One of the things I’m asked about most often in my home is the artwork. My mother purchased most of the large scale artwork in my home for me. She has quite an eye, and I’m so grateful that she was able to provide me with the beautiful art that graces my living room, stairs, and bedroom.
However occasionally I’m asked about the small prints that are around my house. One of my go-to sources for digital art is Musuemqualityart (MQA). They have everything to landscapes, to historical art (including people of color!). It really is a fabulous resource, one that I highly recommend.
Well what does one do with the art after you have found a piece you like? Well, you have two options:
you can either have MQA print and frame it for you,
or you can purchase the digital version, download it, and have it printed yourself and then frame it yourself.
I always do the second option. Mostly because I love a lot of the inexpensive frames at Target and sometimes Amazon.
Here are three ways I updated frames for my digital art pieces.
Spray Paint
I have had some medium sized (16x20) solid wood frames for close to 5 years. When I first purchased them they were a mahogany color, then I spray painted them black, then I took them down and put them in my closet for the better part of a year. When I decided I wanted to use them in my guest room and powder room, I knew the black color would not do. So I found my best gold metallic spray paint and went to work.
My tips for spray painting are:
Wear a mask
Shake the can for a good minute before you start
Put the item on a large piece of cardboard and spray paint in the grass if you have any. That way if paint drifts off the cardboard, it ends up on your grass (which will be cut eventually).
Use VERY LIGHT COATS. You may need to do up to three coats to really cover it well.
Let it dry in sunlight if at all possible.
Here’s the finished result:
Rub n Buff
I ordered these black wood frames from Amazon. They were made of a moulding type of detail so there was a raised area that I thought would be perfect for some rub n buff. My inspiration were the Stoffer Home Tree Tops art. I found some art on Etsy that was very close to the Jean Stoffer prints. And I also found some frames on Amazon that met the unusual dimensions of the Etsy prints (12x24). the problem with the Amazon frames was that they were missing the gold detail on the Jean Stoffer frames.
That’s easy enough to fix! I took my finger and LIGHTLY applied some rub n buff to the raised edge. Rub n Buff is a metallic wax that can be applied to various surfaces for a metallic finish. When it comes to rub n buff a little bit goes a very long way. So tread carefully. It dries within a few minutes and is nearly impossible to remove. So you have to be fairly precise.
Here’s the finished frame:
Rub n Buff and Spray paint
Using one of the frames I had spray painted black, I decided to add a light coat of rub n buff to give it an antique look.
Using a paint brush, I lightly brushed the rub n buff onto the top and sides of the frame. It’s a fairly quick process and only took me about 10 minutes. If it’s your first time using rub n buff it may take closer to 20 or 30.
The end result is so great for so little effort:
