Taos style frames

Framing artwork is pretty important. It can set off a painting and really help it command attention. Framing artwork in a way that supports the subject and intention of the artist. The right frame is part of the story.

Framing can also be very expensive. As an artist, it can be a struggle to frame work well. The right frame makes an impact on the likely sale of a work. No one wants to invest extra time into framing something after they purchase art. I don’t.

I am trying to move into appreciating the landscape with my work. That traditional “Taos” look is pretty specific when it comes to a frame. They tend to have a lot of hand carving and are usually gilt. This is challenging to find … and pay for these days.

These frames mix the style of the day with some southwestern accents that have been embraced by collectors and galleries. While I really don’t know much about the history of these frames, they are very easy to identify. A painting with this sort of frame suggests that it is part of a museum collection. If you want a contemporary painting that will have that New Mexico flair, you pretty much want to go this direction.

I realize that most of the associated designs fall within the “Impressionist” classification of frames. You might also consider them Plein Air frames. These frames could also be from Newcomb Macklin out of Chicago.

I have tried to put together a list of online resources for similar less-expensive frames. This is what I could come up with today.

• Jerry’s Artarama has some very basic frames for good prices.
• I usually get my basic frames from Blick.
• This is the good stuff out of Santa Fe.
• I think this might work nicely for a square gold frame.
• These seem reasonable but not incredibly nice.
• I really like the arrow like carving on these frames.
• Could be pretty great but also annoyingly expensive.
• If I wanted to support Amazon and not worry about delivery.
• They have a lot of passable options on this site.
• These frames might also basically work.