Mount Gallery

I had another interesting project this week. Ann Mount is a well known local artist who paints Southern scenes of street scapes, children and old barns or houses. Ann brought in some miniature versions of some of her paintings to be framed. In order to add some interest I decided to be creative with the framing and chose a more complex frame design incorporating a shadowbox technique. Traditional shadowbox methods are used mainly for items that are three dimensional (3-D). The shadowboxing adds space between the object and the glass. In this case the artwork was an acrylic painting which does not need glass as protection. Since there was no need to use glass the shadowbox lining is being used strictly as a design element. The end effect is very dramatic with the 1/8″ painting mounted on top of a mat and then recessed back into the frame using the shadowbox effect. It gives a lot of shadow and depth to the art. I’ve used this technique for other art such as decorative ceramic tiles, plaster hand prints and small paintings on canvas. Basically this technique can be used with anything that is three dimensional (3-D) either with or without glass.

This type of framing is generally used for moderate value limited edition prints, watercolors and photos. Higher quality materials and more complex semi-conservation framing methods are used. Acid free mats, glass spacers and semi-conservation mounting techniques are some of the materials and services that add to the complexity and cost of intermediate framing .

This is an intermediate level framing example. I consider this an intermediate level not only because of the materials used, but also because of the complexity of the project. Whenever I frame three dimensional (3D) art work I face technical challenges. This combined with the fact that the art is valuable makes the whole process even more complex.

In cases where 3D art is not valuable the mounting process can be relatively easy and inexpensive…. some glue, wire or screws and you’re good to go. With the Elvis album the mounting techniques used had to be reversible and non-damaging to the art. I used acid free mats, glass spacers and ultraviolet filtering glass. Here is the art that needed to be framed: An Elvis “Live at Madison Square Garden” Album and cover, an Elvis photo and a description card:

The design of the mat added some visual interest and helped to make this piece truly unique:

This is a photo of the art after it was mounted:


The last step was fitting the mounted art into the frame:


Of course I love all picture framing, but working on projects like this is some of my favorite framing to do. I love the design challenge and the technical challenge. It’s a great feeling when I complete the framing and get to see my customer’s reaction. Needless to say when Elvis left the building our customer was extremely pleased!

My name is David. I joined the staff of Mount Gallery in 1980 and became the owner in 1992.

Over the last 28 years I have treated the craft of picture framing as an art, choosing the perfect balance of color and design to enhance each piece of art I frame. I take pride in using the best materials and workmanship to create a lasting treasure. The variety of art I get to frame is the exciting part of my work. I love it when a customer brings in a unique piece of art and lets me use my creativity to bring their artwork to life.

My current sale is for all in stock moulding: 25% off one or buy one get one 50% off

front of Mount Gallery