Does the thought of picking out mats and frames for your
artwork fill you with dread? Are you overwhelmed by the choices and unsure of
how to present your work to showcase the art? Sweat no more! At Colorado
Frames, we are thrilled to have Chris Yates back on board after a five year
hiatus to finish her degree and be at home with her baby.
A St. Louis, MO native, Chris moved to Fort
Collins with her husband nine years ago to attend Colorado State
University and study landscape
architecture. Back in St. Louis,
she had worked as an apprentice to a custom woodworker and then as a custom
framer. “I got the job at the frame shop
because of my experience with woodworking tools,” Chris explains. “During my
time with Art Mart, I was trained in design, mat cutting, fitting, cutting and
joining frames – all phases of framing.”
Chris started working for Colorado Frame Manufacturing soon
after moving here. Her previous experience in frame design and woodworking
enabled her to fit in right away. “Back then, we were still milling our own
lumber and I enjoyed working with the machinery.”
Chris is passionate about design. “Whether it’s a place, a
space, an object, I am always looking at the design and trying to learn
something about its functionality or aesthetic. I am always educating myself,
in fact, my motto is ‘if you don’t learn something every day, then it’s a waste
of a day!’”.
She is also passionate about… power tools! “I’ve always loved them,” she smiles. “Even as a
little kid, I was always trying to do things myself, take things apart, put
them back together. I still love the challenge of doing what might be
traditionally thought of as ‘male’: plumbing, carpentry, laying tile. Again,
the design element excites me – and then making that design work…”
Outside of Colorado Frames, Chris enjoys time spent hiking,
biking, backpacking and camping in Colorado
and Wyoming
with her family.
When Fine Print Imaging bought Colorado Frames, we knew we
wanted to provide the community with excellent design and frames at affordable
prices – using the same philosophy that made Fine Print one of the top fine art
printers in the country. And we knew we needed a top notch frame designer, who
also understood the importance of customer service. In walked Chris, looking to
re-enter the work force. The rest, as they say, is history.
So how do you decide on the perfect frame? According to
Chris, “The frame should be an extension of the art, and should really not be
the first thing you notice. The perfect design enhances the art and draws the
eye to the artist’s intended focal point. You can achieve that a number of ways
– with color, scale and texture.”
Additionally, the customer’s personal taste, décor, and
budget all come into play when designing a piece. “Because we work with a lot
of artists, many of the pieces I design are going into art shows – so in that
case, we have to add that into the equation. You don’t want your framing to
look out of place in the venue.” So communication becomes an important tool
when coming up with the right design.
A person who thrives on diversity, Chris says one of her
favorite aspects about working for Colorado Frames is the variety of artwork
she works with, as well as the many different tasks that fill her days – from
working with a customer on a frame design to cutting mats and glass to sewing a
Bronco’s jersey in a shadowbox – every day brings new challenges!
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