Ah, "The Tyranny of Distance".  While many are the readers who are likely to have read, or at least heard of, Geoffrey Blainey's eponymous 1966 history book,  just as many may not be familiar with the book title's subjective, relative  meanings, or its nuances and varied, variable contexts.  And these can be many.  Yet the fulcrum upon which all these tyrannical propositions operate is the sum of  the difficulties and disadvantages posed by Australia's, geographical, long distances.   We could, for instance, in today's discussions about energy, posit that neither the Northern Territory, nor Western Australia, will ever able to cooperate  and economically participate in Australia's ...

We will begin this blog post on stretching acrylic paintings by reminiscing with the older cohort of us who might recall the eponymous, mid 1980's Castrol oil company's advertisements featuring Sol, the Mafia Don, and his mafiosi confederates.  We were darkly warned that not all engine oils were the same, even though they may have smelled and looked the same.  To same extent, the same applies to many paintings on canvas that we see coming through our picture framing workship.  The catalyst for the creation of this post, once again was sparked by one of our Customers.  The gentleman in question had just brought back from Indonesia a large, colourful, expensive "oil" painting which he wanted stretched on a stretcher frame and float framed. On inspecting the painting  on our framing counter during the custom ... 

We decided to write this post after an interesting conversation with one of our Customers who had come to buy one of our AFL Football display Cases.  The lady, before buying our football case, insisted on inspecting it thoroughly, to make sure that it was constructed according to our advertised description. We were happy to oblige,  opened a case and showed her one which was indeed manufactured as detailed, and that is, as two-tiered, high-gloss, with removable, black, acrylic base with rubber feet to protect resting surfaces.  The Customer was satisfied by her inspection, then asked us, would we accept 'trade-ins'. Piqued by this unusual query, we asked to her to elaborate.  Well then, it seems that not all ball display cases are created equal ... 

To write about the Norman Lindsay Limited Edition Etchings that were created by one of Australia's, if no the most,  prominent artist is a formidable task!  However this post is neither an essay  nor a disquisition  on one of Australia's most famous sons.  Our intention here is merely to provide a working snapshot of the artist's work within the context of just one of the several arts he transcended, that of his art on paper, or etchings.  Although Norman Lindsay, ( NL ) excelled in writing, painting, sculpting, poetry, prose, cabinetry  and other artistic fields, it is by way of his famous etchings that the general public know of him.  Indeed, and so far as we concerned ... 

Ah, ordering  art online, it’s something that most of us have done or will do at one time or another. And by art, we certainly don’t mean the crypto art being flogged online nowadays which isn’t just cryptic but basically incomprehensible to most folks. We mean art on paper, mostly being drawings, limited editions, lithographs, serigraphs, watercolours, gouaches or small oil paintings. In times gone by, Customers would visit art shows, attend art galleries or visit artists’ studios to buy art. And just as often, they might visit their local picture framer and see what posters there might be in the print bin.   We fondly remember Mickey Mouse, Snow White, Peter Pan, Superman, Jaws, Mad Max, The Man from ...

So!  You’re a poor and starving artist who really needs to frame his or her work.   It doesn’t matter whether it’s for your first exhibition   or for a customer, or just to sell  it,  you just need you art in a frame.   You’ve been selling sell your work as it is, unframed, with zero presentation effort .  Alas, you’ve since discovered the harsh truth that art won’t frame itself and it’s harder to sell it unframed or without a picture frame. If it’s just on a piece of paper, it’ll look pretty unappealing, no matter whichever masterpiece it’ll purport to  display.   You’ve also been around the traps  long enough to know...

Indeed, February has come around, again. This is the month when the Australian Government Public Service Graduate Program starts once more, as it has, for decades. It is needed because, truly, the public sector is a huge, employee-hungry, employer.  The Federal Government alone  has 14 official Government Departments in Australia.  In alphabetical order these are,  Attorney-General's Department,  Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Department of Defence, Department of Education Skills and Employment,  Department of Finance,  Department of  Foreign ...

When it comes  to artists' regrets, mistakes and failures of times pas, it should come as no surprise to our readers that many of our picture framers are, were or have been artists and fine arts practitioners.  Artists create, and once art is created, it would be anathema to secret it out of sight.  Indeed, it must be shown, displayed and exhibited. Throughout history much art has been and still produced on canvas and paper.  And art on paper is largely pencil, crayon, watercolour, gouache, charcoal or  other mixed media on paper.  As such is expedient to put this art in picture frames, in fact, what could be, more natural?  But just “ to frame” art, is that enough?  Nay, we say, if art is to be framed it must be done well, or not at all. Alas we are fallible human beings and we do not always do ...

So, you’re an artist. You draw, sketch or paint, mostly on paper.  You’re starting to sell your work and getting a name for yourself.  Your sales are increasing, but you still don’t sell most of your art, so you store it.  Often you need to travel, so you leave your work, in your studio, unattended, or course, because, well , it’s not like a pet that can wander off at night, right?  But to safely store your work require some forethought and planning and chances are that you’ve been so busy that you haven’t given this topic much thought. This is where this post  “The Artists, Their Art , Their Studios & The Environment” comes in, giving you a reminder list with some ...