Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Framing Suliao Xuan Ban

I  mounted a few of my Ji Mo technique paintings using the Sulia Xuan Ban method that I devised ( see my blog dated September 20, 2015) so it's time to build frames for them.

The reason for employing the Sulia Xuan Ban method is to showcase the translucent Xuan by adopting a float like appearance.  I also want to take advantage of the clear plastic board such that I can display my Ji Mo paintings against a light.  I've done these paintings with that in mind.  I was very cognizant of the light sources in those paintings. 

I was looking for that stained-glass effect with my ink paintings.

I tried to keep things really simple.  I cut a groove with my dado blades in my 1x2 stock to accept the painting/plastic board/backing sandwich.  I tried to dry fit everything for a test run, to make sure my cuts were correct.

 
 
Satisfied that the pieces would fit, I glued them together.  I left one side of the frame open and secured with screws.  This is the door through which  the painting stack would be installed and changed out in the frame.
 
I decided to stain my frames with ink this time around.  This idea came about because my paintings were about Ji Mo ( accumulating ink technique), so why not use ink to the fullest.  Satin urethane was applied  to protect the ink stained frames.
 
There was something very satisfying by staining with ink.  The unpainted poplar stock took in ink like Xuan takes on ink.  I could pretend that I was doing calligraphy and marvelled at the brushstrokes.
 
 
 

 
 
I had some plywood remnants left so I cut them up to fashion some sort of a bracket/stand to prop up my paintings.  Dado blades were used to cut channels to accept the frame.  Ink was again used to stain these stands.

 
 
 
I was pretty elated when I put the finished product in front of a window.  The light that seeped through the plastic board and Xuan really helped to illuminate the light effect I was yearning to impart.
 
 



The clear border around the painting added to the flair when coupled with this back lit environment.
This is a float in the literal sense.

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