Framing Concepts Reflections

Kat's Favorite Things

2011-11-29T18:39:00.000-08:00

What a quick year it has been! It's time for me to talk about my favorite projects of the year, and there have been quite a few!

Carol Bucur came in with a beautiful photograph of her mother, aged 8 or 9, at their family's cottage. It was a lovely piece of family history, and we framed it in a classic style that would still work well in the same family cottage all these years later. So much fun, and black and white photographs are always a challenge!

Next up is Peggy Peterson who has brought in several pieces this year, including a birch biting done by the last person to practice that craft. It is on a thin piece of birch bark - thinner than a sheet of tissue paper, and it has an intricate pattern on it done by biting the bark. So lovely! And the artist has works in the Smithsonian and the National Museum of Canada as well.

Finally, since I do so love hearing stories of family history, there is a fantastic photograph taken in Ireland of the family home of J. Collier. She had taken a trip across the pond when she was very young, and wanted to preserve the images forever!

Of course, there were many, many more amazing stories that came through the door in Crown Point this year, and that is really the best thing about all of this - the stories behind what is being framed. The memories. I hope everyone had a wonderful year. Keep those stories coming!

~Kat~

Pat's Favorite Things

2011-11-29T18:28:00.000-08:00

Oh, it's that time again! Favorite projects … hmmmm…

Michael Susman & Lanette Stigsen; we have framed several projects for them, but what they decided upon for above their fireplace, was thinking outside of the box. They purchased 2 of the same print, framed the same way, and hung them in a vertical orientation. How fun!

Lynn Martin, former congressman for the Chicago area, had some badly damaged memorabilia (Regan years) from her days in Washington. It was sad to see the damage, but to see (and read) the human element of these historical events was awesome.

Bob & Kay Welsh purchased a large TV for their traditional living space. It hung above a beautiful antique burl wood writing table, so naturally, the TV way much too prominent. We framed the TV in an antique looking burl wood frame, with the same tones as the table. The result? Two pieces of furniture that look like they belong together.

We host the ARTability event for Opportunity Enterprises every year. That in itself is pleasure enough, but we also frame the paintings that their clients paint. This is the first year that I have been in charge of the frame designs, and again, what a pleasure it was.

Kristin Brogan's son is a medal winning swimmer. He is autistic, and swimming has been his specialty. We have framed several of his medals; most recently the several he earned at the Special Olympics. Way to Go, Ryan!

~Pat~

A Standout Frame

2011-10-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

Recently, I had the opportunity to design an interesting piece. It is a playful acrylic painting by a well-regarded Indiana artist, Mike Altman. It's not very big, but it has a lot of character, and it's on cardboard.

The home it was destined for is all done in sleek lines, black, silver and gray. Very modern, and nothing at all like the artwork it's self! A lot of people are afraid to purchase art that they like because it does not fit in with their design aesthetic - it doesn't match their house. One of the best things about custom framing is it's ability to balance between the art and the room around it.

The painting was so detailed, that I put it on a simple background of black velvet, and the blue and white are picked up in the soft steel color of the frame. A simple, minimal frame, that gives the art room to breath, and balances it with what is around it. Perfection!

~Kat~

So Grand

2011-10-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

My favorite decorating period/style is Art Deco. I have visited various places in Chicago that reflect that style. And there are so many places to visit - Chicago Board of Trade, One La Salle Bldg, Carbide Carbon bldg (one of my favs; it is the Hard RockHotel now), Merchandise Mart, Adler Planetarium, Civic Opera House, Palmolive bldg, Hotel Allegro, Drake Hotel, the list just goes on & on. One of the reasons for this could be that since the city burned down in 1871, there were buildings to be built, and the art deco period spanned from the 20's thru the 40's.I like the style because it is graceful, clean and uninhibited. There is an air of sophistication and elegance, something that, as far as I am concerned, we don't see much of anymore.

While in Chicago recently, I stopped for lunch at the Grand Lux Café. Oh my! If you have never been there, I urge you to visit. Everywhere you look is a feast for the eyes. Plush seating, tiles on the walls, frames on the ceiling - oh yes! Frames on the ceiling. I spent much more time looking at the ceiling than my food. I know what you are thinking, "It's beautiful, but not for my house". I know that because that is the first thing I thought. When I returned home, I found my eyes going to the ceiling, thinking "Where could I incorporate that idea in my home?" The dining room to separate the 'zone' from the living room? The bathroom because it is small, and if you are going to make one room in your home spectacular, that is the one? Once my head stopped swirling, I thought about just 'framing' the parameters. Just a thought… Oh, and the food at the Grand Lux is great also.

~Pat~

A Quick Fun Idea For Your Home!

2011-09-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

For the last post of the month, I thought that I would share this fun, cute idea from Design Sponge!

It's a tray made from a frame. Very simple, but very sweet, and a wonderful way to integrate frames into your home!

If you have suggestions about other ways to use frames, feel free to submit them in the comments section, we always love to hear them!

~Kat~

Too Many Ideas? Never!

2011-09-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

I look forward to opening my email every Monday morning to receive my new copy of Houzz. You've never heard of it? Neither had I until I got an iPad, and stumbled across the app. I couldn't believe all the beautifully decorated homes they were showing me; I couldn't get enough!!

So, I went to houzz.com - oh boy! Forget about dinner, you're going to have to pry me away from the computer! The site is basically a blog made up of architects, designers, and designer lovers. You can search by room, style, even the area you live in. They cover everything from, as my Mother would say, "Soup to Nuts" - paint colors to glassware for your kitchen. They talk about their favorite products, and what kind of flooring you should use. And sometimes they just talk about a garden that makes them happy. Soup to nuts.

When you register, you can save particular photos that you like, and make a note of what it is that you like about it. I've got a folder that I will refer to when I build that wine cellar I've always dreamed of!

Not to mention the most fun walk in closet I've ever seen!!

But what made me really stop and take notice was, (what else??) their framed art. As I dug deeper, I came across an article that talks about framing your art.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

Vintage doesn't have to be stuffy!

Using art as wallpaper!

Light, Airy & Fun!

Don't hide it, Highlight it!

I could keep going, but you get the idea. Too many ideas? Never!

~Pat~

Creative Solutions for Tricky Situations

2011-08-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

The other day, the Indianapolis Museum of Art talked about some of the problems that come up when you try to display delicate, heavy or otherwise unique things. So What if It Doesn't Fit? takes us through the steps of designing and building mounts for three different pieces that are currently being displayed in Material World at the IMA.

The article caught my eye, because just as in the museum world, framing often involves coming up with creative solutions for some tricky situations! Here are a few examples of innovation from our framing team over the years.

First up is a local attorney who wanted to frame her diploma, and keep the leather folio that it came in. We used mylar straps inside the folio to hold it in place inside of the frame, and at the same time give it the appearance of floating.

Next up is a client who had some antique clay marbles. She wanted to showcase them in a playful way, without permanently attaching anything to them or damaging their value. We used a combination of shallow mat cuts and water-based adhesive that doesn't do any damage to the marbles.

Lastly, here is a self-described Beatles junkie who wanted some good quality framing to protect her collection. We used specially made metal mounts to hold the records in such a way as to keep them up in the frame without damaging them, or permanently attaching anything to them.

~Kat~

Creative Re-Imagining

2011-07-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

I always love sharing creative images, check out this frame job that was featured on Design Sponge.

This is 16 years of bus passes someone had collected. They had such great vintage color combos, and when put together...

They created a great, contemporary piece, it adds fun and color to the space.

Here’s to finding art inspiration in unlikely places!

~Barbara Ann~

Color in your home

2011-06-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

Having worked with art for some time now, I have noticed that people tend to collect art that comes in a certain mix of colors unique to the individual. Whether or not this is intentional, it is interesting to see how completely different things pick up that same mix of colors in a persons art collection, home or wardrobe.

Leigh over at the Object Project has recently started an interesting series called, "If a Quilt Lived Here..." Where she takes images of a home, and unites them with different fabrics that have the same characteristics or color mixes of the interior design. It is truly an interesting way to look at what is going on in the overall design of a room.

What kind of colors and textures are in your home? Knowing this can help you build a more unified collection of art, and it can also help you form a vision of what you want your home to look like!

~Kat~

Color Mania!

2011-05-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

I constantly keep myself in the know when it comes to the world of color. I’m always reading new material, following blogs, and attending webinars. You name it, if it’s about color, I’m all over it!

Recently someone asked me why I’m able to see color so well. I’d like to buff my nails, raise my eyebrows and say, "eh, I was just born this way!" But the truth is that we can all train ourselves in color.

I think the best way to coach your eyes is to compare colors. When you hold colors that are similar next to each other, study them. Ask yourself what the difference is. You’ll soon be able to see that maybe one is slightly darker than the other. The more you train your eyes, the more you’ll be able to distinguish what makes each color different.

Some basics:
Colors can be divided into two categories, warm and cool.
Warm colors feel warmer. Think reds, oranges and yellows. Colors that you see in warm things such as fire, sun, etc.
Cool colors are the opposite. Think whites, greens and blues. These are colors you see in snow, water, dewy fog etc.

When you start to think about these two categories while comparing colors, you can then determine more subtle differences. Does this mean that a cool color like green can NEVER be warm? Nope, that’s the fun part of hues! The more yellow you add to a green, the warmer it becomes.

So, let’s give it a whirl, waddya say!?

Let’s look at what everyone finds to be the hardest… Whites.

Here is a white

Now let’s scroll down…..

Here is another white.

Now let’s put them side-by-side so you can compare.

The one on the left appears warmer, while the one on the right feels cooler. Can you see it? So what does that mean? It means the color on the left has a warmer color mixed in it, likely a red, while the one on the right has more of a cooler-blue
in it.

When you’ve gotten comfortable with comparing and identifying the temperature of color, you can take it one step further. Get yourself a little paint set. No, you don’t have to be an artist, don’t panic! Find a color you like and try to recreate it. This is a great test because it helps your mind to fine tune what a color is missing and ultimately learn what ingredients make up each color.

Let’s look at another example. Say you want to make this color:

You start with a basic blue

Okay, now you can see that we need more purple, or red (red and blue make purple)

So now you’ve got a purple-blue, that is close the original, but let’s look side-by-side and compare the difference.

The original blue on the left feels slightly cooler and lighter, so if you add white (maybe a little more blue) a bit at a time, you’ll likely get it just right!

If you like the idea of fine tuning your eye to colors, and don’t want to mess with paints, here is a fantastic test online. It asks you to organize (click & drag) the colors in order. They give you a start and finish color on each row.

Happy Color-sorting! What score did you get?

~Barbara Ann~

Focusing on What's Important

2011-05-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

The worth of art very much depends on the person looking at it. Everyone sees the same image when they look at the same work, but everyone sees that image differently. For example, look at the image I have provided of the famous Monet painting, The Garden at Argenteuil. Depending on your personal tastes and interests, the focal point of the piece changes. What do you focus on? Is it the flowers? The house? The couple in the back of the garden? Truly, this is an interesting concept to explore.

The Davis Lab at the Indianapolis Museum of Art has started a new program to get people thinking about the way they see art, and what they focus on. It's called First Impressions, and it is a social tagging experiment that allows you to show others what you see as the focal points of a piece of art, and see what others noticed as well. Recently, they even made a post about it on their blog, where they discuss how looking at what others see in art can change the way you personally see the art, and what you see in it. It's fascinating reading that I highly recommend!

This whole concept is very relevant to framing as well. Depending on the framing components chosen, different parts of the artwork they surround stand out more or less. For an example, I worked up two designs for a Yellowstone Poster published by Doug Leen. It is a beautiful WPA style piece that is posterized in five colors; white, blue, and three shades of yellow-orange.

If I were framing this for myself, this is how I would do it. The dark top mat neutralizes the bold brown that covers the piece, and the blue and white accent mats highlight the focal point of the waterfall. Visually, this pleases me because I see the waterfall first, and that is what I want to look at when I see this poster. However, there is no one right way to look at a piece of art, and as central as that waterfall is, it isn't what everyone would say is the most important part of the poster.

As you see in the above image, I have changed the color of the bottom accent mat from blue to the golden yellow in the piece. Notice how what your eye sees changes from the first image to the second. Now the eye travels across the hills to the right of the waterfall and the text at the bottom of the image. Both treatments are completely legitimate, they just stress the importance of different parts of the print.

Moral of the story? When you are framing art, make sure that what is prominent is whatever is most important to you!

~Kat~

The Perfect Frame

2011-04-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

I have always said there is no 'perfect' frame for a piece of art. There are good frames and bad frames for a piece of art. There are frames that can make a piece 'knock your socks off', and there are frames that 'will work'. One aspect of our designer's jobs is to find the 'perfect' frame for each client, one that not only works with the art and budget, but with the client's style and wants.

Recently a client came to me with a charcoal drawing of a coffee cup that was going to hang in her kitchen. Now the 'rule' of adding mats around a piece of art is, "don't introduce a color that is not in the art itself", so when she said she wanted red, gasp, OK - She explained that her kitchen was red, and she didn't want it to look out of place. And they are fun people, so I knew she wanted a touch of whimsy. Makes sense to me.

So my challenge is getting this accomplished. How do I introduce red without it being the focal point? Answer? By adding a touch of red, so that it doesn't drown out the focal point, a white cup. I then came back to the 'rule', and added a sizable white mat around the thin red revel. How about that whimsy touch? A thin red lacquered molding (Bella, Calzini line) with a feathered (or steamy) finish on it should do it.

Candice Olson, Interior Designer extraordinaire, and of HGTV's Divine Design and Designer's Secrets says, "Good design is understanding the rules, but knowing when to break them."

Viola! I am so pleased with the results, but more importantly, my clients were happy!

If you would like the story of this piece of art, visit it on our website here!

~Pat~

Renters

2011-04-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

My name is Barbara Ann Holmes, and I’m addicted to everything to do with custom framing. For those of you that just started following our blog, you’ll quickly learn that there are people who like their jobs, and then there are those (cough…ME)
who L-O-V-E their jobs.

With limited time on our hands, my husband and I find we have to qualify new movies into certain categories so we know if they are worthy of watching. There is nothing worse than feeling like you want your 2 hrs back because you just sat through a movie that you could have been ½ watching while getting 3 other things done. These types of movies are what we classify as the “Netflixers” aka, a renter. Don’t get me wrong, I love a romantic comedy, but sometimes these predictable story lines are better viewed in the comfort of your own home so you can do other things.

What does this have to do with my framing obsession? Why I’m SOOOO glad you asked! (giggles) My recent "Netflixer" was The Switch, with Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman. I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would. Sure it was predictable, but it had my favorite little surprises in it. See, I’m so twisted that I tend to get really excited when people mention frames in movies. In this movie, the character played by Jennifer Aniston has a son who collects picture frames. Aww, isn’t that just the perfect little kid?! There was even a tiny part of the movie that was filmed inside a frame shop!

In the movie (spoiler alert!) the little boy values picture frames to tell his family story. In the beginning, he doesn’t know his father or family history, so he keeps the image of the models inside the frame and makes up stories about them. Then, at the end, to show that his life is complete, he has a table of frames that are filled with real photos of his real family.

Before I got into this industry, my choir director gave me a picture frame for graduation with a note that said something along the lines of, “a house filled with pictures is a home filled with love.” Who would have thought then how connected I’d be to my job. It is true, our frames tell our stories, they reflect our lives, vacations, hobbies, things we love.

I think I need to start a framing support group…

~Barbara Ann~

A Climb in the Sand

2011-04-05T08:37:00.001-07:00

Ever since I learned how, I have always loved to drive. It's something that I'm good at, and the quiet in the car lends itself to thought. The disadvantage of that is that sometimes I get so wrapped up in what I'm thinking about that I wind up somewhere I never expected to.

Sunday afternoon I decided to go for a drive, something I haven't had a lot of time to do since moving here in June. I'm very familiar with Valparaiso and Chesterton, and I have a rough idea of how to get around Porter and Lake County, but still I don't have a ton of exploring the area under my belt.

I headed North, through Chesterton, and turned off for the Dunes National Lake shore. After another turn towards Beverly Shores, I found myself at Kemil Beach. I was going to just keep driving, but a trail winding up over the ridge caught my eye.

