If you’re in Naples, Florida, stop by to see the retrospective exhibition of Victory Vasarely that displays over 100 serigraphs, lithographs, gouache paintings, drawings and a few small sculptures. Hosted by the Naples Art Institute, the art show offers a beautiful look at Op Art you can rarely see around here.
Hungarian-French artist, Victor Vasarely (1906-1997) is the leader of the Op Art (optokinetic art) movement, and his innovations in color perception and optical illusion had influenced numerous artists to come. Today his hand-pulled art prints sell for $4,000-30,000 a piece. Vasarely was 90 years old when he died in Paris, France.
Victor Vasarely, Op Art, The Absolute Eye exhibition, Naples, FL 2024
Better known as OP Art, Optokinetic art movement relies on mathematical principles to construct repetitive abstract shapes, stripes, grids or spirals to catch the involuntary eye movements we make when following moving patterns. In other worlds, this art stimulates the optokinetic response in us. Op Art takes this response as the basis to visually trick us but normally explores a wider artistic vision and techniques in art.
Victor Vasarely, Op Art, the Absolute Eye exhibition, Naples, 2024
5 Facts about Victor Vasarely and his Op Art:
1. From Medicine to Mastermind
Before becoming the father of Op Art, Vasarely actually pursued a career in medicine! He switched paths mid-study, drawn to the power of visual communication. Later, he studied graphic design at the private Műhely School in Budapest and in 1930, he moved to Paris to work in advertising and design.
“Vasarely’s early geometric abstract research was inspired by purely abstract elements in nature and urban spaces. In 1947 he spent the summer on a small island off the coast of Brittany, called Belle-Île-en- Mer. He observed the polished stones in the sand, examined the prismatic behavior of the sea, as well as the refraction and reflection of light, the effect of creating space by shifting the viewer’s point of vision on a flat surface and the contrast of light and shadow that generates a vibration in the sight. This would mark the beginning of a true abstract approach for Vasarely. Although he later referred to this time in his life as “the wrong path,” it resulted in an important evolution in his work. It added more rounded elements to his paintings. When he returned to his previous geometric style, it was with the inclusion of dynamic rounded forms that seemed to bulge outward from the painting or collapse inward from the surface. These forms tricked the eye into experiencing that the image was moving. That kinetic illusion, combined with the three-dimensionality of the images on Vasarely’s canvases, became the foundation for the iconic aesthetic we now call Op Art.”
Naples Art Institute
Victor Vasarely, Op Art serigraph at the Absolute eye show, Naples, 2024
‘The extreme variety of its form leads the advertising designer to mute his personality.’
Victor Vasarely
2. Architect of 3-D Perception
Vasarely didn’t just paint illusions; he aimed to engineer them. His works use geometry, repetition, and color play to manipulate how viewers perceive depth, movement, and even color itself. Thanks to his jobs in advertising and graphic design the artist learned enough about human psychology to understand how we process visual information.
“Our eyes are subjected to a constant flood of visual stimuli. In order to process and interpret them, the subconscious brain compares the images with memories and experiences. That’s what distinguishes personal perception from the actual physiological image. Large objects in the foreground, small objects in the back and lines converging at a vanishing point. As soon as the eye receives signals like these, it perceives even a two-dimensional image as spatial. That is why artists usually use so-called central perspective for their naturalistic depictions – not least of all in pictorial representations of cities. They work with lines that converge as they recede into the depths of space, just as they seem to do in the perception of reality. Vasarely, for his part, made frequent use of axonometric projection a geometrical method of constructing three-dimensional forms. The parallel side lines are drawn tipped over to one side at equal angles. This has a bewildering effect on visual perception: does the picture really depict a three-dimensional object?”
Naples Art Institute
His serigraphs depicting Zebras are considered the earliest examples of Op art. In the left corner we can see that this print is numbered and signed by the artist in graphite pencil.
3. Op Art for Everyone
Unlike much avant-garde art, Vasarely believed in democratizing art experiences. He embraced public art commissions and architectural integrations, bringing Op Art to everyday spaces like buildings and metro stations. Influenced by the Futurists, Constructivists and Dadaists, Op Art spread all over Europe and came to the US in the 60s.
Victor Vasarely, Op Art, The Absolute Eye exhibition, Naples, FL 2024
Vega Structures
“Vega Structures is one of the best-known and most emblematic series produced by Vasarely at the height of his career named after the brightest star in the northern hemisphere’s summer night sky. Inspired by contemporary news reports about mysterious signals received from distant galaxies, Vasarely named many of his works after stars and constellations. The Vega pictures rely on convex- concave distortions of a grid-like network, a sophisticated combination of the cube and the sphere, symbolically referring to the two-way motion of the light that emanates from pulsating stars, and to the functioning of condensing galaxies and the expanding universe.
Through works such as “Vega-Fel-VR” (1971) and “Trivega” (1981), Serigraphs, the artist seeks to evoke the elusive universe of the galaxies, the cosmic pulsations and the biological mutation of the cell. The common denominator in these works is Vasarely’s realization that two dimensions can be expanded into three simply by deforming the basic grid, and that, depending on the degree of enlargement or reduction, the elements in the deformed grid can be transformed into rhombuses or ellipses.” Naples Art Institute
Victor Vasarely, Op Art, The Absolute Eye exhibition, Naples, FL 2024
4. More Than Meets the Eye
Vasarely saw his art as a bridge between science and art. He incorporated mathematical principles and studied perceptual psychology to achieve the dynamic, almost psychedelic optical effects in his Op Art.
