I am considering donating some pictures to silent auctions, and was curious as what people do. Do you frame them, or have them in a mat? Sign them, sign them where? Where do you get good quality prints? I assume it's not CVS.
As for the subject matter, I guess they should please many people.
that's such a lovely idea - i dont have any advice about framing or printing, but if i was taking part in a silent auction i would love there to be art involved! What a wonderful thing to win. You have beautiful abstracts, nature shots and bw photos in your project, all of those would have a wide appeal i think? Good luck with however you decide to present them:)
Maybe a canvas print? That would be light, versatile, and *relatively* inexpensive...
Otherwise I'd just do a matt, because a frame is so personal, and needs to fit the location, and can be so expensive.
I agree that it's a nice idea!
I'd suggest that the images should be professionally printed and mounted. That way the person with the winning bid gets something of true value & quality, at the sametime you're presenting your image (and yourself) in the best possible way.
Generally when I sell or gift a print, I sign the mount rather than the print itself. I know some people feel that signing the mount means that should the print be removed from the mount then the signature is lost, which is true, but personally I prefer it and don't like "marring" the image with a signature.
As for subject matter, I would think that's up to you but it should always be an image that you like (and are proud of) and probably should be an image suitable for family viewing.
I'll also check out the canvas printing, that seems like a possibility.
If I do a print, I will only put it on a mat, that helps with the cost and the signing. I'd probably do it on the back. I would feel funny scribbling my name on the front.
I've donated prints already, but I have my own photo printer. I put the prints in a frame, and either sign the mat, or the back if the frame doesn't have a mat. And yes, not too artsy picture. Nicely saturated goes well. I have a print of an old rusty truck in a field, and that one in an antique looking wooden frame goes well.
We were asked to do a photo display at the hospital where I work. We mostly plak-mounted our pictures for durability since they were lining a main hallway for a few months. Our contact information was on a small card below the piece and many of us sold our work. From that several of us were asked to donate pictures to a local homeless shelter auction and we had prints made and then framed with a matte and glass. Our information went onto the back of the frame.
A friend went in with someone having a "pop-up" craft sale. She had 8x10s printed of various colourful front doors and bought interesting old frames at second-hand stores. Some prints are suited to that kind of frame.
I think it also depends on the type of silent auction. What kind of people might be bidding? You can spend more making your picture look great if it might bring a better price, but only if the people bidding are likely to bid that much. Not to say you should skimp on quality but if the audience will be a local high school/university and it will be largely students bidding then you may pay more to frame it than your art will bring in. In that case you might be better donating cash to the cause!
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Otherwise I'd just do a matt, because a frame is so personal, and needs to fit the location, and can be so expensive.
I agree that it's a nice idea!
Generally when I sell or gift a print, I sign the mount rather than the print itself. I know some people feel that signing the mount means that should the print be removed from the mount then the signature is lost, which is true, but personally I prefer it and don't like "marring" the image with a signature.
As for subject matter, I would think that's up to you but it should always be an image that you like (and are proud of) and probably should be an image suitable for family viewing.
Thank you!
I love the advice about "family viewing" - will take that to heart.
I'll also check out the canvas printing, that seems like a possibility.
If I do a print, I will only put it on a mat, that helps with the cost and the signing. I'd probably do it on the back. I would feel funny scribbling my name on the front.
A friend went in with someone having a "pop-up" craft sale. She had 8x10s printed of various colourful front doors and bought interesting old frames at second-hand stores. Some prints are suited to that kind of frame.
I think it also depends on the type of silent auction. What kind of people might be bidding? You can spend more making your picture look great if it might bring a better price, but only if the people bidding are likely to bid that much. Not to say you should skimp on quality but if the audience will be a local high school/university and it will be largely students bidding then you may pay more to frame it than your art will bring in. In that case you might be better donating cash to the cause!