This time of year, the dunes are all subtle color - tinges of blue in the sand grasses, pops of dark red budding on the trees, and of course a million shades of sky and sand. It was entrancing, so I decided to hike the path.

Hiking in sand isn't easy, especially if you've been immobile most of the winter. The Kemil Beach trail is not for the weak - near the end it becomes almost vertical! I did have a nice time though, and I got some gorgeous pictures from it. If you are interested in seeing this for yourself, you can find the DNR's page for Kemil Beach here. (http://www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/kemil-beach.htm)

~Kat~

Barbara Ann's Ballet Experience

2011-04-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

For my birthday my husband, Jason, got me tickets to the Joffrey Ballet. Being a dancer I’ve always had a thing for dance movies/shows etc, but I have yet to go to an actual ballet!

I was looking forward to the show, but to be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect, I mean, a show with no talking… this might be odd. I wondered if Jason would like it, and if I would even understand it.

On the way there my Jason asked me on a scale of one to ten how excited I was. I said, "Eh, 6 or 7, because I’m not sure how it’ll be to watch something with no talking/singing." "THERE’S NO TALKING?!" Jason replied.

There’s something special about seeing people dressed up flocking to the same building to enjoy an evening show. As we walked in, I was in awe over the ornate ceilings of the The Auditorium Theater. I noticed the stairs were worn which visually told the tale of how many people have frequented this beautiful theater year after year (it opened in 1889!). There was a strong presence of history just being there.

It was a relief when Jason and I flipped through the playbill to see that each act had a synopsis. Ahhh, we no longer had to worry about figuring this thing out!

The music began, the lights dimmed and my heart was suddenly filled with excitement. We had front row seats in the balcony, so we could see everything, but what I was most impressed by was how you could hear the patter of their shoes striking the floor! I am pleased to say that the choreography was so in tune with the script that I honestly don’t think we would have needed the synopsis. Sure, we wouldn’t have known the characters names without it, but it was moving to see how well you can communicate through your body/dance. There was even humor in the ballet! All I could think was these dancers are at work right now, wow! I like my job and everything, but can you imagine getting paid to dance? ~What a dream~

On the ride home Jason asked what my rating was & I quickly said 10+. Turns out he knows me better than I know myself and I’m so grateful that we got to experience our first Ballet together! If you are sheepish at the thought of going to a ballet, don’t be, it honestly is a great experience!

~Barbara Ann~

Finding Art

2011-03-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

In my last blog, I talked about finding art that is unique to you. I thought I’d share some fresh images that I like along with a few new sources I’ve learned about. Enjoy!

While watching one of the many design shows out there, I learned about this website called, Art We Love. (http://shop.artwelove.com/) This site is great because it offers fresh images, in every price range, from $15 on up. So if you are new to collecting art, and find making a larger purchase a little intimidating, you should check this site out.

I’m sure you’ve heard us talk about art that fits. (http://www.artthatfits.com/) This site is great because you can search in multiple categories, customize your images to fit most any size and even chose paper or canvas. Below are some images I just love by Fran Gottlieb. My husband and I recently purchased a huge piece on canvas for our living room from art that fits which I’m very excited about!

As I’ve mentioned before, I love conversational pieces. I’m very interested in Sarah Anne DiNardo, an artist on etsy. She hand-rolls masking tape into decorative collages. Each piece goes through a chemical process that makes the tape ivory and takes the stickiness out. Check her work out Here. (http://www.etsy.com/shop/sarahannedinardo)

Happy Art Shopping!

~Barbara Ann~

You're The Tops!

2011-03-08T13:34:00.001-08:00

Do you ever wonder what the most popular piece of art in a collection is? Art, as Barbara illustrated for us, is a varied thing. Since the value of art is solely in the eye of the beholder, I started wondering, are there pieces that are more sought out than others in public museums and galleries?

It turns out, not only are there more popular pieces, but Tyler Green, over at ArtNotes did a series on the most popular pieces at several of our nation's finest museums.

Here's a quick review of the top of the lists:

Museum of Modern Art, NYC - Salvador Dali, The Persistence of Memory
Guggenheim, NYC - Richard Serra, Torqued Spiral (Right Left)
Art Institute Chicago, Chicago - Grant Wood, American Gothic
Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis - Tim Hawkinson, Mobius Ship
Museum of Modern Art, SF - Henri Matisse, Woman With a Hat

And just because the best stuff isn't always on the top, here are a few pieces that I love that didn't make #1.

Georgia O'Keefe, Jimson Weed

Vincent Van Gogh, The Starry Night

Edward Hopper, Nighthawks

I have spent a lot of time working with and around art. Enough time that I have favorite artists, and styles which I seek out. One of the best ways to discover new and exciting art to love is to look at what other people are looking at. Go and see art at your local museum or gallery, go to an art event. As you look at more and more art, you will have a much better taste for what you like!

~Kat~

100 Views of Chicago

2011-03-01T07:51:00.000-08:00

Recently Framing Concepts was asked to bid on a 104 piece collection of woodcut block prints for a local art center. I had heard of the art center, but sadly, had never taken the time to visit.

We won the bid (yay!) and Brian, our framer, quickly got to work building the frames since they needed to be complete in less than a month. Periodically I would look at the progress, and sneak a peek at the art itself.

Flash forward to opening night at the Lubeznik Center in Michigan City (www.lubeznikcenter.org). I was very excited to be able to see all 104 pieces in order, on the wall and view the ones that I had missed while in progress. The work is '100 Views of Chicago' by Bronislaw M. Bak. The Center describes them, 'As fresh today as they were in 1967, the soul of a city is evoked in Bak’s stylized prints. 100 Views of Chicago is a folio of 100 black-and-white woodcuts published by Studio Press of Chicago in 1967. The images include iconic scenes of Chicago such as Marina City, the high rises along Lake Shore Drive, the Art Institute, the Chicago River, and the Field Museum.'

All I can say is that it is just plain FUN! Since they were completed in 1967, it has a 'Mad Men' flair about it with humorous undertones. My father-in-law grew up in Chicago, so I've heard stories from him over the years. I couldn't help but replay those stories as I wandered thru the gallery. Anyone who has spent any time at all in Chicago can relate to these pieces. Go check them out, but hurry, they're only on display until April 10th. For a tease of the art, I have attached some pics.

For more info on the artist and his work, check out his bio at Gallery4463. (www.gallery4463.com/bak_b/bio.shtm)

Footnote - while at the Lubeznik Center, don't miss the wood turning exhibit - jaw dropping!

~Pat~

Defining Art

2011-02-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

Wikipedia defines Art as “the product or process of deliberately arranging items (often with symbolic significance) in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect.”

Ahh, doesn’t that sound so deep?

I think people tend to either embrace art or allow themselves to be intimidated by it and almost build a wall against it. I think it is obvious that I fall into the, “embrace and appreciate everything I see,” category. Would I want everything I see on a day-to-day basis to hang on my wall? No, not necessarily, but I do have to say that I’m deeply captivated by viewing art through the eyes of its owner. When you love it, I love it. I see it through your eyes.

I wish that more people would give art a try, and also realize that just as Wiki. describes it, art can be any type of, “deliberately arranged item that affects your senses.” I realize that is a very broad definition, but I guarantee that if you have a hobby, a favorite color, a favorite vacation spot or even a favorite word or phrase, there is art for you.

To me, my favorite art is anything conversational. I like when people look at my walls and ask questions. The collection of images in my dining room are all done by the artist Carl Warner. He creates landscapes out of food. Yep, you read that correctly, he finds the most perfectly shaped piece of broccoli for trees, uses salmon for seas etc. How many times did you look at broccoli and pretend it was a tree when you were a kid? (cricket sound) Okay, maybe that was just me and my crazy imagination. Regardless, I love his creativity and how elegant the images are. There’s nothing cheesy about them, minus the cheese village… Check out his images here. (http://www.lenswall.com/photographers.php?a=19)
In my living room, you’ll find a collection of famous Mexican art on tiny cards. While I love the recognizable art, it’s the cards that are a story. On my honeymoon, each night we’d get these little art cards w/ the weather forecast on the back for the next day. Being obsessed with art and framing, my sweet husband did his best to articulate in Spanish that to the staff, so that I could collect them all during our visit. Every time I look at that piece, I think of how much fun we had and the look of confusion on the lady as she tried to understand why I would value these tiny cards that most people throw away.

My hallway has two small pieces of glass art. I purchased them from the Salvation Army. I love them because I found them in an unexpected place and also because the image has a tiny antique shop with picture frames hanging up for sale!

I could easily run out of space talking about my art stories. My exaggerated point is that ‘art’ can be anything you enjoy; anything with a story, anything that makes you happy.

~Barbara Ann~

Indie Wed Chicago

2011-02-05T08:24:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, my fiancee and I went to a wedding show that I won tickets to. It is our first step on the road to planning our wedding! The show we went to was for independent vendors of handmade wedding wares, and it was called Indie Wed. Having never been to any sort of big wedding thing before, I really didn't know what to expect. Turns out, that it was a lot of fun. We met many many nice vendors who have small start-up businesses in the wedding industry. Since there was so much there, I thought that I would share some of the companies that stood out the most to us!

First off would be the Magnolia Photo Booth Company, which was the first booth we stopped at. The company is made up of seven people who built it literally from the ground up. They design, build and program their own booths, complete with gorgeous graphic design and a trunk full of props if you need them. It was so fun to hop in the booth and see what we came up with!

The next business that really stood out was a woman who does stationary by hand off of an antique (1923) letterpress printer. You can check out a video of her design and printing process at her website, StarShaped.com. It was really amazing to see all of the different things that can be done with technology from the twenties!

One last company we saw that I would like to mention is Katherine Anne Confections. We met Katherine, and she talked to us about her original and unique flavored truffles. She does beautiful work, and even teaches classes and throws truffle-making parties! So fun! To find out more about her products and services, you can check her out at Katherine-Anne.com.

Indie Wed was a really amazing experience. It is incredible to see what groups of independent, creative people can do when they put their minds to it! If you are on the path to marriage, and would like to check out indie wed, their next Chicago-area event will be in July.

~Kat~

Taking a Look Back

2011-01-12T11:54:00.000-08:00

Every year about this time, I take a look back at all of the things I have created over the last year. I do this for a couple of reasons. First, I like to look over the progress I have made in the last year from vision to execution, things rarely end up where you think they will at the start. I also like to get a broad view of how my style has changed over the last year, what is new and different, old things that faded out. Sometimes I even notice ideas popping up in my work that I didn't explore fully and might want to re-evaluate in the new year. And then there is the favorite. Every year, I have a favorite thing that I worked on in the past year.

This last year was a special year for me. I pushed myself hard and grew a lot as an artist. Thanks to hard work, and Kyle, my partner-in-crime, I managed to book two gallery shows in 2010, and a new one in 2011.

This year was all about limitations for me. What can you do when you limit your options?

This piece is acrylic paint on Russian birch. Titled This Isn't Child's Play, it is from my March and July collaborative installation with Kyle, "Passive-Agressive." Part of a series of four where I pushed the limits of what I could do with a stencil. Each piece of the image is hand cut and laid on the wood.

I always have a favorite. Each and every year I do one piece that for whatever reason shines more in my eyes than all of my other works from that year. This piece qualifies as that - it's my favorite!

~Kat~

I am Truly Blessed

2011-01-12T11:36:00.000-08:00

Ever since 2001, I have insisted upon a family picture at our annual Christmas celebration. As I get older, I appreciate family and memories more & more. It becomes more apparent that immortality is not a possibility, so I take pictures. I don't catch grief from anyone, because they all know that it is going to happen. And once a year, as I ruffle thru the 'Christmas To-Do List', I come across past Christmas pictures. I love to look at how the kids have grown, and relive past memories. It reminds me that I am truly blessed.

2002

2004
2010

~Pat~

My Surprise Gift

2011-01-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

My Grandma, on my dad’s side of the family made THE best homemade spaghetti sauce. Hands down. Growing up a picky eater, my eyes would LIGHT up when I’d visit her and smell the fragrant sauce in the air.

Several years ago, when my grandmother passed away, I was left not only with the terrible thought of how greatly I would miss spending time with her, but I was also upset to find out that nobody had written down Grandma’s spaghetti recipe. Sooo much of our memory is visual, but there is also a part of our memory that involves other senses. The feeling of her tight hugs,
the sound of her voice, the smell of her house and most definitely the smell & taste of her pasta sauce or as she would call it “gravy”.

This last summer, I made a point to spend some extra time with my grandma on my mom’s side of the family, (aka Momma). I asked her if she would mind sharing her recipes with me & just like my other grandma she cooks from her heart & never bothered writing anything down. I had a wonderful time cooking dishes & taking detailed notes side-by-side Momma. (Who knew making homemade biscuits was so hard!) Momma had 9 children…so you can imagine how many grandchildren she has. It was very special to be able to spend that time with my grandmother talking & getting to know each other a little more, ‘one-on-one’.

So, I had all these wonderful southern recipes & decided I was going to surprise all her children with a cookbook. Being in an industry that pays attention to detail, I researched numerous cookbook sources online. The one I used was tastebook.com. The site had user-friendly templates. You could even add your own images to each page & put little notes. So, I was able to customize each page by writing little memories/short stories of where each dish came from!

Needless-to-say, everyone enjoyed the cookbooks. So, while I may still be obsessing in my own kitchen trying every red sauce recipe in the world in efforts to crack my Grandma’s recipe, I know that future generations will get to enjoy all of Mommas ‘great’ recipes. If you enjoy cooking, I recommend this site.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. I personally can’t believe 2011 is already here! Just so you don’t think I forgot my usual commentary on pantone’s ‘color of the year’…it is…drum roll:

This color is to bring up a feeling of Courageousness & Confidence.

Pantone says:

‘A brave new color, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a color for every day – with nothing “everyday” about it.’

What do you think?

~Barbara Ann~

Pat's Favorite Things

2010-12-11T08:17:00.001-08:00

It's always tough to reflect on the past year and try to pick favorite projects. For me, it's not how they were framed, but what went in the frame. For example, a client brought in an old drawing of the proposed plan for the Town of Portage from the 1960's. It was fun to look at it, knowing what the town looks like some 50 years later.

I enjoy sports memorabilia probably more than I should. I have a client who is a huge Pittsburgh sports fan, and has collected photos & newspaper stories touting wins of the various teams. When guests see their basement, there is no doubt where their allegiance lays. Another client acquired an old wool Black Hawks sweater, and spent some time getting the Hall of Famers' autographs on it. I have heard that when guests see it, they must pay it the proper respect.

It would be a truly empty year without the heartwarming pieces. One client had a photograph and a plaster paw print of their dog, who had recently passed, such a great way to stir memories. There was a reply letter from one of the lead illustrators of Star Wars, a client's son-in-law had written to, encouraging him to continue with his passion of drawing. Mom-in-law earned some points there! We framed a college jersey for a client whose friend had been diagnosed with ALS, and he was having all his friends sign it. That's a lot of love. Speaking of love, a client brought us her son's swimming medals, which is quite an accomplishment, considering he is autistic. One client brought us her old Beatles albums, which were in amazingly good shape, to frame. Talk about the memories!!

In the 'just plain fun' category, a client brought an art piece that her daughter's boyfriend had drawn in a caricature, of the 'Women of the family' on the first Thanksgiving day he had spent with them.

Normally, I do not have an absolute favorite, but this year I do! My eldest grandson graduated from Naval training this past August, and of course, it comes with pictures! I have always believed, it is not how much the art costs, it is what it means to you, and I could not be more proud of my grandson, making it the best!

A Memory With Love

It Makes Me Smile

So Very Proud

An Artist's Insight

~Pat~

Kat's Favorite Things 2010

2010-12-09T08:49:00.001-08:00

Of all the projects I worked on this year, there are a couple that really stood out from all of the rest.

Kristopher Howard is a three year cancer survivor with a story to tell. He came in with the medals from all of the marathons he has run since beating cancer, and wanted something special with room to grow. Working together, we designed this medal case. It is the perfect way for him to share his story with the world!

Dennis and his wife Adrienne had this very sentimental photograph enlarged and put on canvas. They came in looking for just the right frame to hang this over their fireplace. A dark linen liner balanced the image, and the silver in the frame draws the eye down to the water and the light.

