Framing & Art Centre

Framing & Art Centre is a Canadian based franchise founded in 1974. We are the largest art and framing franchise in Canada and the only frame shops with exclusive rights to offer Air Miles reward miles. Framing & Art Centres are located primarily in neighborhood shopping centres and pride themselves on providing excellent design and professional framing of the highest quality. We offer an Absolute Satisfaction Guarantee and have exceptional resources for finding artwork and custom framing materials for our customers. Framing & Art Centres are independently owned and operated by people who take pride in their community. These owners and their teams are dedicated to providing you with a positive "framing experience". Each Framing & Art Centre location strives to provide high quality custom framing for your unique style and personality. With hundreds of mat and frame samples to choose from, we know making custom framing selections can sometimes be a little overwhelming. We offer a warm and welcoming environment, and our knowledgeable and professional designers will walk you through your selections. With just a brief discussion about where the finished art will hang, our designers and framers will create a unique design sure to compliment your art, your home, and you! We encourage you to browse our website for more information about Framing & Art Centre and our locations. We also offer on-line shopping for prints and posters, be sure to check out ShopForArt.com*. *Available at select locations. www.framingartcentre.ca

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Lobo

    “What started as a hobby became a profession”.

  That’s what Lobo says, a Brazilian artist born in São Paulo, the biggest city of South America. Thanks to compliments received from paintings he created to present to friends, he decided to take a turn in his career and dedicate himself exclusively to his art.

  Inspired by artists like Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Burton Morris, Lobo expresses his art with outstanding features, influenced by the experience he gained in the several art fields in which he worked.

  His art works always ring with vibrant and happy colours, features that are already his trademark. His work has gallery representation in several countries.

  "I never thought that a free time passion could become a profession."

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SUMMER TRENDS: Natural Elements

Flowers and greens - get outside the garden.  The use of natural elements like flowers, bark and grass as decorating elements will be very popular this summer as people continue to connect with the simpler life.  We love the energy and warmth these elements bring to a room, like the one below.

Home and Garden Design Ideas

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Surround Yourself With Art You Love!

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”   William Morris

Surround yourself with art you love! The most important aspect of choosing artwork is finding pieces that express your personality while enhancing the look of a room. Today artwork can be found in all shapes, sizes and styles, and knowing where to begin your search for the perfect piece can be difficult. Below are some tips to get started on your search:

If your tastes are traditional, consider landscapes or works of the Old Masters in a traditional frame.

 If you have more romantic taste, look to impressionist-style portraits, or photographs of couples in gold or silver frames.

Photography in a black industrial-chic frame is a great option for contemporary interiors.

If you’re looking for something modern and eclectic, pick pieces with bold colours and graphic shapes.

Choose artwork that complements the colours in your décor, but don’t try to perfectly match colours. The artwork will not stand out enough to draw the attention it deserves.

Consider scale when selecting your art. A large room with high ceilings will need a large piece of art, while small art should be selected for more intimate spaces where it can be appreciated up-close. A large, bold piece of artwork can be an excellent focal point in a small room.

Art is a very personal decision and it should reflect your personality. Look for artwork that reflects your personal interests and passions. If you love to travel, select artwork that depicts some of your favorite places to visit. Art should make you feel good when you look at it, so don’t settle for generic images.

Don’t be afraid to mix things up. Very few people live in a décor that is strictly one style. If a modern abstract speaks to you, there’s no reason it can’t be displayed in a traditional room. The right framing treatment can create a transition from old to new.

To help find the work of art that’s perfect for you, visit our partner at www.shopforart.com where you can easily search through more than 200,000 images by style, artist or collections at your leisure. For your convenience you can have your selections shipped directly to Framing & Art Centre that’s closest to you, where our framing experts will help you select beautiful framing that will fit your home and lifestyle.

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Happy Birthday to American realist painter and printmaker Edward Hopper, who was born this day in 1882!

