(this post is numero dos in the series Tips from Framers)

Everybody’s got art stashed away, collecting dust, waiting to be framed. Under the bed, way back there in the whatnot closet, down in the basement. Cool prints still rolled up in the shipping tubes they came in. Canvases bought at some funky little art fair you stopped by during that vacation in wine country, and you got that weird little painting because you were buzzed on the splendor of the vacation mindset, not to mention the wine. Remember that? No you don’t, do you?

And what about your busted frames? Or the crummy, cheap, outdated ones that you got when you were in college and poor and knew no better? Those need to be replaced. And the other stuff, the forgotten art— all that needs to be framed. Trust me. I know. I work part time at an excellent little art and framing store in the neighborhood, KC Arts on Court Street in Brooklyn. The framing staff there knows their stuff. So here we go with part two of Tips from Framers.

Sherry hails from my home state, the Wolverine State. That’s right. Michigan. Now known as the “Get Packin’ State.” I kid. (Michigan, I love ya!) She’s a framer by trade and studies psychology at Brooklyn College. Here are some of her thoughts and advice on framing:

1. A great frame job is like a jewel in a beautiful setting: It allows you to appreciate the jewel without distracting from it.

2. A picture frame is like a house for your art. There is a window, a back door, and walls.

3. Framing serves three main purposes: 1) Protection: with acid free matting and backing and UV protective glass, a frame can help keep your art in its original condition much longer. 2) Display: a frame makes it possible for you to look at your art and enjoy it. 3) Enhancing: there are no words to describe the effect that a great framing job can have on a piece of art. You have to see for yourself.