Frame Destination

From the colorful detail of her paintings to the haunting beauty of her solar etchings, Mindy Lighthipe is a force of nature — for nature.

The call of the wild.

When an artist can find beauty in a Round Tortoise Beetle, it’s hard to ignore. Especially when the artist imparts loveliness to an insect most of us would avoid. That’s why the work of Mindy Lighthipe intrigued me—and all of us here at Frame Destination. Mindy started her artistic career making handwoven clothing. Later, she heard the call of the wild and moved to botanical illustration. Her love for nature has inspired journeys to Costa Rica’s rainforests, where she leads art tours and supports The Toucan Rescue Ranch.

Patience is a virtue.

Mindy’s commitment to meticulous, authentic detail extends to the butterflies, insects and botanicals she paints. She often grows the plants herself and raises the insects, which can take up to a year to get the looks she’s going for.

Quality that’s customized.

We’re honored our quality products are helping Mindy showcase her work. One frame she uses a lot is our Wood Frame Profile 503 (seen in her tree frog artwork above). “I really like that I can customize my order to get the acrylic and frame together,” Mindy says. “The frame quality is great and doesn’t chip, which is important since I sometimes swap out different works of art to ship to different shows.”

See more of her work.

If you’d like to see more work by Mindy – including everything from owls to iguanas, llamas to toucans, macaws to boat-tailed grackles—visit her website. If you’re in New York this month (October 2019), be sure to check out Mindy’s bird paintings and solar etchings at the Salmagundi Club.

Now for Artie’s Eight Q&A with Mindy Lighthipe …

1. What is your background; how did you get started?
I have always been an artist. I studied textile design in college and worked as hand weaver for the first 15 years of my art career. I created women's handwoven clothing and sold through the craft markets across the country. I decided to shift my creative endeavors to fine art. I started in the field of Botanical and Natural Science Illustration in 1989 when I went back to school and completed a 200-hour certification program at the New York Botanical Garden. I have always been a nature enthusiast and am passionate about conservation. I depict birds, insects and plants in my work and how they interact with one another. It is important to me to convey how all things in nature are connected and why it must be protected.

2. What role do you think the artist plays in society?
Depicting lifecycles in my work allows the viewer to see a story played out in one image that is not possible in a single photograph. I carefully study and research my paintings to show the relationship of how a specific plant is important to a specific insect, bird or animal. It sometimes takes months or even years to get all the right components into my paintings to tell the full story. It is my hope that viewers find the same beauty I find in these relationships. Preserving these relationships in nature is important for future generations.

3. What has been a formative experience or the best advice you’ve received within your career?
I have been traveling to the rainforests of Costa Rica for 30 years. I am awe-inspired by the diversity I have seen. I have learned that it is important to keep learning, traveling, getting out in nature. Nature is the best inspiration and teacher!!!!

4. What ways does your work reflect your personality?
I LOVE color and I find that I am able to express the joy I find in nature by using color. I feel that my work shows the appreciation I have for nature by using color to express this feeling of wonder.

5. Creative blocks, do you get them? If so, how do you overcome them?
At times I find that I am feeling stagnant. When this happens I usually get out of the house and get into nature. It can be planting in my garden, going out in my kayak or traveling to a favorite destination. I am also inspired by learning from other artists and continue to take workshops and classes.

6. What is your most indispensable tool? (Not counting the obvious, like paints, brushes, canvas, camera, etc.)
Abundance of choice. I am a color junky and I find that I probably have too many watercolors, watercolor pencils, colored pencils, gouache, pastels etc. I am not a purist and often combine different mediums in my art. I am not sure I could live without all of it!

7. Do you have a new project you are working on, or a new passionate idea?
I am currently working on a dual show with another artist, Patricia Wynne. It is an exhibition of Solar Etchings of Birds of the World. I was introduced to printmaking in college. I would have liked to pursue it but the chemicals turned me off. Solar Etching is a non-toxic form of printmaking that I am super excited about. The process is safe. I am able to create a limited edition of hand-pulled prints the old-fashioned way. Once printed in a black ink I am able to custom hand tint with watercolor to add color.