Pictured here, the famous, "Nighthawks," 1942. Available on Shop for Art.

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Five Reasons to Use Metal Picture Frames

Metal picture frames are making a comeback in design!  They’re perfect for creating a contemporary or modern look in your home, or adding new life to existing décor and art.  Here are several benefits to using a metal frame over a frame of another material. 

Metal frames are easy to clean.

Where humidity is a concern, metal frames will not warp or shrink.

Cost Effective.

Durable and light-weight.

Variety of finishes and colours.

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ARTIST OF THE WEEK: Johannes Vermeer

Johannes Vermeer was a Dutch painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle class life. Vermeer was a moderately successful provincial genre painter in his lifetime. He seems never to have been particularly wealthy, leaving his wife and children in debt at his death, perhaps because he produced relatively few paintings

Vermeer worked slowly and with great care, using bright colours and sometimes expensive pigments, with a preference for cornflower blue and yellow. He is particularly renowned for his masterly treatment and use of light in his work.

Vermeer painted mostly domestic interior scenes. Almost all his paintings are apparently set in two smallish rooms in his house in Delft; they show the same furniture and decorations in various arrangements and they often portray the same people, mostly women.

After his death in 1675, his modest celebrity gave way to obscurity for nearly two centuries. In the 19th century however, Vermeer was rediscovered by German and French art historians Gustav Friedrich Waagen and Théophile Thoré-Bürger, who published an essay attributing sixty-six pictures to him, although only thirty-four paintings are universally attributed to him today. Since that time Vermeer’s reputation has grown, and he is now acknowledged as one of the greatest painters of the Dutch Golden Age.

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Create A Breathtaking Gallery Wall for Your Home

Determining a layout for your gallery wall can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be.  Before putting nails in the wall, create a layout.  You can lay out your picture frames and art on the floor, but if you don’t have the space for that, then tape paper to the wall.

Cut the paper to the size of each item and use painters tape to stick the papers to the wall.  By using the painters tape you won’t strip off your paint when you move the papers around.  This method allows you to envision the gallery without damaging your walls.  Once you decide you like the arrangement, then it’s time to start hanging!

If you’re not sure how to hang your custom framing, then check out this blog post for more tips!

Image from Better Homes and Gardens

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Happy Birthday to Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani! Pictured here is his piece, titled, Woman with a Fan.

Image: ShopForArt

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Rediscover Metal As A Home Accent

In the 80’s metal was seen everywhere.  While you may not necessarily want to replicate the entire 80’s in your home, metal can still be a great accent to add.

There are many options for metal.  Silver.  Gold.  Brushed.  Polished.  The list goes on and on.  Whichever color or finish you like, metal can help you achieve many looks from retro to modern to eclectic styles.

Garrison Hullinger Interior Design

Retro A room predominantly filled with metal is a common look to retro.  Anything goes from fixtures and furniture to picture frames and wall décor.

Modern Modern style coincides with clean lines and simplicity.  Metal further emphasizes the open and airy environment of a modern home.  A metal picture frame can make a modern piece of art look sleek and stand out.

Sarah Sarna

Eclectic Mix the old with the new! This is the easiest type of room transformation if you’re looking for a change, because you start with things you already have.  Put new life into an old piece of art with a metal picture frame, or switch out an outdated lamp for one with a metallic base.  Just a few accessories spread throughout a room can make a HUGE change.

Natural Metal accessories can blend in with a natural, earthy look, believe it or not! In a warm-toned room metal will add balance while also providing contrast to the varied textures of wood, stone and fabric.

Metal can be natural, reflective and brushed with a variety of finishes.  Create a retro look, refresh an older look or go for something modern.  Picture frames, tables, lamps and other accessories are the perfect way to achieve this!

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Summer Trends: Bright Colours

Colour – use it… A LOT!  Nothing says summer like a healthy dose of colour and this year the brighter the better.

