Carol Skinger

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Tips for framing original art and prints

February 9, 2021 by Soufiane

Commissioned house portrait by Carol Skinger

 

I’m going to describe best practices for framing here but caution you that using these methods is expensive. I myself sometimes use these methods for art in my own home and sometimes I don’t. Not everything needs to be handled this way. Not everything needs to last for 100 years. In short, if you have art or prints you have hidden in a drawer because you cannot afford museum grade framing, maybe you need to rethink the plan so you can enjoy the art you own now.

Archival framing methods are the way to go, which means 100% kozo paper hinges, 100% cotton rag, acid and lining free, alkaline pH buffered 4-ply mattes, and conservation glass or Plexiglas.

You can also go with plastic corner mounts and hinge the top matte to an acid-free foam core backing with acid free linen hinges.

There is some back and forth on buffered and non-buffered matte board, but with concerns about general acidity of the air, using buffered matte board is the more conservative method.

I have always found Japanese paper hinges (using rice starch paste) a real pain to work with, so I tend to use a middle ground:

  • Acid-free linen tape hinges
  • 100% cotton rag, acid and lining free, alkaline pH buffered, 4-ply mattes
  • Conservation glass or Plexiglas
  • Acid-free foam core backing

For something that you want to be long lasting as well as reversible (so the owner can have the print or art re-matted later, etc. if so desired) you will want to avoid dry/cold mount methods.

If you insist of entire adhesion to backing for a totally smooth appearance, digital prints should probably not be heat mounted. Ask your framer or reprographics professional. In Pittsburgh, that is Modern Reproductions and Tristate. But lets face it lots of things can be fully mounted.

Pictureframes.com has a “personal frame shop” on their top header. This is a great way to try on mats and frames and you can even select a wall color behind the framed art. You have to upload an image from your computer. Because color can appear differently on a screen than it does in reality I still suggest using a local framer. In the Pittsburgh area I like (in no particular order)  Boxheart Gallery, James Gallery , Framezilla , and Panza Frame and Gallery. And I think you should not feel embarrassed to take your big discount coupon to Michaels as well. They have archival and museum glass too.

If you decide to have any of my work framed via an online framing business, you must take the dimensions from my actual art once you receive it and not from my “approximate dimensions” listed for each piece.

Framing is up to you! Yes archival framing is best but expensive, just do what you can to get art on your walls and enjoy it!

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: commissioned painting, decorative iron railing, historic house, House Portrait, Squirrel Hill, sunset glow, white house

21 House Portraits by Carol Skinger

July 29, 2020 by carolskinger

A few of my custom house portraits. Contact me for an estimate. I use watercolor and gouache which is opaque watercolor.  

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: artist will paint a picture of your home, best house portrait, Carol Skinger, commissioned art, creative house portrait, Custom House Portrait, intense watercolor, watercolor painting, whimsical watercolor

Small Mall and art by Carol Skinger

February 11, 2020 by carolskinger

lime green tree, yellow, red, orange foliage, yellow building, landscape, delicate painting
Weekend Wanderers at Frick Pittsburgh by Carol Skinger

In January 2020 I completed 21 new artworks, mostly watercolor and gouache and rushed 12 of them to the printers. For the next 90 days I am so happy to say I am one of the new artists and makers who will have work for sale at Casey Droege’s Small Mall in Lawrenceville. My work will be archival glicee  prints of these latest artworks at Small Mall at 5300 Butler St in Upper Lawrenceville. The opening is Wednesday February 12, from 6-8 PM. See my new prints here.

All my work created in January was a promise that each artwork would include a sculpture, or what I think is a sculpture. Most of them are in Pittsburgh.

“Small Mall is the concept store for CDCP, an arts business focused on growing Pittsburgh’s art economy. Stop by our experimental retail space to purchase art and design objects from some of the region’s most talented makers.”

Have you heard of the new TRYP Hotel in Lawrenceville? Read more about the architecture and art there.  Casey Droege was the art consultant bringing the artwork of many artists to the walls. Monmade was involved too.

I encourage you to sign up for Casey’s eblasts and read about what they are.

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Casey Droege Cultural Productions, Fall color in Pittsburgh, Lawrenceville, luminous, Pittsburgh Art, Pittsburgh Art Consultant, Pittsburgh Artist, Small Mall, Watercolor. Gouache

Paintings of Sculpture

January 7, 2020 by carolskinger

Orange in the Woods 8 x 8 Carol Skinger
Orange in the Woods 8 x 8 Carol Skinger

2020 I started the year with a month of art making on the theme of including a sculpture, or what  I think is sculpture in each artwork. Perhaps because my father was a sculptor and metals artist I have quite a lot of sculpture and I have an appreciation for sculpture.  Here is the group of what I completed on this theme in January 2020. 

The show in February 2020 was at CDCP Project Space317 S Trenton Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15221. Just before COVID 19 shut everything down. 

About the venue: Casey Droege of Casey Droege Cultural Productions (CDCP) expanded from the still current Small Mall space 5300 Butler St Lawrenceville into the former Percolate Gallery space Wilkinsburg in summer of 2019. The director of Percolate Gallery Space Carolyn Pierotti stayed on as a key partner in Droege’s Wilkinsburg expansion named CDCP Project Space.