8. What is your favorite paint color name?
Super tough for me. I would have to say that PURPLE is my favorite color. Carbazole purple by Daniel Smith but then there are specialty colors like Hematite, Moonglow and other paints that separate and do magical, spontaneous things on the paper.

All artwork and/or photographs used in this post are subject to copyright held by the featured artist.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE SPOTLIGHT? Simply respond to the questionnaire here to apply  to be included in an upcoming Artie’s Eight Spotlight.

From the colorful detail of her paintings to the haunting beauty of her solar etchings, Mindy Lighthipe is a force of nature — for nature. The call of the wild. When an artist can find beauty in a Round Tortoise Beetle, it’s hard to ignore. Especially when the artist imparts loveliness to an insect most […]

Variety is the spice of life for Joshua McCann, a commercial photographer and videographer in Michigan. “Sometimes it is the subject that finds the photographer,” he explains. Wedding photos and family portraits capture happy faces at milestone moments, while Joshua’s commercial videos record everything from synchronized skaters to the man behind a natural shoreline landscaping company.

Beautiful and brooding.

It seems that the beautiful, brooding work Joshua shares with us here has a cinematic vibe not unlike his commercial videography. One explanation may be found in Joshua’s answer to question #4 of the Q&A. Joshua is also certified to pilot remote drones, allowing him to capture sweeping aerial footage.

His choice for glazing.

Joshua’s talents extend to other media. Like old windows. Last fall, he was putting together a show of some windows he had refurbished to serve as frames for black-and-white photographs. Along with the black mat he bought from Frame Destination, Joshua says he “fell in love with the Non-Glare Acrylic.” We love helping our artists find just what they know will best showcase their creativity!

See more of his work.

Visit jmcpic.com or follow him on Instagram to see more of Joshua's work: https://www.instagram.com/jmccann_photography/.

If you’re curious about where Joshua was trained and the light source he can’t work without, read on.

Now for Artie’s Eight with Joshua McCann…

1. What is your background; how did you get started?

I was given a Kodak Mickey-Matic camera when I was around 6 or 7 years of age and have been taking photographs ever since. I pursued my interests of photography and filmmaking by attending Full Sail University, completing my degree there. Now I own and operate a photography and videography service provider.

2. How important is it for a photographer to “connect” with their subject?

The importance goes hand-in-hand with the connection itself and sometimes it is the subject that finds the photographer. Some of my best work has come from unguided processes where I've allowed the subject to manifest on its own, instead of being directly sought out.

3. What has been a formative experience or the best advice you’ve received within your career?

There will be many obstacles and hurdles to get over and self-doubt will linger around. The best thing is to accept these truths and focus on the core love for the art.

4. What ways does your work reflect your personality?

I have been told that my work has a very mysterious and ambient feel that sits somewhere between beautiful and dark. This would most likely come from my love of filmmaking and the movies I experience growing up in the ’80s and ’90s.

5. Creative blocks, do you get them? If so, how do you overcome them?

Creative blocks are best dealt with by taking breaks and switching projects. Taking a nap, going on a trip or working on something else always clears these up for me.

6. What is your most indispensable tool? (Not counting the obvious, like paints, brushes, canvas, camera, etc.)

Our sun and the natural light it provides us.

7. Do you have a new project you are working on, or a new passionate idea?

Currently I am working on seasonal landscape photography of the water sheds located in my county.

8. What “fad” gadget do you most regret purchasing?

I am very careful with my tool/gadget purchases and I can honestly say that I currently have no gadget regrets.

Featured Photographer Joshua McCann

All artwork and/or photographs used in this post are subject to copyright held by the featured artist.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE SPOTLIGHT? Simply respond to the questionnaire here to apply to be included in an upcoming Artie’s Eight Spotlight.

Maybe it’s the precision and discipline of having spent his career in the military that influences the intricate, exacting detail in David Hoque’s work. Whatever it is, we admire the juxtaposition of reality with the rich jewel tones that come to life in his colored pencil drawings and watercolor paintings. They often cause viewers to do a ‘double take’ when they realize they are not actually photographs.

Travel and soul.

David is mainly self-taught, although he has worked under internationally known watercolor masters Laurin McCrackin and Soon Warren. Born in California, David has traversed the world and is now settled in Virginia. He believes that extensive travel has greatly impacted his role as an artist to visually express a society’s soul, culture and individual states of mind.

