Museum Moment!

The long awaited event is almost here! I will be the Featured Artist in the Huntsville Museum of Art Gala, opening this month. This event is beautifully orchestrated by the Museum staff and volunteers, and involves many, many months of preparation. Faithful readers might be interested in the story of how it has all come together...

Cultivated, 30 x 30, Oil on Canvas

I got the call in June of 2022. It was Pam Gann, one of the Gala Chairmen in Huntsville. The Committee was inviting me to be their Featured Artist for 2023--was I interested? Was I!! I was honored, excited, thrilled, and also a bit nervous. The commitment involved twenty three paintings of various subjects and sizes. That can be a tall order!

Venetian View, 8 x 12, Oil on Linen, mounted on panel

Pam and her Committee have been amazing to work with. Starting in September, I began to send them images of paintings from which to select. Some of the paintings had been completed prior to the call, others were still wet off the easel. The final selections cover a wide range of subjects and sizes, and they are a good representation of my body of work. You can see them all in the online digital version of the Gala Catalog.

Country Church, 16 x 12, Oil on Linen

Once selections were finalized, it was on to framing. Many thanks to Veronica, at Campania Fine Moulding, for her always spot-on advice on frames. Supply chain issues still plague the frame industry, but with some nimble footwork, Veronica was able to get it all done on time.

Support Group, 13 x 15, Oil on Linen

Next step: delivering the work to Huntsville. Enter Debbie, of Dilworth Packing. Debbie used the "white glove" treatment to personally courier the work from my studio in Charlotte to the Museum. It was a big moment to see all the paintings loaded in Debbie's van, and headed to their destination. Lift off: November 2, 2022.

Since November, the Museum has been photographing the art, as well as designing and publishing invitations, catalogs, and publicity materials--and handling a million other details. And finally hanging the paintings in the galleries. That's another "white glove" process, which requires precise work. Many artists are represented, so there are several galleries full of paintings. The iris painting in the photo below is by my friend Jill Steenhuis. So fun to "hang out" with friends!

The beautiful color catalog has gone live online. If you see something you love, how can you purchase it? The paintings are now available online in a "Buy Now, Take Later" format. If you "Buy Now", you secure the painting before the auction begins, at its normal retail price. That's definitely advisable if there is one you can't live without! To Buy Now, just register here. "Buy Now" runs through Friday, February 24 at noon (Central Time). After that time, the remaining paintings will be available through the Silent Auction (described below).

Draped, 19 x 10, Oil on Linen

You can also take your chances in the Silent Auction, and bid for the painting. Bidding begins at 70% of retail price. Everybody who participates in the Silent Auction (either in person or from a distance) will bid through an online process, for which you can register here. Silent Auction bidding begins Monday, February 27 at noon, and ends Saturday night, March 4, at 10 pm. I'll be attending the Silent Auction in Huntsville that Saturday night, and will be watching the clock as the closing hour draws nigh. Happy Bidding to all!

Paper, Explained

"Peonies in Bud Vase"

12 x 8, Oil on Paper

(c) Lesley Powell 2022

 

In response to my latest newsletter, I have had lots of questions about how to frame or display works on paper.  There are more options than you might think.  Mounting, matting, glass, no glass....read on!

"Peonies, Back to Back"

9 x 6.5, Oil on Paper

(c) Lesley Powell 2022

First, about the paper.  There are several brands of paper that are specially milled and treated to accept oil paints.  The artist doesn't need to do anything extra to prepare these--they arrive ready to work on.  Another option is to prepare your own paper support.  I often use BFK Rives print-making paper.  I prepare it with two coats of shellac, which keeps the oil from permeating the paper.  It makes a wonderful, smooth surface.  You can do the same thing with sturdy multi-media paper, or watercolor paper.

Now, to the finished painting.  One option is to mat it.  I leave a nice margin around the painting, so a mat can go on without covering any of the subject.  You can cut the mat to a standard size, which enables you to buy a ready-made frame for it (thus saving money!). 

Do you need to put glass over the matted painting?  No.  I can be framed sans glass. But you can use glass if you want to.  Just be sure that the glass is not actually touching the painting.  A mat is typically thick enough to keep the glass spaced off the painting.  The image just above is a painting on paper by Erin Gafill that I bought and matted, then framed under glass.

 

Another option is to mount the painting on panel. The panel is first primed with an acrylic primer to prevent discoloration. I often mount paper on a flat panel (as immediately above), which allows for a number of frame options.  I have recently mounted the paper on a cradled panel (shown below), so that it can be put in a floater frame.  This makes for a really nice look.

Bottom line:  Don't be afraid of paper!  And feel free to contact me with any questions--I'll try to find the answers!

Framed!

Painting: (c) Lesley Powell 2018

I recently ran across a wonderful description of the role of a picture frame: "The art world equivalent of Ginger Rogers--in the sense of making the main attraction look good." (Thanks, J. Peder Zane and the New York Times). Zane goes on to note that the frame is the painting's "essential, but often ignored partner".  He points out that frames subtly shape the viewer's experience of the painting. I might say that sometimes the influence is NOT so subtle.

Painting (c) Lesley Powell

I must confess that I love painting paintings, but I hate the decisions involved in framing them. Would it be better to keep it very simple, or does the painting need a little bit more heft? Should it look rustic, or a bit gussied up? I might know how I would frame a painting for my personal viewing, but if the painting is going to a gallery, I wonder how it will fit with the other works there. And I wonder whether the frame will be a plus or a minus in the eyes of visitors to the gallery.

Painting (c) Lesley Powell

And then there are the whims of fashion and design to consider. As Zane notes, over time, each generation has selected its own frame style to match its sensibilities. Nowadays, the style switches occur far more frequently than once a generation. Sometimes it seems like constant flux. As Heidi Klum says on Project Runway, "One day you're in; the next day you're out." Sad but true.

Example of frame for a work on paper

I suspect that I am not alone in my dread of the framing process. There is something about the life of a painting on the easel that comes into jeopardy when the framing starts. To quote Elizabeth Easton (Director of The Center for Curatorial Leadership):  "In some ways, a painting never looks more beautiful than when it is on its easel, and the artist takes his brush away for the last time. And the frame is part of leaving that moment".

Painting (c) Lesley Powell

So the struggle goes on--to select the Ginger Rogers of frames--just the right one, the one that will enhance the painting, rather than detract from it. To find a frame that  keeps the painting alive, rather than smothering it. I'm illustrating this post with photos of frames I have loved over the years. It's always a thrill when a painting seems to be elevated by its frame, a synergy for which I am constantly striving.  I'd love to hear your own thoughts about framing...

The Frame Game

Over the past few years, there seems to have been a shift away from the tried-and-true gold tone frames that held sway for such a long time. Lately I have been using frames

Framed

"Pont Julien"
7.25 x 14.75, Oil on Linen

'Tis a source of great vexation for me---selecting just the right frame for each of my "babies". Recently I have found a treatment that seems to work beautifully on my smaller pieces. It is a gold frame, in a soft tone, with a small wooden fillet. The fillet is antiqued a soft linen color. It provides just enough cushion between the frame and the edge of the painting that the painting doesn't seem squished. Room to breathe, so to speak. Many thanks to Veronica at Campania Fine Moulding for coming up with this!

Frame preferences vary so widely from person to person. I am always curious for feedback. Readers, what is your favorite framing approach?