Artist Resources

Chichester Art Trail

Terry Hancock - Framer Guy

The latest in our Artist Resources series is by Terry Hancock of REFRAME, based in his framing workshop at Courtyard Studios, in Chilgrove, located in the heart of the South Downs, just north of Chichester (conveniently, next door to me).

... My task is to guide the artist through an ocean of choice; to listen, discuss and advise what might work best for the art itself and to deliver a really eye catching & sympathetic solution.
Nicola Hancock

What is your business?

Terry Hancock

I offer a full range of framing and display options to many local artists, galleries and exhibitors.

• A wide selection of frames and mount boards to suit all requirements.

• Custom made frames, enclosures and solutions for individual works and objects.

• Restoration and recycling of artworks and stretchers.

 I also supply stretchers and canvas by the metre, or ready to go canvas stretchers custom made to order.

Nicola Hancock

How does an artist get in touch with you?

Terry Hancock

Please feel free to contact me and fix an appointment so I can be sure to set aside time to give you the attention needed. Here are my contact details:

Address
Courtyard Studios
Crows Hall Farm
Chilgrove
PO18 9HP

Mail  info@reframechichester.com
Tel  07876 496563
Web  
www.reframechichester.com

Nicola Hancock

What is the process of working with an artist?

Terry Hancock

Framing and presentation options are partly technical, but mostly concern aesthetics. My task is to guide the artist through an ocean of choice; to listen, discuss and advise what might work best for the art itself and to deliver a really eye catching & sympathetic solution.

My speciality is working with practising artists and those wanting a really creative response to their artwork or object. This can be a process of selecting something from stock, or more often, combining different materials and colours, often in unexpected ways. I work with textile artists, printers & painters of all stripes, and sculptors, illustrators, installation makers, photographers and combinations of all of the above, and more.

Nicola Hancock

How can your business support and promote an artist’s work?

Terry Hancock

In my experience, buyers are quite willing to pay more for well presented art, and stylish framing increases perceived value considerably. Cutting corners here rarely works, after all, you have put your heart and soul into your work, it deserves to be well clothed and presented, and your bank balance may actually end up looking better as a result!

A bit of care and a relatively simple enhancements can make a world of difference; float mounting is very in vogue, but shadow mounts, double mounts, wraps, slips, fillets and other techniques can really raise the level of your work. These enhancements can transform your work and change the whole conversation with a buyer, who is not only potentially buying your work but wants to be able to imagine how it will look on their wall.

Nicola Hancock

Do you have any thoughts or recommendations, from your own experience, that might benefit an artist wishing to get their work out into the world?

Terry Hancock

The single biggest tip I can give is often just to allow more room for your work, generous mounts and space around your work can be the easiest and quickest upgrade available - and costs very little.

I would recommend that you buy the best materials that you can afford and take time to talk to your framer about what might be available. Spend time on thinking about the framing well before you have finished the work.  A small addition of quality, a double mount for example, adds an instant cachet to your work.

On the issue of pricing…..pricing is about perceived value, not cost. IKEA and other similar retail frames may be “cheap” and look ok at first glance, but they also make a statement about how you value your work; remember they are not made specifically to enhance your work, they are made to accommodate it - and it shows.

The best compliment I receive, is to hear a customer say on collection that they “hardly recognise” the work; there is no greater pleasure than getting both the artist and the audience to see great work anew, through professional and sympathetic presentation. The skill of the framer is after all to focus the viewer on the art work, framing the eye if you like.