~Kat~

Barbara Ann's Favorite Things 2010

2010-12-09T07:36:00.000-08:00

As always, there were too many fun projects this year to fit on one page. However, here are just a few of the projects I enjoyed working on the most…

These were vintage hand-held games – I wanted to keep the playfulness but be able to keep it neutral enough to fit any space. This project was a surprise gift for someone, which made it that much more fun!

It is always a joy to see what the Nelsons will bring in to the gallery next! They always let me be 100% creative during the design process. Here we stacked a Biltmore moulding which was very traditional, with a Bandana Moulding that was more shabby chic, it was the perfect way to blend two styles.

This was one of two original paintings. The colors were so warm & vibrant. We selected two hand-wrapped fabric mats that worked perfect with the piece! The framing became an extension of the art. I loved working with this client to get just the right look.

A photo of this photographic work of art just doesn’t do it justice. This piece was also one of two. It is a breathtaking foil photograph. The detail was sharp & glistened. We used 4 mats & a fillet. Nothing less did the trick on these.

~Barbara Ann~

Kat's Trip to Lafayette

2010-11-13T12:12:00.000-08:00

I am a new transplant to this area. I grew up in an area near Lafayette, Indiana, and after college I decided to make Lafayette my home. Lafayette then became my home for almost five years. After a ton of deliberation, and finding out that I was going to have some big life changes, I made the decision to leave. I moved here in July, and I haven't really been back since.

On Monday, my roommate and I decided to take a road trip and visit my former city. It's always fun to show someone a place that you love for the first time. We went shopping, ate at several of the local restaurants, took a walk over the Wabash River and had a generally good time. I have to admit that I do miss Lafayette.

We finally left around eight, which is night time now, and we drove home in the dark through the red flickering of the wind farms. It was a really lovely day, but I have to say, I was very glad to get home. I didn't realize until just then that this has become my new home. I'm really glad that I made the move, I just have been so busy since I got here that I haven't had time to notice the change!

~Kat~

Barbara Ann's New Color Schemes

2010-11-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

While reading up on my ‘color obsession’, I learned the new pallets Sherwin Williams is releasing for 2011.

Have you ever fallen in love with a particular style or color scheme, but you just knew it wouldn’t work in your home? One of the many things I love about my job is helping clients find the right art that speaks to them while helping them frame in a way that brings the art into their space. Check out the new color schemes below-What is your favorite? See my art suggestions for each style! Enjoy!

Tracy Says Goodbye

2010-11-12T12:57:00.000-08:00

Framing has been an important part of my adult life. I love the design process, the feel of frame mouldings in my hand, and the sense of accomplishment at a design well done. I also love chatting with clients and hearing their stories and cherished memories. Framing Concepts has been a wonderful place to work and the Crown Point gallery has been my cozy little home-away-from-home for several years now. It’s been the perfect place to hone my framing skills and my delightful coworkers pushed me to better my own creativity. I’m very proud of FCG and all we have accomplished over the years.

I’ve greatly enjoyed my time at Framing Concepts but it is time for me to move on. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to work at FCG. I will miss this place and I will miss framing. I’m off to new adventures in the graphic design world. Wish me luck!

My replacement at the Crown Point gallery is Kat Rodenberger. She loves art and will inspire you with tales of art galleries all across Indiana. With her creative flair and eye for detail, I am confident she can help you with all of your framing needs. Stop by sometime to meet our newest frame designer!

It’s been fun! Rock on!!!

~Tracy~

Barb's New Inspiration

2010-10-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

It’s funny how your life changes. For me, I went from reading teen magazines, to bridal ‘catalogues’ (which weighed more than I did), then home interior magazines & now…well now, I tend to read baby stuff. All those stages seemed to transition smoothly from one into the other. How does that happen exactly? I guess we all kinda look for inspiration in each phase of our life, whether it is via magazine, through people or through our surroundings.

I’ve certainly found that being a first time mom is far more inspiring than I originally expected. There’s nothing like seeing joy from my baby’s eyes & watching her learn as each & every little thing around her is new. While I don’t find baby magazines as exciting and inspiring as some of my previous choices of reading material, I have been delighted in rereading some of my favorite children’s books to Anna-it has kinda made me feel like a kid again & makes me want to spend more time doing things I really enjoy.

I used to paint all the time-but it’s something I honestly haven’t made much time for over the past few years. After spending hours painting Anna’s nursery, I’ve found that it was well worth it now that I get to see how she stares at her walls in complete absorption. In fact, I get a kick out of when any kids come over to visit, somehow the little ones always manage to migrate up into the nursery because it’s “more fun up there”.

Through all this, I’ve been inspired to try something new….painting children’s art. So, stay tuned-hopefully I’ll have some of my original art to post in the near future.

I certainly am learning that life is too short to not make time for things we love to do! Before long Anna will be transitioning through the same reading material in my opening paragraph. Since there is no time like the present, what is something you enjoy doing that you haven’t made time for lately?

Here’s to tackling fun projects that make us who we are!

~Barbara Ann~

Introducing...Kat!

2010-10-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

FCG has a new team member! Introducing Kat, our newest designer. Kat is new to Northwest Indiana but she's right at home in the art world. Stop by to say hi!

Name: Kat Rodenberger
Gallery: All of them - One just isn't enough.
Position: Designer
Childhood Ambition: To make a difference
Interior Identity: Metropolitan Noir
Soundtrack: Jazz and blues
Hobbies: Painting, Galleries
Wildest Dream: Traveling the world
Biggest Challenge: Patience
Perfect Day: Days when I get things done
Top Movies: A Very Long Engagement, The Royal Tenenbaums
Inspiration: Every beautiful thing I see.
Who she'd like to meet: Georgia O'Keefe
Favorite Picture on the Wall: "2264" because of its modern style and vivid color.

~Kat~

Pumpkin Pancakes

2010-10-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

Autumn is here! The fall season is filled with such beautiful colors, fun holidays, and tasty treats. Delicious foods like caramel apples, hot cider, and best of all, PUMPKINS, are back on the menu. Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Seeds, Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Muffins, Pumpkin Stew! YUM!!! I’d eat these all year round if I could. This year I am going to attempt to cook one of my favorite breakfast dishes, Pumpkin Pancakes. I’m not exactly the greatest in the kitchen, so we’ll see how it turns out. I will be using the recipe below from allrecipes.com. Got any hints, or would you like to share your favorite fall recipes? Contact us!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar

Directions:

In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

~Tracy~

What does that sign mean?

2010-09-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

In these tough economic times, we are fortunate enough to be able to hire a new person. Well, since Barbara, our Valpo designer, had a beautiful baby girl, she has decided to return to work on a part-time basis. So, we needed a new designer to fill the gap.

I have had the pleasure of training Kat, our new designer. I say 'pleasure' because I find when I train people it is a refresher course for me. I am reminded of facts that I had forgotten or refreshes my memory about a procedure we don't use very often, for example.

I relate it to driving a car. I've been driving for 40 years now, but about 3 years ago my time was up and I had to take a written driving test. The common questions, 'who has the right-of-way?' were easy, but 'what does that sign mean?', when I swear I've never seen that sign since I studied for my first driving test, I really had to think (or guess!).

Also, it reminds you how much you know. You don't think about it on a daily basis, but 'you've come a long way, baby!'. I remember how difficult I once thought a particular part of the job was; something I can now do with my eyes closed.

And the added bonus? I get to know the new member of the team very well!

~Pat~

Barbara's Back!

2010-09-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

I’m…baaaack….and it feels great! After a couple months of recovery & relaxation with our baby girl, I feel refreshed & ready to tackle any design that comes in our doors.

While on my maternity leave, I took the time to catch up on some design & color trends as well as keep up with some of my favorite shows on HGTV.

Any of you watch Design Star? This year the winner’s show concept was to take what you wear and use it as inspiration to design your living space. That got me thinking…what a great concept for your walls as well. So, I’ve put myself to a unique challenge, using wardrobe inspirations for art & framing selections. What do you think?

Transversal Blue Ash Veneer (Bella Moulding)
Trouve 361 - (Artaissance Art)

Vermeer (Larson Juhl Moulding)

A multiplicity of Singularity 2 (Artaissance Art)

OOPS! How did that get in there?!? :)

Valagio (Larson Juhl Moulding)

Feels Like Fall (Artaissance Art)

Manhattan (Larson Juhl Moulding)

East Side Story XV (Artaissance Art)

Stumped on what type of art to put in your home? Put me to the test-send me an image of some of your favorite items (clothing or décor) or take advantage of our free in-home or office consultations & let me come to you!

219-477-1700
fcgvalpo@frontier.com

~Barbara Ann~

Tracy's Turning 30

2010-09-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

I only have a few days left of being in my twenties. Right now I’m pretty OK with that, because it sure beats the alternative…. But it makes me a little uneasy thinking that I can’t really call myself a young whippersnapper anymore, that my teenage years were half a lifetime ago, and that I’m officially considered an adult by just about everyone. I’m supposed to be responsible now, listen to news radio at respectable volumes, and yell at kids to get off my lawn. When I walk past Hot Topic at the mall I can shake my head sadly and bemoan the crazy kids of today. At least I know what Hot Topic is!

30 isn’t really that big of a number, is it? I mean, it’s really only 5 years older than 25. But let’s face it, it’s ten short years away from 40. Now I’m starting to panic a little bit. Age is just a number, right?

My dad recently turned 60, and he posed this question to me: What age would you be if you didn’t know what age you are? It’s a good question. You should think about it. If you had no idea when you were born and were basing your age solely on how you felt, what number would that be? I guess it’s a different way to phrase ‘you’re only as old as you feel’….and I certainly don’t feel 30. I’m gonna go with 26. So, Happy 26th Birthday to me, and may everyone have a lovely September!

~Tracy~

Ken's Trip To Tru-Vue

2010-08-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

Tru-Vue, the company that manufactures the vast majority of glazing used by the framing industry, invited several industry educators to their Minnesota production facility last week to learn about the unique and highly sophisticated process of placing the premium coatings on their products. My trip to the Tru-Vue facility was very interesting and educational.

Two things really stood out to me while visiting. First, it was amazing how automated the huge facility was. Almost every aspect of the production used state-of the-art technology. There were very few workers on the assembly lines of this very detailed process; they used robots similar to the automotive industry to handle sheets of glass.

The second most impressive aspect of the tour was the attention to detail that the company was committed to. A significant amount of the process is devoted to minimizing flaws and imperfections in the coating process.

Learning more about the products we offer means we can confidently answer questions our customers have and we can provide our customers the best possible product.

~Ken~

Tracy's An Aunt!

2010-08-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

It’s baby madness here at FCG. First Barbara became a mom, and now I’m an aunt! My handsome nephew Max James Kaczmarczyk was born on July 13th at 1:10 am. He was 8 lbs 5 oz, 21” long, and is quite a big boy. Mom and Dad Kaczmarczyk are doing great….though now they truly understand what a sleepless night is like! I try to go visit my nephew as much as I can because he is growing so fast and changing every day; I don’t want to miss a second. Uncle Bobby is very proud and is gradually becoming comfortable holding a baby. Trips to Target will never be the same now that I have to detour through the baby aisle and check out the latest baby outfits for Mega Max. Newborns sure are cute!!!

~Tracy~

Baby Holmes is Here!

2010-07-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Barbara Ann and Jason! Their baby girl was born on July 6th at 7:47 am. She weighed in at 6 lbs 11 oz. Anna Penelope Holmes is beautiful and healthy. We wish them all the best!!!

Goodbye Old Friend

2010-07-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

I just recently purchased a new car, since my car had 160,000 miles on it, it was long overdue. I'm not the kind of person that names my cars, but if I was, I would have named it 'True Blue'.

In 1999, I bought a used Toyota Corolla. It was a gem of a car - it never left me high and dry, even when I forgot to change the oil, and it was bone dry. It fit me like a glove. Everything was within arms reach, the trunk was large enough, it had cloth upholstery (my favorite kind), and it could fit 3 kids in back. I didn't take it to any exotic places - mainly work & back. It was the little workhorse that just kept plugging. I loved that car.

But, all good things must come to an end, (sniff, sniff), so I am excited about my new car, and looking forward to many happy times in it.

~Pat~

Restoring Rothko

2010-07-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

Here at FCG we are very concerned with preservation of your priceless artwork and memories. The idea behind custom framing is twofold: display your project in such a way that you can enjoy it everyday, and also make sure that it is preserved for future generations. We don’t want to do anything that will harm your project. Same goes for works of art in museums across the country. The modern art world has faced a lot of problems recently trying to manage restoration and preservation of works of art improperly cared for or created from materials that don’t age well. It brings up an argument: do you display the art unrestored, in its natural state, or do you alter the art to look like the original? Do you leave it alone, or fix it? What if you could do both? I stumbled across an article about the non-destructive restoration of several Mark Rothko paintings and thought it was interesting enough to share.

Several Rothko paintings, commissioned for Harvard University, felt the effects of time, direct sunlight, and years of basement storage. Their colors are not exactly what they once were….but they were not about to paint over a famous artist’s work.So, according to the article,

“The [team of conservators at Harvard's Center for the Technical Study of Modern Art and Straus Center for Conservation & Technical Studies] used X-rays and spectrometers to distinguish paint layers and identify the pigments in Rothko's paints, as well as enhancements of the original Ektachrome photographs taken of the murals when they were installed. Scanning all that information into a computer, they then began creating custom-made software that will use a digital projector as a light source to augment those now missing colors on the original canvases.”

So essentially they are projecting the original colors back onto the canvas, restoring the vibrant, colorful red hues without actually harming or changing the paintings in any way. I have no idea what kind of UV is involved in these light projections, but I’m sure the smart people at Harvard have taken that into consideration. Here is the article in its entirety.

I couldn’t find any pictures of the paintings involved, but here are two well-known Rothko’s. Mark Rothko is best known for his color field paintings loosely tied with the Abstract Expressionist movement.

~Tracy~

Photography Letters

2010-06-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

I love it when a client brings me something fresh to my eyes. Sometimes it’s an object I’ve never seen before, sometimes it’s simply a piece of art that is unique to the Midwest, and sometimes it’s a new source of art.
Recently a client brought me ‘photography letters’ – I’ve seen something similar in television commercials, but haven’t actually framed them before. You can check out the site here:
Letter Photography

Basically to start designing, you type in the name or word you’d like to spell, for instance I typed in my last name…so I typed ‘Holmes’ – it’ll instantly give you creative shots of objects in nature that give you a subtle hint of the letters in the name or word you want to achieve. If there is an image you aren’t wild about, you just click on that image & it’ll give you other options to choose from.
The style of the images remind me of being a kid & looking for shapes in the clouds! You’ll have to check out the website. The images truly are a unique perspective & a non-traditional way to frame messages & namesakes.

This would make a great gift for every occasion, think about it… Graduations, you can frame the letters of the school or the year. Weddings or housewarming gifts, you can frame the last name or date. Newborns, frame their name/birthdates.

Depending on the length of the name, the groupings can get pretty wide, but it’s not a problem for us, we are able to order matting oversized & as you know, we can frame most anything.

So, check out the site, let me know what you think-and certainly, if you purchase letters, come see me, I’d love to frame them up-have lots of ideas! :)

~Barbara Ann~

Blackhawk Fever

2010-06-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

I never was much of a sports fan, until I met my husband. Sports was #2, right behind work. I didn't start watching and attending sporting events with him because I wanted him to pay attention to me, or because it was a way for us to spend time together, but because I saw it brought such joy to him.

He has been very patient with me while explaining the rules, and answering my pesky questions such as, 'why is that player doing that?', or 'wouldn't their uniforms look better if they used blue as an accent color?'

He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, so he has endured the humiliation and agony that goes with it, especially when the (well-deserved) White Sox won the World Series in 2005. But he has also seen the Chicago Bears win the Superbowl, and the Chicago Bulls win 6 championships, even tho he swore he would never watch them after they fired Doug Collins in favor of Phil Jackson! We had season tickets for the Valparaiso University Men's Basketball Team in the years leading up to and including their 'Sweet Sixteen' bid, which is quite a feat! That's when I learned what it was to 'follow a team'.