In 1955, Victor Vasarely published his thoughts about Op Art in the Yellow Manifesto. In his writing, the artist recorded his ideas that he called Kineticism. He believed that art should be based on scientific principles to create a sense of movement, energy, depth expressed in geometric forms and optical illusions, rather than copying nature.
5. Beyond Canvas
Op Art wasn’t just about grid-like paintings. According to Tate, Vasarely experimented with various mediums, including sculptures, tapestries, and even architectural facades, creating illusory, flickering effects of depth, perspective, and motion. There are a few small sculptures presented at the show illustrating his interest in other materials and techniques.
Victor Vasarely, Op Art, The Absolute Eye exhibition, Naples, FL 2024Check out this cool shop Custom Creative Custom Creative, where you can custom-design gifts for yourself, family, and friends. They offer custom-printed t-shirts, coasters, picture frames, tumblers, and more! Take a look!”
What is a serigraph?
In the ” Absolute Eye” the majority of art we see are vibrant serigraphs produced by the artist. A serigraph is a a stencil-based printing process normally called the silkscreen printing. Warhol is the most famous modern artist who used this printing method to create his art. Roy Lichtenstein comes in second.
Stencils: A separate stencil is created for each color used in the artwork. These stencils typically use a photo-sensitive emulsion on a fine mesh screen (originally silk, now often polyester or nylon). Areas left open on the stencil will allow ink to pass through moving it with a squeegee.
Layering Ink: Each stencil is placed on a frame and ink is pushed through the open areas onto the substrate (usually paper, but other materials can be used too). This process is repeated for each color, building up the image layer by layer, resulting in thick, vivid colors to complete the image. Each layer must align and print perfectly to create a finished artwork, which requires some skill and patience from the artist. The high-quality inks produce rich textures and colors.
Hand-Crafted Touch: While automated machines exist, silkscreens are usually made as limited editions because each layer is hand-pulled, each stencil is hand-made, and each full-color serigraph is numbered and signed by the artist. Therefore, such prints are limited editions by nature and have the appeal to art collectors. Subject wise, this latest form of printmaking is the easiest to learn and doesn’t usually have the refinement of image like lithography or intaglio do.
Victor Vasarely, Op Art, The Absolute Eye exhibition, Naples, FL 2024
After walking through the exhibition and getting to know the artist, I was impressed with Victor Vasarely’s ability and mathematical precision to draft geometric forms – this is something I find very difficult to do in my art. As I’ve done silkscreen and other printmaking methods, I can appreciate the artist’s attention to detail and precision with which he worked to produce his op art prints.
More importantly, his thorough understanding of geometry and mathematical perspective led him to discover his own ideal of beauty comprising the Universe. Instead of copying visual cues from Nature like trees or birds, the artist studied nature to see the underlying structure of everything living. While Op Art or geometric abstraction is not my favorite art movement, I can see how it can play its role in other artists painting including mine.
Ceramic artist Andrew Tarrant is an accomplished practitioner of sprigged decoration. Andrew’s work is a contemporary view of classical pottery forms influenced by historical and mythological themes and a modern humor. Born in the United Kingdom, and moving to Canada at a young age Andrew’s early memories of England promoted the evolution of his artistic career.
In this post, I’d like to share a few pages from my journal that I wrote in the past. These are thoughts and quotes that let me survive and grow as an artist. Being an artist is much harder psychologically than financially because we all can have a job to go by, but to nurture your gift, you must have time, passion, and dedication where the psychological state of your mind is crucial to success (no matter how you define it for yourself).
Life of an artist: thoughts that let me grow
Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. Oscar Wilde
What keeps me sane makes me insane. A total contradiction of feelings and experience where I find beauty in solace few understand. I’m exhausted doing art no one needs where I fight with devaluing of art in a commercial market, where art reps and marketers scout for brand names and big bucks, where emotion is left out in favor of commercial success and quick judgment. There is a ceiling to my efforts, and networking becomes key to establish a lasting career. I used to think I’d be ok as an artist who has no fame. Yet, it’s so clear now that becoming a fashionable artist is necessary to achieve my vision. Getting in the zone to become a recognized artist becomes a gigantic goal to aspire to. (2014)
1. It’s a choice.
Who you become is your choice. What you do is your personal choice.
Life is like a river. If I don’t choose to swim upstream, I’m already in a slow-motion liquidation. Paddling deep waters becomes exhausting at times, yet the head is still sticking up above its cold edge.
I believe we are born with equal levels of happiness, courage, and talent. Yet, we differ so much in what we can accomplish in our lifetime. As children we adopt a mindset of beliefs that determines our future. Our parents play a profound role in this game… As adults we run on internalized habits and social conditioning that may work for us, while negative thinking may kill us. As a result, mindset is the only true determinant of luck and success, or a drama-ridden victimhood. Child abuse, neglect, or a very traumatic event in the past often overrides our Present because we live and feel a distorted reality, distorted in accordance with our beliefs and negative experiences of the past. Yet, just like making choices in food, we can make a different choice in thinking. The deeper the trauma, the harder it gets to part with it but when the goals, purpose and aspirations are clearly set, the mindset might have no choice but follow your intention as well.
Imagine you have your favorite shirt. You wear it often because it provides you with comfort. It’s soft and fits you well. You know you look good in it. One day you get tired of the same color, style, and fit. So you decide to get rid of it. Reasons unannounced, you lost interest in its comfort. And that’s how people are sometimes… (2014)
2. It’s focus.
The secret of genius is focus. Alan H. Kohen
Focus on what’s important to you and become tenacious at pursuing it. Most people get tired and quit before achieving their dreams. We all fail, but we are in charge of our fate. Swim or die.
