Framing

Tips for Hanging Artwork and Photos

Whenever we have photos or other artwork to hang on our walls, there is sometimes a feeling of dread.  Holes in walls are easy to fix, but why make any more than are necessary?  Professional picture framers and galleries have several tips that might help you even if you don’t have a laser level to use.  They often employ simple, straightforward methods to get perfect looks in their installations.

Placement of art, especially groups of framed items, can be accomplished in a number of ways.  Graph paper and a drawn plan can help you arrange a variety of shapes and sizes in a very pleasing manner.  One favorite way to arrange such a collection is to cut pieces of paper the sizes of the framed artworks/photos. Arrange these pieces on the floor until you get them set in a way you like and then translate the layout to the wall.

Galleries change their displays very frequently and don’t want to spend more time arranging than they have to.  Some have created a fast and easy way to hang an exhibition/show.  In your case, a collection of art pieces can be put up very quickly by creating a “hanging stick” to assist.  This hanging device consists of a scrap of wood (1”x2”, 6’ long) and a 3” headed nail.  Drive the nail about 1” from the top of the scrap.  Hammer the point through until the nail point sticks out the back about ¼ inch.  Hang the art piece on the head side of the nail; then lift the hanging stick (and painting) to position the painting on the wall.  When the placement is right, simply remove the painting, press the nail tip into the drywall and the exact spot for your hanger is located.

Hardware used to hang photos is as varied as almost any other type of hardware.  There are hooks with nails, multiple prongs to grip the wall with a supporting hook for the picture, stick-ons and newer trends where the pictures are leaned against the wall while setting on decorative shelves.  You have so many choices that one is bound to fit your style and level of comfort.

The type of hangers that employ a bent metal hook through which a nail is inserted at an angle are very safe, easy to install and are weight rated to help you select the appropriate size.  This same type of hanger, only with multiple nails, is also a good choice for some installations.  More support is provided, especially if you choose to use one hanger for your art.  The use of multiple hooks is advised (so long as they are installed level to one another) for holding the art level on the wall, even if the door slams or the boat rocks.

One thing that we have to realize is that not all floors or ceilings are perfectly level right at the spot we want to hang a picture on the wall.  For this reason, it is not possible to use the ceiling or floor as a gauge from which to measure.  If you want to be sure the artwork or photo is level, use a builder’s level with at least two windows in which a bubble floats.  Align the bubble to set perfectly in the center of its window.

Heavy duty hangers for super heavy items—such as huge artworks, heavy frames or mirrors and the like—are rated at varying levels to safely support several hundred pounds.  New stick-on, easily removable hangers are also a boon to renters and others who can’t (or choose not to) put holes in their walls.

Hanging artwork and photos is fun and rewarding.  Once you have had a successful arrangement or hanging experience, you will face the challenge with complete confidence.

Art Competitions

American Watercolor Society – 144^th Annual International Exhibition – April 5 – May 1 – 47 Fifth Avenue, NYC – Open to all artists working in water media on paper:  watercolor, acrylic, casein, gouache, egg tempera.  Entries may be either digital or by slide, and there is a Student category.  Awards: approximately $40,000 in cash and medals.  Deadline:  Nov. 15.  Prospectus:  www.americanwatercolorsociety.com/pdf/Prospectus_2011_r.pdf.

Society of Illustrators – Illustrators 53 – Jan. 5 – March 27 – Museum of American Illustration, NYC - Any illustration created or initially published between Oct. 1, 2009 and Nov. 1, 2010 is eligible.  International entries are welcome.  Categories:  Sequential/Series, Editorial, Book, Advertising, Institutional and Uncommissioned.  All accepted entries will be reproduced in full color in the Illustrators 53, America’s Original Annual of Illustration, and a selection of 40 works will tour U.S. colleges.  Gold and Silver Medals will be awarded in each category.  Deadline:  Oct.  29. Details:  www.societyillustrators.org/Awards-and-Competitions/Annual-Exhibition/Overview.aspx.

Fabric

Dyeing Fabric - Fun with Textiles

It’s great fun to create original and unusual looks for the clothing we wear.  One of the quickest and most interesting ways to create that personal look is by dyeing fabrics, both yardage and completed garments.  Other uses for these same fabrics include designer quilt projects, home décor items, bed linens, etc.  Dyeing is also an excellent way to give new life to an old clothing/décor item.

The first step is to understand that there are many types of dyes from which to choose.  One option to consider is the use of natural materials:  berries, leaves, roots, bark and twigs.  These materials can be interesting to use and usually yield some of the natural tones of tan, brown and olive.  The one drawback to using natural ingredients is the need for a mordant (a chemical that opens the fibers so that the dye can be accepted into—rather than simply set—upon the surface of the fiber).  Mordants are most often fairly hazardous and shouldn’t be used without a thorough understanding of the risks involved.

