E-Tip: Art of Framing: Hillary Gross


                           



In step with her artistic family,  Hillary Gross  has pursued the art of painting for as long as she can remember.  By college, it had become her life’s work.  In 1991 she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Corcoran School, the small fine arts college and historic museum in Washington D.C.  

Long drawn to chalk pastels and oils for their intensity of color and rich texture, Gross has concentrated on the latter recently because she finds that most people respond more forcefully to the oil painting.  “Chalk pastels are very immediate for the artist.  You feel connected to every stroke, but oils speak strongly to people, and they provide a similar intensity to pastels.”

 Gross is particularly enamored with botanicals.  “I like to explore color, texture and shape, and nothing is better for this than botanicals.”  To prepare for a new painting, Gross chooses a fruit or flower, arranges it in interesting ways and takes several pictures.  From these pictures she chooses the image whose composition most appeals to her.  “Something that seems new.  And then I often change or edit the photograph for the painting.  I might black out the background or edit out spots on bananas.  Whatever seems to imbalance the composition goes, and what strikes me as most dramatic stays.”

This attraction to drama is apparent in the featured piece entitled “Six Pears,” in which the over-sized fruit spilling past the canvas’ edge, the exaggerated lighting effects and the black background conjure an exotic environment, such as a full-moon in the tropics, and suggest a profundity that can barely be contained.  (Oil on canvas.  Original size 24” x 36”).  

In April of 2011 Gross was honored by a solo show called “Botanicals” in St. Augustine, Florida at The Butterfield Garage gallery.  This summer the featured work “Six Pears,” is on display as part of the “All Florida Competition and Exhibition” held at the Boca Raton Museum of Art.  Appearing from June 29-September 11, 2011, this highly select group of 101 art pieces by Florida artists was selected from 1800 submissions.  We’ve framed “Six Pears” three ways: for simple contrast, natural texture and elegant intensity.  

The Art of Framing

Thrifty Ease-
The simplicity of this narrow metal frame in a dark taupe paired with a traditionally-sized cream mat puts the attention on the art, emphasizing its color drama—the bright pears against the black background—while maintaining a classic feel suitable for most any décor or public venue.


Print: Six Pears (20" X 13 7/16")
Frame:  Radius metal frame collection- Natural Steel R164 (25 3/4" X 19 3/16")
Top Mat: Cream Linen (cream core) CB407 (25 3/4" X 19 3/16")  Borders: Top: 3”   Sides: 3”   Bottom: 3”
Bottom Mat: Forest Green (white core) CBW229 (17 ¾” X 13 13/16”) Borders: Top: 2"   Sides: 2"   Bottom: 2"
Acrylic: Standard Acrylic AAS (25 3/4 X 19 3/16)
Mounting Board: Standard Mounting Board MTBS (25 3/4" X 19 3/16")

Framing Treatment Total: $46.08


Gallery Ready-
Just as the dramatic pears put a contemporary twist on mother earth, so too do the modern lines of this lightly stained cherry frame.  The neutral textured top mat echoes nature while the brightness of the slim-reveal bottom mat in yellow lends fresh energy to the treatment. 


Print: Six Pears (20" X 13 7/16")
Frame: Woodtones wood collection, Medium Cherry 656516 (25 3/4" X 20 3/16")
Top Mat: Bruxelles CS9853 (25 3/4" X 20 3/16") Borders: Top:2 1/2”  Sides: 2 1/2”   Bottom: 3 1/2”  
Bottom Mat: Haystack CS9520 (25 3/4" X 20 3/16") Borders: Top  3" Sides: 3”   Bottom: 4"
Acrylic: Standard Acrylic AAS (25 3/4" X 20 3/16")
Mounting Board: Artcare Restore MTBAR (25 3/4" X 20 3/16")

Framing Treatment Total: $114.20 plus FREE Shipping!
 

Fine Design-
Here the drama of the art is echoed in the drama of the rich, wide-faced mottled bronze frame and very dark top mat.  The frame’s extravagant profile creates depth, suggesting a temporal richness which conjures the still lifes of artists like Gaugin and Monet.  The shadow-colored top mat is offset by a narrow strip of bottom mat in cream to create a crisp edge for the art’s black background and to play off the dark/light tension of the pears themselves.


Print: Six Pears (20" X 13 7/16”)
Frame: Mode - wood collection- Mottled Bronze 11205 (27 3/4" X 21 3/16”)
Top Mat: Black Shadow 8669 (27 3/4" X 21 3/16”)   Borders: Top: 3 1/2"   Sides: 3 1/2"   Bottom: 3 1/2"
Bottom Mat: Colonial Cream 8667 (27 3/4" X 21 3/16”) Borders: Top: 4"   Sides: 4"   Bottom: 4"
Acrylic: UV Protection Acrylic AAUV (27 3/4 X 21 3/16)
Mounting Board: Archival Mounting Board MTBA (27 3/4 X 21 3/16)

Framing Treatment Total: $218.46 plus FREE shipping!





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