Find a mission bigger than yourself. Step out of your bubble. It’s much bigger than you because giving makes your life meaningful. Find a role model to stay focused and committed to your passion and goals. I found my purpose from the deepest emotional pain that gripped me for decades. Art helped me survive to find enjoyment in painting. Everything else was a temporary fix for my broken heart.
Do what you love. Do what makes you happy regardless of circumstances, approval, or outcome. Find your passion or purpose that makes you excited to wake up in the morning, because success comes from trying many times over.
Rohan Palace, Strasbourg, France
3. It’s being comfortable in uncomfortable place.
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” Neale Donald Walsch
You must find the courage to get out of your comfort zone. To do so, you must believe in yourself. Don’t say you can’t do this or that. Learn how to do ‘it’, whatever it may be. Finding excuses not to do something is a projection of your fear of failure. When you’re scared, choose to be brave. Understand the source of your fear to reduce it to zero over time.
Ambition is my fuel. Passion is my force. Love is my religion.
Minerva, the Louvre
Failure plays a big part in my life. Every finished painting has two more copies in the trash. I get rejected often. I fail in some relationships with people. I often fail to communicate my boundaries. Failure can be intense, frustrating, and hurtful. Failure is paralyzing, but eventually it doesn’t stop me from trying to achieve what I want. Failure is a signal to do things differently, to find a new approach. And finding this new way takes even more energy than often rivals my desire to let it all go in flames. However, my failures transform into a learning curve, not the result.
4. It’s taking the time.
What the wise do in the beginning, fools do in the end. -W. Buffett
If you don’t make the time, you’ll never find it. Everything you find is what you make.
The last stretch in painting is always the hardest. It takes 95 percent of my time. I chase the elusive sense of beauty that slips from my brush every time I finish work.
5. It’s dealing with & releasing judgment.
Hardstone vessels in Apollo gallery in the Louvre
People like to establish their self-worth by denouncing others around them, instilling their values and beliefs in someone else to feel good about themselves, or to fight for some idea or cause they believe in. We all do it at times.
But what’s truly rare is to meet a person who is accepting of others. It’s rare to talk to someone who is confident, yet not obnoxious, who is proud of his achievements, yet non-judgmental, who is encouraging and helpful, yet not overpowering. Every day I’m growing to this new standard of acceptance of others. I aim to become such a person although I’m far away from this goal, I’m trying as I become stronger inside.
A shattered sense of a new home, place, or belonging can either suppress our heart or open it up to a beautiful way of living. Our thoughts control and limit our perception of reality, creating a protective cocoon that’s both real and fake. While inner emotions are very real to us, they don’t represent the world, our perception of reality only. Fears and insecurities are so hard to break from and let go of. While a part of us may always stay home, letting ourselves go on a new adventure is truly liberating.
I’m broken glass on the inside. When a heart gets crushed, it seems to heal eventually. It expands for other experiences, although a ravaged part keeps living. A broken heart is a loving heart 💓.
It’s really interesting to see how you have a few valuable people in your life who can be important to you for years, whose opinion is a priority, who might love you, and who exercise great power over your mindset. You could miss them terribly and hope that they might miss you, too, in return. But one day the bubble bursts, and what’s left is true you, and all that matters is your own opinion, your outlook on life, and your actions. And all of a sudden, those people lose their unintentional grip over you, if they have not disappeared from your life already. ( October, 2014)
The worst part about being an artist is facing people’s indifference or a complete absence of art appreciation. Finding a unique art style or voice in art by artists is often overlooked in favor of bright colors, realism, or details. Finding your voice is a journey and one of the hardest tasks for artists to accomplish.
Moonlight, 22x30in, colored pencil on art board, Veronica Winters
6. It’s becoming optimistic.
Santorini island, Greece, hike to Oia
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Chinese proverb
Many artists are riddled with jealousy or a paralyzing fear of not being good enough or of not being able to achieve greatness. As a result, we draw endless comparisons and feel bad about ourselves. Release yourself from negative feelings. Cultivate gratitude inside yourself. The more light we, artists, create, the better our world becomes. Focus on the good things already happening in your life. Listen to motivational speakers like Tony Robbins, Jasmine Star, or whoever you find inspiring. Meet and learn from fun, interesting, and inspiring people who are ahead of you.
I hope my journal helps you create and shine. Our world doesn’t exist without beauty, and you, along with other artists, help create the most beautiful world filled with light!
Celina Frisson lives and plays in the canadian rockies with roots on the west coast. Celina is a multidisciplinary artist with expertise in ceramics & design. Celina’s studio is located in Jasper National Park and she believes it is in her greater purpose to create art that connects people to their natural environments. Celina is here to create work that reflects fluctuating landscapes, activism with functionality to impact generations beyond my existence.
Technically, yes, because you can have different variations of throwing it or hand building it. I believe the term for throwing nerikomi is called Agate and if you are hand building it is nerikomi.
How difficult is it to transition from marbling to actually creating a repeatable scene?
I think it takes a fair bit of planning if you want to do something like a repeating pattern. You have to almost think backwards because you are working at the cross section with nerikomi. You are never really ever working with a flat design. You’re always working with 3D blocks and working in their cross sections, so it’s very hard to actually manipulate a scene out of that.
