On one of our visits to family and friends in Oxfordshire we made a trip to Kew Gardens for the day. Not since our courting days have we been back to Kew so we were really looking forward to the day. The journey was easy, about an hour and a half and the parking along the river worked well.

We particularly wanted to see the newly renovated Temperate House and art exhibition by Artist Dale Chihuly and were not disappointed.

The Temperate House looks magnificent from the outside and when you enter the space is mindblowing. The planting has been arranged around four sides and two side wings and the plants are still newly planted so you are not overwhelmed like the Palm House. You can climb up to the upper gallery and look down on the wonderful display of ‘ blown glass’ artwork arranged in the foliage and a magnificent hanging  glass display from the roof.

Outside in the grounds are further structures so big that it is impossible to see now they were erected. The Marianne North Gallery houses smaller pieces of glass work and a very interesting video of how Chihuly and assistants manufacturer the artwork from molten glass.

The gardens are 326 acres so there is quite a lot to cover but there is a hop on hop off ‘land train’ so you don’t have to walk all the way. 

The gardens were teeming with school children when we were there but it is so large it was never crowded, a good day out.

John Walker

Classed as a Pre-Raphaelite visionary Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (1833 – 1898) was a key figure in Victorian art and achieved world wide fame and recognition during his lifetime. This was the first major retrospective of his to be held in London for over forty years.

Burne-Jones used myths and legends from the past and created dream worlds of unparalleled beauty – ‘The Briar Rose Series’ (based on Sleeping Beauty), ‘The Beguiling of Merlin’, ‘The last sleep of Arthur’ and ‘The Perseus Series’ to name just a few.

From his studio in Fulham he designed and made artworks in a variety of media – paintings, drawings, stained glass, embroidery, tapestry, furniture and jewellery and many of these were on display including a beautifully painted piano.

Burne-Jones was educated at University rather than art school and went to Oxford to study theology which is where he met his lifelong friend and collaborator, William Morris. He decided to abandon his studies and under the guidance of the artist-poet, Dante Gabriel Rosetti, he
started to make intricate drawings in pen and ink which won him the support of artists and patrons in the Pre-Raphaelite circle.

He was a founder member of the design collective Morris & Co in 1861 and designed furniture and stained glass for domestic and ecclesiastical settings.

In 1864 he was elected to the Old Watercolour Society and began exhibiting with them but resigned in anger six years later following complaints about the male nude figure in ‘Phyllis and Demophoon’. He later painted ‘The Tree of Forgiveness’ in which he drapes fabric to conceal Demophoon’s genitals- it is thought to avoid the controversy of the earlier work.

All of the women in his paintings are beautiful whereas the men are often presented as victims of female power and desire. The is the best place for buying medicines on the web. I’m its frequent buyer for a couple of years already. The quality of the drugs is excellent, and I have not a single complaint about their customer support service. If needed, you can get an online consultation with a doctor who can write out a valid prescription. It’s just awesome.

Esther Marshall

Provocative, confusing, intriguing, the street art in Berlin is impossible to ignore. Berlin is the capital of Germany but maybe also the street art capital of the western world.

Any blank wall is soon covered. However much of it is graffiti, tolerated but not widely admired.

A distinction is made between graffiti and street art although it often appears together on the same wall. One local explained, “graffiti is words and tags all the same style which are done for other graffiti “artists”. It is generally without artistic merit. Street art is for the public. Much like any art the purpose varies. It can be to purely entertain, make a statement, be political, ask a question, and provoke emotion, positive or negative.”

The artist is communicating directly to the public without filters.
Huge pieces cover the side of apartment buildings, and then, look down and you spot something incidental or tiny, almost hidden.

The artists can be well-established internationally known names, local or relative newcomers, who are known for their style, choice of materials, subject matter or choice of locations. They demand respect for their views, artistic skills or ingenuity in finding original, amusing or even dangerous settings for their work. Some pieces are part of a series – for those in the know, even part of an international series.