But when they put the Chicago Blackhawks back on TV, after a 2 decade disappearance, there was a renewed enthusiasm in my husband. I heard stories of watching hockey with his Dad and playing the tabletop game with his family when he was young, that I had never heard before. And because I have learned so much over the years, it has been exciting for me as well.
Congratulations Chicago Blackhawks!! Job well done! Oh yea, I got the fever!

-Pat-

My Not-So-Green Thumb

2010-06-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

My parents live on an acre of land in West St. Louis county, and it is absolutely gorgeous. Over the years they have spent countless hours landscaping, planting flowers, and tending gardens; their children (that would be me and my sister) had to spend a good portion of their summer weeding, mulching, raking, and getting incredibly dirty. It wasn’t too much fun back then, but slowly my attitude has changed.

Now that I’m all grown up and on my own, I get these strange urges to dig and plant things and watch them grow. It’s a shame that I kill most everything green. I’ve tried to fill my condo balcony with little colorful lovelies, but they die. Sometimes they die quickly, and I blame wherever I bought them from because clearly that can’t be my fault. Sometimes they die slowly and painfully, and I try to blame the lack of sun on my porch, or the Chicagoland winds. But I’m just cursed with a less-than-green thumb.

One day I will get a house with a yard and (hopefully) tend it as well as my parents have tended theirs. It’s going to be very difficult for me, so I have to start easy. I’ve come up with a few flowers that I love, that spread quickly, and are hard to kill. They are also perennial, so I don’t have to replant every year. So for the wonderful day when I have a yard and flower gardens and my own gardening equipment, here are the flowers I will plant first:

Irises

Day Lilies

Hydrangeas

Hostas

Got any great flower ideas for someone like me?

~Tracy~

Road Trip

2010-05-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

I haven't been a fan of sitting in the car for 10 hours driving to 'wherever the car ends up' since my 20's, consequently, I don't do many road trips. But this last weekend, my husband and I combined a business trip with a personal trip. He had a speaking engagement in Cincinnati, a 4 hour drive. Do-able!

It was the first one in our new car which is much roomier than our old compact. So that was a bonus right there! It was fun exploring all the different outlets & cubby holes; like moving into a house - 'where should I put this?' and 'what's this for?'. One of the great things about new cars is that they allow for all the electronic equipment - a place to charge your phone, another one for the ipod … this is too cool! So we plugged in the ipod and gps (can't go anywhere without a gps!) off we go!
In our old car, the speakers were cracked, so it was a joy to listen to music with the new speakers. And there's nothing like listening to your favorite music continuously - I remembered why I liked Paul Simon and John Lennon so much. And my new favorite group, Roomful of Blues.

We left a day early so we could catch a Reds baseball game in their new park, The Great American Ball Park. Actually got there ½ hour before the game started, and found a parking spot just a block away. Walked around the park a little, then found our seats. Just barely under cover - great! Because there was a 40% chance of rain (and it did!) So here's the dilemma - who to cheer for? The Reds were playing the St Louis Cardinals. Hmmm … the Cardinals are arch rivals of the Chicago Cubs, our beloved loveable losers, but it is a good team. But I shouldn't root for them. But Tracy is from St Louis and a Cardinal fan - shouldn't I root on behalf of her? But the Reds are in the same division as the Cubs, so they too, are rivals. Yes, these are the questions I ask my self in a situation such as this. The solution - I'm in the Cincinnati Reds' house, I'll root for them. And I was right! They won - and (sorry Tracy) knocked St Louis out of 1st place. Well, that was fun!!

They next day was Ken's speaking engagement which went very well. It's not often that you get to see your husband in a different light, so that was nice. The gig was over by 3pm, enough time to drive back - in the pouring rain! We had read that you shouldn't use the cruise control in the rain, oh man, you mean I have to drive manually?

Of course, the best part of road trips is spending time with someone you love. No distractions (other than traffic), talking about things that don't seem to come up during the everyday grind, singing the songs together, and just appreciating each others company.

-Pat-

Nursery

2010-05-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I’m expecting a baby this July! I’ve got to say, preparing the nursery has been one of my favorite parts so far. I know I enjoy painting & decorating, but there’s just something about having the freedom to be more ‘playful’ with your designs that made this unique for me!

I’ve never been into the color pink. Don’t get me wrong, soft pinks make very sweet clothing etc, but an entire room in pink wasn’t exactly my vision for the nursery. My goal was to create an imaginative space that would inspire creativity & be fun with sweet little girly touches...

I took my inspiration from the singing flowers in Disney’s classic cartoon, “Alice in Wonderland”. I had previously selected the wall’s base-color when we were building. The color is a soft muted blue/green. It reminds me of Tiffany’s blue, but more toned down. Loving the wall’s base-color, I had to make the flowers subtler than they appeared in the 1951 film. My palette consisted of all muted colors, which in my eyes gave me a vintage feel. I’ve really had a thing for vintage design lately....Anyway, to keep everything feeling light & working together, I tried to use touches of white in each painting.

My husband & I have collected different pieces of furniture, so we wanted to use as much of the items that we already had as we could. Most of the items we had were darker wood tones. So, while selecting the crib, I wanted to make sure we picked a contrasting wood tone – so it would stand out as a focal point as well as give the room an eclectic feeling.

The flowers were painted on the lower half of the wall so that our baby can enjoy them during play times. The tree is a focal point of the room. I carried that up higher to give our baby something to look at while falling sleeping.

While creating this special space, I did research & learned that babies first see in black & white/high contrasts & only things very close up. As their eyes develop they’ll see more & more color further away-interesting, huh? (leave it to me to google how babies see color!) In the beginning our baby will be in the bassinet so I plan to paint a high contrasting canvas grouping to hang on the wall above the bassinet in our room, but I’m hoping as her eyes develop, she’ll be able to slowly discover & enjoy her nursery more & more!

The rooms not quite finished, as we haven’t had our baby’s shower yet, but check out the images below & let me know what you think?.... I’m wondering how long till she ‘tells’ me she wants me to paint over the whole thing!

I plan to put curtains at the opening of the recessed space by the windows rather than directly in front of the windows. That way that little nook can be like a tent/fort when she gets older. I'm thinking something very sheer-white or buttery yellow for the fabric.

Here is a rocker from my mom & dad's house that I remember climbing up in when I was little.

I have a verse I'm going to add to one of the tree's branches-

Little Blue Bird.

DOG & CAT-apillars :)

~Barbara Ann~

Tracy’s Iron Men

2010-05-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

I am writing this blog in honor of the greatest time of year: the start of Summer Movie Season. It doesn’t have an official start or end date, but for me, 2010’s season kicks off with the first big blockbuster of the year: Iron Man II. Does it have men in iron suits? Explosions? Predictable plots and snarky one-liners? Why yes, it has all of these things. But I don’t want to spoil it for you. So here are my favorite Iron Men to pay tribute to the Greatest Movie Ever.
Robert Downey, Jr., the official Iron Man. Talk about a comeback! I don’t think anyone realized how huge the first Iron Man was going to be. I credit its success partly to Downey Jr.’s comedic talent; he really is perfect for this role. This is the cheesiest picture I could find.

Walking Man, Figurative Sculptures by Giacometti. OK, OK, I cheated, these are actually bronze. The elongated figures, dark colors, skinny limbs, and distressed texture reflect the alienation of man and society in the twentieth century, as well as Giacometti’s views on modernism and existentialism. He once said that he was sculpting not the human figure but "the shadow that is cast." I may be mistaken, but for a brief second I think you actually see a Giacometti sculpture in the movie Iron Man II as part of Tony Stark’s collection.

Mike Palmer, a frequent client at the Crown Point gallery, brought in this cool Corvette skull sign for his son. Its polished metal face has Corvette flags for eyes. We backed it in black but put red behind the eyes for a dark evil look. Pretty awesome!

On the near South side of Chicago is a giant outdoor installation of 106 iron cast figures. Sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz titled it Agora, the Greek word for a place of gathering. Abakanowicz has a fascination with crowds and how bodies en masse reflect movement; these statues prompt sensations of obscurity, solitude, or solidarity, depending on your perspective in the crowd.

Arnold Schwarzenegger as Terminator. You knew I couldn’t end this article without another movie reference. Arnold may not have been made of iron, but it made for a pretty awesome series of movies (and a TV show which FOX mercilessly cancelled).

~Tracy~

Tracy’s Favorite Movies With Art

2010-04-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

I think it’s pretty well established that I like movies. A lot. But I’m also fascinated by art and art history, so anything that combines these two interests scores double points with me. There are a surprising number of movies that feature specific works of art as either backdrop or integral aspects of the plot. I like the juxtaposition of one art form within another; the recursive nature of conceptual ‘art about art’ or ‘art within art’ appeals to my inner art student. But enough big words. I want to share with you some of my favorite movies featuring famous works of art (that aren’t actually biographical).

5. Batman (1989)
Yup, I’m talking about the original Batman. The Joker goes on a destructive rampage within Gotham City’s Museum. He delights in destroying Impressionist artworks in particular. Some of the paintings vandalized by the Joker include Vermeer's Woman Weighing Pearls, Rembrandt's self portrait from 1669 from the National Gallery in London, Gainsborough's Blue Boy, the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington, and Two Dancers on Stage by Degas. When the Joker’s thugs get to Francis Bacon’s Figure With Meat, he stops them from defacing it, saying, "I kind of like this one, Bob. Leave it." This particular painting is an incredibly warped, raw, and disturbing painting (in the permanent collection at the Art Institute of Chicago) so it’s rather funny that the Joker seems to like it.

4. Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

I know it’s silly and inaccurate, but I love it (and its prequel Night At The Museum). It’s a comedy about a night security guard at the Smithsonian Institute where all of the exhibits come to life after dark. Most of the characters are either famous works of art or based on famous works of art and historical figures. Besides it taking place in one of America’s most famous museums, it has many references to art and pop culture. You may recognize some of these:

· American Gothic, painting by Grant Wood
· Balloon Dog, sculpture by Jeff Koons
· Crying Girl, painting by Roy Lichtenstein
· La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans (Little Dancer of Fourteen Years), sculpture by Edgar Degas
· Le Penseur (The Thinker), sculpture by Auguste Rodin
· Venus Italica, sculpture by Antonio Canova
· Nighthawks, painted by Edward Hopper
· V-J day in Times Square, photo taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt
· Sierra Nevada, painting by Albert Bierstadt
· Shad Fishing at Gloucester, Delaware River, painting by Thomas Eakins
· Works by Alexander Calder and Jackson Pollock
3. Amelie

This is a sweet movie about a shy French woman who decides to help others around her despite her struggles with loneliness. It prominently features Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party which Amelie's neighbor continuously copies. Amelie sees herself in the painting Luncheon of the Boating Party represented by the girl drinking from a glass.

2. Angels and Demons & Da Vinci Code

It’s a tie! Both of these movies are based off of fictional novels written by Dan Brown. Whatever your thoughts are on the controversial aspect of these books, you can’t argue that Dan Brown has done a lot of research on art history. Both movies follow professor Robert Langdon through Europe as he solves ancient riddles and saves the world. Da Vinci Code begins with a murder in the Louvre; using clues hidden in Renaissance masterpieces and delving into an extensive knowledge of European art history, the murder is solved and ‘the greatest cover up of mankind’ is exposed. I won’t spoil the ending, I promise. Works by Leonardo da Vinci, especially The Last Supper, are prominently featured in the movie.

Angels and Demons follows the same vain of fast-paced thriller action interspersed with wonderful artistic knowledge and scenery, this time taking place in the Vatican. Langdon has to save Vatican City and four senior cardinals from a ticking bomb by following an ancient path of enlightenment hidden in artwork and architecture. It features works by Bernini, as well as a host of other Renaissance artists that worked in and on St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and Vatican City itself.

1. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Directed by the late great John Hughes, this film is an ode to Chicago and one of the defining movies about growing up in the eighties. As Ferris and friends play hooky from school, they visit all kinds of historic attractions that the city has to offer; one of the scenes involves a trip to the Art Institute and represents a tour of some of the museum’s most well-known pieces of art. The list includes:
· Nighthawks by Edward Hopper
· A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat
· Improvisation 30 (Cannons) by Wassily Kandinsky
· Painting With Green Center by Kandinsky
· Nude Under Pine Tree by Pablo Picasso
· L'Homme qui marche I by Alberto Giacometti
· The Old Guitarist by Picasso
· The Child's Bath by Mary Cassatt
· Jacques and Berthe Lipchitz by Amedeo Modigliani
· Day of the Gods (Mahana No Atua) by Paul Gauguin
· Greyed Rainbow by Jackson Pollock
· Tanktotem No. 1 by David Smith
· Bathers by a River by Henri Matisse
· In the Circus Fernando: The Ringmaster by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
· Portrait of Balzac by Auguste Rodin
· The Red Armchair by Picasso
· Portrait of Sylvette David by Picasso
· Seated Woman by Picasso
· UNESCO Reclining Figure by Henry Moore
· America Windows by Marc Chagall
According to Hughes, the scene at the Art Institute of Chicago was "a self-indulgent scene of mine - which was a place of refuge for me, I went there quite a bit, I loved it. I knew all the paintings, the building. This was a chance for me to go back into this building."

The movie has since become so famous that you can now take a Ferris Bueller Chicago Tour, including visiting the same works of art inside the Art Institute.

~Tracy~

It's Part of the Story

2010-04-09T12:30:00.001-07:00

While flipping through the channels the other day, I happened to catch 'The Real Face of Jesus?' about the Shroud of Turin on the History channel. Of course there is disagreement about whether the Shroud is real or a fake. But something they said caught my attention - 'it is the imperfections that make it authentic'. Yes! Many times clients have brought something in to be framed and they will mention the imperfection; my reply always is 'It's part of the story'.
Everything has a story. You are framing it because it has a story; a history. Did it remind you of a sentimental place? Did your grandchild draw it for you? Maybe it's the number & t-shirt you wore while running the marathon you trained so hard for. It could be something as simple as the color. A christening gown that has been worn by 6 generations naturally will show wear and tear; it can't be in pristine condition - it wouldn't be 'authentic'. And how fun is it to reminisce about how that stain got there or 'Did Grandpa really catch a prize winning Bass on that lure?'
Bring those 'imperfect' valuables out of the closet and into the open!
What's your story?

-Pat-

Serves me right...

2010-04-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

We all have our flaws…we all do things we’re ashamed of…here’s my latest….

As many of you know my husband & I recently moved into our house. I had four beautiful mirrors created & installed by none other than Framing Concepts! However, (I feel like my text should start to shrink into ‘fine print’ at this point), when we purchased one of our vanity sinks, there was a mirror that went with the set. Now, I’m typically against the matchy-matchy look of buying items in sets like that-it can look predictable, like you didn’t put much thought into the design. Yet, there I was, at the end of the home building process, exhausted, and thinking, “Eh, it’s an easy fix-let’s just get the matching mirror”….

My husband & I take the mirror out of its foam box, it has no hanging hardware on the back so we get ready to read the instructions. Oh, but there’s no reading, just images…and let me just say the images were not very helpful. So, we have all these ‘parts’ to assemble. We are supposed to pound something inside the back holes of the frame to hold the hanging hardware. There were two different sized anchors to put into the wall & they have to be perfectly placed or else the mirror won’t hang straight. Yuck-it was such a nightmare. I have no idea how long it took to hang this, not so impressive looking mirror; I just know we were both mentally exhausted by the time it was over.

Then, came the worst part. Later that night while we were eating dinner we hear BAM! The mirror fell. The company (as do most big box stores) used pressed particleboard for the frame construction & it couldn’t even hold the weight of the mirror. We were very fortunate our basin was still intact. Let me tell you if you ever think you are going to buy a quick/easy-fix from a place that doesn’t specialize in framing…it’s likely to be a VERY quick fix that won’t last & there’s really nothing ‘easy’ about it. I’ve seen it time & time again and I even knew better. I’m shaking my finger at myself right now. Shame on me!

So, now I’m doing it right, ordering a custom framed mirror from FCG! I get to pick the frame, it’ll look more interesting, I’ll be happy every time I walk by it & most importantly it won’t fall!

When I did my last set of mirrors with the company, it was sooo nice! Even though I work for the company, I still got the same 5-star treatment…which INCLUDES INSTALLTION!!! All our custom mirrors include installation. Leave it to the pros! We all make mistakes, learn from mine! ;)
Here are some of the mirrors I did the right way, through Framing Concepts.

