AboutSara Tro Expertise I am a professional custom picture framer and designer. I have experience in all areas of
picture framing, and own my own custom framing shop. I can answer questions relating
to the design of a piece, the preservation of the artwork, color theory, photograph
restoration, decor, art placement, room balancing and installation questions.
Experience I have owned my own retail custom frame shop for 5 years, and managed a high-end shop before that for 5.5 years. I worked for a professional restorer and archivist for 8 months prior to the management position. I am also a fine artist myself, with a BFA in Photography and Printmaking, and have been framing my own work for years and years.
Education/Credentials BFA Fine Arts, NYSCC at Alfred University, NY
Expert: Sara Tro Date: 7/4/2008 Subject: Mounting an original watercolor
Question QUESTION: I've referred to many books and web sites and have never found an answer to
this question.
HOW DO YOU MOUNT A WATERCOLOR FOR A "FLOATING" MATT EFFECT??
Thank you, Carol
ANSWER: hi Carol,
thanks for writing!
sorry you've had so much trouble finding an answer to your question!
I'll try my best to end your search :)
So, you can either float the art, float the mat, or float both, and the treatment is similar for all, which is good.
For dramatic effect, people can do what's called a "raised mat", or a floating mat. This is when the art will live behind the mat, which has a window cut into it. A framer will raise the mat so that the mat comes forward away from the artwork, which can create a subtle but effective look that is elegant and clean. To do this, cut the window as usual, flip it over on its face. You'll need to cut strips of either scrap matboard or acid free foam core, cut narrower than the sides/top/bottom mat dimensions by about half the width. Using either archival glue or inert ATG (double sided tape), attach the strips to the back of the mat, all the way to the outer edge, and starting with the top one.. Also, be sure the side strips rest against the top one.. (This prevents the top strips from slipping eventually).
Then, you'll treat this mat like you normally would, but never hinge the art to the overmat, hinge it to a backing. Now your mat will hover over the art!
If you want to "hover" float the art, ( that last part was probably a bore to read, sorry!), where the art vertually floats above the mat, here's how. Take your W/C, lay it in a clean surface on its "face"/ front. Measure out a piece of substrate (acid free foam core or cotton rag board) that is about 1" smaller than the overall art size. Using archival methods, (a T or S hinge, depending on the weight.. S hinge for heavier, filmoplast p-90 or better quality for the tape material ), attach the hinge to the art first.. If you're using p-90, burnish the bottom of the hinge very well to the art. Then, position the smaller backing on top of the back of the art where the hinges are, flip the whole package over, weight the piece on the front, and lift each top edge to reveal enough of the backing so you can slide a burnishing tool under the art to burnish the tops of the hinges to the backing. Now, the art has a pedestal to float on, so you need to cut a piece of mat for the art to float on. This will be visible from the front and will enhance the artwork. Now, mount the art, via the backing it now floats on, to the main mat, using S hinges and some ph neutral glue. (S hinges go through the back mat, and sort of appear like a very shallow "s"). You'll need to add shadow box walls or spacers to lift the glass off of the artwork.
I hope this makes some sense and helps out some!
these things can be hard to explain via email..
let me know if you need any other advice!
best,
sara
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks Sara!!
You're right...the process is hard to explain via email. I'm sure it will become
clearer when I discover what T and/or S hinges are. I'm a total beginner for
the mounting and framing of w/c.
Thank you for your help and prompt response!
Regards, Carol Rauss
Answer hi again!
yes, its hard to explain some if this stuff without diagrams, and unfortunately, T hinges are some of the hardest because they're simple but weird to explain.. I have tried on this site, but wound up feeling less than good about the result:)
I would try to find a good book with some basic framing techniques in it, which will explain a t or s hinge. I'll try to give you a simple instruction for both, but no promises :)
An "s" hinge is basically not an s, so don't think about the name really.
It's a good quality hinge, best for heavier work or for pedestal floats, like I described in the last answer. It works like this:
Place your mat/backing face up on a table. Make at least two slits in the mat about an inch in from where the art will float, (so that the slits/hinges are not visible when you place the art on the mat). Now, take a gummed tape, linen is good, (gummed means it has an adhesive that you wet to activate it), cut 2 pieces that're about 5" long, and hold them gummed side up. Now, thread the tape through the slit you made in the mat, 2/3 of it should be facing you, 1/3 will be on the back now. Flip over the mat board, wet the sticky side of the tape on the back and stick it to the mat, pointing up. Place an extra piece of tape over the stuck part of the tape to reinforce it.
Flip the mat back over, you'll have the tape pointing down ruth the sticky side facing you. Position the art, weight the bottom of the art, hang the top edge of the whole thing off the edge of the table and reach under the art to use your finger to wet the hinges with some spit (eww!), quickly slide the art back on the table and stick the art down. Weight the top of the art now to really stick it down.
Two important things here... If you're mounting the art directly to the backing/mat without a pedestal, do not wet the tape all the way to the top of it where it meets the slit. The art needs room to expand/contract, and can wripple if the tape prohibits movement. AND, thin psper artwork cannot always tolerate wetable tape. Thin papers will absorb the dampness and buckle where the hinge is. Use a pressure sensitive tape in those cases, or heat activated tape. Also, the tape should not be of a heavier weight, material-wise, than the paper the art is on.
Then, for a T hinge, tear off two pieces of tape, one about 2" long, the other about 1-1/2". The longer one becomes the top of the T, and the shorter one becomes the vertical leg of the T.. Overlap the tape, sticky sides to eachother, covering about a 1/4" or so of the shorter/vertical leg with the top of the T piece. You'll have a T shape, with stickies facing different directions. Now, (you'll have the art on a backing,usually), figure out where the art needs to be, & place a weight on the bottom to hold it down. Lift one top edge, place one bottom leg of a T hinge under the top edge of the art, and lower the art down... Do the other side. Press down to stick the tape to the art, then burnish the top edge of the T down to the backing. Once both hinges are burnished, remove the weight, lift the art and flip it back, revealing the backs of the hinges... Burnish those to the art. Flip art back over.. Now it is hinged!
These hinges can also be done in a way to hide them under the art, if you're floating it.. Attach hinges to the back of the art first, then place it on the mat, then weight the art and use a burnishing tool, reach under the art and burnish down the top of the T..
Phew..
lots of info for you there!! Sorry if its overwhelming..
Let me know how it goes!
sara
