Art & Collectibles

THE FINE ART OF CUSTOM FRAMING

LaReine M. Nixon, owner of Home Is Where The Art Is, affectionately known in Philadelphia as the art lady started out as an art dealer and custom framer 20 years ago. Although she later uncovered her own ability to paint, custom framing is still a large portion of her business. She has framed countless pieces for individuals and corporations alike, from photographs to priceless works of art and maintains the highest quality materials and standards for her clients, while offering a discount few custom framers can match.

Once you see what she can do with your treasured collection, you'll never go anywhere else.

Our certified custom framers can take care of all of your framing needs.

We have an array of frames, matting and glass for the most discriminating customer. This information will tell you a bit more about the many jobs that a professional framer performs when it comes to your treasured works of art and precious memories.

WHY CUSTOM FRAMING?

This information will tell you a bit more about the many jobs that a professional framer performs when it comes to your treasured works of art and precious memories.

DESIGNING YOUR FRAMING PACKAGE

Although a good artistic eye is somrthing that can't be taught, there are certain rules of custom framing which lead to good design that can. When followed, these guidlines , well known to your custom framer, produce a beautiful, well-balanced framing presetation that enhances the work of art without overpowering it.

For example, did you know that the width of the mat border should never match the width of the frame? This tends to draw the eye away from the art they surround. Or that a poorly placed decorative element such as a french line, can detract from the beauty of the finished package? good design based on commonly accepted framing principles is one of the many reasons to custom frame.

PROTECTING YOUR ARTWORK

Perhaps the best reason to custom frame your personal and well-loved works of art is that a professional picture framer has the skills and materials neccessary to preserve and protect them as closely as possible to their condition. Acid-free mat and mount boards contains no impurities which can damage the art they surround.

Professional picture framers have the training and skills required to use these materials to beautifully present your treasured items in a way that will not only enhance their appearance, but protect them for your enjoyment for years to come.

A MAT IS MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY COLOR

Matting is the border that surrounds your art within the frame. It is more than just a pretty color. The purpose of matting is both cosmetic and protective. Certainly one of the reasons we use mat board to encase art is to bring out the colors in an image while drawing in the eye. The addition of matting can mean the difference between an insignifigant piece that gets lost on a wall and a dramatic one that serves as a perfect accent in a room.

THE MAIN PURPOSE OF MATTING IS TO KEEP THE COVER FROM COMING INTO CONTACT WITH THE FRAMED SUBJECT MATTER

This also provides an area where air can circulate. Differences in temperature between the outside and inside of the frame can cause moisture to condensate behind the glass. This can be a breeding for mold, mildew and fungi.

PROPER LIGHTING TECHNIQUES

* Use subdued lighting effects that will not reflect into the glass, especially when you are not using a reflection control product.

   * Add a sense of atmosphere by using wall lights or
       sconces on either side of your framed piece.
   * Add emphasis to framed pieces by adding individual
       picture lights- see your framer for details.

   * DO NOT HANG YOUR VALUABLE ARTWORK IN DIRECt
       SUNLIGHT. USE INCANDESCENT BULBS TO LIGHT
       YOUR ARTWORK.
There are many options available to you when deciding how to frame your painting, poster, print, or memorabilia. Retail stores

Ready-made frames in limited sizes and selection. Specialty shops have kits with instructions but offer no professional advice. Chop shops churn out pieces by the hundreds with high minimum quantities and long waits.

La Reine's prices remain competitive by ordering only what you need and manufacturing what you want. Larger jobs allow us to give you deeper discounts while keeping production quality up. our commitment to excellence that demonstrates our capability.

Picture framing is an art form in itself. Selecting the right frame, glass, matting, and backing can enhance and maintain your artwork for years to come. We offer the widest selection of moulding all of which are solid wood.

You can find any mat whether it is paper, acid-free, rag cotton, or fabric, in any color or shade. Compliment your choices with wood fillets or custom-made paper covered foam fillets. Determine the importance of clear glass versus ultra violet filtering acrylic, foam mount versus conservation mount. The materials you choose are imperative to the overall design and preservation of your artwork. Allow our years of experience and expertise guide you through this procedure one step at a time.

