Mounting a Painting

I have been having a look at my blogs to see what I have included and what else I have in the collection that does not appear here or on the web site. Now that I look again I realise how weak the Lilac looks in comparison to others I have posted, so I applied myself to a part-finished painting to give my confidence a boost and the result is here.

Hollyhocks: Fabriano Extra White 300gm
26 x 36cm

The original painting was slightly larger than this, but I did want it to fit comfortably into a 20x16 frame as this seems a popular size at exhibitions. I had painted the tops of the hollyhocks with their unopened buds, but the framing would have had the mount cutting right across the lower left flower and this seemed a bit 'uncomfortable'. I played around with 2 L shaped pieces of mount board and even rotated them slightly to make the central stem go very slightly across the page, and although I would have liked to include the buds, I felt that this was the best compromise.
For my mounts I always use antique white mount board by Colourmount, with a slight weave pattern to the surface, and I then use a variety of white frames either commercial or home-made. I seal the backs of the frames with heavy-duty gummed paper, as I have yet to find a sticky backing tape that stays in place. It only need one corner to lift slightly and it plays havoc with the bubblewrap bags in which the paintings are stored.