Question: Is glass necessary for framing watercolor paintings?

Eric: Recently, I’ve come across a new way to frame and display watercolor paintings. I have become aware of watercolorists doing away with the glass in order to get around the glare. The painting simply gets mounted on canvas or another surface. With several coats of varnish to bring out the rich color (like it looks when still wet) it is ready to be framed, much like an oil painting. The painting can be wiped to clean if needed without disturbing the pigments. This is a great boost for watercolorists who want to compete alongside oil painters, get rid of the glare that glass brings with it, and make a statement of permanence that will rival any other medium, including oil paintings.

My collectors may still desire to have their paintings under glass; however, I will encourage them to take a second look at what only varnishing the painting, and doing away with the glass, offers.