There are, fortunately, many other types of dyes that are easy and fun to use and yield great results.  One of the easiest to find is as close as a stop on the soft drink aisle of your grocery.  Unsweetened Kool-Aid sprinkled onto wet wool yarn will give a gorgeous variegated tone to the bundle and can be knitted or crocheted into original wardrobe items.  Simply sprinkle the powder on the dampened skein in a random application.  Allow it to set for a few minutes and then rinse away the excess.  The resulting yarn will be permanently colored and safe for hand washing.

Everyone who has ever investigated dyeing a finished garment has probably seen Rit Dye.  The colors (of which there are many, and combinations of colors make it very useful) are vivid and the application is simpler than you might realize.  Either powder or liquid can be purchased.  Liquid is good for overall dyeing – even tones that work on a wide range of fabrics.  Powders can be used much as the Kool-Aid mentioned above or to sprinkle random patterns onto garments.  Tie-dye results can be achieved with either liquid or dry.

Kits are also available at art supply and craft stores that make the entire process even easier.  These often include vivid colors and are great for projects with kids.  They will pull their own original tie-dye tee from the closet whenever it is there…watch and see.

For instant gratification, liquid dyes are great for brushing on, dripping on or dribbling onto fabric.  These can be very helpful for spots of color when you want an impact tone for your design.

Available from the American Art Clay Company (AMACO) is Batikit Cold Water Fabric Dye that is perfect for any cold water dyeing, including tie dyeing (restricted from use K-6).  Twenty-three brilliant “Procion” fiber reactive permanent colors are available, with fixer included.  Cold Print Dye Thickener will thicken dye for printing, painting, silkscreening or instant batiking.  Each package covers three yards.  Also available is “Tie Dye and Batik,” a 32-page book that illustrates various tie dyeing and batik techniques for use with Batikit Cold Water Fabric Dye.  See your retailer and visit www.amaco.com.

To set colors, it is often advisable to soak the finished yarns or fabrics in a vinegar and water solution.  This stops the dyeing process completely and sets the colors more permanently.  A mix of one pint of vinegar to a gallon of water is sufficient to do the job.  Be sure the item is thoroughly soaked with solution, then rinse and allow to dry.

Another way to create “dyed” fabric is to remove, rather than add color.  100% cotton is a good place to start and all-cotton tees make a great early project.  The object is to remove color from areas of the garment in a pattern.  Tees can be tightly bound with rubber bands or twine.  Then they can be dipped into a dilute bleach solution (1 part bleach to 1 part water or use a spray bottle bleach cleaner), allowed to set for awhile, squeezed to remove excess and then dunked into the same vinegar solution mentioned above.  Rinse with clear water and dry.  Voila, an original tie-dye garment!   Try bleach pens for fine line designing.

Yard goods can be done the same way.  Or, by hand, sew a running stitch and draw it up very tightly.  Where the fabric is bound with stitches, the bleach solution seeps in less to yield a neat look.

Kids’ Korner

Costume Creations – Art Institute Chicago – Oct. 30 and 31 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.  Create a wearable art piece to celebrate the season!  Come with your own ideas or let the museum’s collection be your inspiration as you work with artists to design your own costume creation in this special drop-in program for children and their caregivers.  312.443.3051.

Stories in the Afternoon:  Autumn Colors – Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, CA – Oct. 31, 2-3 p.m. – Get ready for changing leaves and crisp breezes as you listen to stories about the harvest season and create a fall foliage wreath in front of Georges Lacombe’s Autumn:  Chestnut Gatherers, 1894.  All family programs are FREE.  See more at www.nortonsimon.org/events/freefamilyfun.php.

Family Sunday – Museum Mystery Tour - Detroit Institute of Arts, MI – Oct. 31, 1-4 p.m., ages 5 and up.  Commune with the spirits of long-gone artists!  Tour the American Art galleries with guides who will tell tales and mysterious secrets about the artists whose work haunts the DIA’s historic American wing.  Eerie lighting and sounds in the dark will put you in a Halloween mood.  It will be fun and family friendly, so bring the kids.

The Art Marketplace

Artograph’s Digital Art Projector LED200 with LED Technology is Efficient and Environmentally Friendly

Invented and manufactured by Luminus Devices, the PhlatLight technology used in the new Artograph LED200 Digital Art Projector by LG Electronics brings all the benefits of solid state light sources to projection systems without sacrifice on performance. This unique solid state lighting

technology was engineered specifically for projector applications that require high brightness and the efficient harnessing of light from a small point source.

Reliability

PhlatLight LEDs are one of the most reliable light sources in the world today. PhlatLight LEDs have passed a rigorous suite of environmental and mechanical stress tests, including mechanical shock, vibration, temperature cycling and humidity, and have been fully qualified by several companies for mass production for use in even the most extreme high power and high current applications. Unlike conventional LEDs, which emit into an epoxy-based encapsulate, PhlatLight LEDs emit directly into air, resulting in significantly longer lifetimes. PhlatLight LEDs have very low failure rates and median lifetimes that are well above 60,000 hours under extreme, high current operating conditions.

Environmental Benefits

The consumer electronics and general lighting industries are working diligently to reduce the impact of their products on the environment. The use of PhlatLight LEDs will make for a better, greener world by reducing power consumption and reducing the amount of hazardous waste entering the environment.

Reduced Power Consumption

The PhlatLight LEDs use far less power than projectors illuminated by mercury-arc, high intensity discharge, or halogen lamps. Their instant-start/re-start capability as well as dynamic dimming range enables smarter power management and on-demand usage. Overall, they help to reduce air pollution from carbon emissions.

Reduced Hazardous Waste

All PhlatLight products manufactured by Luminus are RoHS compliant and 100% free of hazardous materials, including lead and mercury. High intensity mercury arc lamps used in video projection, contain between 10 to 50mg of mercury. Typical projection lamps fade during their life and

eventually burn out, requiring replacement every 2,000 to 6,000 hours. When the lamps in these products are replaced or the product is discarded at the end of its life, it must be discarded in an environmentally safe manner to avoid contaminating the environment. With millions of projectors sold each year and millions of lamps replaced, the use of PhlatLight in these products greatly reduces hazardous waste and overall ownership costs.

Art Events

Season Closing Program at Chesterwood, Stockbridge, MA — October 11, 2-4 p.m. — To celebrate the 2010 season, the Viewers’ Choice Award will be presented to the Contemporary Sculpture at Chesterwood artist whose sculpture garnered the most votes by visitors over the course of the exhibition.  Pumpkin carving will be held from 2-4 pm and light refreshments will be served.  RSVP to 413.298.3579, Ext. 25216.  Paul Rocheleau: Photographs of an Artist's Landscape is currently on view in the Morris Center.

2010 New York International Vintage Poster Fair — Metropolitan Pavilion, NYC — Oct. 22-24 — This is the world’s largest show devoted exclusively to original vintage posters with over 25 dealers from six countries exhibiting their finest inventories.  More than 10,000 original posters will be offered for sale.  The San Francisco Poster Fair will be held Oct. 29 – 31 at the Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA.  www.posterfair.com.

Muse Costume Ball — Los Angeles County Museum of Art, CA – Oct. 30 - Now in its sixth year, the consistently sold-out Ball attracts more than 1,000 costume-clad revelers for a night filled with tricks and treats.  Enjoy live music, video projections/art exhibitions, costume contest and more.  Tickets:  323.857.6010, in person at LACMA’s Ticket Offices or online: www.lacma.org.

IFPDA Print Fair — Park Avenue Armory, NYC – Nov. 4-7.  Now in its 20^th year, the Fair presents nearly 500 years of printmaking from early woodcuts and traditional engravings to etchings, lithographs and innovative contemporary projects.  It attracts over 6,000 new and seasoned collectors, curators from museums worldwide, artists, art historians and art enthusiasts.  www.ifpda.org.

Airbrush

Mediums for Airbrush
Water-Based: Gouache

Gouache, pronounced “gwahsh,” is an opaque watercolor medium that is perfect to use with an airbrush.   Following are a few unique qualities of this paint to consider.

Always insist on the best quality of gouache because this finely ground paint is unlikely to clog the airbrush.  Gouache is one of the most opaque paints that can be applied with the airbrush.  It will cover an existing painted area even quicker than opaque acrylic colors.  The difference is that when dry, gouache remains water soluble and can be manipulated, whereas acrylic artist colors become permanent and impervious to moisture.

Gouache was originally the name of the technique associated with painting with opaque watercolor.  It’s made of the same material as transparent watercolor with the addition of precipitated chalk to render it opaque.  Today, however, gouache usually refers to the paint rather than the technique.

In its heyday, gouache was preferred by illustrators and photo retouchers alike.  Years ago it was often handmade by artists, as it's quite easy to make, and was initially designed to not necessarily be colorfast or permanent.  Illustrators were primarily interested in the speed of application rather than the longevity of the artwork.  However, years later many illustrators regret having made their own paint to do renderings that became valuable over time but—unfortunately—were not done in a permanent medium.