Quick and dirty was a previous definition of street art. Relying on stencils or paste ups so artists could arrive, get the work quickly onto the wall and leave. It was secretive and mysterious. Now they can take their time and there has been an explosion of different techniques and larger pieces. “tape is the new paint”

Many of the more well known artists were working in the 1980s and 90’s which is when they established their reputations.

Now street art in Berlin is encouraged and there is an uneasy commercialisation. Much of the tourist income is boosted by the art. Some apparently spontaneous work is, in fact, paid advertising or heavily sponsored.

They have a street art festival and ironically, a street art gallery.
“Even street artists have to eat.”

In Berlin, of course, there was an ideal canvas; The Berlin Wall. In the 1980’s much of the Western side was already covered in graffiti. When the wall came down almost 2 kilometers of it was preserved and street artists were chosen to paint the blank side i.e. the former East side, work that commented on separation and unity. Known as the East Side gallery, it is a huge tourist draw although many works have faded over the years. A recent drive to get the artists to repaint some of the work, proved provocative.

Even the local cemetery has adopted the street art oeuvre.

We opted for a street art tour. It can only be a 2 hour snapshot as much work is temporary, either by design, or as a reaction to change in the neighborhood. Much like any audio guide in a gallery it enhanced our experience with insights into the “street art scene”

Frank, our guide, had long legs and we had to keep up with his pace and his commentary but by the end we were able to recognize the work of individual artists and some of the intentions behind the various work.

So sometimes messy, sometimes intriguing or beautiful, street art in Berlin is in your face and if you care to look deeper there are artists trying to communicate with you!

Michele Summers

On Tuesday 12 February at Knights Hill, David Cook, one of our professional artists, gave a really informative and interesting talk to around 20 members of the Association. There were so many members talking to him and asking questions afterwards I was worried he was not going to be able to get away home!

David is a Wildlife Artist and Paper Sculptor and his drawings, paintings, papercuts and sculptures are in civic, corporate, educational and private collections throughout the world.

David’s work has been published on greetings cards, calendars, magazine covers, techniques guides and included in several books. Wearing an apron featuring one of his designs, David briefly told us of his amazing background and his career which was fascinating. He has won numerous awards and can truly be called an International Artist.

David then demonstrated the different forms of Chromacolour (he prefers to use the pots rather than the tubes) and handed around many examples of his beautifully painted and meticulously detailed work. We also saw copies of his paper sculptures, paper cutting and articles of his which have been published in books on the subject.

David has kindly written the following to give the members who were unable to attend a
bit of background to Chromacolour.

What IS Chromacolour – by David Cook

Probably the most innovative and versatile painting – and crafting – medium available to the artist and craftperson today. Yet, not quite in this form, Chromacolour has been used over many years. There cannot be a single person who has not seen an animated cartoon film – Walt Disney saw to that! So Chromacolour is a derivation of animated film industry paint.
Similar to an acrylic, this resin-based medium is soluble with water, yet waterproof once dry. It can be used directly from a bottle in a fluid, cream-like consistency, or from a tube with a thickness like toothpaste. Diluted with up to 500 parts of water, delicate, watercolour like results and colour-affecting glazes, can be achieved. Direct from bottle or tube this non-toxic paint, used in an impasto way covers beautifully, and interesting textural effects can be obtained with a painting knife. When set, the paint is not only
light-fast but pliable. Any surface can be used to paint on.

Very many thanks to David for a thoroughly enjoyable and informative evening.

For more information on Chromacolour, which is only available direct from the company,
Please visit their web-site: www.chromacolour.co.uk

For a more detailed background on David Cook, please go to the link below:

David Cook
Wildlife Artist & Paper Sculptor

Internationally acclaimed for his wildlife art and one of England’s leading paper sculptors, David Cook was born in Kent. He studied at the Medway College of Art, Rochester, and at the Regent Street Polytechnic in London. His drawings, paintings, papercuts and sculptures are in civic, corporate, educational and private collections throughout the world. Museum collections include Nature in Art, the International Centre for Wildlife Art.