Is it important to start with a white clay body?
That’s a good question. I think it’s totally users choice. I personally use a white stoneware but you can use porcelain or earthenware if that’s even available.
Are you also able to create nerikomi by layering clay bodies?
I think it is always worth trying before I go and tell you, Yeah, you should go and do that! Because honestly if the shrinkage rates aren’t the same that’s when you start to get the cracking. One of the biggest issues with nerikomi is where the seams join and if the shrinkage rates are different you might get some of the clay shrinking faster than the other clay. I like to stick with one clay body because it is the most predictable and your margin for error is so much smaller.
You mentioned two methods. One is agate using the wheel. Which is your go to method for nerikomi?
I think I definitely do a lot more hand building. So it’s nerikomi for sure.
Dove of Love, 24×36 in, mixed media on canvas | The painting features the flower of life geometric symbol.
How to frame art on paper & canvas on a budget
In this article I’d like to share the basics of framing art on paper and how you can do it yourself inexpensively. Professional framing is your best option because it takes quite a skill to frame art on paper well. It also involves some understanding of color and color temperature to pick the right frame and mat that add beauty to the artwork and not subtract from it. Professional framing is expensive, and if you have to mount an entire solo show you know how draining that is financially, especially if you just begin showing your drawings in a non-commercial space. If you are not an artist, but you have just purchased an original drawing and want to frame it yourself, you’ll find your answers in this article below.
When I began drawing, I knew nothing about framing and I found it frustrating to frame a lot of art for a show. Even framing one piece seemed too difficult because I didn’t know what to look for in frames, why they differed in pricing, and what was best for my budget. And while I learned the ropes that I’m sharing in the article below, I find that every art collector has his/her taste and unique style, and while the frame must match the art, not the house, the interior design still plays a role in the collector’s mind. That’s the reason why I prefer selling art without the frame. However, a good frame dresses up a painting big time. It gives the art a finished appearance, enriching the artwork visually. So the ideal situation is to frame the art with a beautiful wood frame that complements the original painting in style and color.
Takashi Murakami at Miami Art Context, photo: V.Winters
There are two types of framing choices you have to frame art on paper or canvas.
Art on paper must have a mat, plexiglass, backing and frame. Art on canvas/ panel/ wood needs a frame only.
How to frame art on paper | This artwork has a golden metal sectional frame, white mat, plexiglass and backing that show budget framing of art on paper. However, this drawing would look much richer if it had a wide wood frame instead of the metal one you see here. Also, it would benefit from having a double mat. The inner mat could catch one of the colors in the drawing like purple or blue while the outside mat may remain off-white.
Framing supplies
Every drawing/print/photo should have:
Acid-free mat
Acid-free white backing (mounting board)
Non-glare glass or acrylic plexi-glass (plexi-glass comes in different formats)
Wood or metal frame
acid-free tape to attach the drawing to the backing (in the corners) + tape the mat and backing together
Mats: white vs. color
The majority of framed work on paper that includes photography has a white mat and a simple frame around it. If you go to a museum, you’ll see plenty of examples there. While you can pick a frame to your taste, playing with the styles and colors, the color of the mat should be reserved. And if you are not sure about the color, stick to a white or off-white mat.
A common mistake is to frame drawings with a black mat. While it may work for a specific, very dark artwork, most of the time it doesn't. When I'm not sure about the mat's color, I take my drawing to Michael's and start placing various, pre-cut mats over the drawing to see what color works best for my artwork.
If you are not sure about color and it’s your first time framing art, always pick an off-white mat as opposed to a color one because it won’t overpower your drawing or print. If you still want to play with color, consider framing art with a double mat. White or off-white never subtracts from your drawing, while color mats may overpower your artwork visually. I often see drawings framed with black mats, and most of them kill art. You end up looking at the mat, not the artwork. White mats come in different shades of white, and you need to pay attention to their color temperature.
Either warm white or cool white is fine as long as you match this color temperature with the color temperature of white in your drawing.
These are custom-framed colored pencil drawings. The one in the center has a metal sectional frame, while the other two drawings have custom-cut real wood frames and custom-cut double mats. Notice that while the color of each mat picks up on the colors found within each drawing, the mats are not too dark or too ‘heavy’ in hue.
A Single or a double mat?
This colored pencil drawing has a double mat. Gold is the inner color and light grey is the outer color. This light grey mat mimics the colors seen in the glass. Gold metal frame and regular plexiglass complete budget framing. This drawing would look much better if it’s framed with a wide, real wood golden frame having the same mat.
If you want to do a double mat, have a color mat as your inner layer and the off-white mat as the outer layer. So you have a quarter inch color stripe around the artwork but the overall color remains neutral or off-white. The hue of your color mat should pick up on one of the colors present in the drawing. This is where professional framers are good at. They have the talent to pick the right colors for your inner and outer mats and match that with a beautiful frame of the right hue and style.
Prints can be framed with frames without a mat to have a contemporary feel.
Tip:
Technically, any mat creates a barrier between your art and glass. Beware that photographs stick to glass eventually if they don't have that space between the glass and the photograph.If you decide to stick a picture into a ready-made frame without the mat, add corners that would maintain necessary space between the photo and glass.
Standard vs. custom cut mat
Here you can see that the distances between the frame and the image are not the same. On the left, the image has an equal width/distance maintained around the image. On the right you see a picture that has a varied width of the mat around the picture. It’s done to fit a non-standard mat opening into a standard-size frame. *The image was taken at the Ringling museum in Sarasota.
