Thankful for the Support

This Thanksgiving, Nottingham is giving thanks for the loyalty of our customers. There are many other custom framers in the area that you could go to for your framing, but you continue to trust us with your valued treasures and we appreciate that tremendously. We have watched many framing stores close their doors over our 21 years in the business, and though it's been tough at times, we have managed to stay in business. We love what we do; we have a deep passion for framing and art. I think that is what makes coming into the showroom to work each day such a pleasure. We enjoy meeting clients and seeing familiar faces and hearing about what is bringing them in the shop. We care about the quality of our work because we know it reflects us as a business and as individuals. There is so much to be thankful for when it comes to the people we work with. Thank you for your support and your friendship. 

Wishing you a safe and a Happy Halloween!

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L'Aquarelle - Watercolor Wonder

Watercolor is a unique medium with characteristics that give it an alluring, glowing appearance when applied to paper. It is important to know about the qualities of watercolor paints and how to frame them so they are well preserved and protected from harmful elements such as light and humidity.

ALL ABOUT WATERCOLOR PAINTS AND CARE

The Basics

What's in the color?

The form of water-soluble medium generally associated with the term watercolor (what the French call aquarelle) is defined by its solvent, water. The paints are made of natural or synthetic pigments and are suspended in a water-soluble based binding adhesive or "gum".  

The amount of gum in the paint affects its transparency. When a watercolor is described as transparent, that means it allows light to shine through the paper and reflect the white, giving the colors a crisp look that glows. In contrast, opaque colors bounch off the pigment, blocking light from reflecting off the white paper. Opaque colors appear dull though some are quite vibrant in color. You can learn more about the properties of watercolor paints here. 

Sun Spots

Protect Your Art

Watercolor paintings are known to be very sensitive to light. It is acceptable however, to have an evenly faded watercolor. By lifting the mat surrounding the painting, one may note the original color and how much fading has taken place overall. Fortunately, there are several UV protective glass and acrylic options that will protect your artwork very effectively. These materials offer a minimum of 98% blockage from harmful UV light, which is particularly damaging to organic materials that watercolors are often made up of. Choosing the right glass for your artwork and where it will hang is a big determinant of how well your artwork will preserve over the years. 

Wave Goodbye to Ripples and Foxing

How Moisture and Weather Affect Your Art

It is important to note that the materials used in watercolor are hygroscopic. This means that they have a tendency to absorb moisture. Porous solids such as watercolor paper are most absorbent, which explains why we see cockling, or rippling, with watercolor paintings. Cockling is more likely to occur when working with lighter paper that has smaller dimensions. As framers, we avoid permanently mounting watercolors because their hygroscopic nature causes the paper to expand and contract. Using a nonrestrictive mounting technique allows the paper to move somewhat freely with environmental changes without risking distortion and swelling of the artwork. 

Believe it or not, there is an ideal humidity for artwork and that is at 50 percent. Higher humidity levels such as 70 percent and above cause the paper to be more susceptible to mold and foxing (the appearance of brown spots). You can begin to protect your art from humidity by hanging them outside of bathrooms and kitchens. Art near sinks and coking spaces are more susceptible to negative affects of humidity. Another easy way to help avoid humidity damage is by placing spacers or bumpers on the back of artwork to allow air to circulate behind them. It is Also encouraged to rotate your art's hanging location throughout the seasons. 

Preserve your beautiful watercolor paintings by asking for archival grades of materials to ensure a long life for your valued pieces. We can review all the options you have to achieve this, as well as remind you to hang the finished pieces away from bright, direct light, away from heating and cooling vents, and also out of high humidity rooms.

We Love Our Water

Learn more about watercolor paints and how to preserve them here.
Read about the current drought in California and how you can help here.