CALL FOR ARTISTS | Fine Art in Miniature Holiday Show
Forgive me for mentioning this… the Holidays are coming quickly. I know, it’s only August. I hardly believe summer is nearly over… (sigh) but you know how we like to plan ahead. So we’re inviting you to submit artwork for our Fine Art in Miniature Show coming to the Gallery this November and December. 
How to Apply
Step 1: Choose up to 3 original works for consideration that measure under 10″x 10″ (including frame).
Step 2: Take good photos. Quality does makes a difference. Be sure to include the frame in the image.
Step 3: Email up to 3 .jpg images to gallery@finerframes.com with FAMSHOW as the subject line. Did you get that? Only FAMSHOW emails will be reviewed. For details on image sizes visit https://finerframes.com/in-the-gallery/submissions/
Step 4: Include your Artist Statement, image titles and sizes in your email.
Step 5: Submission deadline is 5:00pm MST on Friday October 6, 2017. After that, you’re outta luck.
Step 6: Pat yourself on the back and pour yourself a celebratory beverage while you wait for our reply.
Not a real submission… I’m just obsessed with all things mini
Show Facts:
Fine Art in Miniature Show
Artist Notification: Monday October 16
Art delivery dates: November 1 – 4
Show opens: Monday, November 6
Special Reception: Saturday November 18, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Show continues through early January
And this… just because it’s so stinkin cute
Have a question? Email us here at gallery@finerframes.com
For artists interested in representation in the Gallery, we will be reviewing artist submission packets in early November. Apply Here
Fall Classes
Get your brushes ready! Classes are starting up again this fall. We’ve got several brand new art classes this season and have brought back some of your favorites. You can register with Eagle Parks & Recreation on line now. Space is very limited, so don’t dilly dally once registration opens. Stay tuned for updates, additions and cancellations….
HOW TO USE FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS | Meg Glasgow
Tuesday, September 12, 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Designed for people in creative careers. Discover everything you need to know about Facebook marketing, from how to create a business page to using Facebook Insights to reach the right audience. Learn the best ways to create memorable posts and expand your business. $20
PEN & INK with WATERCOLOR | Linda Aman
Wednesday September 20th | 5:30pm-9:30pm
Join award winning artist and instructor Linda Aman for an exciting evening of pen and ink with watercolor. Learn to enhance your art with clean glazes of watercolor. Linda teaches in a step-by-step instruction with lots of individual attention. Learn numerous tricks and techniques of watercolor. Photos, references and all materials will be available for use in class. You may bring your watercolor materials as well. All levels welcome. To see more of Linda’s work visit www.amanarts.com $45 includes materials.
BEGINNER PAINTING | Mountain Sunset
Thursday September 21 | 6:00pm – 8:30pm
Paint and sip along with Suzanne Chetwood for a fun evening of painting in acrylic. Learn how to use the element of space to create a beautiful mountain sunset painting. You are welcome to bring your own refreshments. Materials included. $40
WATERCOLOR JUMP START with Joyce Green
Tuesday, September 26 6:30 – 9:00pm
Join national award-winning painter Joyce Green for a fun and informative workshop to learn techniques for painting with watercolors. You’ll enjoy her playful spirit while learning her secrets for planning a strong composition and mixing and applying color. $45 includes lesson and materials. Only 6 spots are available, so click this link to Register Now to reserve your spot!
BEGINNER PAINTING | Jelly Fish FOR KIDS 8+
Thursday October 12 | 6:00 – 8:30
Suzanne Chetwood teaches a fun evening class for kids 8 and up. It’s all about color when you learn to paint a jelly fish in acrylics. All supplies will be provided. $40
SHORTCUTS TO BETTER PAINTING
Tuesday October 3 & 10 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Painting Demo and Discussions by Award winning artist Mark Davis
A series of 2 lectures that begins with how to start a painting, an introduction to basic materials, how to get your drawing transferred to your canvas, basic composition, controlling values and edges, creating focal points and ending with how to know when your painting is finished. Classes will include discussion and demonstrations. These concepts apply to most all mediums, with a focus on oils. $55
Class 1:
- Basic materials
- How to begin a painting
- Composition and Design
- How to transfer your drawing to your canvas.
Class 2:
- How to create a focal point.
- Controlling values and edges.
- How to know when your painting is finished.
OIL PAINTING 101 | Saturday Series
Saturday, October 21 & 28 and November 4 & 11 | 9:00am – 11:00am
This 4 week class focuses on fundamentals of landscape painting in oil. Each Saturday we’ll work on a new landscape composition, creating an under painting, color, values, and brush work to make a painting that is beautiful and compelling. Perfect for beginners. All supplies are included, although you may bring your own. Instructor: Chi E Shenam Westin $180
BEGINNER PAINTING | Aspen Trees
Thursday November 9 | 6:00 – 8:30
Paint and sip along with Suzanne Chetwood for a fun evening of painting aspen trees in acrylic, personalized with your own initials. We will have a blast! Bring your own refreshments, if you wish. All supplies will be provided upon arrival. $40
Framing a Mike Trout Signed Jersey
We wanted to create a special frame design for this signed Mike Trout jersey and collector photos. Our team went to work designing an elaborately cut mat that is worthy of this baseball superstar.
