New from Tabby Ivy!

You know, I used to be a really good photographer.  Apparently it is a skill I am losing in my old age.  But rather than wait for some good photos, because patience is not one of my strong suits, here are a couple terrible pictures of the new pieces we have from local artist Tabby Ivy.  The first is a beautiful little 4x6 panel floated on a silk mat and framed with one of my new favorite mouldings.  It is called "Central Park Promenade" and is priced at $225.  What a wickedly good deal!

The next piece is so fresh some of the paint is still wet!  So far it is unframed but we will rectify that situation next week.  The panel is 10x8 and is titled "Almost to Valier."  (That would be Valier, Montana, population 498, located 71 miles northwest of Great Falls.)  Anyway, here it is:

Tabby was one of five artists who participated in a quick-finish event last night at the Bigfork Museum's annual fundraising auction.  She also has a piece in the Hockaday Museum's 10th annual Benefit Auction of Miniatures; the "seal the bid" party is tonight!

Three Quickies in the Gallery

About a week ago I promised you a picture of the new paintings we received from Sarah Rogers.  Finally, here they are.  Ruby and Rufous.  They are 8x8 watercolor panels and $600 each.

Pretty sweet, eh?  We wanted to hang these in the window but suddenly the days have gotten sunny, and although our front window is double paned and Low-E, the paintings are watercolors so ixnay on the window idea.  We also got a very sweet little painting from Tabby Ivy this week; Derek just built the frame for it today and we can't wait to put it out in the gallery.

For the first time in over 13 years we have grouped a bunch of small paintings together on the wall.  Normally we have "blocks" of pieces by the same artist, but we wanted to showcase these little jewels together.  As the sign says, "Good things come in small packages."

Last but not least for today, we got some wickedly cool photo frames from our friends at Bella Moulding in Chicago!  The front and back are made of clear acrylic and they are held together with four small magnets.    They hold a 4x6 photo and are so hip they will fit in any decor.

We have a lot going on in the framing department this week as well, including seven or eight prints for the designer down the street, Indonesian stick puppets, a print from Ethiopia, a map of Jamaica and the largest Rothko print I have ever seen.  There is a fairy, some tipis, two mirrors and a chalk pastel portrait.  We hope to post pictures of some of the more interesting framing projects soon.

Bling on a String!

Lola's Bolas are the latest addition to the collection of cool things here at Frame of Reference - the photo above is a shot of our newly filled display case. The traditional "bolo tie" is considered de rigeur Western Formal Wear (along with a good pair of jeans and your best boots) for many events here in Montana; our friend Tara has brought a modern and fashionable twist to the table, with styles for both men and women. Many of the women's bolas have matching earrings and bracelets, and several of the men's styles can be paired with a matching women's necklace for a coordinated look, whether you're out on the town or just lounging around the campfire. The bolas are suprisingly affordable, with prices ranging from $45 to $75; bracelets and earrings range from $15 to $35. Stop in and try on a little Bling on a String for your very own!

Our Swanky New Look!

That old template was a little boring, wasn't it? With the busy summer months right around the corner, Christine and I have been consumed by our usual desire to improve ourselves and our business. We have the technology. We can be better...faster...stronger... (Ach, if only we had six million dollars!)

Seriously, though - lots of changes for Frame of Reference in 2011. We've just taken on a new artist about whom we're very excited, and we'll post a little about her as soon as new paintings arrive. We've added a new jewelry line, created by a good friend right here in Bigfork. More on her later, too! We are also working on offering a couple of product lines here that are very artistic, but aren't "art" in the traditional gallery sense - they're not paintings, or sculpture. Can't say more about that until the deals are done, so to speak, but, once again, watch this space for more information. Suffice it to say, Frame of Reference continues to grow and mature, and this year, we'll be better than ever!

About the new look for this blog: we'd appreciate your feedback. Is the new font easy enough to read? Do the links work? Do the colors make you ill? At the behest of a client who couldn't find our phone number, we've added contact information just below our profile - thanks for the suggestion, Frank! Finally, I'm working on a background picture that's a little less generic, and a little more "us" but honestly, the templates are not as user friendly as I'd like and I ran out of patience today. Thanks for your patience. Cheers!