~Barbara~

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

2010-03-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

No, I’m not sarcastically asking all of you ‘just who do you think you are!’…But I’m rather excited about the new show on NBC called, ‘Who do you think you are?’ Have any of you heard about or watched it yet?

It’s a show that takes you on the journey of a few celebrities as they research their family history. I’ve always been interested in not just my family history, but also the history of others around me. There’s something about ‘knowing’ where we all came from that offers us a sense of connection to everyone in the world around us.

The shows official partner is http://www.ancestry.com/, which is a website that’s open to the public & helps you build your family tree. I’ve checked it out & have started organizing the people I know from my family into a tree for free. Once I’ve exhausted all the resources I have through existing family & boxes of old birth certificates & marriage licenses, I might try the monthly trail & allow their search engines to help me find more information.

Being I work in an industry which ‘preserves memories’, I regularly get to learn something about my client’s family history & memories as they frame items unique to their family. Sometimes I wonder what I’ll be leaving behind for future generations to learn about me. A couple years ago I framed a ‘shadowbox’ of my grandfather’s WWII items & left it a little big to make room for other findings I may stumble upon in the future. (On display at the Valpo gallery – see pic below). I can’t tell you how many times people tell me “wow, I’ve got ‘such n’ such’ just sitting at home, I should really bring those items in & have you do something like that for me”…

My grandfather used to be an entertainer both while he was in the service & while he was home. In fact, one time while he was performing at a State Fair, he was approached by Gene Autry to hit the road with him! My grandfather at that time was still perusing my grandmother (who was a singer), so he turned one dream down for another more ‘romantic’ one. Having known this about my grandparents makes me believe that maybe that’s why I’m so passionate about music & singing. I’ve also learned that when my great-grandparents came to the USA, they opened their own stained glass business. My grandfather followed in their footsteps opening a service company & so did my dad…who knows maybe one day I’ll too own a business. Preserving stories, memories about our families ‘is’ important, it gives future generations something to hold on to, helps us all to follow our dreams.
What ways have you chosen to preserve your family history? What will you leave behind that future generations will learn about you?

I know I'm kind of a 'walking advertisement' for framing because I love my job...but seriously, we have have a $30 OFF coupon on our website - print it off before the end of March-get your family's memories/history out of the box & up on the wall! Keep in mind, what may not seem important now...may very well be for future generations....

Link for Coupon

I look forward to seeing your next projects & hearing about your family's story!

… and the Winner is …

2010-03-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

It feels good to get an award. It feels good to get a pat on the back for a job well done. But an award is not just a job well done; it's the best job amongst your peers.
We have been very fortunate to have our fair share of awards; 3 of them given to us by our framing industry, which is like getting an Academy Award. We have been awarded the R.O.S.E (Recognition of Service Excellence) which was an honor because we pride ourselves on excellent customer service. The Duneland Chamber recognized us for 'Putting Chesterton on the Map' for our 'America's Best Gallery' award.
But I have to tell you, the award we received most recently; 'Partnership Award' from INARF (Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities) has been the one that touched my heart the most. We were nominated by Opportunity Enterprises for our help with their 'ARTability' event for the past 3 years. We have framed the art for them and provided a gallery space for the art to be displayed. Anyone who has been to this event will tell you that seeing the OE clients / artists see their art displayed, which is amazing, warms your heart and makes you realize what is important. It is truly an honor to be considered a partner of Opportunity Enterprises.

(Pat Baur & Carol Loesche of O.E.)

Spring Colors

2010-03-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

Spring is almost here in Northwest Indiana and it’s going to be gorgeous. I love the explosion of new color; the flowers, trees, and even the skies of Chicagoland take on the most beautiful bright hues. Here are a few of my favorite spring pics, and the colors that make them so memorable for me. These shades either fill me with energy or remind me to enjoy renewed life, warmth, and beauty.

Good For You!!!

2010-02-10T13:39:00.000-08:00

You did it! I'm so proud of you, and you should be proud of yourself, too. One thing that we (humans) are bad at doing is celebrating our accomplishments. It is hard for us to 'pat ourselves on the back' for a job well done. One example of that is how long it takes many of us to frame the diploma that we worked so hard for, and that represents reaching a goal we set for ourselves. It's not just the diploma, maybe it's the tickets to a play that you knew she wanted to go to (or a sold-out baseball game) or a drawing of a house that you saved so long for, what about a newspaper article that celebrated you, this list could go on and on.
The point is that we need reminders of our accomplishments - it gives us that spring in our step toward our next goal.

-Pat Baur-

From House to HOME

2010-02-10T12:39:00.000-08:00

.....(Queue the violins & intro to the Edda James song “Ahhhhh-t Lahhhh-st”)…..

Yes, “At Last”, my husband & I are in our new home! We are in that wonderful, “will the unpacking ever end?” phase. As I’m unpacking, I’m resting our art up on the floor against the walls I plan to put them on. I honestly believe that art gives ANY home or apartment personality, it tells the story of who lives there, & until I get my art up on my walls, it simply will not feel like home. Most of our art is on the smaller side because of where we lived before. So, new additions of art will be a necessity after we get settled.

Working in an environment in which I see art everyday gives me a challenge/desire to find a piece that I haven’t seen before. I’m a big fan of conversation pieces on our walls. I love for there to be an interesting factor, or story behind what I frame. Doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive, just have meaning. Don’t get me wrong, we also have some images in some rooms simply because we liked the color it added to our space, but even then, those images give insight to our personality because they contain a ‘color’ we like.
Some artists I’m currently finding interesting are:

“Moogly” is Martin Lavergne’s nickname.
They say that if you catch this artist peering at you, he’s probably creating the animal version of you. His style conveys humans as fantastical & funny animals. This mosquito puts a smile on my face.

Then, there is Kinga Czerska.
I personally haven’t collected many pieces that are abstract, but recently I’m becoming a bigger fan of it. The thing I find interesting is that you can look at an abstract piece and see different details or images in them each time. I find Kinga’s artwork to be layered & rhythmic-she uses great ranges of color too.

Here's another favorite, Jill Tishman. For those of you that know me, you know I love being outside-love trees, woods, and beautiful skies. Tishman says that she never feels alone when she's outside, she always feels the presence of a spiritual force. this piece is breathtaking!

If you too are looking for something interesting or unique, give me a jingle, I’d be MORE than happy to work with you.
This is one of the areas of my job that I enjoy the most! I’ve been working with clients in their homes for many years, & each project is unique because everyone has different tastes. I love walking through your homes listening to what you have a connection to & helping you find inspiration from these things so that you can have a finished look that represents you & your family.

Not that I’m trying make this blog an ongoing pitch about FCG, but since it’s 'my' blog & I write about things I LOVE....I want to let you know that we are currently offering this service for free right now, & I’m also including a ‘Free Tailored Wall Plan’ to get you started.
Interested in what I can come up with for you? Give me a try:
219-477-1700 or Check out what others have said about this service on our website:

http://www.framingconceptsonline.com/

~Barbara Ann~

It's Oscar Time!

2010-02-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

It’s almost time for the Oscars! There’s nothing like little gold men, beautiful dresses, and giant egos disrupting your regularly scheduled programming on a nice March Sunday. Some Oscar fans host parties and discuss designer gowns, while others scoff at everything from ‘the stuffy Academy’ to the award winners. Whatever your opinion of the evening, it’s always fun to see who wins the big awards.

This year’s Oscar Hot Topic is The Battle of the Exes. James Cameron (Avatar) and Kathryn Bigelow (Hurt Locker) are both nominated for Best Director AND Best Picture, and they used to be married. Talk about awkward.

Avatar was an epic sci-fi flick that introduced amazing new animation and 3D technology; the world of Pandora was brought to life in vivid, spectacular detail. I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. Critics have panned the plot, which is a simplified rehash of Dances With Wolves…in space….but that didn’t bother me, since I was so mesmerized by all the pretty colors. James Cameron also directed Titanic, making him the proud mastermind behind the top TWO highest grossing films of all time.

Hurt Locker was an intense, gritty movie following a devil-may-care bomb technician in the Iraq War. My body was physically sore after watching this movie from being so tense. The viewer gets to sit through a lot of nerve-wrecking bomb scares, thinking every second that their favorite character is going to blow up in some horrid fashion and the movie will just end; the depressing reality of this movie really drives it home, too. If Ms. Bigelow wins the Best Director award, she will be the first female to do so. Girl power!

I’m torn. How do you choose between two fantastic and completely different movies? Whatever your plans are for Oscar night, have a great time. A great way to decorate for an Oscar party, by the way: frame up several movie posters, either your favorites, or the nominees, and have your guests award them!

~Tracy~

My Business Trip To Vegas

2010-02-10T10:40:00.000-08:00

Every year I attend the National Picture Framing Conference in Las Vegas. I really enjoy it because I get to visit with so many others in our industry.

The past couple of years it wasn’t as much fun as usual because so many framers were frustrated with the downturn in business. This year however, the attitude was much more upbeat.

It seems as though those who still remain in business and can afford to attend a show are aggressively making changes in their business and that has given them new hope. As things continue to improve, that will only give momentum to change in an industry which has been very slow to adapt to advances in technology and marketing.

The economic times of today can be hard to deal with, but they will force change and change in business is rarely a bad thing.

-Ken Baur-

...and this year the color is.....

2010-01-28T09:19:00.000-08:00

I regret that I currently don't speak a foreign language. (I'm sure my High School Spanish teacher would be throwing a piece of chalk at me right now for saying that!)
While my full extent of the Spanish language is 'Nada' I still enjoy listening to Spanish radio stations. Especially this time of year, there's just something about a steel guitar, drums & salsa rhythms that not only get my hips swinging, but instantly transports me to a tropical paradise. (In my overactive imagination again mind you...)

It seems I'm not alone in this, this year, Pantone unveils their color of 2010 to be:

15-05519 TURQUOISE -Turquoise Transports Us to an Exciting, Tropical Paradise While Offering a Sense of Protection and Healing in Stressful times-

"In many cultures, turquoise occupies a very special position in the world of color", explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "It is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth , inspired by water and sky. Through years of color word-association studies, we also find that Turquoise represents an escape to many - taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting, even if only a fantasy."

I'm seeing this color around everywhere already - even in our galleries! Check out these great mouldings:

~Barbara Ann~

FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS '09

2009-11-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, it is a tradition for each of our galleries to gather a couple images from the year that were fun to remember. Thank you for ALL your projects in 2009, as always, it's pretty hard for us to pick just a few to share with everyone. Enjoy!

Tracy’s Favorite Things:

Ms. Peterson is a very talented needlework artist and she brings me her fascinating creations to design and frame. I absolutely loved this latest needlepoint of hers. It features a fiery golden pumpkin with an intriguing face on it. The festive autumnal colors were beautiful. The framing design we picked out played up the bold colors and texture of the piece; a patterned black frame paired with a roped gold fillet really makes the texture stand out without being overwhelming. I can’t wait to see the next needlework Ms. Peterson will bring!

Ms. Keenan brought me several paintings to frame and we had such a good time picking out designs. These 4 small, abstract paintings could be hung individually, as a square grouping, or a linear grouping. I thought the idea of a mix-and-match hanging option was really interesting. We framed them separately in a contemporary silver floater frame to give the paintings a modern feel as well as a dimensional look. I also loved the story behind the artwork: Nora’s cousin in Ireland originally painted these pieces, and they’ve been around the world with Nora in her travels.

Barbara's Favorite Things:

The moment Janet told me she had a vintage circus costume of her grandmothers she wanted to frame, I was excited. I love designing frames for interesting objects. Janet wanted to include an engraved plate & images of her grandmother. She wanted it to be classy, fun & vintage. So, we came up with a 'big-top' look by doing black & red mat stripes for the background, and found two perfect frames that gave it the timeless, vintage look she was going for. This was such a fun project to work on, I always look forward to what Janet will bring me next! :)

This is one project that really stood out in my mind because it is a story of true talent. This is Dianne, a talented artist, who was involved in an accident which left her with little to no use of her right hand (which is the hand she uses to create her art). She was at a point where she was ready to pack up her art supplies because she thought she'd never be able to create art again. After trying to write text with her left hand, she thought there would be no way she'd be able to tackle artwork. However, one day, she made herself sit down & give it a try. This project was a turning point for her as it was the first piece of art that she has created with her LEFT hand. It is true that you've either 'got it' or you don't, and Dianne clearly has 'a talented gift', that nothing can keep her from!

Pat's Favorite Things:

As the year comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on the projects we have designed & framed all year. Trying to remember the projects is like recalling dates on a history quiz. I can’t remember them all! And, I certainly didn’t take enough pictures this year. But, overall, my favorite projects are pieces that represent something – a vacation, family mementoes, a painting that Mom painted, and the like. The kind that when you look at it reminds you of a special time or a special person. Some projects framed in the Chesterton gallery that fall into that category would be a fishing vest that was given from a mentor, a career of medals in the military, swimming medals earned by an autistic son, a turkey your 25 year old child painted when they were in the 4th grade, or a collection of family portraits that a family is ‘rebuilding’ after their house burned to the ground.

Some unusual pieces would be Tommy Guns reproduced and used in the movie Public Enemies (gun; pictured) and in the really unusual category, the various baseball art that Ron Kittle designs (flag; pictured). Oh no, there's nothing Ron Kittle can't do with a baseball - this one has 260 red, white & blue baseballs. It was framed with a simple but sturdy black frame with a dimensional acrylic surrounding it so that you can see the balls from all sides. In the heartwarming category was a collection of fun, whimsical art being framed for an art gallery, the artist died shortly there after. Right now we are framing a christening gown that all 7 grandchildren were baptized in – look for the finished project on our Facebook page soon. One project that did not escape my memory or camera was an afghan that the client’s mother-in-law (Grandma) created several years earlier. Due to age and use, it was getting holes, and the client didn't want it to get any worse. Grandma taught her daughter to knit, and now her daughter was getting married and the reception was to be in their home, so now would be a perfect time to frame it and show it off. It was a challenge – showing just enough holes, but not too many; Grandma's knitting needles were added for a nice textural touch. One of the best perks about working at Framing Concepts, is that you never know what is going to come in tomorrow to be framed. Thank you all for sharing your projects & stories with us this year!

House Update

2009-11-11T12:33:00.000-08:00

So, it has taken me much longer to post an image of our exterior than I thought. Many of you have been asking me, so here you go. Inside is almost done - hope to be in before Christmas! Thanks for all the advice you've offered during this journey! ~Barbara Ann~ Ignore our snazzy yellow ladder. :)

PUMPKIN TIME

2009-10-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love fall. Pumpkin Time--the magical two month period that starts with my birthday, peaks at Halloween, and wraps up with Thanksgiving, is the loveliest time of the year. The colors of autumn are my favorite palette and the rich earth tones and ochres and reds are inspiring. I love the crisp freshness of the air, jumping in leaf piles, breaking out sweaters, and pumpkins. I love pumpkins. Maybe I’m biased because I used to work at Rombach’s Pumpkin Patch in Chesterfield, Missouri. I’m feeling a little nostalgic because I wasn’t able to make the trek down this year. Here are a few scenes of Octobery Goodness from my last trip there.

Bob & Tracy

The Great Pumpkin Pyramid

Pumpkins!!!

More Pumpkins!!!

Indian Corn

~Tracy~

What’s in a name?

2009-09-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

I've often wondered how some companies arrived at their name. Starbucks, for instance. Company legend says that the 3 founders of Starbucks chose the name in honor of Starbuck, the coffee-loving first mate in Herman Melville's Moby Dick, and because they thought the name evoked the romance of the high seas and the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders.

What about Google? Based on the mathematical term "googol", coined in 1938 to equal 10100, a number much larger than any practical counting operation would require. In September, 1997, so the story goes, some Stanford grad students were helping Larry Page choose a name for his search engine. "Googleplex," someone suggest, "Googol," Page replied. Someone typed g-o-o-g-l-e into their browser, to see if the name was taken, and made the most famous spelling mistake since p-o-t-a-t-o-e. Page registered the name within hours.

