It's that time of year a
For artists considering submitting an artwork to the RHA this year, now is the time to get organised!
Each year we are asked to frame work at the last minute so this year we thought that we would be a little more proactive by providing you with the details you need to know.
Submissions
Application forms will be available in mid February. If you have submitted work in the last two years, you will be automatically sent a form. Otherwise, to request a submission form for the Annual please follow the link bellow and fill in the request form. If you are a regular participant and have changed address please let us know. Entries can only be accepted on the correct paperwork, so please request your form to return by the closing date.

To request a submission form for the Annual please fill in the request form here

Closing date for applications is 27th March 2013.

Hand in & hand back Dublin dates have yet to be confirmed. Please check this website for updates

Framing
For artists that would like to use artisan frames for their framing, we are based in Clonmel but have agents in Carlow and in Dublin where you can leave in your work, discuss how you would like it framed.
For oversize work we have a van on the road to ensure your work gets there safely.
For more details call us on 052 6181909 or email info@artisanframes.ie

This is a Francis Bacon print we were asked to reframe recently.
The print itself was in an old frame and put in straight against the glass. Unfortunately this had caused the image some damage which meant that it had to be restored and flattened.
To show the full extent of the sheet of paper we advised the client to float mount it with gust a small margin or float allowing the paper edge to be seen. We then chose a light oak frame and wax finished it to give a nice mellow sheen to the finished piece.

Kilkenny arts week is in full swing with a range of events for theatre goers, music junkies and book lovers.
For those of you interested in the visual arts check out Shelia Naughton at Gallery one, castle yard in the Kilkenny design centre.
Some beautiful examples of brush drawings and mark making works on paper.
Also Bernadette Kiely's ethereal paintings and drawings of cricket players at Mount Juliette.

The Rha Summer Exhibition will come to a close shortly.
There are a large range of paintings on view as well as sculpture, mixed media and photography. There is also great value in the art market at the moment with prices back to more realistic values.
I always say to people, if you can buy one nice piece a year or even every two years, it doesn't take long to build up a collection of enjoyable work while having great fun donin
Be sure to have a look at the great range of work on display before it's gone.

    David Hockney again a British pop artist famously uses Apples ipad to create works of art. Using a brush app he was able to create digital works of art which he then emailed to his friends and collectors. Even though these works were created on an ipad they are instantly recognizable as David Hockneys work.
Art video installations, digital print as well as light and sound are now all part of the mainstream in art colleges and Galleries
Yet, Galleries for themselves don’t seem to employ the same embrace. I have been saying to gallery owners for some time now that it is time to come out from behind the desk and get going with a bit of self promotion. Not the usual mainstream variety of an ad in the newspaper or a glossy periodical but with new media such as audio and video.
Artists are often asked to give Gallery talks about their work and this is seen as an added bonus to meet the artist and get an understanding into the thought process behind the work.
With such unfettered access to artists a mini interview with the artist should become the norm.
As part of the whole exhibition experience from the invite to the catalogue, a video or audio piece of the artist talking about the work would help enhance the viewer experience. For the Gallery website it would help pull the site ranking up in Google search engines as well as creating an archive of the work that goes into the show. With the power of video in search engines a search by a collector for a particular artist should automatically pull up the Gallery video and hopefully a cross over to the website.
Two Irish artists that we work with, both abstract colourists have recently made their own video documentaries about their work, Declan O Mahoney from Cork and Peter Monaghan from Dublin. Perhaps in this age of recession where abstract work is seen as a hard sell they felt it necessary or maybe they just wanted to show the work and inspiration that goes into making a piece, in any case they are very interesting pieces to watch in their own right.
There are many simple tools for both computers and smart phones that make this job very simple.
For audio try Audioboo.com, this allows audio which can be tagged with relevant key words that make searching for a lot easier.
For video imovie is an extremely simple app that can be downloaded to a smart phone and allows editing, music overlay and sound recording. A share facility with face book and twitter is then at the touch of a button.

Are more controls required to protect important art works on display in museums and galleries?The recent damage to Monet’s Argenteuil Basin with single sailboat, highlight the need for tighter controls over viewing.While in Rome recently I went to an exhibition of works from the Guggenheim collection and security was rife, so much so that it spoiled the experience a little.Security is a fact of life and an absolute requirement for the protection of art but it is not the only solution. Viewing important artworks in other galleries behind large protective sheets of Perspex is not the answer either. Roping off an area in front of the painting as in the National gallery in London keeps visitors back a “safe” distance from the works on display but for the enthusiast close examination of the fine detail in a painting becomes lost.One of the things I like about our National Gallery here in Ireland is the fact that one can view the paintings up close and security is not over zealous. I like visiting galleries like the Crawford Gallery in Cork to see the remarkable Sean Keating and being able to see the brushwork.
Perhaps the time has come to place oils on canvas behind museum Perspex in their original frames.
 In my view this would not detract from the viewing of the work and would also negate the need for over the top security personnel. There is now a museum standard, non reflective and perfectly clear Perspex which is also anti scratch. This product would have protected the painting from damage accidental or malicious.
More information on museum perspex

This is an original oil painting by Irish artist Aloysius O'Kelly which we reframed recently. The old frame was chipped and broken and the collector of this artwork felt that they wanted to modernise this work but being sensitive to the age and style of the piece.
We use a hand gilded continental frame with a hand coloured gessoed liner to make the piece a little bigger.

posted by administrator artisan frames.

Artist Vincent Sheridan shows his print etchings of starlings at Ballymaloe house. The murmuration of these birds is a fascinating sight and provides the subject for much of Vincent's work. We were delighted to have had a close look at the etchings while framing them this week. Vincent uses a very subtle pallett with natural colours which makes his etchings very harmonious.
The exhibition runs from the 19th of May to the 9th of June at the Grainstore, Ballymaloe house, Shanagarry Co.Cork.