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5 Alternatives to Traditional Framing

March 8, 2023

At Upper Bay Frame and Gallery, we understand the importance of choosing the best way to display art, photos, and memorabilia to complement your home and your personal style. With a wide variety of options to choose from and customization services, we can help you find the perfect display solution for any piece. Here are some alternatives to traditional framing to help you figure out what works best for your home. 

Floating FramesFloating frame technique

These frames have a clear plastic face that sits about 1/4 inch away from the artwork, giving the illusion that the art is “floating” within the frame. The artwork is then mounted to a thin foam piece to add depth and dimension behind the piece, pronouncing the float effect. This can be a great option for art prints, posters, or other flat pieces, as it allows the artwork to be viewed without any obstruction. 

Shadow Boxes 

Shadow box displaying memories of the Berlin WallThese frames are deeper than traditional frames, and are perfect for displaying 3D objects such as medals, sculptures, or other collectibles. The depth of the frame allows you to add background or filler materials to create an interesting display.

Another option to consider when it comes to displaying your artwork is to print your photos on alternative materials. At Upper Bay Frame and Gallery, we offer a variety of printing options, including canvas, acrylic, and metal prints.

Alternative options for displaying art

Canvas Prints

 A popular choice for their classic, timeless look. They’re created by printing your photo directly onto a stretched canvas, which can then be framed or hung as-is. The texture of the canvas adds depth and character to the print, making it a great option for landscapes, portraits, and other types of photography.

Acrylic Prints 

A modern and elegant alternative to traditional framed prints. The photo is printed on the back of a sheet of acrylic, which provides a stunning, glossy finish. Acrylic prints are extremely durable and resistant to fading, making them a great option for displaying artwork in high-traffic areas.

Metal Prints 

A more contemporary and modern alternative, this type of printing is done by infusing dyes directly into a sheet of aluminum. They are known for their sharp image quality, vibrant colors, and metallic look that gives a shine and depth to the image. The metal surface is also waterproof and easy to clean, making them a great option for kitchen or bathroom.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: art display, canvas prints, floating frame, framing alternatives, metal prints, pvc prints, shadow box

How to Choose the Right Frame

February 8, 2023

When it comes to decorating, you know that your home is a reflection of your lifestyle and inner self. So, taking the time to choose a picture frame that complements your home decor and enhances what you’re framing makes all the difference.

Here are 3 tips from Upper Bay Frame and Gallery to help you pick the perfect frame.

 

Consider the Style of the Room 

Frame styles should compliment your home's interior design and style

A sleek, modern frame can give an updated look to a contemporary living space or enhance an industrial vibe. While a more traditional, ornate frame may be better suited for a formal dining room or library, ornate frames can also bring a unique twist to maximalist decor.

Think About the Artwork

Use aspects of your art to influence your frame choise

The frame should enhance the piece, not distract from it. A bold, colorful painting may benefit from a simple frame in a neutral color or a swatch from the painting that doesn’t compete with the artwork. However,  a striking and colorful frame could enhance the art by using contrast to show it off. A black-and-white photograph, on the other hand, looks emphasized in a barely-there black or metal frame. 

 

Consider the Overall Aesthetic of Your Home

Your carefully curated home aesthetic can lead the way to choosing the perfect frame

The frames you choose should complement the overall style and decor of your home. For example, if your home is decorated with a lot of vintage and antique pieces, you may want to opt for frames that have a vintage or antique feel to them. On the other hand, if your home is decorated with a lot of modern, minimalist pieces, you’ll want to choose frames that are clean and simple.

 

One of the best options you have to pick the perfect frame is custom framing services which Upper Bay Frame and Gallery provides, which allows you to create a frame that is tailored to your specific needs. A custom framing specialist will work with you to design a frame that is the perfect size and style for your artwork, and will even help you choose the right matting and glazing to protect and enhance your piece. This ensures that your artwork will be displayed in the best possible way, and that the frame you choose will complement your personal style.

 

 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: choosing frames, custom framing, framed art, framed photos, framing, how to choose a frame

Why Should Adults Enroll in Art Classes & Workshops?

May 31, 2022

Many parents enroll their children in art classes or a watercolor workshop. But when was the last time you started a new hobby or picked up a paintbrush?

As we age, we tend to succumb to the pressure of responsibilities and life demands, to the point where making time for art becomes increasingly difficult. The first word that comes to mind when thinking about art classes is fun, which is completely reasonable. Freedom of artistic and creative expression is one of the biggest advantages of spending time with paint and a canvas. However, there’s more to it.

This blog shares seven benefits of going to an art workshop for adults. So, the next time you register for a watercolor workshop for your kid, here’s why you should book a spot for yourself:

REIGNITING YOUR CREATIVE SIDE

The process of creating art is immensely calming and rejuvenating for the mind, body, and soul. If you’re a person who sits on a computer all day, you are more prone to using the left side of your brain—analytical, rational, and practical. Indulging in artist workshops helps you trigger the right side of your brain—the creative and more intuitive side. This helps individuals understand and differentiate contexts, tones, and non-verbal cues. Additionally, it helps one attune to the “softness” of his or her personality while helping one understand and gauge emotions better.

HIGHLY EFFECTIVE IN RELIEVING STRESS

Art classes work as a self-care session. A study revealed that people who indulged in making art for 45 minutes significantly experienced less stress, regardless of their artistic experience or talent. It is one of the most effective ways to switch off from the digital world and let go of the worries of your everyday life. Many people experience benefits similar to meditation, and, moreover, this method is also helpful in reducing blood pressure and releasing tension.

ENHANCES MEMORY

Humans are visual creatures. This is one of the reasons why we remember pictures more than text. Drawing also helps improve our memory. Take a look at a nearby object and make a quick sketch of it. Regardless of how rough, amateur, or unpolished the sketch looks, you are more likely to remember information as you trigger your brain to recall different visual details of an object while drawing.

IMPROVES SOCIAL SKILLS

You will be surprised at how going to art classes and workshops can help you with your social skills. Some studies reveal a positive correlation between art and happiness. One study revealed that art effectively combats depression and stress among cancer patients. Another study revealed that it also helps improve psychological resilience. Art aids in the overcoming of shyness, the transmission of social skills such as sharing and cooperation, and the reduction of aggression. This helps individuals achieve a more balanced state of being while also encouraging them to participate and interact with others.

IMPROVES LEARNING PACE

Working with our experienced art teachers helps adults work on quickly grasping the fundamentals of art and design such as composition, color theory, and perspective. Our professionally-led art classes bring the best and most experienced artists on board to work with students of all artistic levels while creating a comfortable and safe learning environment. This, in turn, helps with self-esteem and higher confidence. You will also be surprised by how quickly you progress through classes with the supervision of our teachers, who are dedicated to your success.

INCREASES SPATIAL AWARENESS

Your first art class will look a lot different than your tenth session. As you keep progressing through classes, you will see how your vision gets clearer and it becomes easier to pick up the details that you were normally unaware of. The more you draw, the more you’ll be able to tell how art positively affects your perception.

HIGHLY FREEING

If there’s one thing that art teaches us, it’s mental flexibility and strength. As adults, we often shame ourselves for making mistakes. Art teaches us to be okay with it and enjoy every step of learning. It helps us to silence our inner critic, teaches us to take risks, and be open to other possibilities.

There’s no doubt about the fact that art is a highly spiritually healing and rewarding experience. If you’re needing to unwind from the stresses of daily life, our scheduled artist workshops and class lineup will offer you a much-needed break! Browse our website to book a session for yourself!

Filed Under: Blog

Reasons to Print Your Photos on Canvas

May 25, 2022

Do you love taking photographs? If you do, then you would know how exciting it is to print your digital photos. Many people print their digital photographs to display them either in their office or home. There are different materials available which you can get your photographs printed, such as photo paper, watercolor paper, or cotton rag paper. However, we recommend our customers to print them on canvas. Why? Let’s find out!

You Won’t Face Glare or Reflection Issues

There is no doubt about the fact that photos printed on glossy paper or framed underneath glass look amazing, especially when they are placed in the right space. However, one major issue with those materials is that they can cause a lot of glare and reflections if there’s light in the space, be it artificial or natural. People won’t be able to see your photos clearly because of glare. You won’t face this issue with canvas prints because they have a satin-matte finish, which does not cause glare or reflections in the presence of light.

You Won’t Have to Worry About Decor Styles

One of the biggest things that people have to think about in regards to printing their photographs for their home or office is the material of the printed photographs and whether it will go well with the decor of their home/office or not. Here too, canvas prints prove highly advantageous as they are classic and timeless, which means they easily integrate with any decor style. Their versatility allows them to be displayed in your home or office for years, even if the decorating aesthetic alters over the years. Canvas prints will continue to hold their beauty and uniqueness for many years to come.

