A letter from the Editor

Dear Friends:
Several questions have come up with regard to signing, framing artwork, exhibiting artwork and selling artwork. The following information will certainly help artists who mat and frame their work, but also those who purchase art. After all, an educated consumer is our best customer…hmmm…. catchy phrase. Signing Your Art: Signing your name can disturb the composition. The signature can also make the image appear larger if you place the name too far from the art. This is a consideration in framing because every inch will cost you money in the framing process. If you are not sure where to place your name, lay a piece of tracing paper over the artwork. With a pencil lightly sign your name in various positions and play with where the name might go. Initials are fine also, but it is not good for name recognition in the future. You can sign your artwork in Pencil - 2H with the tip rounded so that it does not scratch the paper ...or.... You can sign you artwork in watercolor with a small paintbrush (0 or 00) over your pencil signature and then when the paint is dry, erase the pencil.... or.... Place your name on a separate paper and use a light box to trace over the name in watercolor on your artwork. If you are adding the name of the plant, be sure that this information is spelled correctly and all the writing is level. Please don't make the watercolor color stand out over the color of the artwork. If you don't want a straight-line signature, then sign so that it is noticeably slanted or it will just look cockeyed. If the framer frames it so that your straight-line signature looks cockeyed, then have them open up the art and straighten up the line to the mat. Photographing Your Art: If you intend to exhibit a lot, then you may want to make slides. If you want to publish your work in books, etc. then you may want to make a 4 X 5 or 8 X 10 color transparency and a CD Scan. In any case, you will want to make a C-Print (a color print) of your art for your portfolio. The size of the C-Print should be the size of your portfolio. This will be important for your portfolio. You can always make a laser color copy for your portfolio to keep costs down and in a pinch; you can always open up the framed art at a later date to make these photos. If your art sells, goodbye.... so best to do this before you start exhibiting.

Framing Your Art…. Select a frame to enhance your art. Not your home decor. For exhibiting, select a neutral mat as close to the paper as possible. If you double mat for exhibits, make sure both mats are the same color. If you select a double mat with a color mat underneath, remember to make sure BOTH are ACID FREE. The bottom one will become contaminated from the top mat if it is not acid free. Regardless of what some may say, this is very true. I have this on very good authority…experience! In most cases, your mat should be about 3" wide. Usually, the bottom of the art receives a slightly wider mat -- 3 1/2". The distance from the edge of the mat to your artwork should be between 1-1/2" to 2" all the way around. -- You may choose to move your art off center. Just be sure to give the necessary space around the subject where required. It is also fine to intentionally cut off some of the artwork or to draw or paint some of the art onto the mat. This is more of a “fine art” technique and one not usually seen in traditional botanical artwork. And by all means, please keep artwork level as you have designed it. Never let the framer take control of mat placement. This is your choice based on how you conceived the artwork. The mat and all materials should be archival -- this means either conservation or museum quality. Museum is the top of the line and includes an acid free dust cover on the back and museum clips, which are plastic clips with a bar of tape on the top. The clips clip on the art on the top edge only and then the glue strip affixes to the mat with acid free glue. No glue should ever touch you original - ever. Whether graphite, watercolor, pen & ink, color pencil, pastel, gouache, tempera, acrylic, always use a UV glass and in this case and in most cases for exhibiting UV Plexiglas is required. You need a special cleaner for UV Plexiglas. Be careful if you wipe it down. It scratches easily -- fingernails can create quite a groove. When you clean your painting, never, ever spray the cleaner onto the painting. The liquid can run down into the frame and the mat will soak up the liquid leaving a watermark. Simply direct the spray away from the painting and into a cloth. A little dab will do you! Be sure to wire the back of your painting with a strong wire. If you are not sure, double the strand of wire. Affix your nametag by folding it over the wire of the back of the painting. Do not glue it to the back of the painting. If you use a framer, you can ask them not to affix their store label or any other label to your artwork.

Pricing Your Art: To keep your pricing schedule straight, it is a good idea to keep a journal of your artwork. List the name of the piece, the year the piece was completed, the places the artwork was exhibited, the price, the name and contact info on who purchased the artwork, and how much was paid for the art. It’s never too early to begin this, for once you’re career is in full swing it is very hard to find the time to back track. For artists who have never sold their artwork and are at the beginning of their career, or even for beginning botanical artists who feel their botanical art is not as sophisticated as their other artwork, the range for original graphite artwork is $100 to $800; and for original watercolors $200 to $1200. With regard to artists who have standing careers, it is not unusual to pay from $2,000 and up – well way up ‘cause the sky’s the limit! The price differences depend upon: size of image; rarity of the specimen or hard to find specimens; simple vs. complex composition; skill; level of achievement; popularity; notoriety; framing and other costs. If you sell, give a bill of sale that says you maintain all copyrights and that purchasers agree to “loan” the art for exhibition at least once per year. Hope this all helps!

God Bless. OM

BACK TO TOP

• Photographing Your Artwork
  by Russell Hart, Nan Starr
  
  
• The Artists' Handbook for Photographing Their Own Artwork
  by John White
  
  
• Home Book of Picture Framing: Professional Secrets of Mounting Matting, Framing and Displaying Artworks, Photographs, Posters, Fabrics, Collectibles, Carvings and More by Kenn Oberrecht
  
  
• Frames and Framing: The Ultimate Illustrated How-To-Do-It Guide by Louise Meiere Dunn, Gerald F. Laird
  
  
• The Art of Selling Art by Zella Jackson
  
  
• How to Master the Art of Selling by Tom Hopkins, J. Douglas Edwards