{"id":11843,"date":"2011-08-10T12:31:45","date_gmt":"2011-08-10T17:31:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/?p=11843"},"modified":"2011-08-10T12:31:45","modified_gmt":"2011-08-10T17:31:45","slug":"it%e2%80%99s-a-fair-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2011\/08\/10\/it%e2%80%99s-a-fair-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s a Fair Deal"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Hope Wallace<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the things I enjoy about working at the Wassenberg Art Center is the chance to get acquainted with people from our community and beyond.\u00a0 This is why I\u2019m looking forward to Sunday, August 28, when art center staff will assist the Fair Board by taking in entries for the Van Wert County Senior Fair Fine Arts display.<\/p>\n

Entries for this Fair division closed on August 1.\u00a0 I am told that the Fair Board will have your tags ready by August 15, so please pick them up at the Fair Board office in advance and have them on your artwork before you bring your pieces to the art display at the Fairgrounds on August 28, from 1-5 p.m.\u00a0\u00a0 We\u2019re looking forward to seeing your work!<\/p>\n

The show will be judged before the opening of the Fair.\u00a0 But the primary purpose of this exhibit isn\u2019t to get ribbons (although having your work recognized is always a plus!) It\u2019s a great opportunity for area artists to display their work to those who might not be\u00a0 regular art gallery visitors.\u00a0 Art can be a dialog between artist and viewer but more importantly, art is a statement of our own culture and identity. County fairs are another strong statement of \u201cHey! We\u2019re over here, this is what we are about!\u201d If you think about it, art (and design) is in everything. Take that away and our collective identity is compromised. A county fair is a large mixed showcase of our cultural identity and they continue to represent those many things we hold near and dear to our hearts, from prize tomatoes to artwork.<\/p>\n

Artists often come to enjoy the art display and to chat with one another, so you might have the chance to find out more about a particular painting.\u00a0 Our booth is generally staffed for questions but, if not, feel free to write down questions and leave them on the table at the art display.\u00a0 We love to talk about what we love.<\/p>\n

Many of the paintings will be for sale..\u00a0 If you see something you\u2019d like to have in your home, either discuss it with our volunteer or leave a note with your name, phone number, and the number of the painting that interests you.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll see you at the Fair!<\/p>\n

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Framing great-great-grandma, etc.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By Kay Sluterbeck<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last week we discussed framing paintings; this week we\u2019re moving on to the challenge of framing photos.\u00a0 Framed photos, including those old sepia pictures of great-great relatives and family events from the distant past can be wonderful wall decorations.<\/p>\n

OLD PHOTOS \u2013 If you have old sepia-toned photos, don\u2019t just stick them in a frame from the local mega-mart.\u00a0 They can be greatly enhanced by framing them in traditional style.\u00a0 Even creepy old Uncle Snodgrass will look good in a proper mat and frame.<\/p>\n

Look for ornate old frames at garage sales and auctions.\u00a0 If necessary, have the old picture enlarged (still in sepia) to fit the frame you find.\u00a0 Old photos look better with neutral colored mats, and old portraits can sometimes be greatly enhanced with an oval mat opening.\u00a0 The picture itself should be your guide to how it should be framed and matted.<\/p>\n

If the photograph has something scribbled on the white edge around the picture, such as an interesting signature, a caption, or fancy edging, have the mat cut to show these fascinating characteristics.<\/p>\n

MODERN PHOTOS \u2013 Most modern photographs call for a modern frame and matting.\u00a0 Some people think that fancy framing with ornate curlicues and metallic gold paint will make a photo look snazzy, but it usually just makes modern photos look tasteless and vulgar.\u00a0 So save the fancy old-fashioned framing for truly old photos, and keep it simple when framing modern photos.<\/p>\n

Black and white prints can be contrasted with either neutral or brightly colored mats, whichever best makes the picture \u201cpop.\u201d Colored photos can be set off with a black and white setting (white mat, black frame), with a neutral mat, or with a color that echoes something in the photograph.<\/p>\n

When in doubt, use neural mats and thin wood or metal frames.\u00a0 \u00a0Most modern photos look best with as little distraction as possible, especially if the photo will be hung on a plain background.<\/p>\n

PRINTS AND POSTERS \u2013 One rule that applies to both old and new prints is:\u00a0 Leave the edge of the print showing so that you can see any print numbering and hand signatures.\u00a0 If the print has a title beneath the picture, a small window should be cut in the mat to reveal this.\u00a0 Prints should be framed under glass to protect them, and in general a simple, thin wood or metal frame will look best.<\/p>\n

Because posters have a strong graphic content, the simplest frame possible is called for.\u00a0 Mats are optional; if you feel the poster looks best without a mat, you don\u2019t need one.\u00a0 Posters should be framed under glass, unless you aren\u2019t worried about damage from dust, moisture, or insects.<\/p>\n

EXTREME FRAMING \u2013 There are new and exciting trends in framing that you might want to consider.\u00a0 Some watercolorists are now painting on a product called \u201cwatercolor canvas\u201d and then varnishing the piece so it can be framed like an oil painting.\u00a0 If you acquire such a watercolor, be sure to find out if it has been varnished. Otherwise the watercolor can be damaged if it is framed without glass or matting.<\/p>\n

Many people are now framing watercolors and pastels under glass without a mat, for a more cutting-edge look.\u00a0 If you decide to forego the matting, small shims should be cut from matboard and inserted invisibly between the frame and the picture to keep the glass from touching the artwork.\u00a0 This is especially important in the case of pastels, which can shed pastel dust that would stick to the glass.<\/p>\n

Another interesting framing technique is to frame a picture (usually a watercolor, acrylic on paper, or a print) between two sheets of glass that are several inches larger than the picture all the way around.\u00a0 No backing is used \u2013 the picture appears to be \u201cfloating\u201d in the glass.\u00a0 The whole \u201cglass sandwich\u201d is put into a simple frame to create a strikingly modern look.\u00a0 The wall upon which the picture is hung acts as a decorative \u201cmat.\u201d\u00a0 Needless to say, don\u2019t use this method unless you\u2019re certain that the surface of the wall behind the picture will enhance it.\u00a0 A painted wall would look best behind such a frame job \u2013 complicated wallpaper likely would take away from the picture.<\/p>\n

There are books and websites that explain simple framing techniques, and with that knowledge you can make art pieces look their best.\u00a0 Even a mega-mart frame can be jazzed up with good matting, or even painted, for framing on a tight budget.\u00a0 Sectional metal frames that you assemble yourself are economical, and the cost of having glass cut at the hardware store is minimal.\u00a0 You may even find that it\u2019s fun to cut your own mats with a simple mat cutter.\u00a0 The only thing you can\u2019t afford in the world of framing is to put your imagination on hold!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Hope Wallace One of the things I enjoy about working at the Wassenberg Art Center is the chance to get acquainted with people from our community and beyond.\u00a0 This is why I\u2019m looking forward to Sunday, August 28, when art center staff will assist the Fair Board by taking in entries for the Van […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-wassenberg"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-27 00:29:14","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11843"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11843\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}