Since working on pieces for Triptych Fusion, I've been experimenting on a ton of different materials ~ ones I normally would not have thought of marbling on had it not been for the show. One of these "new" materials is transparencies. Turns out, marbling on transparencies is not the easiest thing in the world to do ~ but it is a lot of fun once you get past the frustrations (or once you just let go of the frustrations). I have a couple of pieces that I really, really like but knew a traditional frame wouldn't do the marbled transparencies justice...I mean, they are transparencies after all and the light should shine through them for the full effect, right? After searching for what seemed like forever and a day for the perfect frame and not finding what I wanted, I decided to make my own ~ floating frames a la contemporary style. And am I in love!
This first one is two transparencies on top of one another (frame size = 11x14).
As you can see in the photo below, all four sides of the frame are open, allowing light to shine through front and back:
This one is a transparency on top of a photo I shot (of a cardinal in a tree at my parent's house) a couple of winters ago when in Minnesota (frame size = 8x10).
A better look at the construction of the floating frame:
I love the look ~ and functionality ~ of these frames. Not only can they be hung on a wall, they also are able to stand upright on a flat surface like a shelf, table, or mantle. And I am very, very happy with the way the light is free to move all around the artwork ~ front, back, left, right, top, bottom. Even in the most dimly lit room, you can tell this open frame best maximizes the beauty of working with transparencies and adds depth (and an almost 3-D quality) to the piece.
These two "experiments" have inspired me to work on a series of marbled transparencies. We'll see what happens...