amanda hoak
arden's FINE ART gallery & CUSTOM FRAMING

FEATURE GUEST JULY 2018

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Arden’s Fine Art Gallery and Custom Framing, 1631 W. Alabama, will host the Members’ Show and Sale for the Pastel Society of Southeast Texas [PSST] Saturday, September 8 through Saturday, September 29. The Artists’ Reception will be Saturday, September 8 from 5 to 7 p.m., with an awards’ presentation beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Located at 1631 W. Alabama, Houston, Texas 77006
Open Tuesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Closed Sunday and Monday.
​713.522.5281

Visit Arden's Website

Arden's Gallery in Houston Museum District

A History of framing excellence

Arden’s was founded in 1959 by Arden Hoak with a goal to provide conservation quality framing in an industry, and city, where conservation was not the norm. Arden’s son Keith Hoak took over the family business in 1979. On Keith’s death in 2015, his daughter Amanda Hoak took the reins of the business.
 
“My grandfather knew that a frame must not only enhance the art, but also must protect it for the future,” says Amanda. “My father embraced the same philosophy and that is the same principle we endorse at Arden’s today. Many shops now are conscious of protection as essential, but Arden’s was ahead of its time and we have stressed conservation – as well as proper style -- framing from the beginning.
 
“At Arden’s, we love to support local artists and are very pleased to partner with the Pastel Society of Southeast Texas to present its Members’ Show and Sale during the month of September. We look forward to meeting all the artists and providing a space to display the work of PSST members to visitors, clients, the interior design trade and collectors throughout Houston.”

the art of framing a pastel

As Arden’s has pastel artists featured in its gallery, Amanda says she often spends time educating collectors as well as framing clients about the medium. “Pastels are often misunderstood or even under appreciated in galleries,” she says. “Pastels are not delicate – malleable, yes – and moveable, but because pastels are pure pigment, they don’t lose their color or their timeliness. However, because they are malleable, special care must be taken in the framing.”
 
With almost 60 years of framing, Arden’s has tried-and-true tenets for framing:

• Pastel work should not touch the glass. When using a mat, Arden’s uses shims between the mat and the artwork so that as the pastel sheds, the pastel that sheds falls behind the mat and not on the bevel or the mat. When not using a mat, Arden’s uses shims between the art and the glass to prevent the art from touching the glass.

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• Always use glass, with or without a mat. Plexi or acrylic has a static charge that will pull the pastel off the painting’s surface. One exception would be to use museum acrylic.
• No fixative. Amanda says that they have had clients or pastel artists come in and report that other frame shops won’t frame a pastel unless fixative has been applied to the painting. This is not the case with Arden’s. “We want the work to be as the artist wants it. We frame pastels without fixative and while we have had artists ask us to apply fixative, we won’t. In fact, we don’t keep spray fixative – or for that matter, any varnish or other finishing media – in the shop. We would never spray a pastel as we never want to change the artist’s intent.”
• Everything acid-free and pH balanced. Of utmost importance to framing a pastel or any artwork is that everything inside the frame must be archival. The mat, the shims, the foam core – everything, whether it touches the artwork or not – must be acid-free and buffered to maintain alkaline pH.
• Reversible tacking. Arden’s uses tacking devices or corner mounting to attach a pastel to the board. Each device is 100% reversible so it could be removed or changed without damaging the work. Tape or glue are not used as either can burn the paper and get brittle over time.

different framing considerations

Amanda says that clients have different decisions to make when selecting a frame, such as:

• The artist: an artist should select a frame that would appeal to the majority of collectors. Amanda advises pricing the art framed and unframed to give the buyer the opportunity to change the frame according to his/her setting. Artists can also choose a ready-made frame, with a caveat: frames made of plastic are unacceptable as wood is the best frame choice. Everything used should be acid-free, pH balanced and under UV glass.
• The gallery: a gallery owner will want a frame that fades away and puts the spotlight on the art.
• The buyer: the buyer doesn’t need to please multiple individuals and the framing selections only need to reflect personal taste. Traditional art pieces can blend in beautifully with a contemporary decor with the choice of an edgier frame. Likewise, a contemporary piece can be stunning in a more traditional frame.
• For a one-person show: Arden’s recommends an artist use the same frame and same mat on every piece in a show. This makes the frame disappear and the art is the focal point.

 
Of interest

• Framing discount: Arden’s will offer a 20% discount to all PSST members on pastels that will be in the Members’ Show and Sale. Members should tell the owner Amanda that they are a PSST member and be certain to give two to three weeks lead time to get the work done.
• Sales tax: Arden’s will collect sales tax on all pieces that are sold.
• 80%/20%: Arden’s will collect 20% of the price of each piece sold during the show and the artists will receive 80%.
• To the trade: Arden’s enjoys long-standing relations with many Houston designers and decorating and will give professionals with a tax ID on file a 20% discount on pastels sold during the show.