gold vs. black (cast your vote!)

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I found out this week that I was accepted into the Picolo Spoleto Outdoor Juried Fine Art Exhibition, held in Charleston, SC this May and June. It’s part of the events surrounding the Spoleto Festival USA, which I guess is a pretty big deal for South Carolina.

I’m still deciding whether to participate in the show or not because THE FESTIVAL IS 17 DAYS LONG!

If we DO head to Charleston with a van-load of my paintings, I want to make sure that they are marketable, and at least a few of them will sell. Otherwise it will be a very expensive NON-vacation.

Here’s my dilemma: I’ve started to realize that my paintings have a much more contemporary feel than I intend, simply because they aren’t framed. I purposely paint on the edges of the canvas so that a frame isn’t needed, but I think it makes the painting feel much less traditional.

Here’s my question: Should I invest the money into framing my paintings before the show? (This will be a sizeable financial investment. However, I think it would put my work in a different league, making it more competitive with the other oil paintings which we be at the show.)

Or, should I play it safe and just keep doing what I’ve been doing? (This is the cheaper option, but I’m definitely in the minority of artists who do NOT frame their paintings. Having never done a show with framed paintings, I don’t know if that will make any difference in my sales.)

To frame or NOT to frame? (please cast your votes)

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