DIY Frame Making…An Art Unto Itself

An artist friend once told me, “not every painting needs a frame. But some paintings DESERVE a frame.” Though I agree with his philosophy, I’m not sure I can tell whether or not a painting “deserves” a frame or not. So, much as I hate it, I frame everything. But I’ve found that the simple black floater is the most appropriate frame for my canvases since, as frames go, it’s the most invisible frame one can use. But to buy unassembled, or joined floaters (simple as they are), is to spend a LOT of money on something you hope no one notices (at least not as much as the painting itself.).

I’ve supplied the basic millwork diagram I prepared for my local mill. I mitre, join, sand and finish milled poplar to create decent black floaters that show well in galleries, but (despite my time) cost 1/10th of what I paid (per foot) for commercially available frames.