Standard mat has a 3-inch width on all sides of the drawing. It gives your drawing necessary space between the mat and the frame. This 3″ distance can be altered, however. A lot of times expensive artworks have mats with a much wider width that add richness to the art. Sometimes you see framed photographs that have mats with varied widths (right image) that allow for placing prints and photography into standard frames (minimizing costs of custom framing).
Backing & Tape
All materials must be acid-free, which include backing (mounting board/foam board/foam backing) and a double-sided tape. If it’s not the case, your drawing will yellow over time. The tape holds it all together but it also yellows the surfaces if it’s not acid-free.
Beware that the ready-made frames you find in craft stores and Walmart don’t sell frames with necessary acid-free backings. Therefore, they are not suitable for professional framing and your original art or print will yellow over time. It yellows a lot faster than you think!!
Consider how your artwork would look as a group. Consistency in mat color and framing helps unify displays of art on paper.
Mat Cutters
Logan 650 Framers Edge elite mat cutter model for professional framers
You are lucky if your drawing is completed on standard-size paper and you can buy all the supplies at any craft store to do the assembly. But what if your drawing has different proportions and is far from standard mat openings? Most of the time you have no choice but to go to a framer, so he can cut the right mat for you. However, if you do a lot of drawing and plan on selling your work, it’s a good investment to buy a professional mat cutter and learn how to cut mats yourself. Mat cutters give the greatest flexibility possible in mat cutting. You can cut mats to any size. You can also cut it to fit the overall dimensions to a standard frame, making a nonstandard opening. Logan mat cutters are not cheap, but they save you lots of money in the long run. You can buy large sheets of museum board in any color and cut them to size. It takes practice to learn how to measure and to cut mats, especially the mat openings, which have a beveled edge as opposed to a regular cut. Correct measuring and cutting of mat boards is a skill that demands practice and patience.
The quality of a mat is determined not only by its thickness, but also by the cleanness of the beveled corners. If a blade is not new or cutting is sloppy, the inner corner edges look uneven. I think it’s best to learn the basics of mat cutting at a framer’s shop, or perhaps to find a detailed video of the process shown online. I used to cut mats myself using the Logan mat cutter, and I found this process quite frustrating at times because you’ve got to be perfect every time doing it. After doing it myself for several years, I prefer going to a framer or buying pre-cut mats online.
Glass or acrylic plexi-glass?
Omnipresent Mind, drawing size is 19×25 inches. It’s framed with non-glare, UV plexiglass and white wood frame for contemporary appearance.
You can frame drawings with regular glass but consider the overall size of your piece. Glass is very heavy. It can shatter cutting into art. It’s also very reflective! So it depends where you are going to hang your artwork to minimize the reflections.
Plexiglass is light and durable. Many galleries require framing with plexiglass as opposed to glass to minimize possible damage during the transportation to a show. However, regular plexiglass scratches and becomes useless once even a tiny scratch is there. The cost of plexi often exceeds the price tag of glass. Another thing to consider is reflections.
Pick a non-glare glass vs. regular glass. So you can enjoy looking at art from any corner of the room. Or consider framing art with a non-glare UV-protective plexiglass. Tru Vue Optium Plexiglass is the best museum-quality conservation plexiglass available today at almost any framing store online, but beware that it's really expensive and can easily cost you more than the frame itself.
Mushroom heart, drawing on paper, 10×16 drawing size. It’s framed with a non-glare, UV plexiglass, double mat and black wood frameThis is a colored pencil drawing on a 1-inch, wood panel. It’s framed with a canvas depth wood frame (rabbit width is 1 inch to accommodate the wood’s depth), UV, non-glare plexiglass. The result is that it looks like a painting, not a colored pencil drawing.
Metal or wood frames? Consider the lifespan of your display
There are three types of frames. Plastic, metal and wood. The choice is largely determined by your budget, but I strongly suggest not to give in to buying plastic frames or some craft-store frames that may look decent at first glance. Such frames don’t hold up well: they scratch, break and fall apart too quickly. They also don’t provide adequate support for big art in a hot and humid climate, bending and losing its original shape quickly. The frame’s surface may look like wood but it’s paper wrapped around the plywood. It comes off and scratches easily. The hanging wire and hardware are not there to support artwork larger than 11×14″. I always regret buying plastic frames because one scratch prompts eventual replacement.
Clio Newton, b.1989, Sarah, charcoal on paper 81x59in | Sometimes you can see contemporary drawings framed as posters because they don’t have the mat or space between the art and the frame. It works here because of the figure’s scale giving the impression of her walking off of the wall. It also mimics framing of art on canvas. The frame is made of either metal or wood. It can look very similar in white hue.
Metal Sectional Frames
Metal sectional frames at AmericanFrame.com
Metal sectional frames are a great alternative to plastic frames if you work on a budget. They last for years and don’t scratch that easily and don’t fall apart. Sectional frames come in a variety of colors and styles, assemble easily and hold up their shape for a very long time. The only drawback is that most frames have a small width and therefore provide economy framing, unlike the real wood frames. At the same time, metal sectional frames can be great for some contemporary art and photography. Many have canvas depth to frame canvas art as well.
In my experience, if the artwork is larger than 16x20" acrylic plexi-glass or glass may not hold up well within the metal sectional frame if the backing is not thick enough. Plexiglass tends to pop out of the frame in large drawings and large glass sheets are also too heavy for these frames.
The back of an assembled metal sectional frame.
