pinch me . . . hard!

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ERIC

ERIC

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Dec 31, 2001
Posts
1,851
Loc
New York's Hudson River Valley
Business
Newburgh Mercantile
This is too much - Sorry if this is pure brag, but I think you all might be able to relate to how I feel right now.

I have a client that works the auction houses, buying and selling 20th century works on paper. He has me frame loads of things for the smaller auctions in the upstate region. Not a big deal. I framed a stunning piece last fall for his own collection. He recently took it to Sotheby's because with what was in that days lineup, there was a good chance to get top dollar for it. And he did. It was a well known dealer that bought it.

Out of professional courtesy, my client offered to seperate the art from the frame since it might not suit the tastes of the dealers customer.

He got an emphatic "No, leave it in. The retail customer has seen the piece during the preview and loved everything about it. I want that frame."

Just got a letter today from the new owner of the art, who lives in Texas (and Spain), with an invitation to accompany her the next time she is in NY to buy art, so that I can discuss how I would re-frame any pieces she might buy. On her tab, time and expenses. Most likely for 2 or 3 days each visit.

I sure hope she is for real!
 
Wow Eric, consider yourself pinched! Hope she follows through, that sounds like a ton o' fun!

Kudo's for you!! Isn't it nice to get great feedback like that? Usually we don't hear a thing after our "art" (framing!!) leaves the shop.

Great job,
thumbsup.gif
even if her offer never pans, but sounds like it might. Fingers crossed!!!
 
Oh wow! I do hope she is for real and that you'll share stories (and photos?) of what you get to frame so that I may live the dream vicariously through you.
 
does she have friends/etc in the same circle(s) that could/would also use you talents???? couldnt hurt to work that angle---almost sounds like the seminal idea for another biz venture, yes?
 
"to music"
Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you..."

Enjoy the momment,
congratulation on a job obviously well done, and keep us informed on the how "the jet set" lives.

Well done.
 
Good job, it is nice when someone can appreciate good things. Heck even better when they have tons of money. I have one out of two...so that means i got a bunch of things to be framed on my desk that i can't afford at the moment


PL
 
I will certainly share as much as I can with you all! I have a standing agreement not to photograph any of the work I do for this guy. That made me uneasy at first - what was he doing with this? How was he representing it to the auctions? You have to wonder.

History (including any stray photos) is part of the value of a work. He knows that it is unreasonable on his part to ask me to not photograph them, but in the field he is in, he thinks that it works best for the 'scene'. They tend to be secretive about buying. The woman AND the dealer were in the building at the same time. She never actually bids, but uses the dealer to do that. That means she pays a premium to stay in the shadows. Hmmm . . . . and get this - I don't think we are talking about any real big bucks as far as collectors and auctions go. Nothing over 2 or 3 grand.

I get the feeling there is much to learn and some of it will be strange. Hope I have a good poker-face for the really weird stuff.
 
OK, maybe I wasn't clear. I don't actually care about what the art was. I would like to know what framing you did that impressed her. Was it design? Materials? Both? Maybe it was the black dust cover?? uhh?
 
Oh, and as far as the frame, no big deal. It was the mat that may have done it.

Frame - AMPF 2082 black with red edges, very vintage and classic looking.

Mat - top Crescent 7701 linen 'canvas' color (sorry Baer!) bottom B8653 'pure white' 8 ply.

BUT - I tried something new (for me at least). I dry mounted a sheet of Canson art paper that was close the the tone of the graphite in the drawing to the back of the top mat, then cut it. Is there a name for this? I must have seen it before and just filed it away in my head.

It gave me a beautiful fine line of grey that connected with the art, but was not distracting. It was sharp sandwiched between the white core and the white bottom mat.

Topped off with Museum glass, so you could see every thread of the mat and every stroke of the graphite from across the room.

I have to do another one for my wall!

And I bet the black dust cover just made her squeal with delight! LOL A deal closer for sure!
 
Thanks for sharing that, Eric. I like that technique too. Sometimes if the top mat is to be white, I have used the reverse of a colored mat so that there is a tiny edge of the surface color at the bottom of the bevel. It's so subtle. For a thicker version of the same idea, I like to "windmill" in a contrasting bevel under the main one, kind of like a tiny BevelAccent.
:cool: Rick
 
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