How we care for the jersey
Our primary objective is always to protect the items we’re framing from damage of all kinds. From how it’s secured in the frame, the quality of materials used to the Museum Glass that protects it, we employ the highest standards of techniques to protect the value and preserve the items for generations. Here’s how we do it.
First off, we never use any permanent glues or adhesives on the collectibles. The jersey is stretched over an acid-free board and sewn in place to the supporting backing board with needle and thread. We take great effort to hide the stitches from view while ensuring the item will safely be held in place. Grandma had it right, an old fashion needle and threat is best method.
Here’s where it gets tricky
Finding a solution for mounting the photos poses a bigger challenge. We can’t attach them to the jersey, so our idea combined a complicated mat cut that attached to the black mat around the sides of the jersey. It used to be that cutting a complex mat design like this took hours to draw out by hand and cut with a sharp blade. Thanks to our computerized Wizard mat cutting machine. Michelle could design and cut the multi-layered mat in minutes.
We finished off the project with at decorative V-groove carved into the mat and decorative logos in the upper corners. #ILoveMyWizard
Vizcaya Art & Wine Festival
We are joining forces with Vizcaya Winery to host our first outdoor Art Show and Concert on July 30 from noon – 6:00. Dozens of artists will be on site at Vizcaya displaying and selling their art. Live music from Patrick Dansereau from 2:00 – 5:00. Food will be available from Big Mike’s Tids & Bits 1:00-5:00. The art show and concert are free, wine tastings are $5.
Vizcaya Winery is located between Meridian and Kuna at 8987 S Greenhurst Rd. Kuna, Idaho 83634. Need directions? Here’s a MAP to Vizcaya.
Leather Cabinet Frame
Once in a career, I might have dreamed to create a shadowbox as epic as this one. Scratch that. I NEVER imagined I would get to work on a project this cool. It’s big, it’s unique and it’s extraordinary!
One of my very favorite long time clients brought in a rare 1890’s buffalo hide coat for framing. He had purchased it at an auction and was looking to get it preserved in a frame and ready to showcase in his cabin. Imagine me looking at this gigantic 125 year old fur coat, eye’s wide open, half-excited, half-terrified. It’s huge. It’s heavy, and it’s shedding. To say that the project posed a number on challenges would be an understatement. Our solution to framing this unique piece of Western history is documented here.
My client took one look at the frames from House of Mercier and knew it had to be the Cinto Frame with tack detail. It’s perfect!
This is the concept sketch for the project. I measured everything and sent the drawings to Andres at House of Mercier. Have you heard of these guys? They build exceptional leather furniture and frames made from Peruvian leather (and yes they are located in Peru). That’s only 7000 miles from my shop.
Andres and his team went to work on constructing this monstrosity. Do you see the car in the corner? The frame really is that big.
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- Building the wood frame
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- Planning the details
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- Measuring for the tack detail
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- Tools of the trade
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- Building the case
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- Adding the color
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- Almost finished
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- Frame detail
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- It’s BIG!
Now that the frame is finished, it’s time to settle the logistics. Wrap it up and book the flight. The frame’s got 7000 miles and 2 continents to cross.
Fast forward several weeks and a weary FedX driver arrives in the ally behind our shop looking for the loading dock. Haha. Sorry sir, no dock. We only have this narrow sidewalk and stairs. This will be fun.
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- Can you give me a hand with this?
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- So exciting!!!
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- Wow, that’s big
Come a little closer and take a sniff of this. Doesn’t it smell rich and delicious? (Andres, you should bottle this sell it a framer’s cologne)
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- Railroad spike coat hook
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- Latch detail
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- Corner detail
Once the frame arrived, we got working on wrapping the back of the frame in an oatmeal linen from Framing Fabrics.
For mounting the coat, we used a custom leather wrapped coat hanger, compliments of House of Mercier and a one-of-a-kind railroad spike welded into a coat hook. (You can find anything on Etsy) We surprised the client with this special detail and it was a hit.
Considering the distance it had to travel and measuring 48″ x 74″ acrylic was the only option for glazing.We used Tru Vue’s Optium Museum Acrylic. I love this product! Anti-scratch, anti-glare, UV-blocking and… (drum roll please)… anti-static. It’s lightweight and easy for my clients to clean.
I’m so happy it’s finally finished!
It’s finished… almost. Now for the final stage. We wrapped it up and put it back in the crate for it’s final journey 350 miles north to a mountain cabin in Montana.
We arrived just as the freight truck unloaded the 250 pound crate on the lawn. Friends, neighbors and family welcomed the special cargo and I’m so glad they did because we sure needed the help getting it on the wall.
Doesn’t look so big now
This project is a dream come true for me. I sweated over every detail, and it took a wonderful team at House of Mercier, my awesome staff and a tireless freight driver to pull this very special project together.
Cheers to a job well done!