Framing his art.

The colored pencil drawing David shares with us here is a celebration of his granddaughter, Josie. He framed the piece with our Wood Frame Profile 810, with mats in Snowflake White (8313) and Spanish White (8463). “I use Frame Destination’s products exclusively for my work,” David tells us. Thanks, David! We are humbled and happy to help showcase your amazing art.

See more of his work.

Want to see more of David's richly detailed, colorful work? Visit his online gallery.

For David’s insights into YouTube, yin/yang dualism and why he paints “with a heavy hand,” read the Q&A below.

Now for Artie’s Eight with David Hoque…

1. What is your background; how did you get started?

I am an American artist born in Monterey, California. Primarily self-taught with some formal art training in watercolor and colored pencil art pieces, I do commissions and participate in exhibitions throughout the year. I'm also a professional member of the "International Guild of Realism" and a signature member of the "Colored Pencil Society of America.” I have had art pieces juried into both of their prestigious annual international exhibitions every year that I have been a member. I have also been published in Artist Portfolio Magazine, Ann Kullberg's Color Magazine and her annual CP Treasures Vol. III and IV, as well as Colored Pencil Magazine. After retiring from the military, we settled in Virginia where I have been a Magistrate for the Commonwealth since 2000.

2. What role do you think the artist plays in society?

I think the artist plays a part in reflecting the human condition and we visually help convey the soul of our societies, our cultures and personal states of mind. We convey emotion through the mediums we use. I hope that when a person looks at one of my paintings or drawings, they do not just enjoy it, but they walk away with a richer and more expanded state of mind than before they saw it and took it in.

3. What has been a formative experience or the best advice you’ve received within your career?

I think my most profound formative experience was living all over the world and being lucky to experience the people’s and cultures in many places all over the world. It’s had a profound impact on how I understood humanity and the places I’ve seen have made me believe that we are truly living on a very special planet which is abundant in beauty and life. These facts inspire me greatly and they motivate me to produce well-done, meaningful pieces of art for people to see and enjoy.

4. What ways does your work reflect your personality?

I draw and paint with a heavy hand. Meaning I like to work the color into the surface. I also enjoy drawing pieces that have stark contrast between light and dark tones and color. I think these contrasts complement each other like the “yin and the yang.” My pieces reflect realism and balance. All of these aforementioned artistic concepts greatly reflect my personality. Although I probably would be considered an introvert, my art still reflects my strong will and a need for order and balance.

5. Creative blocks, do you get them? If so, how do you overcome them?

I used to get them quite a bit! Probably more frequently than I would have liked! To overcome this I’ve taught myself through YouTube and other sources how to improve my photography skills. I have found that having good skills in this field is critical as a realist painter and it also helps me to take excellent subject photos for my work. Now my creative blocks are few and far between.

6. What is your most indispensable tool? (Not counting the obvious, like paints, brushes, canvas, camera, etc.)

I would say my personal reference photos. I am wired to draw and paint precisely what I see. Which means I don’t have much of an imagination. I’m also a realist, so I need to see great realism in front of me. To do this I have to take and use superb subject photos. Plus, most exhibition entries require that artists use their own work, including reference photos.

7. Do you have a new project you are working on, or a new passionate idea?

I just studied under the great watercolorist Laurin McCrackin. Now armed with his superb techniques in this medium, I am busy creating my own nice still-life watercolor pieces.

8. What is your favorite paint color name?

I enjoy making my own “black” that I keep in a mason jar for my watercolor pieces. I’ve learned this mixing recipe from Laurin McCrackin and it’s a black that is used for my still life backgrounds.

All artwork and/or photographs used in this post are subject to copyright held by the featured artist.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE SPOTLIGHT? Simply respond to the questionnaire here to apply to be included in an upcoming Artie’s Eight Spotlight.

SPECIAL NOTE: Frame Destination mascot Artie the Panda penned this month’s blog. He kept bugging us about it, so we finally said yes. Does he have the writing chops to do this again? Let us know.