Today, commercial brands of gouache, which are known as designer’s gouache and still manufactured for the commercial art field and the fine art realm, are lightfast and very durable with an absolutely brilliant color range.  This wide range of manufacturer-made designer gouache colors is available in tubes, jars, blocks and powder form, depending on the manufacturer.

There is also a line of grey-valued gouache that is coordinated for black and white photographic retouching—in which there has been a resurgence of interest.  These grey-valued paints were originally designed for black and white photography and were numbered from 0 (white) to 7 (black), with six grey values in between.  They were easily identified by the camera and came warm, cool and neutral to match the tone of photographic paper.  Although today the retouching of photographs by hand is not as popular as in the past, it is still an interesting process with which to experiment for artists.

Because gouache is a water-based medium, it is ideal for airbrush technique, since it thins with just water.  Once dry, it holds up to repeated frisketing with self-adhering frisket film and there’s no picking or lifting of the painted surface.

Gouache is compatible with paper surfaces, illustration board, Claybord, Mylar, acetate and photographic paper.  It can also be used on canvas panels and is recommended for use on rigid surfaces, but it can also be painted on gessoed canvas if the finished painting is varnished.  Paintings done in gouache are usually exhibited matted and framed under glass or Plexiglas.

Gouache is ideal for use with airbrush technique.  It's one of the least toxic materials to spray, is easily cleaned from the airbrush with soap and water, and the radiance of the color is hard to achieve with any other type of paint.   Da Vinci’s Designers Gouache is the opaque version of its professional watercolor.  The extensive full color range is formulated using lightfast pigments approved by ASTM and is available in their original 37mL tubes.  This collection is perfect for artists and designers seeking the highest quality paint with exceptional performance.  Schmincke’s Horadam Gouache contains the best genuine artists’ pigments highly concentrated, has maximum opacity without adding white and the highest lightfastness.  There are 39 single pigment colours for brilliant mixing results.  See your retailer and visit www.davincipaints.com and www.chartpak.com/schmincke for additional product information.

New Airbrush Newsletter — The September issue of AirbrushTalk is free at www.airbrushtalk.com.  See Bernie Wrightson’s “I’m Back” by Wes Hawkins, Artist Gardener – Always Looking by Janean S. Thompson, Framing Up Flames—Turning Pedal Power into Fire Power by Thomas Adams, Skate Deck Paint Contest, Airbrush Workshops and more.

ArtPourri

Representation for Biennale — The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs  has announced the selection of Puerto Rico-based artist collaborative Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla as the U.S. representation to the 54^th International Art Exhibition in Venice, Italy, in 2011.  Lisa D. Freiman, from the Indianapolis Museum of Art, will serve as Commissioner, organizing the exhibition and related activities from June through November 2011.  The artists’ presentation will feature new commissions incorporating interactive sculpture, performance and sound elements.

Auction News — At Sotheby’s London, a new record has been set for any single print sold at auction as well as for a print by the artist at auction.  Pablo Picasso’s La Minotauromachie recently sold for $1.9 million and is considered to be the artist’s masterpiece of printmaking. — At Christie’s, a new house record has been set for the most expensive item sold online.  A rare Shang Dynasty bronze wine vessel—Fangyi—was sold for $3.3 million to an American collector.

Stamp News — Winslow Homer, considered one of the greatest American painters of the 19^th century, has been honored on a U.S. commemorative postage stamp.  The new 44-cent stamp is the ninth issuance in the American Treasures series and features Boys in a Pasture, an 1874 oil on canvas painting by Homer that is part of the Hayden Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA.

Architecture for the Biennale — The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, is representing the U.S. at this year’s 12^th Biennale of Architecture in Venice with the exhibition Workshopping:  An American Model of Architectural Practice.  The exhibition explores the role of trans-disciplinary collaborations in architecture, spotlighting seven projects with a focus on research and social engagement.

Rediscovered Rembrandt Unveiled — A recently rediscovered painting by one of the world’s most renowned painters, Rembrandt van Rijn, will be on view through November 28th in the European and American art galleries at the Denver Art Museum.  Once attributed to Frans Hals, a contemporary of the artist, Rembrandt Laughing made headlines in 2007 when the Rembrandt Research Project determined that it in fact is a self-portrait of the artist, painted by the Dutch master when he was 21 or 22 years old.

NEA News — The North Carolina Arts Council is the recipient of the 2010 National Accessibility Leadership Award for its outstanding accessibility work.  The award recognizes exceptional initiatives or programs that make the arts accessible and inclusive for older adults and individuals with disabilities.

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Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 20 No. 12 — October 2010