You might know Casey for her programs mixing 5 minute artist presentations with chefs in various locations titled Six x Ate. You can subscribe to her Six x Ate eblast  here so you won’t miss one.  lor and Gouache. El Anatsui design for façade of Carnegie Museum of Art 2013-14, Carnegie International. Made and installed in Pittsburgh by Dee Briggs and community. Richard Serra’s Carnegie 1985.

 

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Carnegie International 2014, Carnegie International 2018, Carnegie Museum, Carol Skinger, contemporary sculpture, contemporary sculpture in Pittsburgh, el anatsui, Fun a Day, fun a day pittsburgh, Gouache, Hartwood Acres, Hartwood Acres sculpture, Pittsburgh, rock as sculpture, Sculpture, sculpture in Pittsburgh, sculpture park, Thaddeus Mosley, watercolor, wood, wood sculpture

Goat paintings

January 12, 2019 by carolskinger

My paintings of goats were inspired by visits to  Goat Rodeo Farm and Dairy . Their goat cheese is amazing and I learned how personable goats are.  I created the paintings for a 2 day event in Feb 2019 at Artist Image Resource. The  unframed original paintings (not prints)  are for sale. Those already sold begin with SOLD under the image. Just send me a message if you would like to purchase one of them through my contact page .

My facebook page ‘Carol Skinger Artworks’ which I invite you to like also has a full album with dimensions and prices.

SOLD  $150. 12″ X 18″ – ‘Minds Meeting’ pastel on paper.

 

Available $200.-14″ x 17″- ‘Two Goats in Snow’ watercolor & gouache on paper.
SOLD $200.-12″ X 12″ – ‘Snow Goat’ watercolor & gouache on paper.
SOLD $250.-12″ X 16″- ‘Four Goats at the Fence’
Available $200.-12″ X 16″ -‘Camoflage Goat’ watercolor & gouache on paper.
Available $200.-8 1/2″ X 8 1/2″- ‘Goat family’ watercolor & gouache on paper.
Available  $200.-12″ x 12″- ‘Goat on a Summer Day’ watercolor & gouache on paper. itv was a rectangle when i posted this image. it is now a square with goat centered.
Available $175.- 7″ x 10″ – ‘Goat & Paintbrushes’ watercolor & gouache on paper.
Available $175.-9″ x 11″ – ‘Man kicks Goat’ watercolor on paper
Available $175.-11″ x 14″ – ‘Goat Kicks Man’ watercolor & gouache on paper
Available $200.-12″ X 12″- ‘Sculptural Goat’ watercolor & gouache on paper.
Available $175.-16″ x 16″- ‘Pat the Goat’ watercolor on paper.
Available $150.-12″ X 18″ – ‘Minds Meeting’ pastel on paper.
$150.-12″ x 16″- ‘Meeting of the Minds’ watercolor & ink on paper.
SOLD $350 -12″ X 18″- ‘Herd on the Move’. Prints of this are available as a 12″ x 16″ archival print on watercolor paper with a 3/4″ border white paper all around. It is $75. Check here for print. 
SOLD $200.-12″ x 12″ – ‘Goats in the Forest’ watercolor & gouache on paper.
SOLD $175. 8 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ Brown goat on green & blue. Watercolor, gouache, ink.
SOLD $200.-12″ X 16″ – ‘Goat near Barn’ watercolor & gouache on paper.
Available $200.-12″ x 15 1/2″ – ‘Goat at Low Tide’ watercolor & gouache on paper.
SOLD $175.-12″ X 12″- ‘Gray Goat’ watercolor on paper.
Available $350- 22″x 22″ – ‘White on Blue Goat’ watercolor & gouache on paper.
Available $175.-12″ x 12″ – ‘Three blues’ watercolor & gouache on paper.
Carol Skinger with the Goat paintings (mostly goats) painted January 2019.
Available $200.-12″ X 18″ – ‘Mid Century Lamp on New Years Day’ pastel on paper.

I did this on the first day before I realized I wanted to make art about goats all month.

Available $200.-12″ x 18″ – ‘Abstract totems’ watercolor on paper. (a couple days I needed a break from goats)
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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Allison Park, Carol Skinger, farm to table, farm to table Pittsburgh, FCASD, Fox Chapel Area School District, goat, goat cheese, goat farm, Goat Rodeo, Goat Rodeo and Farm, Goat Rodeo Cheese, Goat Rodeo Farm and Dairy, goats, Hampton Area School District, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania goats, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh agriculture, Pittsburgh Artist, Pittsburgh goat, Pittsburgh North, simple watercolor, watercolor

Mid Century Lamp Pastel Still Life

January 2, 2019 by carolskinger

 

1/1/2019 New Years day pastel. First artwork of the year.

Pastel of Mid Century floor lamp with with bittersweet in a vase.

It’s here in my studio if you are interested. send me a message via my contact page.

I got the bittersweet on a bike ride on Thanksgiving morning.

 

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: bittersweet, green background, Green vase, Mid century lamp, Mid Century Modern, pastel

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Artist in Pittsburgh born and raised in Vermont, Lake Champlain Islands  & Stowe.

My own artwork and prints  can be purchased directly from me.

My vintage Schenley Park Illustrated Map,  is very popular. It is carried at Heinz History Center Shop. Sales of the map  help in keeping my art supplies replenished.

Some of my prints and cards are available at prints at Casey Droege’s Small Mall shop in Lawrenceville as well as her satellite space in Wilkinsburg. In addition some of my work is available at Firebox Art Studios LCC in Carnegie, PA and Dovecote in Aspinwall.

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Carol Skinger. All Rights Reserved.