Monday, June 30, 2008

Wire hanging lesson from Tyme Gallery

I learned a tip the other day about how to properly wire the back of my picture. I delivered two pieces to Tyme Gallery in Havertown, where they will be a part of an ARTsisters group exhibit this July. I had been working very hard to get these two recent Cyanotype-Photogram-and-Pastels ready for hanging and looking their best. Using my Logan mat cutter I had cut a triple mat for them, then I placed them into a nice black frame making sure both sides of the glass were cleaned. I took the time to get out the carbon black acrylic paint and with a small brush, a toothpick and a cork, touched up some little spots and places where the joints showed unpainted areas. I even rubbed the frame down with a dry cotton cloth to rub off any oily areas that my hands may have left.

I walked in there feeling very proud of my efforts. Then Edna pointed out that they weren't wired correctly. Fortunately for me, she was kind enough to give me a little lesson and showed me how to do it right. We cut off the old wire and rewired both pieces. I thought I'd pass along the kindness and let my blog readers know what I learned.

Cut the wire so that you have about 5 inches of extra on each side. Feed each end through the screw-eye loops and pull the ends tight toward the middle, making the wire stretching across, very taut. Then feed the wire through a second time. This, she said, was key. After that you just twist the wire around again and again until you have used up all the slack. When finished you have a nice tight wire that will hang better than a loose one.

Thank you, Edna!

(July 11th is the reception at Tyme check the website for details)

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