I've been framed!

Last week I went to a local framer to choose a moulding for the cheetah painting. I was looking for something that was quite rustic looking… but it’s hard to find something that doesn’t look too manufactured. The aim is to find a combination of style and colour that enhances the painting rather than detracts from it.
After browsing through the selection of mouldings, the choice came down to two for colour choice - one was a gorgeous soft greyish green and the other a dark ‘antique oak’ brown. I loved the green but it didn’t ‘sit’ well for the whole painting and unfortunately with just a small corner section to try out against the work I couldn’t tell if it would work or not, so I chose the safe option and went with the ‘antique oak’ colour. There was no moulding in that colour that suited the painting; they all looked too polished and unnatural. But the framer found a flat moulding of untreated pine that had a roughened ‘unfinished’ surface. The plan was to colour this up to match my colour choice and put in a hessian slip to lead the eye into the painting.
On Thursday I went back to collect the finished frame and they fitted it round my painting. It looked great. One of the framers said it looked like you were looking out of a lodge window into the African bush beyond! I hope this is something prospective buyers like, if they think that too, and it helps to sell the piece.
So now I needed to get the painting to Christies in London. After ringing around a number of couriers, it became apparent that none of them would take an original painting; too much of a liability and too easily damaged. All, that is, except one. Great, I thought, now we are getting somewhere. Except that we weren’t. I had been recommended to use same day delivery to minimise risk of damage as the painting would most likely stay on the same vehicle with the same driver until it reached its destination, so I was expecting to have to pay a little more for this….. but not £165!
So a very quick decision was made in that I may as well take the painting to London myself on the train… it’ll be a darn sight cheaper and I will know it gets there safely. Taking advantage of online ticketing I managed to get tickets for £14.50 each way…. Bit of a difference! So next Friday… I’m off on a jolly to London.