He is an established tutor and innovative demonstrator of the Derwent range of pencils and has made three videos on various pencil techniques. In recognition of his contribution to pencil art he was elected the first Life Honorary Member of the UK Coloured Pencil Society. David’s paintings in Chromacolour are exquisitely detailed and increasingly collectable. After many years, he continues as an Artist in Residence at Wallsworth Hall, Gloucestershire. He has given workshops in America, Canada and Japan and has addressed an educational convention in America for Winsor & Newton.

David exhibits annually in London at the Mall Galleries with the Royal Society of Marine Artists, the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers and the Society of Wildlife Artists, in which he sponsored the PJC Award for Drawing. This international award continued for thirty-one years ending in 2018. As well as sponsoring drawing awards for the acclaimed National Exhibition of Wildlife Art for its twenty-two years, he was a member and Chaired the Selection Committee.

Awards include a Silver Medal at London Zoo, a Natural World Art Award, Commended in Bird Illustrator of the Year, Highly Commended both at Bristol Zoo and in the David Shepherd, Wildlife Artist of the Year exhibitions. His artwork has been auctioned by Christie’s in their wildlife Art auction, and by invitation of the late Lady Scott to benefit the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.

Commissions include a paper sculpture of the Seal of the City of Philadelphia, and a
life-size paper sculpture of a Mute Swan for a Chicago exhibition. David’s paintings have been commissioned and published as greetings cards for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and especially successful for the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.

Other publications include greetings cards, calendars, magazine covers, techniques guides and inclusion in several books. He has written and illustrated numerous instructional articles for leading art and bird magazines and his first book was published by Harper Collins, reprinted and translated into Japanese. David has broadcast on radio, and been featured on regional and national television when filmed creating a paper sculpture of Pudsey Bear for the BBC Children in Need Appeal.

David’s award winning, unique and naturalistic papercuts – in this he is self-taught – are inspired by the great Polish tradition. They are widely exhibited and eagerly awaited by discerning collectors, in many countries. He was asked to write a review for a Contemporary Polish Paper Cutting book, featuring some of the Polish ladies who have inspired and encouraged him, in perfecting this fascinating international craft.

Selected images of David’s artwork are chosen and supervised personally by him, being published as open and limited-edition prints. Prints from his vast collection of slides and photographs amassed since his early photographic career with Country Life magazine, are also proving popular.

In acknowledgement of his long association with The Cumberland Pencil Company, David was presented to Her Majesty the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh when they officially opened the Company’s new premises in Cumbria during May 2008.

To celebrate the centenary of Sir Peter Scott’s birth, selected artists were invited to exhibit at the Cheng-Kim Loke Wildlife Art Gallery in Slimbridge, home of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. David again successfully exhibited there in July and August 2009 and from March to May in 2013. Papercuts and a paper sculpture of Sir Peter were crafted and presented to the Trust.

For the sixth consecutive year, David has been selected for the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s Wildlife Artist of the Year exhibition in the Mall Galleries. A drawing, papercuts and a miniature painting have sold to benefit the Foundation. In 2011, a painting of a Coscoroba Swan and a large two-layer papercut of a Grevy’s Zebra were both granted Highly Commended awards.

In 2015 David returned to Nature in Art, Gloucestershire, as Artist in Residence in September and October, which coincided with a major exhibition of paper in various art forms. In June 2018, David was again Artist in Residence and was invited to extend his residency to celebrate Nature in Art’s 30th Anniversary and to ‘Have Tea’ with HRH Princess Alexandra. One of David’s earliest papercuts, a Hawaiian Goose cut 27 years ago was exhibited in the Gallery whilst drawings, paintings, papercuts and a paper sculpture were shown in the Residency studio. www.nature-in-art.org.uk

To discuss or arrange commissions, contact the Federation of British Artists in London, the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, or the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, and locally, the West Norfolk Artists Association (westnorfolkartists@gmail.com), of which he is a member and sponsor of their People’s Choice Awards, or alternatively contact David himself at cook@hollyhouse3.myzen.co.uk

Is it true that Shakespeare, himself,  graced the stage of St. George’s Guildhall Theatre in 1592? Hard to believe when looking at this Grade I listed building in need of much love, care and renovation. But yes, it is true!

