THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 26, 1995 TAG: 9503230179
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Mary Ellen Riddle
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
Monna Reid is a people watcher, and she tends to ask a lot of questions. In her line of work, the more she knows about her customers, the happier she can make them.
When patrons walk into Perry Glass Co. in Elizabeth City and ask for Reid's help, she's already observing whether their choice of clothing is multicolored or simple.
She may then ask whether they have traditional, country, contemporary or eclectic tastes in home furnishings. ``What's your favorite color?'' she'll ask. ``What kind of lighting do you have in your home?''
Reid's inquiries may puzzle her customers, but this is the way she has been satisfying them for the last six years. Within minutes, she can tell you what you need.
And business in her department has almost tripled since she came on board.
``People come back,'' said Reid, a 32-year-old picture framer, ``because I've learned their style.''
The term ``picture framing'' is limiting when trying to describe what Reid actually does. Her work can be as simple as cutting a single mat or as complex as using eight in one picture. She frames mirrors, creates shadow boxes and makes personalized glass and mat etchings.
Reid can mat, fit, back, mount, frame and preserve any artwork, from certificates and cross stitch to oil paintings and antique golf clubs.
She cuts specialty mats with V-grooves, step-corners, creates French lines and cuts oval or octagonal mats with matching frames. She can give mats a ribbon cut for a more tailored look without a lot of expense.
Her motto is: ``If you can bring it in, I can frame it.''
``The biggest limitation in this profession is your own creativity,'' Reid said. ``If you can come up with your own ideas, then you can stay in tune with the market.''
Reid is a certified picture framer. She was trained in Florida, and she consumes any literature she can get to stay current with the trends. She has acquired an understanding of light, color, composition, and even practical physics.
Reid knows that plexiglass and chalk drawings don't mix. The static electricity the plastic covering creates pulls the chalk from the page.
A certified picture framer also has to know how to mount artwork to fully preserve it.
Valued work must be backed with acid-free paper to prevent yellowing and brown streaks. Proper sealing is essential to keep air pollutants off the art. Canvas must be able to breathe, and non-glare glass can diminish detail.
``I've been doing this a long time because I really enjoy it. I like the creativity of it,'' Reid said. ``The artist finishes the work, but I complete it. What I do can make or break a picture.''
So Reid's in-depth questions begin to make sense. She discovers where the picture will hang before choosing a proper frame. Is it a small intimate space or a Gothic atmosphere? Are you decorating a seaside abode or a 17th-century-style study?
Reid knows her place when it comes to opinions. ``I try not to totally invoke myself on the framing. Otherwise somebody's picture ends up looking like you and not them. I find I have a lot of repeat business because the people like the fact that you want to know about them. I give them what they want. If it's something I don't think is good for the piece, I let them know they have an alternative.''
Alternatives are as varied and plentiful as the folks choosing them. Reid cuts cowboys, pelicans, horses, ducks and geometric motifs into her mats. She can even borrow a visual element from the artwork and carve it into the mat or etch it into the glass.
Customers come from as far as New York to enlist Reid's help. She also has a large following among local artists. ``They count on me to make it something that will sell,'' she said.
With the help of three employees, whom Reid praises highly; more than 400 molding samples to choose from; and a creative mind that thrives on challenge, they're in good hands. MEMO: Check out the limited edition prints and posters in Perry's art gallery.
Reid stocks more than 100 works including florals, landscapes,
religious, nautical and traditional themes. The Perry Glass Co. is on
Ehringhaus Street in Elizabeth City, 335-4353.
ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARY ELLEN RIDDLE
Monna Reid, a framer, tells her customers, ``If you can bring it in,
I can frame it.''
by CNB