You Don’t Need to Break the Bank

As you might be aware, purchasing a beautiful piece of art or painting is not cheap. Also, getting your photographs printed on certain materials or papers can cost a good amount of money. If you are looking for an affordable way of printing your photographs, we would advice you to go for canvas prints. You can easily get a photo printed on a large 24”x26” canvas without spending a lot of money.

You Won’t Have to Struggle to Get the Right Size

Sometimes, we have a specific print size in our mind for our photographs. However, because of poor availability of print size options, we have to reluctantly go with a size that does not go well with our house/office decor and room size. The best thing about canvas prints is that they are available in different sizes. From super-sized prints to several smaller prints, you can easily get your photographs printed in the size of your liking.

As you can see, there are a lot of benefits to printing photographs on canvas. If interested, you can get in touch with UPPERBAY FRAME & GALLERY. We are known for providing top-quality canvas photo printing service in League City and the Bay Area for over 20 years. Apart from canvas, we can also print photos or artwork directly onto watercolor paper, photo paper, or cotton rag paper. To learn more about our services, give us a call at 281-333-9199.

Filed Under: Blog

A Guide to Choosing the Right Frame for your Artworks

May 25, 2022

So you’ve just taken the plunge and decided to invest in your first piece of art? As exciting as it is to curate your own art collection, the world of art can be daunting to navigate, especially for novice collectors. While most art collectors take time to research the artist, such as their collection of artwork, use of mediums, or their art style, they often leave out an important aspect— choosing the right frame for their prized possession.

To ensure that artwork is displayed beautifully, you’ll need to get it professionally framed. Choosing the right frame can often seem like an overwhelming task when trying to decorate your home or office, but it doesn’t have to be that way! The right frame can accentuate and highlight your artwork, drawing the eye to it while simultaneously adding an extra layer of aesthetic appeal to the space.

Do All Artworks Need to be Framed?

Most art collectors dabble with a dilemma more jarring than Shakespeare’s Hamlet— To frame or not to frame. If you find yourself in a similar quandary, don’t worry; we have you covered! While not all artwork require it, framing a piece of art can be a significant part of an artwork’s overall presentation and is particularly important for more valuable pieces (such as fine art). Frames can protect artwork against dust and damage, which is especially crucial for works with delicate components or in multiple pieces.

While there is a wide range of frames available, including wooden frames, metal frames, and acrylic frameless photo frames, the right frame is the one that accentuates and highlights your artwork, drawing the eye to it while simultaneously adding an extra layer of aesthetic appeal to the space.

Determine the Purpose of the Frame

When choosing a frame for your artwork, it is crucial to determine what you will be using it for. Will it simply be a protective measure, or will it be more of an aesthetic feature? It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all of the different types, sizes, and materials out there, but if you know what you want from your frame in advance, you can help streamline your search for something that’s not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing.

Consider the Location of the Artwork

Before you start looking for a frame, it’s worth considering the decor of the space, and how the frame suits the artwork, and the setting where it will be placed. If your artwork is one piece among many on a gallery wall, then a simple wood frame will do just fine. However, if your print or painting will be placed in an area with no other art or where it will stand out among its surroundings, consider purchasing an ornate or decorative frame that fits that setting. Perhaps you may opt for something such as a museum-quality custom framing.

Pick a Frame That Complements Your Art

When it comes to choosing a frame for your piece of art, an important factor to consider is the aesthetics of the artwork. After all, if a frame does not go well with the aesthetic appeal of the painting, it might ruin its charm. For instance, a drawing or illustration with great detail and hard lines will look best in a mounted frame with a crisp white mat that creates the illusion of depth. Paintings and photographs have softer edges, so we suggest opting for an off-white or antique silver-toned mount for a more balanced overall look.

Now that you’ve learned how crucial framing is to preserving artwork that you love, it is imperative to get framing that enhances the artwork’s beauty and ensures your precious possession lasts a lifetime. That’s where we can help! Contact us to get started on your custom framing project!

Now that you know that framing an artwork you love shouldn’t be done lightly, it’s important to make sure you get a quality product. If you’re looking to get custom picture framing, get in touch with us today!

Filed Under: Blog

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Mon – Friday 10am-6pm
Saturday 10am-4pm

PHONE:

281 333 9199

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