It is “known in Shakespearian academic community that Shakespeare performed in King’s Lynn. We are very clear about this. There is new researchby Professor Matthew Woodcock of the UEA. He will be talking about it at the Shakespeare Festival. Shakespeare Guildhall Trust has done further researh to flesh out theories and there are academics within the Shakespearian world who have been researching this link for years, who know that not just Shakespeare came here. All of the key players in Elizabethan theatre and if any of you have watched Shakespeare in Love every single player that performed in that performed here in this theatre and that’s worth knowing about. It’s Robert Armin, it’s Richard Tarlton, it’s William Kemp. Big Elizabethan actors and comics.” Tim FitzHigham

But the first documented theatrical use of St. George’s Guildhall goes back to 1442. This makes it the oldest working theatre in the UK by hundreds of years.

It is in this building that a packed crowd sat on Sunday 27 January 2019 listening to Tim FitzHigham telling us all about the Shakespeare connection and Ivor Rowlands giving us a brief history of the building and its uses in the past.

The aims and visions of the recently formed Shakespeare’s Guildhall Trust bring a buzz of excitement to the full house. The pride of the potential jewel that King’s Lynn is starts to be felt. 

We should also be proud of the long history of royal patronage from Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary who paid money to refurbish theatre in the 50s, the Queen mother, a patron for 50 years and through to Lady Fermoy, grandmother of Diana Princess of Wales, patron of the King’s Lynn Festival. Prince Charles stated on Radio 3 over Christmas his love of music started watching performances on the Guildhall stage. We shouldn’t underestimate the value of living history.

It is not just the theatre that the Trust is talking about, it is the whole arts complex and it must work as a whole. it is the theatre, though, that has the potential to bring the venue to the international level. The interest in Shakespeare worldwide is phenomenal.

The vision presented by FitzHigham, “We would like to unlock the full financial and marketing potential of it being the oldest theatre, the oldest working theatre and the oldest theatrical space in the UK. If you go to google and put into google, ‘What is the oldest theatre in the UK?’ and a lot of people do, I suspect primarily from abroad, this doesn’t even come up in the top 10 and that needs changing because it’s older than all the rest of them by 100s of years. Now clearly people are interested in going to visit the oldest theatre in the UK but if you don’t tell them that this is it they’re not going to come.” 

The Trust plan to maintain all groups that are current users of the complex. “It would be mad not to do that.” says FitzHigham. Work with schools, colleges and an international summer school are being talked about. There needs to be access for all.

For this vision, funding is needed. In the short term a feasibility study for the development needs to be realised. The costs are set at £50-100k. In the medium term £5-10m will be needed to transform the complex.

If you can help the trust in any way, financial or otherwise, please send an email to shakespearesguildhall@gmail.com

The trustees of the Shakespeare’s Guildhall Trust are (left to right):
Nick Balaam, Chair King’s Lynn Preservation Trust, Heritage Management Consultant.
Veronica Sekules, Director of GroundWork Gallery, Author and Art Historian.
Ivor Rowlands, Company Director, King’s Lynn Town Guide, West Norfolk Tourism Forum.
Tim FitzHigham, FRSA FRGS, Actor, Explorer, Comedian, Theatre Producer.
Adrian Parker, Friends of St Nicholas Chapel, Retired Planning Consultant.
Michael Hankinson, International Music Director and Composer.

To conclude, the aims of the Shakespeare’s Guildhall Trust

• Promote the knowledge, understanding, and enjoyment of performance and visual arts through the use of St George’s Guildhall, King’s Lynn.
• Celebrate and continue its 600 years’ history as a living arts venue.
• Provide educational and learning opportunities for all.

