Congratulations to Gary and Carl!

Congratulations go out to Studio Shop staff members Carl Martin, owner, and Gary Mohan, head framer, for receiving their Certified Picture Framer (CPF) accreditation from the Professional Picture Framers' Association (PPFA), the leading organization of picture framers in the U.S. and Canada.  The Studio Shop is now the only shop operating in the SF Bay Area with Certified Picture Framers on staff.  Gary and Carl took the CPF test at the annual PPFA convention in Las Vegas in January and received their awards yesterday, March 5, 2013.

While we are proud of them for proving their expertise, it really comes as no surprise since they have almost 46 years of picture framing experience between them.  Carl has been in the picture frame business now for 16 years.  And Gary has been at The Studio Shop almost 10 years and has been picture framing for almost 30 years!  Now that's experience!

The CPF test covers a wide range of picture framing knowledge from art identification to the selection of proper frame methods for long term preservation.  An oil painting on canvas gets a different rabbet liner than an acrylic painting on canvas.  A digital print from an HP printer needs to dry for up to two weeks before framing, whereas a print from an Epson printer can be framed after one day.  Whether framing a watercolor, pastel or needlepoint, they all have their unique properties that require special considerations.

Congratulations to Gary and Carl for showing your picture framing expertise.  Now how will they frame them?

Congratulations to Gary and Carl!

Dominique Caron, March 1 - 16, 2013

Dominique Caron at The Studio Shop
Reception Saturday, March 2, 2013
2 - 6 PM

Dominique Caron’s show, Modern Primitive, opens today (March 1) at The Studio Shop.  These new paintings, all painted in the last year reveal a growing freedom of expression and thoughful abstraction. Dominique was in the gallery for a preview Thursday night and we had a chance to talk about her influences and inspiration for her paintings.
Dominique's video interview 
Dominique's bio
More about the show

Modern Primitive

The namesake of the show, Modern Primitive creates a rhythmic composition with the short crisp marks of bold black and red, eg., red triangle in lower center right, and the sophistication of calligraphic flourishes, eg., upper center.  The short marks like staccato percussion and the soft, curvy lines like violins develop a melodic interplay that is a timely reminder of Stravinsky's music for ballet, Rite of Spring (100 year anniversary this year) with its stunning counterpoint of brutal percussion and sweet melodies.

The Dance

The Dance conveys a sense of motion and time with the relationship of the dancer in upper right to the abstracted pattern in center.  The presence of the dancer opens the door to interpretion of movement of people and flowing gowns.  A story unfolds in the central abstraction  as if a long exposure photograph has recorded the path of the dancer.  It appears as if the dancer has her back turned to the viewer, receding into the background, the dance is completed.

Tapestry

Dominique describes Tapestry as fiery and organic.  A field of tangled wildflowers or the flames of a campfire dancing about.  Either way, there is movement and depth created by the weaving of colors, stems or flames.

We currently have 16 paintings by Dominique exhibiting at The Studio Shop and more available.  The show is up until March 16 with a public reception on Saturday afternoon, March 2.  Please stop by and visit.

Dominique Caron, March 1 - 16, 2013

Avoid the Light Switch Mistake

Have you ever tried to hang a piece of art on a wall but found a light switch in the way?  Avoid this design faux pas with careful planning prior to remodelling.  You can greatly improve your display options for family photos and artwork with thoughtful decisions about lighting, wall size, sightlines, even light switches and air vents.

First, consider where your important walls are, and it's not just over the fireplace.  When you consider sightlines you will find great walls for hanging art at the ends of hallways or walls viewed through doorways. Have you ever been in an art gallery or museum where you see a striking piece of art in the distance, at the far end of a gallery or down a corridor?  That is the result of intelligent use of sightlines, and good lighting. 

Walk around your home and look through doorways from one room to another, what is on the opposite wall?  What is at the end of the hallway?  These walls could be an overlooked opportunity for stunning art display.  Once you have determined some significant walls for art display you can plan how to improve the wall spaces and placement of lighting. 

Windows offer interesting choices in remodelling.  A large picture window takes up a whole wall and makes it difficult to display a prominent piece of art. One solution is to install smaller windows on either side of the wall to preserve a large wall space in the center for art display.

Lighting is essential for enjoyable viewing of artwork and is much more easily installed when the walls are torn apart for remodelling.  Good lighting can be pointed at art like track lighting and adjustable recessed cans, unlike wall washers and ambient lighting.  And don't forget to keep the light switches and air vents out of the way.

-cm

Avoid the Light Switch Mistake

How to Light Art

Clients frequently ask about lighting for artwork at The Studio Shop and it doesn't have to be complicated.   Here are some of the basics about light bulbs, placement, recessed lighting and track systems. 

Picture lights that mount to the back of a picture frame are a convenient way to provide lighting for artwork.  They are available in a variety of sizes and finishes to match your picture frame and home decor.
Track lighting and recessed cans provide flexible lighting for artwork with a clean, built-in look. Track lighting is the most flexible system for moving lights and aiming at artwork. Recessed lighting with adjustable heads are attractive for their clean look but aren’t quite as flexible as track. Recessed lighting with fixed lights are used for wall washing and ambient lighting, not very suitable for art lighting. High-end fixtures can include louvers and filters for focusing light just on the art, reducing ceiling glare and filtering UV rays.

MR-16 low voltage systems are used for track and recessed can systems.  They are very popular for lighting of art in residential and retail situations because of the compact bulb size and clean white light.  These low voltage systems use a transformer on the fixture or hidden in the ceiling. The bulbs emit a small amount of UV rays which are filtered by the glass lens that comes with most MR-16 fixtures. TIP: Do not touch the inside of the bulb when changing bulbs because your finger oils will make it burn out sooner.

PAR 30 bulbs are larger than MR-16s and have a standard screw-in base. They are commonly used in residential recessed cans and track lighting in art galleries.

Light placement should be set so that the light strikes the wall at 30 to 45 degrees, measured to a point at eyelevel on the wall, approx. 60” from the floor. A steeper angle than 30 degrees will create deeper shadows and shallower than 45 degrees may cause reflective glare. On an 8 foot ceiling place your track or recessed cans 20” to 36” away from the wall and on a 10 foot ceiling, 42” to 60” from the wall.
Flourescent and LED are very energy efficient and have made much progress with full color spectrum but not yet good enough for art lighting.
And finally, the UV light warning. UV rays cause fading and are present in sunlight and small amounts in flourescent and halogen lighting. It is recommended to use UV filtering glass in all picture framing and to avoid hanging framed art in direct sunlight.

How to Light Art

Just arrived: Kalani Engles' exhibition catalog.

Kalani Engles by Edited by Carl Martin | Make Your Own Book
(click on the Kalani Engles link above for a full-size view)

The exhibition catalogs for Kalani's show just arrived in the Studio Shop.  You can preview the book on this Blurb link and pick up your copy online or the old fashioned way by walking into the store.  Hope to see you tomorrow night for Kalani's opening reception at the Studio Shop gallery.

Just arrived: Kalani Engles' exhibition catalog.