Say you’ve finally finished that project you’ve been working on for months. A labor of love and creativity like no other. How can you showcase this beauty so that you get top dollar from astute clients and art aficionados? If you’re keeping the piece, how can you add an extra twinkle in the eyes of admiring friends and family?

Then again, perhaps the art aficionado is you. You’re strolling through an outdoor festival one crisp fall weekend, and your gaze is captured by a something sublime — a whimsical watercolor or a hypnotic black-and-white photograph. Whatever the case, it’s calling your name. You have to have it. You buy it, bring it home, and start wondering what’s the best way to display it?

Here’s a suggestion for either scenario: Give it a custom frame that provides added protection, creative mounting options, or cool effects that help your art stand apart.

In other words, trick that baby out.

These Advanced Options, found in the Build-A-Frame™ section of our site, are featured in the latest video by Frame Destination co-founder, Mark Rogers, (my boss). He takes you through the four main ways you can display and protect your art in extra-special ways — and I promise it’s easier than you think! Just take a look at the video.

Here’s more on the reasons why you may want to consider advanced options:

1. Add Spacers to Give Your Art Some Breathing Room and More Protection

For truly cherished paintings or photos, the first thing you’ll want to do is add spacers to your frame package. Spacers help protect your art by creating a space between your art and glass. (We all need our space, right?) Over time art can become stuck to the glass, ruining the art if you try to take it out of the frame. Of course, a mat will also provide a gap, but if you’re not going with a mat, spacers will do the trick.

2. Make Specialty DIY Cuts or Float Your Art With Mats

In the world of mat boards, a blank mat differs from a window mat in that it’s solid, with no pre-cut opening. You may want a blank mat if you plan to “float” the image, meaning the art is smaller than the mat window, creating a border between the mat edge and the image edge. In this scenario, you would be able to see the background the image is mounted on, which would typically be white from the foam core. If you don’t want it to be white, you would mount your image on the blank mat (in the color of your choice) and place it under the window mat. (By the way, there’s a difference between float mounting and floater frames.)

3. Use Additional Backing to Offer a Museum-worthy Presentation

A third option is additional backing. In previous steps, you’ve already selected, for example, a 3/16-inch foam board to serve as the frame back. Frame Destination acid-free foam core is archival, but if you want to make the frame package truly museum archival, you can add two-ply foam board — a pure cotton-rag mounting board. This additional backing will protect your image even further. To learn more about these backing options visit our foam board category here.

4. Create Special Effects by Adding Glass or Acrylic

Finally, why not do something super fly by adding extra glass or acrylic? With this option, your art is “sandwiched” between two pieces of glass or two pieces of acrylic. If the glass is larger than the artwork, you’ll have a clear border around the image, allowing you to see through to the wall behind the picture frame generating a “hover” impression. Pretty cool effect!

Artie Tip: In extreme conditions, this method could result in the art sticking to the glass over time so use this method for non-priceless art only.

There you have it! Four ways to take your custom frame to the next level. Simple, right? That’s our mission here at Frame Destination — to make your life a little easier and arty-er.

Have you taken advantage of these advanced options? Let us know how it went in the comments below, or share your art with us on social media be using the hashtag #Framedestination. We’d love to see your tricked out creations.

SPECIAL NOTE: Frame Destination mascot Artie the Panda penned this month’s blog. He kept bugging us about it, so we finally said yes. Does he have the writing chops to do this again? Let us know. Say you’ve finally finished that project you’ve been working on for months. A labor of love and creativity like […]

There’s nothing like inspiring someone with your art. It’s almost as great as selling your art to that person. If the selling part doesn’t come as naturally to you as the creating part, don’t worry. I’m here to help with tips I’ve learned both from being an artist myself and from my experiences with other artists as the co-owner of Frame Destination. These tips are designed to help you increase the value of your works and sell more art. Let’s get right to it.

1. Open Your Door

If you have a studio with foot traffic nearby, keeping your door ajar welcomes guests to walk right in. You’ll be surprised by the people you’ll meet and the unexpected sales you’ll make. Even if you don’t have a physical studio, keep your “digital door” open with social pages, a store through an online marketplace such as Etsy, or your own website that others can help you promote.

2. Make the Most of Trends

If you’re grimacing, hear me out. Developing your own unique artistic style is imperative, and I agree that your work shouldn’t be subject to the latest craze. However, trends sell, and you can leverage them while staying true to your work.

For example, trending icons, patterns, colors, etc. in fashion and home decor created in your style could be an interesting challenge that might even attract new customers. Trends in frame finishes are something else to watch for. A popular distressed black or white picture frame may add character to an urban art installation or a rustic canvas floater frame might be a perfect complement to a farmhouse or landscape painting. Browse decorating magazines, visit local retail shops, or experiment with Pantone’s color of the year for ideas.

3. Include a Certificate of Authenticity

Photographer, Kevin Holliday, has a well-designed branded certificate he includes with each of luxury fine art prints. It includes details about the work as well as an artist statement. Even if yours is a much simpler version, a certificate of authenticity increases buyer confidence, gives buyers a little extra knowledge about the piece, and allows them to envision your art as an investment and complement to their collection.

4. Be Confident in Your Pricing or Ask for Help

Even the most talented artists can get rattled when customers try to negotiate price at an art show. This is normal! Our artworks are our babies, and pricing something precious isn’t easy. If you’re finding it difficult to stick with what your art is worth, try this: Enlist a friend who believes in your art and can either stand firm with justification or negotiate with clients. You can trade out services if you don’t have the cash to pay them. It will be well worth it!

5. Know the Power of Quality Framing and Components

Whether you need ready made frames or want to Build-a-Frame to your exact specifications, quality framing adds value to your work so don’t settle for less. Pricing confidence comes more easily when you have high-quality, precision components that are professionally crafted and tailored for your art. As photographer Kevin Holliday shared:

“For my solo exhibition this past summer, I leaned on Frame Destination to cut the mats for me. I will typically handle these things myself, but for 24 prints that were all going to be framed with very finicky 8-ply cotton mats, I felt it would be best to outsource that part of the process. I am extremely thrilled with how well they turned out…and I’m a VERY picky customer.”

Kevin sold four prints on opening night and offered this feedback to us:

“I had more comments than I can remember…many of these comments had to do with the product, not the image itself!!! It was truly wonderful to hear people comment on how closely I pay attention to all the small details. Bottom line is that I’m selling Mercedes and Audi’s, not Honda’s and Toyota’s…people take note of quality when they see it, and they are willing to pay for it. So again, I appreciate all that you did to help in that regard.”

selling art

6. Show Off Your Style

Like in the movie, Jerry Maguire, your art should say to its frame, “You complete me.” But make sure it’s the right style for your work, enhancing and complementing your art. Choose the gallery style option for framing to highlight the art, the non-gallery style to use the frame package as an extension of the art, or explore these tips for choosing between a wood or metal frame for your art.

Taking home a framed work can motivate buyers. It’s perfect and ready to be displayed. They can already envision where it will go. Just make sure your art is the main attraction, and the components showcase it best.

Image courtesy of @byramshorestudio

7. "KISS: Keep It Simple for Shows."

Our spin on the traditional KISS method reminds us that choosing the same frame, mat, and (if possible) size for gallery or art shows can be a great way to reduce your cost and stress levels. Keeping things uniform will also reinforce your signature style, plus helps you take advantage of volume discounts.

Art Gallery

Can you break this rule? Absolutely. While I advocate the KISS method for framing art, I’ve been happily proven wrong on a few occasions. For example, one of our customers had striking monochromatic floral photographs that were printed on metal, framed in a simple silver metal frame, and not selling particularly well. We worked with him to choose mat boards in various, complementary colors that made his artwork pop — and sell in high volume.

Image courtesy of @pecherskyyphotography

8. Go Frameless

Some potential customers can’t afford a framed piece or may be away from home when shopping and don’t want to travel with a bulky piece. Offer them alternatives such as matted prints in clear bags. Another option is gallery wrapping, where artwork is stretched and affixed onto stretcher bars. And be sure to preserve the value of your art by transporting it to and from shows using a unique, reusable protective GalleryPouch. You can even offer them to your vacationing buyers to assist them in getting their art home safe and make a few extra bucks.

9. Learn More About the Business of Art

One of my favorite resources is Alyson Stanfield’s website. I also highly recommend her book, I'd Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist's No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion. In addition, I love Art Inc. by Lisa Congdon.

10. Expose Yourself, in a Good Way

Connect with your audience through societies, non-profit groups, niche galleries, or even coffee shops where those that may have an interest in your subject matter hang out. But don’t stop there. As part of our brand promise, Advocacy for Artists, we can help expose you and your work through our social pages’ hashtag #framedestination and our artist spotlight blog series, Artie’s Eight. Ready for the spotlight? Apply today.

Selling art combines creativity and good business sense. At Frame Destination, we understand the importance of this balance. Kevin Holliday called us “a team of artisans that truly cares,” and we couldn’t be more proud to support artists like Kevin in our creative community. What other tips have helped you sell more art? Or if these tips have inspired you, we welcome your comments below.

Last Updated Oct 27, 2021

Painting, glass blowing, mixed media and photography - artist Rachel Kosbab believes in never hesitating when it comes to art. Growing up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Rachel had no shortage of scenic beauty to inspire her artistic tendencies. She learned to draw and paint by taking art classes galore, and enjoyed success at a young age, winning gold in various local and national competitions for drawing, painting and ceramics while still a teenager.

Abroad and back.

Rachel headed east to Philadelphia to earn her BFA in painting from Tyler School of Art at Temple University, where she also studied graphic design and glass blowing. Through a study abroad program, she scored an internship with Italian contemporary artist Pietro Ruffo in Rome. Today Rachel lives in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she has her own graphic design business called Koz Creative. But she hasn’t stopped creating fine art, as we see in the acrylic paintings she shares with us here. We appreciate the way Rachel explores organic elements like bones and crustaceans, as well as the clean lines of geometric shapes.

Highlighting her work.

Rachel told us she’d never used metal frames for her paintings before she tried our Canvas Floater M013 black aluminum floater frame. “I love how sleek and sharp this frame is,” says Rachel. “It creates a very polished look that highlights my work.” We’re happy to do all we can to showcase Rachel’s talent.

See more of her work.

To see her oil paintings, watercolors, drawings, mixed media and photography, visit her studio portfolio. If you’re interested in learning how Rachel finds new great ideas after a creative block and what she likes to do with bad ideas, keep reading.

Now for Artie’s Eight with Rachel Kosbab…

1. What is your background; how did you get started?

I have always loved to draw and paint, ever since I was a little girl. I took absolutely all of the art classes I could up through high school, then got my BFA in Painting from Tyler School of Art at Temple University in 2015.

2. What role do you think the artist plays in society?

I think artists show how all kinds of ideas can be explored without heavy consequences.

3. What has been a formative experience or the best advice you’ve received within your career?

No good art comes from being hesitant. Be willing to give all of your bad ideas the opportunity to get out of your head and onto paper. After the pressure of making everything perfect is gone, the great ideas can really come out.

4. What ways does your work reflect your personality?

My personality comes through my work most strongly via my subject matter. I am an introvert so I rarely have interest in painting portraits or figures. I love the solitude and serenity of nature so most of my inspiration for paintings comes from the outdoors.

5. Creative blocks, do you get them? If so, how do you overcome them?

Definitely. When I get stuck and don’t know how to finish a painting, I turn it around and hide it for a week or so and work on other projects. When I come back to it, I usually have new great ideas.

6. What is your most indispensable tool? (Not counting the obvious, like paints, brushes, canvas, camera, etc.)

I love my extra long, metal straight edge!

7. Do you have a new project you are working on, or a new passionate idea?

I am developing a series of large paintings that magnify and honor natural objects I’ve found over the years.

8. What is your favorite paint color name?

Yellow Ochre.

Artie's Eight Artist Spotlight With Rachel Kosbab

All artwork and/or photographs used in this post are subject to copyright held by the featured artist.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE SPOTLIGHT? Simply respond to the questionnaire here to apply to be included in an upcoming Artie’s Eight Spotlight.

Painting, glass blowing, mixed media and photography – artist Rachel Kosbab believes in never hesitating when it comes to art. Growing up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Rachel had no shortage of scenic beauty to inspire her artistic tendencies. She learned to draw and paint by taking art classes galore, and enjoyed success at a young age, […]