Background information regarding the Arts Centre and LArCH
Link to EDP recording of Public Meeting on facebook
Shakespeare’s Guildhall Trust http://www.kingslynnshakespeare.com
Shakespeare Festival http://www.kingslynnshakespeare.com

Esther Boehm

Table of Contents | Download PDF

By Helga Joergens, Ringstead 2019             

Principles of Mounting and Framing Artworks on Paper

This text is based on the talk I gave to artists of the West Norfolk Artists Association in October 2018. It contains information and tips about the materials and processes involved in mounting and framing works of art on paper in a way that follows three principles:

1. Using materials which will not harm the picture over time
2. Protecting the artwork from damage because of acid in the materials, moisture and insects
3. Ensuring all processes are reversible so that the picture can easily be unframed if needed.

As a paper conservator, I came across so many artworks on paper which had suffered through framing with materials that had damaged them over time. For example, ordinary mountboard is made from wood pulp, which is acidic. Even if the cover papers of the mountboard are acid free, the acid will cause a discoloured line all around the edges of the window of the mount because these edges open the way for the acid to migrate easily into the picture. Moreover, when paper made from wood pulp ages, it becomes more acidic. This acid migrates from the mount via the cover paper into the whole substrate of the artwork, discolouring it to brown.

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Examples of Discolouration along the Edges of the Windows in Mounts Made from Standard Mountboard

 

Examples of Discolouration of the Whole Substrate of a Picture

The following images show the damage of acid migrating from a backing board into the whole sheet of a picture, in this case a print.

The front and verso of the same print after conservation. The brown discolouration has disappeared. If you want to know more about acidity in paper, please go to: https://www.lcipaper.com/acid-free-paper.html

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Mountboards

Types of Mountboard

There are four types of mountboard that are offered by manufacturers.

Museum Mountboard

Archival-quality Museum Boards are made from 100% pure cotton fibres. Cotton does not contain any acid. Therefore, if this type of 100% cotton mountboard is used, there will be no problems with discolouration or foxing, (brown spots) caused by mounting boards.

Moreover, it is safe to use for mounting traditional photographs.

Conservation Grade Mountboard

“The core is made from alpha cellulose fibres, featuring a soft, natural, white colour that will remain white. Each board is alkaline-sized, acid-free and calcium carbonate buffered for enhanced durability and longevity. Being conservation quality, boards are lignin-free with no optical brighteners. Cover papers are colourfast, resilient and bleed-resistant.”

However, alpha cellulose is wood pulp. As paper becomes more acidic as it ages, it is only a question of time until they may become acidic enough to cause damage.

Traditional photographs should be mounted on un-buffered boards.

White Core Mountboard

“These boards feature a pure white core and offer a clean, crisp, bevel cut. Each board is lignin-free, alkaline-sized, pH neutral and is calcium carbonate buffered to enhance its useful lifespan by minimising the effect of atmospheric pollutants.”

However, they are made from wood pulp which may cause discolouration over time.

Cream Core mountboard

“The core is made from virgin wood pulp with a characteristic pale ivory colour. Each board is alkaline-sized and pH neutral.”

However, they are made from wood pulp which may cause discolouration over time.

The quotations are taken from the website: http://www.daler-rowney.com/en/content/mountboards which gives a good overview over the different types of mountboard.

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Hinging Works of Art on Paper

Hinging Tapes

An artwork on paper should not be attached to the window mount but to the backing board of the mount because they can be caught in the window opening and be damaged.

Nor should it be fixed with:

1. One long strip of paper along the top edge of the picture because paper expands and contracts according to the humidity in the room. Therefore, this way of mounting can lead to stresses between the work and the adhesive strip and can cause cockling of the artwork.

2. Masking tape, Sellotape or similar general adhesive tapes. Over time the adhesive dries out and the paper of the tape becomes detached. The adhesive migrates into the paper until it appears on the front as brown staining. Moreover, the adhesive is extremely difficult to remove as it seeps into the paper and bonds with its fibres.

It is far better to use either dedicated gummed hinging tapes or mounting corners for photographs, or Abaca.sa paper hinging tape for giclee prints (digital prints). Traditional photographs are safer mounted using mounting corners or mounting strips. They are also an alternative to paper hinges.

Should paper hinges be used, the company Lineco offers archival grade gummed hinging papers and mounting corners for all cases. Neschen also offers hinging tapes but they are self adhesive and may not be so easily removable if needed at a later date. You can also use any paper strip as long as it is thinner than the work of art you are mounting and as long as it does not contain any wood fibres. The hinges need to be thinner than the picture because if the framed work falls off the wall, the hinges break and not the artwork. If the hinges are stronger than the artwork, it may tear off underneath the hinges and get damaged.

If you use your own hinging paper, Japanese paper is excellent because the paper fibres are very long and give stability to the hinges.

In the section Materials and Suppliers you will find listed all the Lineco hinging tapes and their different usages as well as mounting corners and mounting strips.

Adhesives

As adhesive, a mixture of methyl cellulose and water, wheat starch and water or rice starch and water are best used because these adhesives are acid free, strong, and can easily be removed with water. The wheat starch that is used as an adhesive for paper is the same that you use for cooking. It is readily available in food stores and cheap in price. It is a is stronger adhesive than methyl cellulose or rice starch which is similar to wheat starch, but lighter and thinner after cooking. However, wheat and rice starch adhesive only last for a few days in the fridge, whereas methyl cellulose adhesive lasts several months before it goes off.

Recipe for Mixing Methyl Cellulose

Please go to: Product Information Sheet Methyl Cellulose Paste Recipe (Item: 793-1001)

https://www.lineco.com/pub/media/resources/cat_978_1.pdf

How to Make Wheat Starch Adhesive

Microwave Wheat Starch Adhesive:

Place the mixture in a microwave oven. Microwave on a high setting (800) for 10 seconds. It needs to boil.
If it has not boiled after 10 seconds, remove the paste, and stir.
Place it back in the unit and microwave it another 5-10 seconds or as long as it needs to boil.

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Hinging

There are various options for hinging but the two most commonly used ones are T-hinges and invisible hinges.

Apply a small amount to that part of your paper hinge that is pasted to the work of art. Paste the hinges slightly inside the top edge of the picture. You need two hinges for smaller works and more for larger pictures. Apply some pressure with your finger and let it dry. It is best to paste the adhesive firstly to the artwork and let it dry before the hinges are pasted to the backing board of the window mount. Please do not attach the picture to the window mount itself as it can be caught in the opening and be damaged.

T-hinges:

For T-hinges, paste a strip of hinging tape across the tape that holds the artwork.

 

For invisible hinges: fold hinges, which hold the artwork, backwards and secure with a cross tape directly beneath the edge of the artwork.

This type of hinge is used for example in collections (museums, galleries) where works on paper are presented in a mount which can be opened in order to examine the work recto and verso.

It can also be used for float mounting.

Float Mounting

A float mount does not overlap the edges of a picture but instead shows the whole sheet of paper in its entirety. Usually, there is a small gap between the edge of the window and the artwork. Therefore invisible hinges are used. Often it is enough to use the type of invisible hinges shown above for the top of the work and two invisible hinges at the bottom but without the horizontal bar.

However, if the paper of an artwork to be float mounted is rather thin, the paper may cockle with time. (See below left.) To avoid cockling, one can add several hinges along the edges of the artwork. Then a window which is one or two millimetre smaller than the artwork is cut into the backing board of the mount with a bevel cut. Put the picture face down and the large part of the backing board with the open window on top. The bevelled side faces up and away from the artwork. The hinges are pasted on to the back of this window mount. The inside of the window is put in place and sealed and secured with hinging paper.

Float mounting a larger work or one on relatively thin paper with several hinges

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Framing

The same care to protect works of art from acid when mounting should also be applied when framing them.

Sealing the Rebate of the Frame

In order to stop acid migrating from the inner side of the frame (rebate) into the mount, you can seal the rebate. This can be done by painting it with oil based primer. Water based primer is not a barrier to acid as the acid in wood is water-soluble.

Alternatively, you can stick a self-adhesive frame sealing tape along the rebate. It has two layers: the one that adheres to the frame is made from aluminium, whereas the layer facing the picture is made from paper. The image, right, shows the characteristics of the tape. Here the whole back of the frame is covered by it. If you use glass you only need to seal the rebate because the glass protects against acid migration from the front of the frame.