Most companies use their family names; DuPont, JCPenney (James Cash Penney, and yes, Cash was his middle name), or a portion of it - Wal-mar (Sam Walton). How about Menards - that has to be someone's first name right? There are some times when a company should think twice before using their family name to name their business. Kill Construction - really? Shouldn't they be in the pesticide business? Gold-Golden Lanes - isn't one time enough? Repros Pharmaceutical, be honest, don't you See "Repo Pharmaceuticals'.

Some names are descriptive; Electronic Data Systems -I suppose if you needed it, you would know what it is. Ross Perot chose that name from potential names he scribed on the back of a pledge envelope during a church service. Some names are less descriptive - General Motors, General Mills, General Tires, General Hospital, General Dynamics, etc...and last but certainly not least, General Electric (which really doesn't fit anymore, since they own everything.)

We thought long and hard about naming this framing business. A lot of ideas flew over wine & cheese with our friends. 'Baur's Framing'? No, we are proud of our name, but does it really need to be attached? 'The Frame Shop'? No, sounds like you are framing in your garage. 'The Framing Gallery'? No, too snooty. 'Well Hung'? Oops, too much wine.

We chose Framing Concepts (.kon-sept. and idea of something formed by mentally combining all its characteristics or particulars; a construct) because we believe that there is no one way to frame a piece of art; that it depends on the art, the style, coloring and most importantly, what is right for the client. Concepts is to open you mind to possibilities, and that is what we as designers hope to do with your art.

-Pat-

READY, SET, WALK!

2009-08-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

I love to go walking in the evenings. I have already blogged about the lovely trails of Northwest Indiana, but I never shared my walking music playlist. When I'm out walking I like to keep the pace brisk-- but I don't want to look like a crazed power walker. Music is the perfect way to keep a good walking pace and have fun at the same time. I have tailored a playlist of songs that have the Perfect Walking Tempo. If you have short legs and love to walk, fire these songs up on your ipod (or Zune or mp3 player of your choice) and get ready to rock! If you have long legs, this may be a bit slow for you. Enjoy!

Rufus Wainwright-California
Amy Winehouse-Back to Black
Muse-Supermassive
Sheryl Crow-Real Gone
Sara Bareilles-Love Song
Howie Day-Perfect Time of Day
Fountains of Wayne-Someone to Love
Live-Where Do We Go From Here?
Tonic-Sunflower
Avril Lavigne-Anything But Ordinary
Ben Lee-Into the Dark
Breaking Benjamin-Medicate
Matchbox Twenty-All I Need
Seether-Rise Above
Keane-Can't Stop Now
Paramore-When It Rains
Sugarcult-Hiatus
Shiny Toy Guns-Le Disko
My Chemical Romance-Famous Last Words
Ben Folds-Brainwwascht

Public Enemies & Crown Point

2009-07-31T12:25:00.000-07:00

It wouldn’t be summer without big blockbuster movies, and the movie getting all the attention in Crown Point this year is Public Enemies. Starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, this gangster flick chronicles the adventures of John Dillinger, famed bank robber during the Great Depression. I won’t go into plot details…though I’m pretty sure everyone knows how it ends.

Director Michael Mann incorporated many historically accurate shooting locations, bringing a few minutes of fame to towns like Crown Point and others scattered through Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Crown Point’s claim to Dillinger fame is the Lake County Jail, dubbed ‘escape-proof’, which Dillinger broke out of using a toy gun and then stole the sheriff’s new car. The majority of Crown Point filming took place at this location.
The city got an old-fashioned make-over for the event. Below are photos of the fake cobble stones laid down on the streets, and some of the old cars populating the scenes.
Sadly I was not here in Crown Point during the three days of filming in early 2008. Apparently I missed a good time. The effects and popularity of the film here are evident even in the framing world—recently we framed a replica Tommy Gun, Public Enemies movie posters, and a magazine article about the movie.

Overall the movie was pretty good. The most interesting aspect for me was all of the true-to-life locations. From the State prison in Michigan City to the Biograph Theatre in Chicago, all of these places ring of American legend and lore. The best part, though, was this quote from John Dillinger: “There is absolutely nothing I want to do in Indiana.”

~Tracy~

House Update

2009-07-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are following my house construction, here is the latest. Things are moving fast, we are now making our exterior selections! My plan is to think of this the same way I would if I were framing art. The Shingles will play the role of a 'frame' for our house, they will be dark so that they ground the entire home. The soffit & fascia will act as an accent lip on a frame-a dark cream. The front stone will act as a 'textured top mat'. The siding will be my bottom mat, threading everything together, and the windows are my fillet/accents. The focal point is the front door which will be a contrasting color. While I've selected our front door, I haven't gotten as far to pick out the color yet. I plan to wait till the rest is up before I start painting. Below is the before picture. Not sure how long it will take for the 'after shot'.

~Barbara Ann~

"If you send one of your workman to the grocer & ask for a pound of their Best Butter, match that exactly, & you can't go wrong"

2009-06-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

While I have no idea about "lallies & lintels", it is AMAZING how much I have learned about things such as septic systems, permits, & foundations during our home building process so far…. Yes, after nearly 5 years of talking & dreaming about building, it is finally becoming a reality!

In early spring, my husband and I closed on 2 acres of land, and have begun the much anticipated building process. If all goes well, we ‘should’ be in this fall. While I’m not holding my breath-I can’t help but be overly excited by this deadline!

Each step has been a learning experience, from getting permits, to interviewing builders, and even signing up to do some of the work ourselves…gulp!
The first week when the foundation was dug, my husband and I both stood there proudly saying “Is it just me, or is this the best lookin’ hole in the ground we’ve ever layed eyes on?” :)
We are on our way! Foundation is done, driveway is in, and the garage is scheduled to go in today. The frame work is also supposed to begin this week-so we should be seeing something that resembles more of a house very soon.

As my husband & I start selecting our exterior finishes, I’m reminded of the movie “Mr. Blandings builds his dream house” (note the quote in my subject line & the reference to ‘lallies & lintels’) I’ve become a ‘regular’ at the stone place we are using…they know me by name, & I can’t help but wonder if they roll their eyes when they see me coming thinking ‘here’s that girl who thinks way too hard about color.’ As I’ve mentioned before I’m a little obsessed with color - & with the exterior of our house…let’s just say, it better be right! I’m very much like the character in the movie (watch video clip below)-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRn59zNL0Ew

Each day of construction there is something new to check out – it’s so exciting – here are some pictures of the different stages so far:

~Barbara Ann~

Four Eyes

2009-06-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

I discovered I needed glasses when I held my grandson for the first time and had to extend my arms 2 feet just to see him in single vision.
No, it wasn’t enough that everything I read was blurry or that I squinted when I read – it took a little 7 lb – 1 day old character to tell me ‘Get your eyes checked’.
The first pair of glasses I chose, I didn’t take seriously – I guess I just didn’t think that I was going to be looking at myself. I made what I refer to as ‘the cardinal mistake of eye glass choosing’, making that choice while your eyes are still dilated – are u kidding me? Why didn’t someone tell me that I was going to look like a dragon from the Pokemon comic book?
When I picked out my second pair, I knew now what doesn’t look good – ‘maybe I’ll just find a pair to ‘frame’ my eyes. I liked them, but was told they make me look older. Nice, that’s just what a person of my age wants to hear. Spend a couple of hundred dollars to add years – and you’re stuck with them for a while.
Now it’s time for my third pair – I enlist some help – these? these? these? these? We’re getting close – these? I think I’ve got it. Can’t wait for them to come in – they come in - hmmmmm. But my husband thinks I look younger and more contemporary – I’m not arguing with that!
-Pat-

To Frankenmuth & Back

2009-05-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

Each year my husband & I sneak away for a weekend with a few relatives to the small town of Frankenmuth, MI. I’ve been going there since I was a kid, and it has sort of become a tradition. So, we made our way out there this Memorial Day weekend, and had a blast as usual. There was a dog show & a hot-air balloon festival that weekend, so we got to see some really unique dog breeds, watch entertaining dog tricks & talk with hot-air balloon pilots. Making all our usual stops, we tasted 10 & 11 yr cheese, ate way too much family style all you can eat chicken dinners, shopped, and took in many rounds of mini-golf. The weather was great, and it was nice to see so many people packed into the town.

I can actually say that everyone and their dog were there! :)

Covered Bridge in Frankenmuth

Jason & I

My dad & I trying to get through the mirror maze in Frankenmuth

First they blow cool air in with a fan, the hot air doesn't go in until the balloon is completely expanded.

Night Show - Did you know a 'used' hot-air balloon starts at $23,000. Pretty high price tag, but an awesome toy!

This peacock had AMAZING colors!

~Barbara Ann~

Bathroom Renovation Update

2009-05-13T10:07:00.000-07:00

It’s been pointed out that I never uploaded any new pictures of my completed bathroom renovation as I promised, so here they are. It’s amazing that a vanity labeled 60” is actually 60 ¾”…which caused my fine friends quite a bit of consternation and resulted in complete destruction of said vanity. (Good thing they knew what they were doing…) Same thing with the vanity mirror cabinets—the box said 30”…and reality shows that they’re actually 29”, creating a lovely little gap in between the two. After awhile you don’t even notice it. A little part of me never wants to do a renovation ever again….but once it was all finished, cleaned, and functional, I realized that my new pretty bathroom was worth all the trouble.

~Tracy~

Springtime in Indiana

2009-05-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

April showers bring May flowers, or that’s how the saying goes. Spring is in full swing now and Crown Point is showing off its colors. Over the past year I’ve been trying to take pictures of the Courthouse that capture the seasons. (I haven’t had that much luck with weather and timing, but the following pictures are from April of this year back to September of last year.) The trees blossomed beautifully, but the best days for blooms were stormy and rainy, and I missed my window. If you’ve taken some eye-catching photos this spring, bring them to any of our galleries and show them off!

~Tracy~

Facebook Challenged

2009-04-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

I admire people aged 70 & better who have embraced this exciting time of technology we live in. I don’t want to be one of those people who says ‘I’m too old to learn that’.
So when I hear everybody’s on Facebook, I’m thinking ‘I should be there too’, so I sign up. It took me 2 weeks to get a picture on it, and another 2 to get pics I want to share – I kinda thought that was the whole idea; to share pics.
But no – you’re supposed to talk to people – or ‘comment’ to their comments. Ok, I’m game – so I post a comment – whoops, I think I’m talking to myself. Didn’t push right button.
Ok, maybe there’s another way - write on their wall? Write on a wall?? I used to get in trouble for that!! Especially when it was someone else’s wall. Ekkk – now who am I talking to? Did I just tell the whole world that? Or is it just the person whose pic I’m looking at? Or is it all 7 of my friends? Picture this: the Kathy cartoon when pulling her hair out.

Here’s what I’ve learned:
Other people have much more exciting lives than I do – I better step it up or start lying about it.
There are multitudes of people out there with your name! That’s just scary – talk about identity theft!
Get in touch with my old High School friends? No thanks, don’t want to relive those memories.
The bottom line is that you are creating an open diary for your friends to read – Did I remember to post that I just finished breakfast?

Don’t hear me saying that I’m doing this kicking & screaming - I love this stuff. So if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll help my mother-in-law set up her facebook page; it will make me feel young again!
-Pat-

But doesn’t it need to match?

2009-04-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

But doesn’t it need to match? It is a question I hear often.
A client will bring in a piece of art, and say ‘I want a black frame for this’, when you can see a totally different direction for the art. So when asked the reasoning for a black frame, usually the answer is ‘I’ve got another piece framed with a black frame that is going to be next to this one, so doesn’t it need to match?’ Well, my answer is ‘What are you trying to achieve? If it is a gallery look, then yes, you probably do want the frames to match.’
Or, ‘I’ve got a very contemporary home, so this art needs a very contemporary frame’, and I’m visualizing a traditional gold frame on the art.
There are many frames that will fit a piece of art, the trick is to keep an open mind, and explore the possibilities. I have a mix of frames in my home – some match, some don’t depending on what I’m trying to achieve.
The picture below is a hallway in my home. I don’t think there are any 2 frames alike, and I can say the same for the people in the pictures! These are pictures of my family, past & present, so I want each piece to reflect the feel of the art (the period, say 1920, for instance), or the personality of the person. Or maybe it’s a wedding, or a school picture. All of these pieces are very close together, but it works for me.

The next picture is in a bedroom, so I want a calmer feel. Even though I have chosen pink as the primary color, it is a subdued value, and the 1 piece becomes more of a focal piece, but notice the chair, table & lamp – very traditional. The pillow & art offer a bit of the unexpected. Traditional & contemporary mix better than you would think.

Here’s my advice on how to make it work:
Pick a theme – in the case of the bedroom, I chose color. For the hallway, it was more important for the personality of the art to come through, creating an eclectic mix.
Open your mind – look at an assortment of frames. Frame the art, not the color of the wall. Remember why you chose that particular piece of art - you like it; if the frame works with the art, you will love it too. The bottom line is ‘If you love it, it will work’.

-Pat-

Creative Planning

2009-04-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

After a four-year search, I’m excited to say that my husband and I have found property we plan to build on! I am reminded, as I’m playing around with the furniture arrangements on our blueprints, of the fun I used to have playing with colorforms and doll houses as a child. Same concept really, only I doubt our home will have as playful of a pallet...

Of course, the first thing in my mind is the placement of our art. I’ve always envisioned decorating our future rooms around our art. The artwork gives me a clear vision of what the pallet should be in each space. If you think about it, check out your art and you can usually find a neutral to work with and great accent colors to pull out! Working in the art and framing industry has given me the ability to collect more art than furniture at this point in my life, so it should be a pretty easy place to start.
It is a pretty exciting feeling to go from placing your home plans on paper/in your head into something of reality.

So the next time you see a child playing with a dollhouse, or taking that flat white plastic prong out from the middle of pizzas so they have an ottoman for their dolls-just think to yourself, they may very well be building tools to decorate their own home one day!

80's Mickey Mouse Play House Colorform

You'll never look at that plastic pizza prong the same again! :)

~Barbara Ann~

Hiking and Biking Trails in Northwest Indiana

2009-04-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally making its much-anticipated arrival here in Chicagoland. Hyper little kids like me have been cooped up inside for far too long. We’ve had a few days of absolutely beautiful weather, a teaser of the season to come; I had a chance to get out and enjoy it. Thanks to the great network of trails in Northwest Indiana, we can see some amazing sights, enjoy the outdoors, and get a good workout all at the same time. IndianaTrails.org is a great website to check out all the action. It has all the maps, information, and trail resources for the entire state of Indiana.
I’m a big fan of the Erie-Lackawanna Trail, which is a paved trail running from Highland to Crown Point. I can walk, people watch, and check out all the cute pets scampering about this section of trail, while my friends rollerblade and ride bikes. It’s only minutes from my home in Highland, with lots of convenient places to park.

Two other trails our readers may be interested in are the Prairie Duneland Trail that runs from Hobart to Chesterton, and the Calumet Trail, from Chesterton to Michigan City. The first is known for its natural beauty and the second runs on the South side of Indiana Dunes State Park. Full maps are available at IndianaTrails.org.

I challenge everyone to get out on the trails this spring, spend some time with the family (and some time in the sun) and take some great pictures while you’re there.

~Tracy~

Copyright vs. Copycat

2009-02-24T08:34:00.000-08:00

I read an article recently that delved into the very tricky subject of copyright law. Sounds kind of boring at first, but to me it was very interesting how fine the line between ‘Art’ and ‘Copyright Infringement’ is. As framers we see lots of prints, posters, copies of artwork, and originals, so I thought this was a fitting topic to bring up for discussion.
A good example of possible copyright infringement making headlines currently is about the artist Shepard Fairey, whose iconic Obama image has been plastered all over everything the past three months. You know the one I am talking about:

It will be included in an exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and a version has been added to the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington. Turns out this picture was drawn from a photograph owned and copyrighted by the Associated Press. They are suing for credit and compensation. Fairey believes his piece is protect by Fair Use, a legal concept that allows exceptions to copyright law based on “how much of the original is used, what the new work is used for and how the original is affected by the new work”.
The story doesn’t end there. Another artist named Baxter Orr, a self-proclaimed 'Propaganda Re-Engineer', has parodied Fairey’s work in one of his own.

Fairey has sued Orr over what he claims to be a “clear copyright violation.” So the artist who makes his living copying the works of others is suing another artist who copied him. It makes your head spin.
So I ask you, where does copyright end and fair use begin? How does ownership affect art? And what exactly is copyright infringement? It will be interesting to see how these stories (and their respective legal suits) play out.

~Tracy~

A Brand New Year!

2009-01-21T15:29:00.000-08:00

As you may have noticed, we’ve given our website, e-mails and blog a fresh look this year. There’s something so encouraging about a new year. The idea of a fresh start and having an excuse to put things behind us is always greatly welcomed.

While reading up on new trends for 2009 – I learned that Pantone selected “Mimosa” as the color of the year! It is a warm engaging yellow it is supposed to express hope & reassurance. Anything that reminds me of the sun right now sounds great to me.

What do you think about it?

~Barbara Ann~

Tracy’s Favorite Movies of 2008

2009-01-21T15:26:00.000-08:00

I go see a lot of movies. Pretty much every weekend you can find my friends and I at the Showplace in Schererville. We’re always early, and we always sit in the top row. Our usual flicks are action movies, comedies, and the occasional drama. 2008 was such a great year for movies that I feel bad only choosing ten good ones, but here it is, Tracy’s Favorite Movies of 2008. In no particular order…

Indiana Jones--
So it had aliens, a nuclear bomb-proof refrigerator, and Shia LeBeouf swinging through the jungle. But it also had Harrison Ford’s dry one-liners, whip-cracking fight scenes, and a crazy romance based on bickering. It was fun, and campy, and oddly enough, based on a real historical legend.

Burn After Reading—
Brad Pitt’s characterization is hilarious and John Malkovich has an insane potty-mouth. Every single character in this movie is truly a terrible person and that keeps the movie together. It’s like Seinfeld meets the CIA meets LA Fitness.

Wanted—
Amazing special effects, a little Chicago love, super awesome slo-mo shots of fighting and explosions. Add a little humor and that dude from Atonement, and I’m all set.

Kung Fu Panda—
This movie has a unique animation style that makes it visually very pretty. Jack Black lends his comedic talents as the voice of the main character, a giant panda learning kung-fu. It’s slapstick humor at its best…and I’m a sucker for CGI.

Role Models—
This movie is wrong in every way, but I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. The plot might be predictable, but the laughs are not.

Tropic Thunder—
Robert Downey, Jr., playing an actor with no limits. Ben Stiller as a beefed up action hero. Tom Cruise in fat suit. This movie has something for everyone. I highly recommend the DVD with tons of high-quality footage not in theatres.

WallE—
I am once again floored by Pixar’s creativity with design and original storytelling. The first half of the movie is basically wordless yet it’s riveting and funny and meaningful.

Dark Knight—
What can I say about this movie that every fanboy and critic hasn’t already said? It’s amazing. It’s great. Heath Ledger is unbelievable, but don’t forget about solid performances by Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Aaron Eckhart. And how could I not mention the coolest chase scene ever featuring the beautiful streets of Chicago?

Iron Man—
Downey, Jr. is back and funnier than ever in this surprisingly awesome comic book adaptation. The special effects blew my mind. I was thoroughly entertained by this movie.

Get Smart—
I looove Mel Brooks and his style of humor, so a movie based on one of his TV shows is a sure winner for me. Steve Carrell can crack me up just by staring into the camera for two hours and not saying a word.

2008’S WORST:

The Happening-- M. Night Shyamalan’s latest was utterly disappointing. That’s a lot coming from me, since I am easily entertained… I even made it all the way through Lady in the Water…but I hope to spare everyone from this movie. The plot died before it even began, the suspense was laughable, and the acting was terrible. I’m not saying the actors themselves are bad, I just feel they were directed poorly. Two hours of my life are now gone.

~Tracy~

A Few Of Our Favorites 2008

2008-12-23T13:36:00.000-08:00

This past year has flown by for our galleries. We have framed so many creative projects for all of you. (Some of which we will feature images of below.) You've brought it all to us, from interesting posters to heartwarming children's art. You've had diplomas and other prestigious documents properly preserved, as well as your most valued treasures displayed into intricate shadowboxes.

There have been so many fun memories and stories you've shared with us throughout the year. We are looking forward to all the new projects you will each be bringing our way in 2009!

In Crown Point:
The following pieces really stuck with me this framing season ~Tracy~

John Birdzell brought in this vintage Hamm’s Beer ad that features Stan Musial and his autograph. He was a big fan of Stan Musial as a child and finally got something signed. Being a St. Louis girl, I have a fondness for Cardinals baseball and Stan the Man. I’ve also always been drawn to vintage beer memorabilia. I guess growing up seeing so many Anheuser Busch ads about town will do that to a girl. We framed it with a natural course linen mat and a distressed red frame to showcase a proper aged look and to bring out that Cardinals spirit.

Betsy Calvert wanted to give her daughter a fun and unique gift for her fortieth birthday. She acquired 40 one dollar bills with consecutive serial numbers and decided to frame them. We chose a fan shape, mounted each dollar in order, and made sure that the first and last three serial numbers were fully visible. The colors and textures we chose in the design process matched the green-grey etching found on US currency. I thought it was a clever gift and an interesting framing solution.

In Valparaiso: Here are a few projects I really enjoyed working on this year. ~Barbara Ann~

The mother of the children in this picture took this family photo. It was one of a series, all of which were fun to work on. The children are very creative to work with and offer suggestions throughout the frame selection process. This image was taken at a beach, so we selected a casual framing treatment with loads of texture. The frame is in our Cottage Casual line and was perfect for the image.

My client’s brother photographed this image. She had some of his photography blown up so she could enjoy them year round. The scale of them acts as a window of beautiful landscape on her walls. We kept the matting neutral using earth tones so that the light of the image came to life. The moulding around it is of heavy texture, which gives it an outdoorsy feel.

This vintage “Board of Trade” print was a great one to design.
One look at it and we knew this frame would look as if it were made for it.

I always enjoy preserving a family’s history. Here we showcased a serviceman’s metals, letter, & dog tags. The metals had a small mirror behind them so that you could view both sides of them. We added v-groove cuts to group everything together and chose a vintage style moulding to go around it. What a perfect way to keep a loved one’s life story alive!

In Chesterton: Favorite project? Where to begin? In the course of a year so many projects come thruthe Chesterton gallery, it is not just difficult, but impossible to choose just one. I love kids art, for several reasons; a couple of them are the fact that it comes from the heart, and when a parent frames it, the child feels proud. I love art that has meaning to the person -whether it's a 4x6 snapshot, a drawing on a scrap paper, a professional photograph or an original
oil painting. This year I've had several Heritage pieces - art that was in remembrance of a loved one, what a beautiful thing to do not only for yourself, but for the generations behind you.
I also enjoy art from travels, because they always have a story behind them. So, this year I have chosen these 3 projects. ~Pat~

A group of more than 20 men planned a trip of a lifetime to Scotland & England to do nothing but golf for almost 2 weeks. Since my husband is a golfer, I could appreciate what it meant for the golfers. To add to the memorability of these projects was the fact that not only were they challenging to design but build also. But the best thing, is that everytime he looks at these shadowboxes, it will bring a smile to his face.

Wishing Everyone a Safe & Happy New Year!

FCG

Holiday Movie List

2008-11-26T08:27:00.000-08:00

WLIT fm started playing holiday music early this month. I’m one of the few people that are actually deeply excited by this. There is something about listening to holiday music that makes the cold outdoors more bearable.

I love the holidays. All the family traditions, lights, gift giving, what a great time of year.
One of our many family traditions is to watch one holiday movie each weekend till Christmas. Watching family favorites is sure to get you in the Holiday Spirit.
Below is a list of our favorites. Let me know if you have any recommendations!
*Lampoons Christmas Vacation
*A Christmas Story
*Home Alone
*It’s a Wonderful Life
*The Family Stone
*Santa Clause 1 & 2
*One Magical Christmas
*Elf
*Bells of St. Mary’s
*How the Grinch Stole Christmas
*Scrooged
Some of our favorite Thanksgiving movies are:
*Dutch
*Planes, Trains, & Automobiles
*Indian Summer
*Uncle Buck

Wishing you a happy and safe Holiday Season!
~Barbara Ann~

Dancing with the Stars

2008-11-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

One day I will learn ballroom dancing. I love the gracefulness of it, the exercise and the added bonus, not looking like an idiot on the dance floor. I really enjoy watching the dances on Dancing with the Stars, although I do not aspire to be that good.

But earlier this month, I got such a treat! I attended the wedding of a close friend of my nephew & his family. I knew she had taught dancing at Arthur Murray’s for a while, and had been dancing since she was little, but what I didn’t know is that that is that she comes from one dancin’ family! When they got out on the dance floor I felt like I was in the audience of DwtS. From the bride’s Mom and her husband, the oldest sister & her dancing partner, who incidentally compete regularly, to her brother, who had just the right flair. I’m sure I watched with my mouth hanging open.

One day I will learn ballroom dancing, but for now, TG for TiVo to record DwtS so I can watch whenever I want.
-Pat-

Start Off The Holiday Season Right

2008-11-05T09:11:00.000-08:00

On November 20th we will host our 2nd annual fund raising event for Opportunity Enterprises. Opportunity Enterprises- if you didn’t know, is a non profit organization that trains and employs mentally and physically handicapped people from our community.

Many of those who work and train there exhibit their artistic skills at this event. These original pieces are sold at very reasonable prices, and the profits are used to grow programs at OE.

I’m really looking forward to this event. These artists beam with pride as dozens of people admire and purchase their unique works.

I am constantly amazed at the joy and happiness so many of these pieces express. Bright colors and happy subjects prevail, and that is a very inspiring thing to see.
I encourage you to come to our Chesterton gallery at 6pm on Thursday November 20th- you’ll be glad you did because there is absolutely no better way to start the holiday season.
-Ken-

I enjoy being part of the team

2008-10-21T13:28:00.000-07:00

All my life I have been on teams. From an early age I learned the advantages and pitfalls of having to depend on others for success, while being there for them.

A successful team is a delicate balance of talents and attitude that are blended together to create something far more effective than any one single member of that team. It even means that team members sacrifice their own agendas for the good of the team.

Many very talented sports teams have failed to be successful at winning. Often less talented teams that understand the true meaning of team win out over raw talent. My favorite teams in sports are ones that have unknown rosters that jell together and win against teams built on money and past individual accomplishments.

Businesses also run best when they have a team culture. I’ve been on many business “teams” over the years and the ones that were most successful were the ones where team members all worked for the common good of the company- everyone understood what we were trying to do and how we were going to get it done.

I’m particularly enjoying our Framing Concepts team right now. It has a ton of variety in age, past experience and talents. Because I’ve participated on so many teams, I realize it is unique to have a small group of individuals who work well together to make a successful
team.

That’s not an easy task in our company structure. That’s because those who make the products never get to meet you. Everything that a designer creates in the showroom must be communicated to another group who constructs the projects in the manner they were sold. This takes a unique commitment to working together and communicating effectively. Our team works very hard to make sure that what you expect to get back is exactly what we produce.

It’s really satisfying when it works well in all three locations and the result is your happiness- that’s our success. Thank you for continuing to support our team during these uncertain times. We truly enjoy working together to create something that makes you happy.
-Ken-

Bathroom Renovation

2008-10-16T11:57:00.000-07:00

Everybody loves remodeling! The dust, the mess, the unexpected problems are all forgotten once you see your new & improved room. The promise of a beautiful, well-lit vanity that does not resemble a tiki bar in a 1980’s nursing home will make a girl do things she is not proud of. I’ve been brushing my teeth in the kitchen sink for over a month now, and I feel like Lowe’s is becoming a second home. Hopefully our little weekend project will be done soon. Let me show you our progress in the Great Bathroom Renovation Adventure, and you tell me if it’s worth it.

This was the original bathroom vanity and the floor tiling. The unique combination of dirty yellow and dark brown is vintage 1982…and had to go.

I knew I wanted to add some color but was unsure of how such a drastic change would look in our bathroom. Using Photoshop I quickly worked up a rough picture of what our bathroom would look like if I changed the original white paint to blue. When I saw the results, I knew I had to go blue.

We’re still not done yet, but we’ve got the walls painted and new tile in place. I now know how to grout a bathroom, which for me is quite an achievement.

Stay tuned to the FCG blog for more Bathroom Renovation Updates. Next up: custom vanity tops, white cabinetry, and trim!

~Tracy~

Vegas Vacation

2008-10-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone that wished me a good vacation, and gave me tips on what to see. We had a wonderful time! It was great to get away and see something new with some of my favorite people.

The first part of our trip began in Vegas. From there we visited the Hoover Dam, and ended at the Grand Canyon. Vegas was interesting, lots to see and do. I even found a few galleries while we were there, it’s always good to get inspiration, and see how other people do things. One of the galleries featured the photographic works of Peter Lik. I enjoyed his art; he shoots landscapes around the world with brilliant color on a huge scale. Another gallery we visited had some creative framing around sports memorabilia that was fun to look at as well. There was inspiration all around us on this trip, from creative framing to the beauty of the Grand Canyon. Below are some pictures highlighting our trip.

View of mountains from the plane

The Venetian was the first hotel I've ever been in that used Acid-free matting!

You can tell I took this picture...not very good...beautiful ceiling inside the hotel

Fountains at Bellagio

Drooling at Tiffany's

A look at the Strip from the top of the Eiffel tower

A craft market we stopped at

Hoover Dam

This picture made my palms clammy...WAY too close to the edge :)

My camera just wasn't wide enough...

Now I’m back and refreshed with even more ideas to bring to the design counter!

~Barbara Ann~

Fun on the Job

2008-09-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts of my job is delivering and installing completed art projects for you.

It’s fun because I get to see how the art looks in your home or office, and the happy looks on your faces.

Often I get to see very interesting collections of art already hanging in your homes, and since I believe the art we choose to display is a true indication of what we love to express and enjoy, I get a unique insight into the person living there.

Sometimes we know exactly where a particular piece will hang and how you want it displayed. Many times however, l am asked to give advice about its location and proper position on the wall.

There are no hard and fast rules about positioning art, but there are some general guidelines I follow when asked.

When determining how high to hang a piece, a good starting place is to place the bottom one-third of the art 60 inches from the floor. This can appear low to many, but too often art is hung too high to be properly enjoyed.

Of course, pieces displayed over furniture, or in hallways where they are at risk of being bumped have to be placed a little higher.

Another common mistake is hanging pieces that accompany each other too far apart. Most people think that spreading out the pieces to fill up the wall looks best. Usually however, it looks better to group pieces closer together to create more of a statement. The distances between the two pieces usually are best at 8 to 12 inches for normal sized framed art.

One last tip. When hanging art over a mantle or table that is against a wall, don’t be concerned with splitting the distance between the mantle or table and the ceiling. Doing so will only disconnect the art from the furniture if you have high ceilings. Instead “tie” the art to the furniture by lowering it much closer to it than the ceiling. Again this will create a statement that highlights the whole grouping not just parts of it.

I hope some of these tips will help, and feel free to call our galleries if you have any questions about installing art or mirrors.
Ken

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

2008-09-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves summer, right? Vacations, pool parties, trips to the beach…It’s three months of fun in the sun and good times. Now that it’s pretty much over, I thought I’d share some of my summer adventures. This was my first summer officially living in Chicagoland. We made the most of our proximity to Lake Michigan, and like most people new to the area, I am fascinated by the lake. It’s so big and beautiful and powerful….but so much fun! Here are a few photos of my time at the lake.

Lake Michigan at Warren Dunes.

We vacationed in New Buffalo, Michigan, and spent our first afternoon at Warren Dunes. The color of the lake was amazing that day. I spent hours sitting in the waves and collecting smooth rounded pebbles as they washed up.

Sunsets over New Buffalo Harbor were amazing to watch. It was so peaceful. We sat by the water and watched the sky turn gorgeous shades of reds and oranges and purples. We went to a nearby restaurant with rooftop seating to watch the sun slip into the lake.

Labor Day at Wihala Beach in Whiting, Indiana, was so much fun. It was the perfect day for laying on the beach and taking out the waverunner. The water was actually pretty warm, once you got used to it. These two pictures are of my crazy friends performing death-defying stunts on our old waverunner.
Do you have fun vacation stories and pictures to share? Bring them in to Framing Concepts and tell us all about them!

