Michaels was having a sale on custom framing this weekend. Half off the regular price. I took four odd-sized paintings I got in Shanghai a couple of years ago. They’d been rolled up in a paper tube ever since I bought them.
Paul with a goatee let me go behind the frame shop counter and pull my own frames off the carpeted wall. I took down frame corner after frame corner. I wanted something minimalist, yet I gravitated to brushed metal in neon colors and thick ornate wood. I finally decided on a wood frame that must have been at least three inches wide. It was stained black with decorative embossing, except raised. I requested an eggshell-white mat, also three inches wide.
Paul asked me if I wanted the special glass that cuts down the glare. Back when I worked at The Framery near the University of New Mexico, we never recommended non-glare glass; it was almost so frosty you could hardly see the image. This new non-glare stuff was way better. Kind of like the UV tint you can get on your eyeglass lens. “Yes, give me the Masterpiece Glass,” I told Paul.
While Paul crunched the numbers on his calculator, I stood staring at the frames I’d rejected. I thought about the many other pieces of art I’ve had framed. One time I went to one of those boutique frame shops and picked out a really nice wood that had been stained bright red. It sounds ugly now, but it’s gorgeous. It was years ago, and it cost so much I vowed I’d never go anywhere for my framing but Ben Franklin’s, K-Mart, or Michaels. A year or so ago I framed about six photographs, all at Hobby Lobby, I think.
Paul finished the calculations. “Two-hundred fifty-eight,” he said.
“Each??,” I asked.
“Each.”
“That’s before the 50% off, right?”
“No, after.”
Poor Paul. I went back to the drawing board. Threw out the wood. Landed on skinny black metal — the basic foodstuff of frames. We got the smaller prints down to $103 each. The larger ones a bit more.
Egads. No wonder so many paintings and posters stay stuffed away in my closet.
Beautiful paintings. They look so striking against the masthead. This is so true about framing. I remember it from the days when I used to get my photographs framed.
I have a friend who’s a painter and recently framed about 10 of her paintings. Prices are shocking. She told me once you find a place that has half decent prices – stick with them. And get frames done in bulk – they often give you a discount.
The last frames I had done for my photographs were basic black wood frames with 3″ mats. They still look great but dent easily. I have another painter friend whose husband frames all of her work. It saves her a lot of money. Perhaps that’s the way to go to cut the cost of frames – partner with a woodworker. 8)
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I hear you. Why does the expense of art and literature seem so much more… justified.. than other indulgences?
I could never, ever spend the grocery money on a ball game or a pair of shoes, but somehow blowing half the check at the bookstore seems both necessary and right from time to time.
Go figure.
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It does, doesn’t it? I was telling a friend I haven’t bought shoes or clothes or anything since I don’t know when, yet… books and art and framing. Maslov’s Hierarchy of Needs for Artists and Writers.
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Growing up with a father who is an artist, I’ve long been appalled by the cost of matting, glassing, and framing works of art.
My dad’s always done his own, and it’s a very time-consuming, tedious part of the job, but the only way most artists can survive if they want to sell pieces finished. (The cost, as you’ve proven here, is too prohibitive to have the work done elsewhere.)
What irks me is that that cost must then be passed along to the consumer, and it’s for this reason many people will choose posters and/or unlimited edition prints over original and/or limited works: they’re cheaper. My other frustration is one we share: those of us who spend more than we ought to on art often have to settle for works not being displayed until we can afford to have them framed.
The pieces, by the way, are stunning.
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Sorry, but I need to clarify my “irk”: I am not mad that artists pass along the cost, but I find the cost-markup of commercial frame shops unbelievable, and the price asked for the supplies nearly insane. This all adds up to the price of a piece (purchased directly from an artist–don’t get me started on gallery purchases) reflecting 1/2-2/3 cost and only 1/3-1/2 profit. For the hours it takes to create and present, it’s not a great deal for the artist.
The cost of many art supplies–a tube of paint comes to mind–seems to reflect a privileged lifestyle few artists or appreciators actually possess.
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I had a similar thought: it’s expensive being an artist. Between the cost of supplies and the cost of framing — sheesh. That’s a lot of cost.
Thanks for the comments.
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amuirin, maybe the cost of art and literature is worth it because it somehow feeds our souls. I used to drop so much money on books. I don’t buy that many anymore. I’m trying to make my way through the ones already on my shelf.
I also make good use of the library. I don’t have the space or funds for many books these days. Though one day I hope to have a big writing room with floor to ceiling bookshelves that cover a whole wall!
