In preparation for the Atlanta Boat Show’s Gallery next month, I had a few originals framed. Usually, I do it myself with either custom-cut or standard mats with standard frames. However, I had five pieces that just wouldn’t fit into standard frames, no matter how I crammed.

I headed to Silver Dog Digital, the local place where they do prints, signs, framing, you name it. They did a beautiful job with my custom frames. Forgive the photos; the frames are wrapped in plastic for protection.

The first one is a pastel. I’ve tried building my own spacers, but since I am not equipped with a mat cutter, I have always done a horrible job. This one is spaced so close to the mat that it’s hard to see the gap, but it’s not touching.

Cuttlefish Eye Framed

Cuttlefish Eye by Meg Lyman

The second one involved a lack of foresight. I used a 5×7″ piece of Claybord, but I painted all the way to the edges. This’d be OK if it were cradled, but this is just a flat piece. Put a standard 5×7″ mat on it, and it cuts off a key part of the composition: that tiny strip of ground on the bottom. I had this mounted on a mat so the edges weren’t cut off.

Hawaii Sunrise Framed

Hawaii Sunrise by Meg Lyman

This one was just a weird size. Sennelier Hot Press watercolor paper comes in blocks of 4 1/8″ by 9 1/2″ or something like that. Custom frame required.

Chicago Framed

Chicago Skyline by Meg Lyman

I got two others framed: a 6×6″ stretched canvas with staples on the sides, and an ACEO. ACEOs are tricky, because at that small size, the 1/8″ required for a frame takes up a large percentage of the real estate.

It was expensive, but they’re beautiful - way better than I could have done - and I didn’t have to use the drill, hammer, paper cutter, scissors, or Windex. Also, the frames all match, which is part of what Casey recommended to me (sorry the mats don’t all match too… I couldn’t resist). I’ll price them for the show so that I’d get what I want for the original and have the frame completely paid for. And as long as I’m hypothesizing, they’ll all sell and I’ll get several big commissions and convert a horde of new patrons.