One of the best-known quotes from Pablo Picasso goes, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist when we grow up.” Kids posses a freedom of expression that can only come from hands that haven’t yet learned the “right” way of doing things. This delightful drawing is great example of that. Each scribbled face holds an ambiguous expression. Even the torn-off notepad holes at the top embody a beautiful lack of self-consciousness.

We chose a fun, bright, orange frame with a matte finish. The color matches the exuberance of the drawing while the subdued finish and cap moulding keep it sophisticated and contemporary. It would have been too stuffy to window-mat a piece like this–it thrives on its irregular edges and its off-the-cuff flavor. That’s why we decided to float it on a clean white background with a quarter-inch shadow-box liner mat. “Floating” means to mount the work on a 4-ply sheet of mat-board so that it appears to hover just above the background, and the liner mat sinks that piece back from the glass. Aside from showcasing the edges, floating helps to remind us of the physical nature of a piece, turning the frame into a preservation box. In this case, it preserves a moment in time: the time in a child’s life when all that’s known is what comes naturally.