then makes glass heavier by a ratio of double that of acrylic.

Acrylic

Just from a viewing perspective, acrylic is the better choice for watercolours, or frankly any art framed under a transparent surface, because it is virtually crystal-clear, transmitting around 92% of visible light. Since I started framing my watercolours with acrylic, I have found the colours of my paintings remain true. And most modern acrylics, especially those used in framing, don't degrade and yellow over time the way older types of acrylics were wont to do.

Acrylic is also resistant to breakage. It's lighter, which makes shipping less expensive, and then hanging on your walls easier. 

Wooden Versus Metal Frames

I frame all my work in wooden frames. And this is where the weight offset occurs, because wood is heavier than the extruded aluminum used in framing. For me, however, it's an aesthetic choice: I just like the look of wooden frames better than the stark, industrial feeling of aluminum, and for most of my work, which is primarily landscape, I think wood speaks more intimately to the compositions than aluminum. 

Packaging

Above all else I want you to receive your purchase of my art in pristine condition. That's why I opt to protect corners, and thickly wrap in bubble-wrap, then secured in a double-walled cardboard shipping box. 

Shipping

All art is shipped via Canada Post through my Shopify cart, which you can choose your level of service. You'll receive notification of shipping and tracking information through Shopify's really robust system.

Concerns Addressed?

I hope so. My paintings have shipped across Canada, the UK, the US (even Hawaii!) without difficulty, and hang in homes, businesses, and public spaces. Maybe one of them will hang in your space very soon.