Do you frame your own artwork?

Not all artists feel as I do, but I made a decision when I first started painting that I would not frame my own paintings. I found a great framer and she helps me select frames that complement the artwork. Today I picked up these three new pieces. I'm very happy with them!

Do you frame your own artwork?
Late this afternoon I made it over to my favorite wildlife refuge and studied the way the light described and illuminated the cattails. I think that the best painting I've ever seen of cattails is this one by Marc Hanson. He painted it last year as a part of his Spring plein air marathon. For a month, he painted FOUR plein air paintings per day. What stamina!

"Fluff" by Marc Hanson

Cat Tails: Making it my own

Cat Tails
12 x 18, pastel on Wallis Museum

Today I felt quiet in the studio as I painted and my subject came from my beloved Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. I sketched and observed the wind on the cat tails for a long time last week. I sketched them, looked at them again, looked at the color, took a photo or two, looked at others. Some side-lit, some back-lit, some in full sun, others in shadow.

Today, a quiet painting. Still applying the design ideas, but making them my own.

I've known for a long time that I will paint cat tails, but Marc Hanson's painting, "Fluff," pushed me from 'will paint' to 'must paint.'