Shawn, thanks for your comments, many good points to chew on. It is difficult that artists have to pass the cost of supplies and framing on to those who wish to buy their art in order to survive. What it brings to mind for me is that artists have to truly want to be artists to put up with everything that entails.
ybonesy, how much was that tube of paint you bought in ABQ when we stopped at the art store in July? I can’t remember how much I used to spend but I’m sure it’s gone up exponentially. Art supply expenses are out of this world.
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If I may add my $258. worth…
As an artist, I concur.
To display my work for sale, it needs to be framed. But I can always offer great deals on unframed art. Yet people generally can’t envision what a piece will look like if it doesn’t have a frame around it.
How many times I would clinch a sale of a freshly framed piece, only to hear the buyer say, “Can you sell it to me without the frame?”… the answer always being,”yes”, as the sound of the ripping backing paper can be heard.
My bad habit is one of making art in wierd sizes that requires custom framing.
Wood frames ultimately are more cost effective. Find an inexpensive ‘distressed’ finish thin wood frame. Dings can be repaired with markers, shoepolish, wax crayon. Metal frames can’t be repaired.
Or make part of your sales pitch contain the phrase, “This will fit in a standard size frame”, and let the buyer discover the cost of framing. They gain tremendous sympathy for our expenses that way. How often patrons return to me and say, “I had no idea how expensive…”
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Those are gorgeous paintings, and very consistent with the style of your own artwork. As a former painter, don’t get me started on frames. The topic gives me hot flashes.
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Michaels is expensive, yet I have all my framing done there…
But, you can also see another reason why I prefer not to frame my beadwork=:)
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Oh dear, I’m afraid I’m one of those “pssst” People. Every time I’m in an Aaron Brothers to matte another photograph I always seem to be next to someone who’s just picked out a very expensive frame, matte and glass, all custom order for their latest artwork…and someone has always talked them into it.
I wait until the unsuspecting sales person goes away, then “pssst” the victim over. I have picked out more already made to order frames, mattes and such for folks that I can’t believe I haven’t been tossed from the place yet…but I just can’t stand the idea of someone not knowing all their options. Custom framing is ridiculously priced these days.
I tend to use the plain glass frame kits with board backs and the simple clips. They’re cheap, look great and don’t take away from the art itself. These two prints of yours yb, would look fabulous in them with a simple black matte and probably cost under 20 bucks!
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Oh-oh, am I going to have buyer’s remorse for not having gotten the “pssst” earlier?
I do like the clips. And I almost bought one of those floating frame things, because these pieces were oblong and could fit. Next time, Heather!
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Leslie–good tip on the wood frames. I like wood, too. These days even places like Michaels sell really great wood frames.
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QM: I was cleaning out my purse yesterday and found the receipt for that art purchase where you were with me. $8+ for a small tube of paint. (My mentor and friend Juanito would tell me to buy mail order — about 40% the cost of the art supply store .)
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ybonesy, can’t believe you found that receipt (chuckle). $8 a tube is nothing to sneeze at, is it? Yes, mail order – good idea. I guess you have to plan ahead for that, huh?
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I have pieces I’d like framed. The walls of my apartment are concrete and impossible to hang items on, unless you have a powerful drill and will. Framing is expensive. I learned to do it myself but don’t have the attention span.
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Check around at the other frame shops. I own one myself. I have people come in my gallery and tell me that they would go to Michaels and get an estimate, then go back a couple of weeks later when they are running their 50% off sale to find out there is little difference in price on either visit. Michaels marks it up to mark it down which does a dis-service to the locally owned and customer minded frame shops which gets a bad rap being lumped in with Michaels. Michaels is a craft store that offers picture framing. Most people think a small, family owned frame shop will be more expensive than the retail chain craft store. They could not be more wrong. Do yourself a service, save some agrevation, time and money and support a small family owned gallery in your area. Both of you will be thankful.
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Good point, not to mention, where in the world are my pictures? I was just thinking about that. They said it would be about 2-3 weeks, and yet, here we are a month and a half later and I’ve not rec’d a call.
I wanted to use the frameshop of a friend’s son, which I will do next time. I don’t know why I got sucked into Michael’s. When I was a framer, I worked for two independent shops. I know better than to go to a chain.
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Interesting post. I like your blog. This reminds me to check out my local art studios.
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I’ve been reluctant to revisit this issue, ever since when I went to Michaels to get my framed paintings, two of them were done poorly and two were done wrong. Ugh! That was about two weeks ago. They were going to expedite the ones done poorly (floated and buckled and one corner had a smudge). For the ones done wrong, they had to reorder the mat board.
Sigh. Live and learn!!!!
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[…] then purchased ready-made frames from Michael’s (my boycott there didn’t last long) and did something I rarely do. Instead of procrastinating and letting […]
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