Works on paper fall into 2 main categories, originals and prints.

Originals :

Includes - Pencil drawings, Watercolours, Acrylics, Pastels, Gouache, Crayon, Chalk, Mixed media, Collage etc. These are one off, unique pieces hand done by the artist. Originals on paper are usually hinged with acid free tape to the back of the mat and are framed under glass.

Prints :

There are a wide variety of prints but basically they are reproductions. Mass produced prints, posters and photographs are machine made by a variety of technologies including off-set, inkjet, Lambda, screen or plate printing. Handmade prints are usually plate or screen and include woodcut, linocut, engraving, drypoint, mezzotint, etching, aquatint, photogravure, lithography and collographs.

Framing :

Paper works are matted and framed under glass, although mass produced prints and poster can be framed without a mat. The mat not only provides negative space around the piece but also lifts the glass away from the image surface.

Original and collectible works are usually attached to the mat using reversible tape, while mass produced prints and photos can be glued directly to the backing to ensure a flat surface. Glueing is not reversible.

Fabric art is anything using fabric as the media instead of paper. Techniques include embroidery, painting, printing and mixed.

Embroidered:

Includes - There are so many that these are a few of the most well known. Counted cross stitch, Tapestry (actually weaving), Applique, Petit point, Stumpwork, Broderie Anglaise, Open work, Void work, Shadow work, Candlewicking and so on.

Embroidered works are stretched onto an acid free backing either by lacing or stapling with stainless steel staples. They are usually matted if going under glass but in the instance of tapestry it can be padded and not glazed. We can advise on which technique is best for your work.

Painted/Printed

The main ones here are different media on primed canvas. Oil and acrylic paint being the most popular. The introduction of wide format ink jet printers bought about the printed canvas or polyester fabric.

These works are usually larger and on heavier fabric so are stretched over pine stretcher frames. It is popular at the moment to leave stretched works unframed with the image wrapped around the edge of the stretcher or with a reverse L-shape frame.

This category includes sports jerseys and equipment (bats, balls, gloves etc.), medals, coins, jewellery, shells, stones, carved objects, models, toys, indigenous artefacts, really anything that isn’t flat.

The framing involves mounting the object(s) in a reversible manner, usually stitching but sometimes glue or fixings are needed for strength. We can advise on the best technique for your work. Once the object is mounted the glass needs to be suspended above the object. This can be done by putting spacers behind the mat or lining the inside of the frame between the glass and mat. Or a combination of the two.

Because of the depth a “box” frame is needed, which is just a deep frame. These only come in limited styles and finishes so to overcome that we can add a box to the back of most regular frame styles.

Printed captions, titles, descriptions and photos can be produced in house on our printer and incorporated into the design.

Call us or come into the store for more specific information on your project.