Go bright in the entire room! This works because of the neutral flooring and a few neutral accessories placed around the room. (Belle Maison)

Bright colours are fun in a child's bedroom or playroom! (Parents)

If you're not sure about bright colours all over your room, use just a few bright accents like curtains, flowers and art. (Style At Home)

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Can you identify this work of art and the artist who created it? Tell us what you think!

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Featured Colour: African Violet

A mix of red and blue, African Violet has the strength and energy of red with the spirituality and integrity of blue.  It is calming yet inspiring to the mind and soul.  In the home it can exude a relaxed sophistication while creating a balanced and bright palette.  Pair African Violet with other shades of purple, yellow or green for optimal wow-factor!  Take a look at the rooms below to inspire your next home design project.

(Traditional Home)

(Style At Home)

(Material Girls Blog)

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5 Ways To Get Creative This Summer

At Framing & Art Centre we’re all about being creative.  With the nice weather of summer allowing you to get out more, now is the time to get creative, try new things and have fun doing it!

Get crafty. Find a DIY project, paint a picture or photograph your favourite places in your home town.  We can also frame your creation to be a beautiful piece in your home!

Attend a local art fair or craft show.  This is a great way to discover new art in your neighborhood.  You might also find some inspiration for your next creative project!

Visit a museum.  And not just an art museum.  A history museum can be a great way to see creativity throughout history.

Make a new recipe or invent a new one.  Trying new food is fun and also a great way to bring everyone together!

Invent a new game.  A great way to be creative whether it’s with the kids or a group of friends.  Make an old game interesting with a new set of rules, or invent something that’s never been played before!

So grab the kids, your best friend or your mom and try something new this summer!

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Mark Pulliam

Mark Pulliam was born in 1959 in Cocoa, Florida. In 1983 he earned his BFA from the University of Florida. At the age of 22, he opened his first gallery. He quickly gained acclaim in the Central Florida area, winning a number of awards at art shows and exhibiting his work in local galleries.

Today, almost twenty years later, Pulliam’s work can be seen all over the world. He consults with some of the top designers and architectural firms in the country. He and his wife reside in Winter Garden, Florida.

Says the artist, “I believe that surrendering to my instincts and letting my imagination and talent work the canvas provide ongoing education to my self-awareness. I feel that all great artists must go through this process. My earlier images were dependent on detailed, realistic interpretations. Later in my career I became less satisfied with technical depiction and began to focus on the other elements of painting. I began moving toward patterns, colour and texture. My need to simplify became the dominant point of my expression, a process that I find tremendously gratifying.”

Art prints from ShopForArt.

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Enhance Your Art with Fillets

Looking to add a touch of “wow” to the next piece of art you frame?  Try using fillets.  These narrow strips of wood can be used in multiple ways and add a real touch of class and uniqueness to your picture framing.  The fillet selection in our stores ranges from simple to ornate and in wood stains of nearly every colour.  Fillets add dimension, beauty and extra detail to your framing thus enhancing your artwork.

Below are a few examples of fillets.

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Here's What You Can Do With Your Wedding Keepsakes

Love your wedding bouquet and hate to see it go to waste?  Not sure what to do with extra invitations or left over place cards?  Uncertain how to display your wedding photos?  The solution is simple.  Custom frame them!

Anything related to your wedding can be custom framed. 

Bridal Bouquet and Groom’s Boutonniere

Wedding stationery including invitations, programs, place cards and more

Portraits of you and your new spouse

Photos of the wedding party, family portraits and memorable moments

Wedding dress

Any special keepsakes unique to your wedding

A shadowbox is perfect for displaying your bouquet, while a beautiful frame can show off your favourite photographs of your special day.  Bring your keepsakes along with a few of your favourite photos and our experts can craft a beautiful work of art unique to you and your spouse.  It’ll be something you can cherish for years to come and pass down through the generations.

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: John Rossini

Get a glimpse of Americana with the beautiful paintings by John Rossini. 

Art Prints from Shop for Art.