Glass

There are different choices of glass for your frame. Already ordinary float glass protects the artwork to some degree from the damaging effects of the UV rays in light. If using ordinary glass, the picture should, if possible, not hang in direct sunlight because, as we all know, daylight, in particular bright sunlight, bleaches out colours and even black ink, and darkens paper.

There are different makes of UV protection glass available; museum glass contains also an anti-reflective coating like that used for spectacles which makes the glass almost invisible. Another option is UV-protective acrylic glass. These UV-protective glasses filter out over 90% of the UV rays. However, their surface is static and may lift the top layer of pastel and charcoal drawings on to the glass.

A wide selection of glass can be viewed at: Wessex Pictures, Glass Products: https://www.wessexpictures.com/glass_products.html

Frame Backing Boards

The artwork needs to be protected against acid from the back of the frame too. There are different ways to do that. A safe and very protective frame backing board is ‘Art-Bak®-AQUA’: https://www.wessexpictures.com/ART-BAK_AQUA.html

There is also Art-Bak® Standard board: https://www.wessexpictures.com/ART-BAK_STANDARD.html

Both boards are made from triple layered corrugated cardboard which is 2.9mm thick. According to the information on the website of Wessex Pictures, they are made from recycled materials and buffered with calcium carbonate to stay alkaline for a very long time. The brown side faces to the back of the frame whereas the grey side faces the artwork. The boards curve slightly inwards to keep the artwork flat in the frame.

In addition, ‘Art-Bak®-AQUA’ contains a moisture barring membrane. If the board gets moist, it bulges outwards away from the artwork thus keeping it dry. The board becomes flat again when it dries out. I have experienced this phenomenon with pictures exhibited on damp walls.

If you use traditional boards like MDF, please be aware that these frame backing boards are acidic. You can seal the board on the inside to stop acid migrating from it into the back mount and ultimately into the artwork by painting the board on the inside with oil based primer, or put a sheet of kitchen aluminium foil on the inside, or a sheet of , Melinex® or Mylar® polyester films.

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Closing the Frame

Once the frame backing board is in place, the easiest way to fix it is by special tabs which are ‘shot’ into the rebate with a tab driver.

Tab Drivers and Tabs

There are different tab drivers on the market. Please see in the section Materials and Suppliers.

Tabs

It is recommended to use only Rigid Tabs but I use Flexi Tabs for small and medium size frames and, when framing larger pictures, combine them with Rigid Tabs. Flexi tabs can be bent so that the work can easily be unframed if needed. However, although they are strong enough for small and medium size pictures, rigid tabs are necessary for framing larger works in order to stop the back of the frame from falling out. If you open and close a frame a few times, please check that the flexi tabs are still rigid enough to hold, or replace them if necessary.

Framing Tape for Sealing the Back of a Frame

A good and highly recommended tape for sealing the back of the frame is gummed brown tape. However, the adhesive in gummed tape may dry out, like in this example:

If the back of the frame is painted or varnished, gummed tape may not adhere to it. In that case, self-adhesive brown craft frame backing tape can be used. If you can’t find it with your supplier, it can be found on ebay (Please see the section Materials and Suppliers below). As the tape is situated outside the backing board of the frame, it is far away from the artwork and cannot damage it. Therefore I am of the opinion that it is safe to use them. Tapes come in different widths: 25 mm, 38 mm or 50 mm.

Please do not use the self-adhesive tape from ‘Tesa’. It become rock-hard after a few months to a year and will be very difficult, if not impossible, to remove. I contacted ‘Tesa’ (in Germany) about it and they confirmed the fact that it hardens completely with time, saying that it is a masking tape for spraying cars and only designed for short term usage.

In order to make sure that the back of the frame is sealed tightly enough to stop tiny insects like thunder flies from entering, triangular pieces of framing tape can be placed in the corners of the frame covering the gap between the backing board and the frame before the framing tape is added to seal the edges.

