Feb - '07 - Hanging Art – made easy!

1. Hang Art At Eye Level.
The most common mistake people make is hanging their pictures far too high. Hang your artwork so the center of the picture is at eye level. “Eye level” means different things to different people. Position the center of the picture about 5’ 6” above the floor, this is the most common eye level position, but obviously if it doesn’t seem quite right, raise or lower it a few inches.

Title: Cows
Artist: Jone Ketil Rimestad

2. Hang Art At Seated Eye Level.
If a picture is usually seen while viewers are seated, as in offices or dining areas, or in the living room, hang it at seated eye level. In a hallway you would need to hang the art at a higher level, as this is an area where people are normally standing.

3. The Trick To Hanging Groups of Pictures.
Think of your group of pictures as one unit. Divide them into two or more rows. Align the tops of the top row and the bottoms of the bottom row---and the sides as well---to set a variety of shapes within a compact “box”. With same-sized pictures keep spacing consistent. Or, for a “mosaic” look with varying sizes of art works, try for some balance by aligning the bottoms of some frames with the tops of others or centering some of the pictures on top of each other. This works well when round or oval frames are in the mix. Be sure to place larger pictures at the bottom to give to grouping balance. Up a staircase, pictures should be hung to duplicate the rising levels of the stairs. It looks best to keep throughout a uniform distance between the center of the edge of a step next to the wall and the center point of the picture directly above. As for how high to hang, start off with the center point of the art about 5’ from the center point of the step.

Title: Smile Please tryptich
Artist: Dianne Kaufman

4. Create Drama!
To properly display a larger work of art or a cluster of pictures, allow the right amount of space. This is usually 3’ to 5’ on each side, or perhaps a whole wall.
A group of pictures framed alike and hung close together can have big impact! You can give a small room with low ceilings or a large room with high ceilings desired drama by hanging pictures a little lower or higher accordingly.

5. Get Rid of Visual Clutter.
Instead of displaying every piece of art you own, ask yourself if each piece still holds the magic it once did. People grow and their tastes in art change. Upgrade your collection to fewer but better works or rotate your art.

6. Relate Art to Furniture.
In general, when hanging art over furniture it should no wider than the furniture because then it will look top heavy. The space between the top of a mantel and the bottom of the picture is most pleasing in a range from 3” to 7”. Over a table or sofa from 4” to 8” is a good range.

7. High and Wide.
Pictures hung in a horizontal line tend to elongate, widen and emphasize a casual decorating scheme. This is a perfect pattern for smaller areas and family rooms. Pictures hung vertically tend to give a more formal or zen ambiance and add to the illusion of height.

Title: Altea con fusion
Artist: TJ Miles

8. Odd Numbers Are Even Better.
For greater visual interest, show only odd numbers of pictures on a wall or in a given room...one, three, five, etc

9. One + One = One.
The most exciting way to treat different sized art works in a lengthwise display is to alternate large and small pictures. Smaller pictures should be about one-half to two-thirds the size of their larger counterpart. In other words, the surface area of two smaller pictures should equal that of one large picture.

10. When hanging art framed under glass, place a small piece of cork between the upper centre of the frame and the wall to eliminate glare.

Title: Two Women and a man
Artist: Stephen Finer

11. Use Picture Hooks Not Nails.
It is better to use picture hooks rather than nails because hooks are designed to redistribute the weight suspended from them. Hooks push the weight of pictures into the wall and then down, rather than just down as with nails. Nails tend to give way; and it takes a larger nail to support the same weight that a smaller picture hook will. Hooks usually come in packages that list the weight its hooks will hold. Always use the right size.

The best place to hang art is where the art can be seen, appreciated and of course enjoyed…!!!

‘When you are looking for Art,
The Fusion Gallery is the place to start’

Judy Webber
Gallery Director
The Fusion Gallery

For further details please contact:

Judy Webber
Gallery Director
Tel: + 34 966 880 466 or + 34 902 888 066
Mob: + 34 696 853 007
Email: judy@thefusiongallery.com
Web: www.thefusiongallery.com
Location: 1 Calle Jesus, Casco Antiquo, (Near the church) Altea