Chaos with a purpose

Dec. 6, 2012

In theory, this is everything you don't want in a photograph, but it is late at night and only a small portion of the cross hasn't been done before, the section beginning the left arm of the cross. It was taken with flash ("don't use close up with flash unless absolutely necessary"), and the center has therefore received light that has flattened it and made it lose its shading.

But it was that sort of day.  I started to finish some prints to give to Kris Jenott for her show in Olympia only to find that with a foam back they wouldn't fit in the plastic sleeves I had cut to size for them.  I had to use some bristol board for backing that was several dollars a sheet and it cost me valuable time.  In the end I had only three prints to give her instead of the five I wanted. Then I began the process of packing cards for show and Sue said,"Aren't you supposed to sign those first?" Of course, she was right so I signed and addressed the back of twenty cards.  The clock kept ticking and there seemed no end of details to be done.  Finally, things were packed and ready to go in a driving rain and I was twenty minutes late to meet Kris and her mother, Violet, and the house was covered in mounting boards, cut backing boards, sheets of paper printed and misprinted and other marks of chaos.

Tomorrow I shall once again become an artist and work on the picture we are following.  I thought I should give some useful advise so that you might say, "Curtis taught me something today."  So, my helpful hint has little to do with color, colored pencil, paper, or design, but rather to make you backing board 1/8th inch smaller than the mat you are cutting.  The small 1/16th inch on each side makes it easier for the novice customer to frame their new artwork.  Did I help someone, somewhere?