-Tracy-

Vegas Baby!

2008-09-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

I have a vacation coming up at the end of the month, and my husband and I have decided to go with a group of friends to Las Vegas! This will be our first trip out west. When people ask us if we’ve been out west, we've been forced to say…hmm does Wisconsin or Illinois count???

Needless to say we are both very excited.

Our trip will begin in Vegas, and then we plan to drive to the Hoover Dam & Grand Canyon before heading back. It goes without saying that I plan to hit up any art galleries I can find along the way. I also plan to take as many pictures as I can, though unfortunately I must admit, I’m not much of a photographer. Most of my images have a thumb in them, and I never seem to understand when I should and shouldn’t use the flash… Hopefully I’ll have a few images I can post when I get back. If any of you have been out to the Vegas area and have any recommendations, please share! And wish me luck!

Look out Vegas here we come Sept 28th - Oct4!!!

~Barbara Ann~

Furniture For Your Walls

2008-08-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

While flipping through one of my magazines, ‘BHG decorating’, I stumbled across an image of a space that had a truly customized application for custom framing. They selected fabric for a headboard, and surrounded it with a custom frame. What a fantastic idea! With so many fabrics & mouldings to choose from, the possibilities are endless to create a dramatic focal point in a master suite! So, to anyone looking for a creative headboard, give me a jingle, I’d love to try this project out!

As Ken would say, framing is “Furniture For Your Walls”…

Check it out:

~Barbara Ann~

Digital Scrapbooking

2008-08-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

I’m so happy to have a job that compliments one of my hobbies, scrapbooking. Scrapbooking, art and framing parallel in so many ways:
The most important - Preserving memories for generations to come or remembering a special day.
Use of color – it is always interesting to me how color can make or break a project.
And then, of course, creating a focal point or bringing a focal point to life. There is a fine line between absorbing all that is going on within a scrapbook page and really noticing what you really want to see – the picture!

I mainly do digital scrapbooking, which is creating a page entirely in the computer, and then printing it out. Viola – ready for the scrapbook. I enjoy the ‘real thing’ more; creating a page using the real photograph, real paper and embellishments. It is textural, has depth, and sometimes can be more vivid, much like the difference between original art and a print or giclée. But alas, digital scrapbooking is so much quicker.

I think that’s why I like using the Integrated Framer® Visualization system – a framing visualization software that allows you to see what your artwork will look like, matted and framed, before you begin. It applies the same principles – that frame doesn’t work – let’s try this one – quick as snap! See what I mean?
As for now, I will preserve my memories in my computer and one of these days, I’ll frame a really good one!

-Pat-

The New Designer In Crown Point

2008-08-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

Framing Design is a personal experience that builds strong relationships between clients and designers. Changing designers can be more stressful than changing hairdressers; I understand that it can be disappointing to expect one person and get another. Gabe is an outstanding designer and a hard act to follow. But here I am, and I am so excited to be a part of the Framing Concepts team as the new lead designer at Crown Point. I want to provide the excellent service that Gabe gave to his clients as well as match his flair for design creativity. Framing Concepts is an amazing place to work and I hope to share my own sense of style and personality while continuing to learn and perfect this craft.

I may be a new face here at Framing Concepts, but I’m not new to framing. After I received my Bachelor’s in Fine Arts, I found framing through a varied career path that included computer animation, motion graphics, and video editing. I started framing in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2002 and recently relocated to beautiful Northwest Indiana last August. Framing is so interesting to me because of the endless possibilities in design and the fascinating background stories that accompany each and every piece. I look forward to hearing all of your stories and creating beautiful presentations for your treasures.
~Tracy~

Design Star Game

2008-07-30T13:04:00.001-07:00

I love HGTV. In fact that station is on my TV as soon as I get in the door each day & thanks to Ti-Vo, it’s recording my favorites while I’m away. I'm not sure if any of you have been watching Design Star, but I found this game and thought it was cute -you'll have to give it a whirl. (Turn sound on)Good Luck!
~Barbara Ann~

Summer Project

2008-07-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

I just had the best 6 weeks of summer fun. During that period my stepson and I built a new deck on the back of my home. We got super creative as we went which made it a lot of fun, and resulted in a finished product that was quite a bit larger and different than the original plan.

The final deck was 1100 square feet, not including a 25’ x 8’ wide 12 foot high pergola walkway that added privacy and plant support to the west side. We also added an open beamed roof element over an area that will someday (soon I hope) hold a hot tub.

Other things we added were 3 large planter boxes, cabinets to complete the barbeque area, and a special cooler for iced beverages. The final touches were adding triangular shaped sail cloths for shade and more than 2 dozen low voltage lights so we can enjoy the deck long after sunset. We also added a gas-powered heater to warm it during the cool evenings.
My wife and I will enjoy this new addition for many years to come. But the best part was being able to spend such a long period with my step son who’s skills in carpentry made this something special.

Below are some pictures of the deck - what do you think?

Hazards of the Job

2008-07-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

Every job has its upsides and downsides. A cabbie criticizing his wife’s driving, a doctor getting asked medical questions at a party. I am sure you know yours.
Mine is that I can’t look at picture framing the same way as I did before I learned about it. It’s not just the way it looks in terms of the color of matting and/or frame, but I think ‘does it have a uv protecting glass on it’, or if the mats are discolored (a tell tale sign of acid in the mats) I think ‘owww, the harm it’s doing to the art’. And if I see art that has bugs under the glass, I just want top rip it off the wall, run it back to the gallery and clean it out!
On the flip side, I appreciate good framing when I see it. Whether it is a great color scheme, a designer’s vision well executed, or a beautifully hand crafted frame. Then I realize, it’s not a hazard, it’s the beauty of knowledge.

Fun to Remember

2008-07-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

Recently, I’ve really found it fun to collect memorabilia from athletes I enjoyed watching in years past.

I never had interest in doing this before, but I think as I’m getting older, I am realizing how unique and special my favorite players and teams are, and putting these collections on my office walls reconnects me with those times.

I don’t have many, but the ones I do are very special because of the memories they bring. My collection includes an autographed jersey and ball by Ernie Banks, a Celtic jersey worn and autographed by Larry Bird; a Dick Butkus autographed jersey, and a few other small collections of sports trips taken to Final Four and Ryder Cup events.

The Banks and Butkus jerseys remind me of times spent watching sports with my father.

The Bird jersey represents my college years when he played against the school I attended.

The others, more recently, remind me of great times with friends.

My favorite piece was one we designed and made, but I didn’t get to keep. It was a piece we gave to Chesterton basketball player Matt Nover when he graduated from Indiana University.

Since I knew Matt’s parents very well, I asked them to provide me with many of the pictures, awards, pins, ticket stubs, nets and other memorabilia they had collected over the past four years. We built a very unique shadowbox designed like the playing floor at IU, complete with the curved walls that separate the stands from the playing floor.
I presented the piece to Matt at a ceremony held in Chesterton, which included Coach Knight as a guest speaker. It was a great evening - one I’ll never forget, and hopefully the shadowbox of memories will allow Matt to reconnect that time for the rest of his life.

Ken

Fun With Texture...

2008-06-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

If I see an interesting texture, I have to touch it. It’s a compulsion, I admit it. Fabrics, pets, buildings…I have to know what they feel like. I like to play a little game and imagine what else has the same texture. (Fleece jacket? = Wooly sheep!) I can’t fight the irresistible urge to examine textured materials, but maybe that explains why I like to include them in my framing. Whether it be a rustic moulding or a course linen mat, I enjoy adding a little something tangible to a design. So, if you ever happen upon me at the design counter, suede mat in hand and a faraway look in my eye, please understand what is going through my head:

~Tracy~

Can it really be summer?

2008-06-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

Finally!
This is my favorite time of year; the warmth, everybody out in their yards, and of course, the vacations!

I love summer vacation memories. I want to be reminded of them daily.
One of my favorite things to do while on vacation is look for that perfect silhouette picture, frame it and put them in my bathroom – I go there everyday – why not?

It all began when we were on in the Cayman Islands, just relaxing on the beach – not a care in the world – watching the sun fall into the horizon - when suddenly we spotted a tall ship – I grabbed my camera (always with me) and took a couple of pictures. When I got it developed (pre-digital days) I noticed my husband’s big toe in the frame. At first I thought ‘we can crop that out when we frame it’, but the more I looked at it, I liked the big toe! It brought a whimsy and personal touch to the picture.

Then, when we were in Key West, again watching the boats on the water, and the sun fall into the horizon, I had to take a picture. This time my husbands head right there! Oh man, I really want the sunset and the boats. I took several pics from different views, but the one with him in it is my favorite.
So when we went to Hawaii, I looked for that silhouette picture. In Hawaii, you can’t get away from the fresh smell of water, or the gorgeous sunsets sailing down from the sky. So it wasn’t hard to capture that perfect picture of my husband enjoying a good cigar, without a care in the world. How did I do?

Yes, there is a tall ship in the distance-and toe at the bottom center

-Pat-

Healthy Obsessions

2008-06-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

Art & design have always been a huge part in my life. (In fact, it has almost grown into an obsession!) I can’t go into a hotel or an office without noticing the quality of the framing…or lack thereof. This obsession was tactfully brought to my attention while I was in Mexico with my husband. (Let’s just say, not everyone has an understanding of the importance behind proper framing & design techniques). It makes me wonder if other professions are affected the same. For example, when a dentist first meets someone, are her eyes drawn immediately to the person’s teeth? Does an English teacher notice eech and evary germaticle airor?

My obsession with art also makes me find creative ways to bring my vacation home with me. For example, while we were in Mexico, the staff at our resort would put a card on our pillow telling us the weather forecast for the next day. On the back of these little cards were wonderful images by the artist Frida Kahlo. Needless to say I was inspired and had to collect all 6 images so I could frame them when I got home. The only problem was that I was getting duplicates, so to ensure my quest, my wonderful husband, who speaks fluent Spanish, did his best to communicate ‘framing’ terms to the staff so that I could complete my collection. I’m sure they thought I was nuts! The art didn’t cost us anything, (aside from a trip to MX…), yet this remains one of our favorite pieces on our walls because of the story behind it.

I guess our little obsessions aren’t a bad thing—they just mean that we love what we do so much that we take it out into the world with us.

~Barbara Ann~

Frig art?

2008-06-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

The other day a grandmother walked in, beaming from one ear to the other, with art her grandson had composed. She told me about how proud she was of him. She talked a little about his personality and I could see how that came out in his art. She thought carefully about colors and framing; she wanted it to reflect his personality.

As a grandparent myself, I get excited when clients come in with art that kids have painted, drawn, pasted … . It is my favorite type of art to frame. Usually there is such color variety mixed with energy & whimsy; it has an uninhibited flare to it.

At times the ‘artist’ themselves come in to pick up the framed piece, and you can tell it means a lot to them, they try to hold back that smile that they want to beam from ear to ear.

I see every time that by framing the child’s art, it shows the artist how proud you are; that you care and that their effort is worthy of hanging in your home or office. What a great way to encourage a child!

Isn't this a great piece?

-Pat-

Destined To Design

2008-06-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

I find art & design to be an unspoken language revealing the thumbprint of our unique personality. If you look at your walls, surely you’ll be able to identify either an image you have an attachment to, or a color you feel a connection with. Images are all around us telling stories...

As I’m sure you can envision, I was one of those children who always scanned through a book to see if there were any pictures before reading it. Not that I wouldn’t read a book without images, but rather, I’ve just always been excited by art. If you think about it, authors typically go through numerous attempts with artists until the vision of their work has been perfectly captured within the illustrations. So, judging a book by its imagery isn’t quite the same as judging a book by its cover, right?

Some of my favorite images from storybooks are:

We came across “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” at a garage sale,

and I just had to snatch it up. I love the mystery behind the shadows in the room.

It removes the characters from the story as if you were standing in one of their footsteps.

I love that the artist gives you a visual, but never really shows the faces of the characters.

It leaves more to the imagination, yet gives you insight into what he was imagining while he wrote it.

I loved images then, and am thrilled that I get to be around images everyday now!

~Barbara Ann~

Welcome!

2008-05-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Thanks for checking out Framing Concepts new blog.
For those of you that are unfamiliar with who we are...allow me to introduce.....drum roll please...

Name: Ken Baur
Gallery: Chesterton
Position: Owner
Experience: I've been selling custom framing since 1992
Childhood Ambition: To run a sub 4 minute mile
Interior Identity: Metropolitan Noir
Soundtrack: "Notting Hillbilly's"
Hobbies: Golf, Gardening
Wildest Dream: Walking the entire Yellowstone National Park
Biggest Challenge: Being patient
Perfect Day: Any day I don't have to leave the house
Top Movies: Pursuit of Happiness, Saving Private Ryan, Shawshank Redemtion
Inspiration: Those I've met that had difficult childhoods but still worked hard to have a positive, successful life.
Who he'd like to meet: Michael Jordan

Name: Pat Baur
Gallery: Chesterton
Position: Owner - Designer - Consultant for Corporate Concepts
Experience: Framing since 2001
Childhood Ambition: To make it this far
Interior Identity: Cottage Casual
Soundtrack: James Taylor, Jimmy Buffett, Billy Joel, Harry Chapin...
Hobbies: Scrapbooking, playing w/ grandchildren
Wildest Dream: A day at a really good spa
Biggest Challenge: Raising 2 Children
Perfect Day: Sleep until I wake up on my own
Top Movies: Any romantic comedy - the Thin Man series
Top Books: "Great Expectations", "The Birth Order Book", biographies
Inspiration: People - I believe I can learn something from anybody
Who she'd like to meet: Warren Buffet

Name: Barbara Ann Holmes - Yep, like the Beach Boys song...
Gallery: Valparaiso
Position: Designer
Experience: Framing and designing since 2000
Childhood Ambition: To be a star
Interior Identity: Mix between Classic Club and Global Origins
Soundtrack: Soulful ballads + Classic Rock + Oldies + Blues = Slush
Hobbies: Singing, dancing, painting, cooking, writing, competitions
Wildest Dream: Win a Grammy
Biggest Challenge: Rollercoasters, and Baking
Perfect Day: Any type of vacation with my family
Top Movies: Breakfast at Tiffany's, all National the Lampoons flix, Dirty Dancing, Wizard of Oz, Sandlot, The War
Top Books: "Chronicles of Narnia", "The Notebook"
Inspiration: My family, the great outdoors
Who she'd like to meet: Aretha Franklin, Steve Martin, Audrey Hepburn, Paul McCartney-What an interesting party that would be!

Name: Brian Boedeker, CPF
Gallery: Chesterton
Position: Production Manager
Experience: I've been with Framing Concepts since the beginning
Childhood Ambition: To be a bachelor
Interior Identity: Luxe Lodge
Soundtrack: ESPN Radio am 1000
Hobbies: Golf, basketball, kids (not necessarily in that order)
Wildest Dream: To be on the PGA tour
Biggest Challenge: Getting through the holiday season in production & golf
Perfect Day: Play 36 holes of golf and the kids sleeping in
Top Movies: Ace Ventura, Wayne's World, Anchorman
Inspiration: My wife and children
Who he'd like to meet: Tiger Woods, and Michael Jordan

Name: Tracy VonGruben
Gallery: All three FCG locations
Position: Designer & Production Assistant
Experience: Framing since 2002 in St. Louis, Missouri
Childhood Ambition: To be an artist, veterinarian, astronaut, archaeologist, rockstar...and that's all before lunch...
Interior Identity: Urban Loft-Global Origins Blend
Soundtrack: Does it Rock? Then I probably like it.
Hobbies: Playing piano, Digital photography, listening to music
Wildest Dream: Traveling to all the (warm) continents
Biggest Challenge: Getting used to chicagoland traffic
Perfect Day: Swimming with the dolphins off Cozumel...
Favorite Movies: Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein
Favorite Books: Jurassic Park, Les Miserables
Inspiration: My family & friends are a constant source of inspiration and the reason I get up in the morning
Who She'd Like To Meet: Indiana Jones...guess that's never going to happen...

Introducing our Three Galleries:

Chesterton Gallery

Crown Point Gallery

Valparaiso Gallery

Thank you for viewing our first blog, please check our blogs often, and let us know what you think!