The frame of a painting in addition to serving as a support to place your painting is also either a decorative element for your home or a significative symbol special for you.
There are several considerations of course, but basically I will refer to the colour tone of the frame and its thickness depending on the dimensions of the painting or its context on space.
Depending on where you want to display your work of art, you can take into account the materials of the furniture that are around, to make sure your artwork will find its own place at your home.
S I L V E R
For a dining room where we find a wall with a cold viridian tone and many elements in silver, such as lamps and vessels or the grey wood table, the frame of your painting will fit well following the same style in silver.
L A R G E • D I M M E N S I O N S
Because I love to play with contrasts and balance, I would recommend using thin frames [5 cm thick] for large paintings [60 x 80 cm and up]. In this way, we provide the painting with a sense of air and lightness.
It can also work with 2.5 cm thick frame leaving a void space of 2.5 cm to 5 cm between the frame and the painting, either with a marialuisa or like a wood base, similar to hanging the painting inside a Venetian box style [as it shows in the picture above].
G O L D
The golden tone is associated with warmth and sacred objects. If you would like to highlight your painting and dedicate a small shrine either in a corner of your house or in a place of honour, a gold frame always stands out and provides a contrast to colours, such as flowers or plants or any other ornament around.
M E D I U M | S M A L L • D I M E N S I O N S
As shown in the images above, Madonna of El Rocío [left] is 40 x 60 cm with a 10 cm thick frame. As the painting is mostly gold the golden frame seems like an extention of it, creating an enlargement effect. Madonna of Light [right] is 13 x 18 cm and its frame is 5 cm thick. You can't tell from a photo which one is bigger, right? That is the effect of a thick frame.
Both paintings were commissioned for spiritual purposes, one for a wedding and the other to remember a little dear one.
To frame medium or small paintings with golden thick frames is to serve as small shrines, to provide an effect of greater dimensionality and weight to it and to draw attention rather that to merge on the environment.
Another original idea was to use a small easel instead of a frame, to place this 13 x 18 cm Madonna, on a night stand next to the bed. As you can see the wood colour combines with the furniture.
O L D • M E T A L
If you cannot decide wether gold or silver, there are colours of metals that are intermediate, which give the appearance between old gold or old silver. This frame tone works well for bright places or for very colourful paintings, in contrast with the metal neutrality tone.
W H I T E S | M A R I A L U I S A
I love marialuisa frames for art prints or reproductions on paper, were you can see the signature of the artist, the serial number or seal. The marialuisa also creates an effect of enlargement for images.
These were specific examples of how some of my customers have framed their commissioned paintings. You can combine as well some of the ideas or play with contrasts depending on the effect you are looking for your painting.
F U R T H E R • A D V I S E
If you would like to receive more advise about which frame to choose for your art by commission, do not hesitate to contact me and we will gladly see your specific case. We would take into account the decoration of your house, the place where you would exhibit it and the colours and materials around it.
For more examples, you are welcome to take a look into my instagram / elenasanpietrini where I have posted all framed commissioned artworks from my clients.