Wood frames
Real wood framesTanja Gant, Bacchus @ Sirona fine art, Art Palm Beach | This colored pencil drawing has a simple off-white mat and a wood frame.
Real wood frames come in a variety of styles. They are the most beautiful, durable and stylish. Wood frames have varied width and finish and the professional framer can really make it or break it picking the right frame for your piece. Usually the wider the frame, the richer your artwork would look in it. However, the style of the frame is more important than its width because it needs to complement your drawing. Well framed art always looks amazingly beautiful. I buy real wood sectional frames that are cut to my dimensions and then assemble them into finished frames. It’s not difficult, but requires some patience and care to do it right. I buy all the supplies in varied sizes at American Frame (frame samples of which you see in the images above). Frame destination is another company located in Texas that cuts custom frames. If the frame is standard size (8×10″, 16×20″, 18×24″ etc), you can buy these frames at any craft store. However, the variety and quality of ready-made frames is not great in comparison to those found online.
Shadow boxes and canvas floater frames
Sometimes canvas floater frames or shadow boxes may work better than traditional framing. Glass suspends the artwork in the middle and creates open space between the art and the frame.
9×12″ colored pencil drawing on 3 layers of acetate-like film. This drawing looks interesting in a white shadow box frame because the colored pencil drawing has the room to breathe.Peter Anton @ Art Miami 2017 | This simple shadowbox holds the pieces as one artwork.I framed this colored pencil drawing using a real wood frame without the mat. It also has a UV, non-glare plexi and acid free backing. It depends on your personal preference if you like to have a mat around the art or not, that usually adds to the art presentation.
Framing companies where you can customize any frame, mat, online:
American frame: https://www.americanframe.com/
Top quality, great customer service, limited free samples of plexi and frames.
Keeper, 36×48″ oil on canvas | Real wood black canvas-depth frame picks up on the color of the art.
Here is a basic guide on how to frame art on canvas. Framing of oil/acrylic paintings is much easier because there are fewer moving parts involved. You’ve got to pick the right frame and assemble it, if it’s not a ready-made frame. Art on canvas, panel or wood doesn’t need glass for display. Oil and acrylic paintings look best without it. Also, remember that these paintings would need canvas-depth frames unless it’s a panel. Usually panels are thin, unless they are cradled.
Jeff Robb, lenticular photo at CONTEXT Miami 2017 | Here the photo has canvas depth and requires a canvas-depth frame.
Types of frames for paintings
Tenderness, oil on canvas, 24×36″, framed with custom-cut gold wood frame
Once again you have three choices: plastic, metal, and real wood frames. Go for the solid wood picture frames because they last the longest, look beautiful, and you frame it once. Metal sectional frames are a good choice for beginner artists, some contemporary paintings, especially abstract art. The style of the frame should add to your painting. Some paintings look beautiful in golden baroque frames, others in minimalist black frames. Canvas float frames give an interesting effect to some contemporary pieces (see below).
I find a very big difference in quality of wood sold at different framing stores online. If you see rather a cheap wood frames it means that they use soft, cheap wood that scratches and bumps corners very easily! I ended up re-framing such wood frames. It's better to frame art with metal sectional frames in such a case. Poplar wood and pine wood are very soft. Oak is very heavy and solid wood. Always ask a customer service rep what wood they use for framing!
Lowe art museum, Miami university, artists in workshop of Andrea del Sarto, “Madonna and child infant with St. John | Classical gold/blue frame highlights the colors and theme of the painting.Art by Mary Jane Ansell @ Miami Art Context 2017 | White frame gives a lot of space around the painting and extends it beautifully.
Most people consider their interior space and style, picking frames. While it should harmonize with the rest of the space, always consider how a framed piece looks on its own. Pick the frame for the painting, not your sofa. If the artwork has some warm, golden tones, pick a golden frame. If the piece has silvery, blue-grey tones, a silver frame would be good.
Isabelle Scheltjens @ Miami Art Context 2017 | The color of the frame picks up on black hues in the artwork.
If the painting is standard size, you can find a ready-made frame in a craft store or online, but remember that canvases are between 3/4 and 1″ deep, and not every generic frame would work for framing of stretched canvas.
Federico Uribe art-Adelson Galleries, Art Context Miami 2023
Canvas-depth frame
Mike Dargas @ Art Miami 2017 | The side of this unframed painting shows the canvas depth you must consider when you pick the frame.
Image: American Frame
In this image taken from the AmericanFrame, you can see that the frames have three dimensions: H, height, W, width, and R, rabbet. Rabbet should be at least 1″ if you have a painting on canvas. Some canvases require even wider rabbet height.
Canvas floater frames
Brad Kunkle @ Miami Art Context 2017
Canvas floater frames “suspend” your painting inside the frame without the edge touching it. Most picture frames cover the edge of the artwork. Personal aesthetic plays a big part in picking the frame. In this image, you see a white floater frame that extends the whiteness of the canvas. The entire canvas floats within the frame.
White floater frame gives minimal appearance to the art that allows for a complete focus on the painting, not the frame. | Art by van Roos at King Woman art show in New York, 2017
Miss Bugs, Algorithm sunny day, Context Art Miami, 2024 | White canvas floater frame
In this screenshot taken from AmericanFrame you can see the difference in frame styles. Canvas floater frame has a deep opening to nest the canvas painting inside. These are the bars in the back to which the painting attaches. The frames to the right cover the edge of the painting where canvas slides into a channel. Most wood, plastic, and metal frames cover the painting’s edge by 1/4″ or less.