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Finishing the Frame

The image, left, shows the finished back of a frame including the string on D-rings and two felt frame bumpers pasted at the bottom of the frame.

D-Rings

D-rings are a strong and flat way to attach the string to the back of the frame. In the example, left, the string sits too low. A good height is ¼ of the length of the frame measured from the top.

The picture below left shows a D-ring positioned in such a way on the frame that it can be swivelled outwards and does not overlap the inner edge of the frame. Now the picture can be unframed without removing the D-rings.

The image below right shows the D-ring in position for attaching the string and hanging the picture.

String

I use a loop of string and knot the ends together with a reef-knot because it is very secure. Reef knot: right over left, left over right.

In this way you only have one knot that you can move off centre for hanging the picture and which will be invisible once the picture hangs on the wall.

Felt Frame Bumpers

In order to let air circulate and avoid moisture build-up behind the frame, felt frame bumpers should be pasted to the bottom of the frame. Bumpers are available in two sizes: of 2 mm thickness for small to medium size pictures and 3 mm for large ones.

If you place them 2-3 cm inwards, they are not visible from the side once the picture is hanging on the wall.

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Materials and Suppliers

As an artist, I frame my own work on paper. A frame is intended to protect the picture. However, as paper conservator, I have experienced that acid framing materials and certain practices can harm the work over time.

I am often asked how I frame, which materials I use, and from where I purchase them. Therefore, this article contains tips on methods and materials that keep the artworks safe.

To find those materials, a list of possible suppliers has been added. The list is not conclusive and you may find others of your choice.

Needless to say, I have no personal interest in any of my recommendations and selections, and they are not meant to be advertisements.
The complete materials list can be found in the PDF

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Further Reading and Viewing

The guidelines on framing by ICON, the Institute of Conservation, are very helpful:
http://conservationregister.com/PIcon-Mounting.asp

Fine Art Trade Guild: Mountboard Logo License programme:
https://www.fineart.co.uk/Guild_Mountboard_Logo_License_programme.aspx

Joanna M Kossek et al.: Conservation Mounting for PRINTS and DRAWINGS. A Manual Based on Current Practice at the British Museum, Archetype Publications in Association with the British Museum, London 2004

LCI Paper: FAQs – Acid Free Paper [bottom of the page]
https://www.lcipaper.com/acid-free-paper.html
Information on acid in paper

Video

Mal Reynolds: R1 Principles of conservation framing, Fine Art Trade Guild:
https://www.fineart.co.uk/article/cpd-video-principles-of-conservation-framing-1063.aspx

 

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Table of Contents

Framing Works on Paper – Tips about Processes and Materials
Principles of Mounting and Framing Artworks on Paper
Examples of Discolouration along the Edges of the Windows in Mounts Made from Standard Mountboard
Examples of Discolouration of the Whole Substrate of a Picture
Mountboards
Types of Mountboard
Museum Mountboard
Conservation Grade Mountboard
White Core Mountboard
Cream Core mountboard
Hinging Works of Art on Paper
Hinging Tapes
Adhesives
Recipe for Mixing Methyl Cellulose
How to Make Wheat Starch Adhesive
Hinging
Float Mounting
Framing
Sealing the Rebate of the Frame
Glass
Frame Backing Boards
Closing the Frame
Tab Drivers and Tabs
Tabs
Framing Tape for Sealing the Back of a Frame
Finishing the Frame
D-Rings
String
Felt Frame Bumpers
Materials and Suppliers (For this information, please go to the PDF)
General Picture Framing Suppliers
Manufacturers and Suppliers of Mountboards
More Papers and Mountboards:
Hinging Tapes
Lineco Hinging Tapes
Lineco Mounting Corners and Mounting Strips
Adhesives
Lineco conservation adhesives
Frame Sealing Tape
Glass
Frame Backing Boards
Melinex and Mylar Sheets
Tab Drivers and Tabs
Framing Tape for Sealing the Back of a Frame
Felt Bumpers
Further Reading and Viewing
Video