A client of ours from DePaul University, in Chicago, brought to us 2 portraits in charcoal of St. Vincent DePaul, the patron saint of the University. What was unique about them was that they were drawn on matte Mylar, a plastic drafting film that is not normally used for this purpose. Our shop manager, Dana, designed two fairly monochromatic framing treatments that were stunning in their simplicity and impact. 

Portrait #1 used a Studio Moulding 47439 Genji Silver wood, Tru-Vue AR (anti-reflective) glass, 4 ply rag backing and a triple matting treatment that had Artique 8 ply Dover White on top #84143, with a 2 1/2" border, Crescent 8 ply solid black in the middle with a 1/2" reveal and a 4 ply Artique Dover White #4143 on the bottom with a 3/16" reveal. Overall mat width was 3 1/4".

 





Portrait #2 did not get matted but, instead, was surrounded by a black linen 1 1/4" liner (Larson 423966) which was fitted to a Larson 423966 Lucerne Black and Silver wood frame 3 5/8" wide, using AR glass and a 4 ply rag backing.One of the nice advantages of using a black liner is that any charcoal flaking off will not discolor it. Further, the glass is removed from the artwork by placing it between the liner and the frame. The end result is an unencumbered view of the art, yet it is protected from the elements and external danger.  This particular variant of Larson-Juhl's Lucerne Collection is one of our favorites. It is contemporary and fairly substantial in size, yet has a look to it that can work with any traditional image or artwork. We also used this profile, though a different color combination, on a pair of original artworks that were oil paint on canvas boards by Charles Vickery. The client was extremely happy with the end result and mentioned to us how people commented on the artwork and framing whenever they had social gatherings in their home.

Framing designed and executed by Dana L. Fisher, MCPF
Photo credits: Brian Flax
Images shown by kind permission of our client