Remember that old painting that you love but that is hanging in the corridor because the frame is simply too old-fashioned, dirty or damaged to be seen in the livingroom? Or maybe it’s a watercolour painted by your favourite aunt and never really given a chance because it never enjoyed a decent frame? Well, now is your chance to do something about them.
Winter opportunity
There is no doubt that when the cold strikes, business in Hermanus gets a little sluggish. The art business is no exception and the framing studios feel it, too. So our leading three framers have decided to get together and, for the rest of the month of May, they are encouraging you to stop just thinking about reframing and get down to some action while the offer lasts.
Gilded frames
Frames were originally designed to protect paintings and were made of wood, still the most prestigious of framing materials. An elaborate moulding of plaster over the plain wood base, the whole gilded and designed to draw attention to the artwork and to enhance its appeal – think altar pieces, icons, traditional landscapes and old family portraits. These works, usually in oils, require no glass as they are protected by a renewable transparent varnish which catches the flyspecks and dust of the decades. Restorers can remove the varnish if it yellows with age and reapply – leading to some surprisingly rosy cheeks where before the sitter looked distinctly sallow of complexion.
Modern acrylic paints, too, are tough enough not to need glass. But pastels and watercoulours, gouaches and charcoal studies and works on paper in general would soon deteriorate without protection. The glass must not touch the surface of the paper so various mounts or thin mouldings are used to achieve this. The gap created avoids any condensation inside the glass which would damage the paint medium.
Not all pictures require framing; acrylics and oils are often presented with painted edges which finish them off well.
Damage
There is much more to the framing game than merely making a picture look better. Poor quality mounts and backing paper, masking tape, pins that rust and short-cut practices can do real damage to valuable artworks. The coating of glass to include UV filtering (light damage) and non-reflective qualities also need to be considered. If you want to avoid the dreaded foxing, better specify acid-free board. Costs can be cut if necessary by using plastic mouldings – the best are indistinguishable from wood, some of the “antique” finishes even have mock beetle holes to add veracity. And this is where an experienced framer can advise and give you an option that suits your purse and the work being framed.
Local experts
Three ladies whom I can confidently recommend are available in Greater Hermanus to offer the makeover that your artwork is begging for.
In the strictest alphabetical order, there is Glenda Pope at The Mission’s House in Onrus, who has recently brought her craftsmen on site to a new workroom on her historic old property in De Villiers Street. She has an attractive range of paintings in her gallery and was delighted to tell me that Charles van der Merwe’s Parisian Café painting which I used to illustrate last fortnight’s page, has just been sold to an overseas buyer. Glenda’s eye is spot-on and her advice, whether on framing or to aspirant painters, is always valuable.
Also in Onrus, having moved from her previous home studio on Old Main Road to Molteno Street a year ago, is Marlene Oberholzer at The Framery. Marlene does all her own frame construction and makes something of a speciality of block mounting and stretching photo-printed canvasses as well as art framing in the wider sense. She has been framing for 14 years and finds less and less time for her own painting.
In Hermanus centre, behind Pick ‘n Pay, is the Long Street framing business called Frames for Africa. Zelda Calitz is the owner and artistic director here and all work is done on the premises. Zelda sums up the job in two ticks, she is decisive in her recommendations but never dictates. She reinforces her suggestions with a winning smile and, like her fellow framers, she delivers a professional product with minimum delay.
Fresh and gleaming
When you have come home with your artwork looking fresh and gleaming, it becomes your responsibility to protect it further. Do avoid hanging in direct sunlight – and if you have a wall whose dryness is suspect, cut an ordinary wine cork into slivers and stick one piece on each corner at the back of the frame. This allows a circulation of air and lessens the possibility of mould.
Look around your house now and see whether some of your special artworks are in need of some tender loving care - then take them in to Glenda, Marlene or Zelda and give the pictures a new lease of life. And keep your news and views coming to me at niblos@telkomsa.net.
Sketch - The Art Shop
Hermanus rejoices in its many galleries and in the artists who live here. It was in response to the need for a specialized art and design materials supply that Sandy Cooper opened The Art Shop in Mitchell Street in September 2003. The baton passed to Sanet Cornelius and now ArtsPage is happy to welcome Derek Goosen as the new owner of this business which will be officially relaunched on Thursday 14 May .
Derek is an experienced retailer and was the driving force behind the Musica brand for 40 years, before retiring in 2002. Two years ago, heeding a suggestion by a friend running a successful framing business in Claremont, he researched the potential of the art and design retail arena. Similar stores in South Africa and the UK were scrutinized and he liked what he saw. The industry appeared to be well structured, with a compact menu of suppliers, workable operating margins, and offering realistic growth opportunities. Even more relevant was the resonance with his previous love affair with the music game, where music tugged at the heart strings and invariably provided the “soul food” for music lovers. It seemed clear to Derek that drawing and painting offer similar therapeutic experiences for many of those who sketch and paint.
Thus it was that The Village Brush and Canvas art shop opened in December 2006 in Belvedere Square, Claremont. On the strength of that store’s growing reputation in just two years of trading, a second store seemed like a good idea. When Derek heard that The Art Shop Hermanus was on the market, and being aware of the dynamic nature of the visual art community in the Overberg area, he acquired the business earlier this year.
Derek is very happy that Isabel Greyvenstein, who has been with The Art Shop for more than 6 years, will continue to manage the store and provide the fine service of which she and her assistant Chrizelle Damons are so proud. I asked Isabel if she painted and she admits to having had a go at oils but “gardening is my main hobby.” They are looking for a Saturday morning help, so if you know of a young guy or girl who has an interest in the arts and needs to earn a bit of cash, let them go in and ask Isabel.
It’s good to see favourite brands like Winsor and Newton, Daler-Rowney, Art Spectrum and Maimeri on the shelves and I am told that a comprehensive restocking has taken place since Derek has taken over. He is continuing to reward regular customers with a loyalty discount and already the frequent product specials are attracting attention. We can look forward to the range being “tweaked and enhanced” so it makes sense to support a local team who have shown that they can deliver.
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