Debra Keirce

I am packing up my painting, "Off the Hook" to ship to The Blue Ridge Arts Association in Georgia. The Women Painters of the Southeast juried my painting into their annual exhibition. The show hangs April 3 through May 1, but I can't help it... I'm a planner. So I am packing it now.  

I thought I'd share what I do for packing artwork, because I remember it taking awhile to figure out what worked for me. I think I have it down now to a process that is so easy and affordable, and for shows like this one where the unsold art is returned to you, the materials are robust enough for return shipping.

First, here is the painting I am shipping:

The first thing I do, is I cut the pool noodles I bought at the end of swim season for $0.80 each, into little sections, and slice them down to the hole. Then I slip them, with a bit of overhang for cushion, over each of the corners. You can always buy them for $2 each from Sports Authority if you don't have them on hand. Click HERE for the link.

Next, I wrap my artwork in a sheet of corrugated cardboard. This is sold in rolls of different widths. For larger paintings, I tape two pieces together. You can buy this from several companies. HERE is where I get mine.

Now, it's time to use my suppressed rubber band. I love these rubber bands, as much as a human can love a rubber band that is. I use them when I have packages that are too big to fit in the mailbox, but can rest on the open mailbox door for pick up. They secure packages there even on windy days for me. I also love that whoever receives my art only has to slip off the rubber band - no untying or untagging required - totally reusable too! You can find rubber bands to suit your needs anywhere, but HERE is a link to where I get mine.

For larger artwork, you can slip-knot tie several large rubber bands together to meet your needs.

Now, just in case that wasn't exciting enough...and so you can be sure to protect the remaining sides of your frame, repeat the wrap in the other direction and secure with a big rubber band again.

At this point, if I were sending this piece to a collector, I would add labels with my logo and contact info, and a bow or decoration to make it look more like a present to open. But since this is for a show, I am lining a box with at least 2 inches of crumpled packing paper, and dropping it inside.

I hope you found this useful. I was thinking back to how some of my best friends in the art world today, are people I met while doing internet searches for how to pack and ship art. Without this quest of mine for the best way to pack and ship, I would not have met amazing artists like Carrie Waller, Helen Beacham, Kim Minichiello, Maria Hock! Click on each name to check out their very diverse websites if you like!