White wood canvas float frame completes the look of this beautiful colored pencil drawing
Standard vs. non-standard frames
Venetian boy, 8×10″ oil on panel | Here this real wood silver frame is ornate. It complements the painting’s style.
Standard frames are 8×10, 9×12, 11×14, 16×20, 18×24, 24×36 and so on. If your painting is done on non-standard stretcher bars that don’t correspond to standard sizes, you have to order wood frames online to be cut to your specifications, and then assemble them at home if these are very large frames. If artwork is not very large, the shop does it. An electric screwdriver comes in handy, and you also need some hanging wire and hardware, which you can buy in a kit online or even at Walmart. AmericanFrame includes the kit with the purchase of custom-cut frames.
In this screenshot from the American Frame website, you can see how much the frame costs depending on its length. The great thing about this service is that you can order any frame cut to your specifications. You can also order samples and corner samples.
Still life with the corals and Venetian mask, oil on canvas, 24×36″, framed with custom-cut sectional real wood frame
Tip
Sometimes you can order samples of available frames and put them next to your artwork to see if the style of the frame works well with the painting. A lot of times it's difficult to say how a specific frame would look like unless you have a sample in your hands. Usually the wider the frame, the richer it looks. Although some abstract paintings would look the best framed with thin frames.
You can also buy standard frames at any craft or art supplies store.
This is a standard 5×7″ frame.
Framed oil paintings at art museums
Paul Delaroche, the execution of Lady Jane Grey at the National Art Gallery, London
These are examples of framed masterpieces I took pictures of. All of them have gold frames but the style of each frame varies. The color of the frame picks up on prominent hues seen within each painting. If these paintings had silver/grey elements, they would benefit from a silver frame. Also, the complexity of the frame matches the exuberant details seen in the painting. For example, the second image of Magdalene has simplified shapes and color that’s supported by a plain gold frame. The exuberant golden jacket of the king seen in the last image matches the more elaborate frame.
Midnight Dream, 38″ oil on canvas, Veronica Winters
If you plan on having a show, exhibiting a large number of works, consider framing art with similar frames to have display unity. In my experience, I framed art at different times with varied frames and my paintings don’t always look consistent as a group. It makes it harder to present as a coherent body of work in a solo show. I have to get creative arranging art pieces to have a sense of unity.
If you have a single piece of art, consider the size of your wall space and the artwork’s size. I often see small art displayed on a large wall where one picture gets lost and just looks too timid or “eaten” by a large wall space. If you have a large wall and small art, consider grouping small pieces on a wall to create a gallery. Below you’ll find several examples of art displays.
Here are some of the commissioned wall art pieces at the homes of my clients.These are various drawings and paintings that are arranged in a wall display. Some of them could be re-framed for better visual experience.
Framed pictures display @ Beverly hills hotel, Los Angeles
To Frame or not to frame?
Some art doesn’t require framing. When canvas’s edge is wide and clean, it might not need a frame, especially if it’s a sculptural piece. It gives a contemporary, minimalistic appearance you might like more.
Glass sculpture @ Heller gallery, Art Miami 2017Galerie Bhak, Old man @ Art Miami 2017Javier Bellomo, Coria face @ Art Miami 2017Indian art in Santa Fe
As you can see framing can be fun but takes time to figure out. Next time you are at an art show or a museum, pay attention to framing, take notes, and frame your pieces in accordance with your knowledge and taste. Good luck!
Jonah Harjer is a Michigan based ceramic artist. His work is highly decorated intricate designs through the use of stamps and decals. Jonah’s stamps and decals have became central to his art. His process uses photo polymere printable plates to impress into the surface of his work.
How much time in general are you investing into each cup?
I am investing, in general, I am going to say about two and half hours into each cup.
That is a chunk of time.
It is and that depends on the cup because there are some that are more time than that. I am not making those right now. I haven’t made any of those for about a year, but in average about two and half hours goes into a cup.
Do you make a series and then after you have done enough cups do you throw the plates away so they can’t be repeated or do you save them for the future? Are you making in series?
So that’s a great question. It’s the Dutch in me okay, I don’t throw them away and I know what you mean. I see people who do a lot of ceramic molds who retire their molds after awhile and I understand and I don’t know anything about those but as far as these plates go I have never thrown any of them away because for me they don’t seem to break down. They last and last and last. Sometimes I want to come back to a plate for a little particular reason and it’s nice to have those available.
How important for your work is a spray booth?
So a spray booth is very important for my work. I should add that last summer was the first time that I ever sprayed any kind of underglaze or paint or anything. I had bought a cheap Harbor Freight ten dollar paint sprayer a couple of years back and it sat on my shelf forever. I was watching other potters spraying and finally I decided to pick it up last summer and now I have bought another one and I have an air brush gun as well. I even built a spray booth last fall so I didn’t have to do an outdoor set up.
Unique is one of the words I would use to describe your work. Is unique a goal or is it result of your creative approach?
Wow, that’s a great question. I would say it is definitely a result. Definitively because I will often times start out with a goal but it ends up just being a result. Yeah, that’s really interesting, I’ve never thought about that. And as I am answering your question I am going to say it is a little bit of both I suppose. Somewhere in the deep down back of my mind there is part of me that wants to make something different. I always tell people I am making work that I don’t see and that I would like to buy. That’s really what it is.
How are your handles made?
So my handles are all extruded. I can pull handles. I prefer not to. For me, the reason I extrude my handles is because a hand pulled handle is great, but it’s not for me. It’s not the thing that makes my mug what it is. The ones that you are seeing that are stamped, I am taking that same handle and pressing it between two plates and then it squishes it. That’s why they look like that.
