I often have clients inquiring about the best way to frame my drawings. My answer has always been to get a simple frame in black, white or a silver-toned metal (brushed is nice), with a white mat. Because my drawings are typically done in sizes that are standard to frames, such as 5”x7”, 8”x10” or 9”x12”, many people opt to simply buy a pre-fabricated frame for their new artwork.

**Note: unfortunately, my framer in Perth, ON has closed, so I’m not longer able to have items framed for you.** Custom framing can also be a great option. I have not previously offered any framing on my end. However, I’m excited to say that I’ve recently teamed up with Perth Picture Framing to offer very competitive rates on custom frames for my drawings. They have provided me with pricing on all of my standard-sized drawings, in two finishes – a simple black wood frame, and a contemporary brushed nickel frame (both hand-selected by yours truly) – with a 2” white mat. Here are samples of both:

Please feel free to contact me for more information or pricing if you are interested in having your commissioned piece framed. The prices are very reasonable and I love to support my local framing shop.

I recently created a couple of 8×10 portraits as gifts for some of the people I love, and snapped photos of them in their frames. I thought it might be nice to give an idea of what different options may look like. The image of the couple below was custom framed by the good folks at Perth Picture Framing, whereas the portrait of my friend and her sister was framed in a very inexpensive pre-fab frame. I think both look fantastic. I love how a black frame with a white mat really sets off the shadows and highlights in my work. The white frame, however, contrasts so nicely with the darker background in this image and brightens it up. With a professionally-framed piece, you are obviously getting better quality, but both are great options, in my opinion.

I’m hoping that these photos may be helpful for people to visualize how their piece may look once framed-up. That being said, I’m always happy to offer advice on framing for your commissioned piece, so don’t be shy!

xo melody