In addition to our great selection of frames we also provide you with extensive collection of prints and poster books to browse through at your leisure. If artwork doesn’t suit your needs, consider framing a mirror. We offer clear glass mirrors, special ordered to any size, with beveling from one to two inches. Glass mirrors can also be ordered in a variety of colors, including antiqued and smoked. Let the frame be the art!

ART TERMINLOGY
ACRYLIC
Synthetic paint made by distributing pigments in a vehicle made of a polymethyl methacrylate solution in mineral spirits. First used in the 1940’s, they are valued for their versatility.

CANVAS TRANSFERS*
Like giclées, canvas transfers are a product of the 20th century. A canvas transfer is a process where a print image on paper is transferred to and backed up with canvas. To accomplish this, a paper-backed print is laid on table, and coated with a formula of acrylics. The chemicals used integrate with the print inks and over a two-day period are given a chance to cure between applications. The next day the coated print is put into a bath of chemicals and water and allowed to soak. At the time that the acrylics and inks (which are one) begin to separate from the paper, the wet print is removed from the tank. It is then laid on a table where the acrylics are peeled away from the paper. The wet, blank piece of paper is thrown away. At this point, the film, which is thousandths of an inch thick, is hand applied to a prepared canvas. Canvas transfers are durable and be cleaned with warm water and a mild soap if necessary.

COLLAGE
The technique of creating a work of art by adhering flat articles such as paper, fabrics, string or other materials to a flat surface such as a canvas whereby a three dimensional result is achieved.

GICLÉE*
A 20th-century digital print medium emanating from Iris print technology. "Giclée" has become a generic term for a wide variety of digital print technologies found within the fine art market. Digital prints have found favor among artists and publishers because of accurate reproduction quality, print on demand capability and because the best giclée prints do not exhibit a digital signature, i.e. banding, dot patterns or other typical signs of commercial digital prints.

GOUACHE
The technique or product where heavy, opaque watercolor is applied to paper and produces a more brilliant and strong-colored result than usual watercolors.

LITHOGRAPHY*
Original Lithography invented in the late 18th century uses an inked slab of limestone or a specifically treated metal plate to transfer an image to paper. A hand-separated process is used to re-create the image if it is to be classified an "original lithograph." Colors are printed one at a time, requiring the stone or plate to be prepared for each color used. Original lithography are typically created by the artist or in conjunction with printmakers or artisans under the artist’s supervision.

MIXED MEDIA
The art technique where the artist employs two or more media such as painting, charcoal, collage, etc. and combines them in a single work.

OFFSET LITHOGRAPHY*
Offset Lithography is the print process in which an inked image on a metal or paper plate is transferred to a smooth rubber cylinder and then to paper. A photochemical or digital process is used to re-create the image, which is run on a high-speed, automated press. Four to eight-color printing presses are most commonly used, with all colors typically being printed at the same time. Touch plates or added color embellishments are not uncommon in offset lithography.

OIL PAINTING
Developed over time during the 15th and 16th centuries, the technique or result of using paint made from ground pigments suspended in oil usually linseed. Oil paint allowed for more demanding uses than the drier, less useful egg tempera type of paint.

PHOTOGRAPHY
In general terms, a medium-technique like oil paint or pastel. Photography is the art of using and manipulating the camera and film to produce unique images of reality or formal abstractions. The subject and the stylistic or aesthetic intentions of the photographer will determine the "type" of photography.

SERIGRAPHY*
A stencil method of printmaking in which an image is imposed on a screen of silk or other fine mesh. Blank areas are coated with an impermeable substance, and ink or paint is then pulled through a fine silk or nylon screen onto the printing surface. In the process of silkscreen printmaking known as "serigraphy", colors are printed one at a time, requiring the screens to be prepared for each color used. A hand-separated process is used to re-crate the image if it is to be classified as an "original serigraph." Original serigraphs are typically created by the artist or in conjunction with printmakers or artisans under the artist’s supervision.

SILVER GELATIN
A black and white photograph printed on paper coated with an emulsion consisting of gelatin and silver halide crystals. This method is currently the most popular way to produce black and white photographs

WATERCOLOR
A painting that uses water as its base usually painted on heavy paper.

From your precious photographs to your priceless works of art, we will frame your work to your specifications and satisfaction.

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