How do you keep your heart enthusiastic and in love when there is the daily grind of making work?
From a few different places. One is from the sort of cumulative memory of all the jobs in my life that I have not enjoyed and I am fifty years old and I have had quite a few. And then the other side of it is that I know the alternative, I know what else I could be doing and it’s not appealing to me. I don’t know, I suppose it’s a daily reminder that I could be doing other things. And even when it’s not going so great it’s better than X, Y, and Z and that is enough for me. It keeps me coming back. It really does. And my wife is really supportive an my family is supportive so if I am really having a dark day I can always call them and they can remind me where the light is.
Kayla Noble is a second generation potter, born and raised in New York’s Hudson Valley. Kayla is the current Woodfire Artist in Residence at The Clay Studio of Missoula in Missoula, MT. Kayla enjoys exploring the potential of clay in atmospheric conditions and the possibility for conversations that can happen with an ember-bed.
What do you love most about the community that is gathered around wood fired pottery?
Oh man, it’s just so much passion. Everyone there is really excited to be there.
Is there a sweet spot in a kiln that you want to see your pieces in?
I like the fire box right in the front of the kiln. I like to have my work touching the ember bed because I really like the texture and color and all the action that happens there. So I want them in the fire.
Is there a right way to bring leadership to a wood firing?
I think it’s having intention because whether you are intentional or not as a leader you are still going to be influencing and impacting people. So I think it means coming with awareness, coming with the ability to listen, and then also coming with the ability to make decisions and be decisive and communicate that in, I guess, an elegant fashion, with grace.
How do you have control while being a leader in community of where you want their pots to turn out good and you want that sweet spot for your pots?
It’s a mutual trust that has to be involved. The community that comes to fire with me, they are coming to fire with me hopefully because they trust me and they are going to trust my choices. And when you are going to choose to work with someone and you choose to fire with someone you have the opportunity to look at their work and decide if their firing style might or might not work for you. And what’s great about this residency is it changes every two years. If my firing style does not suit someone’s work there is opportunity to work with other people. So I do my best to ensure that everyone’s work is placed in the kiln to best serve the work and the community trusts my choices.
When you build larger pots is there a danger spot where you have to get through this part and then you are good but everything has the potential of falling apart before then?
Like with construction?
Yes.
Not that I have found, for me. I have had a relatively easy time building the forms that I make.
How thick do the walls have to be to support a three foot tall pot?
With my clay I am building about a half inch wide. So objectively thin, it just depends on your clay body, really. Different clays might need to be thicker or thinner. I am building table top size about a quarter of an inch and then the bigger pots I try to keep as thick as my thumb.
How important is wood type for firing?
I feel like the answer is just, Yes. (laughter) Different woods will burn differently. I’m now from moving from New York to Montana and firing with a completely different type of wood. So that means I am adjusting my clay bodies and firings to suit the wood. The wood is extremely important and what you get is what you get too. So it’s just learning how to work with what is growing near you.
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Purvi Fumakaya is a fashion designer turned potter, shaping composite forms inspired by her journey of balance amidst life’s challenges. With an eye for order and flair borrowed from fashion, Purvi crafts pieces that harmonize structure and creativity. Each creation tells a story of resilience and beauty born from adversity
How do you go about asking a cafe if you can have pottery class in their cafe?
Those place had already hosted art workshops and a couple of them had already hosted a clay workshop so it was pretty much they already had that concept in mind with what was going to happen. So it was easy to ask them for time that was available.
How much does a cafe require, is it a percentage or a flat rate?
Yes, it is percentage. Most of the spaces there would be a cover charge where they could purchase something worth that much.
How many students do you need per class to make it worth your while?
I wouldn’t take anything more than eight students the reason being is it is a little difficult to give that much justice to each and every person because clay being a new medium for most of them. It is difficult for them to use at first so they always need help. It is always a guided demonstration so eight people is the max I would take.
Do you have all your teaching tools packed up in a bin so that it is easy to take?
Oh yes. I do keep them separately for the workshop so once I come back I will just clean them up in a box where all the workshop tools go. The canvases and everything I will just clean them up and put them together. So it’s easy to carry for next time.
How far in advance do you start advertising for your workshops?
I would say a week before. I would start on Monday if it is on a Saturday or Sunday.
Wow. That’s short notice.
Well generally people don’t decide what they are going to do on the weekend until it’s Wednesday. So Wednesday is when people start to register early. Some people call Saturday morning saying they want to join. I mean definitely it is a pre-registered workshop so if there is a spot available they would ask for it in the morning.
Have you had a chance to connect with potters in Connecticut?
Yes, I have. I made an appointment to meet some potters. It is a great community out here.
4 Best Brands of Colored Pencils: are they worth the splurge?
Are you an artist looking for the best quality colored pencils? In this episode (that’s also available in a video format on YouTube), I reveal the top 4 brands that are worth the splurge. Plus, I’ll tell you about the most expensive colored pencils on the market! Whether you’re an artist, a student, or simply love to color, this video will help you choose the best colored pencils for your needs. If you’re tired of low-quality colored pencils and want to invest in the best, then this podcast episode is for you. I’ll compare each brand’s price, softness, and overall quality to help you make the most informed decision for your art supplies. Don’t miss out on seeing the best colored pencils for your next masterpiece! Warning. The episode is highly informative review of the top colored pencil brands!
