Prepping Art for Folly Sol
*Inside the Studio: Exploring the Creative Process*
While packing paintings, prints and stickers to ship to a small boutique art shop in Charleston, I found myself reflecting on all the steps it takes to get artwork from my studio to a storefront.
After framing everything I discovered one painting had stuck to the glass and it got damaged when I removed it. I ended up reframing any pieces where the art touched the glass, adding mats to create a gap and prevent this from happening again. See photos of new frames below.
I thought I’d share a few photos of the work heading to Foly Sol in South Carolina along with a quick list of all the things I’ve learned go into selling art—things I never really thought about in the beginning.
When I first started, my focus was completely on making the art itself. It didn’t take long to realize there’s a whole behind-the-scenes process that comes with getting work into shops and galleries.
Over time, I’ve actually come to enjoy it all—the framing, documenting, shipping, and everything in between. For anyone just starting out, here’s a quick list of the things I’ve had to sort out along the way:
Finding places to sell art and matching the work to the audience
Communicating and coordinating with shop/gallery owners
Varnishing decisions
Framing choices and finishing techniques
Titling the art
Indexing and documentation
Certificates of authenticity
Pricing
Packing and shipping
Scaling up as demand grows
Each of these topics could be its own blog post—and I’ll likely cover some of them in the future. For now, here’s more behind the scenes photos of the art I shipped to Folly Sol.
Paintings on paper after trimming and varnishing
I paint the back of my paintings on paper to help keep the art flat and add stability. I mat my art with archival mats and linen tape.
Shell painting matted, framed and ready to go.
How I finish the back of my frames using water activated paper tape, hanging wire and a certificate of authenticity attached with an index label.
Certificates of authenticity add a touch of professionalism.
I don’t mind when up-cycled old frames show a certain amount of wear and tear.
Love the way the tone of the wood matches the dark areas in this little painting.
Most of my larger prints are museum quality archival giclée prints on Hahnemuhle William Turner paper. They are more expensive to produce, but the quality is well worth the price.
Securely packing the originals, prints, stickers, and inventory list.
Midcentury modern wood frames work great for coastal subject matter. Can’t wait to find more frames like this for some of my tiki inspired art.
I kinda have a thing for gold frames too.
I love finding unique and interesting frames at estate sales and thrift shops. I think this one really goes well with this painting.
Although my originals are almost always signed in the actual painting an be hard to see. So sometimes I’ll sign the mat as well.
Simple black frames are another solid choice, especially when there’s black or dark grey present in the art.
Got questions about my process—or tips from your own experience? I’d love to hear them! Share your thoughts or stories in the comments and let’s swap ideas.