A Frame-Maker’s Journal
Updates and ruminations on our work and mission to revive the art and craft of framing pictures. Here I'll show you new jobs we're especially proud of and keep you up on what's going on at the Gallery, as well as discuss topics germane to our work, including handcraft and work generally, the place of art, and ideals of the Arts and Crafts Movement (especially its greatest leaders, John Ruskin and William Morris).
I hope you’ll subscribe (see the form in the left column) or at least check back often. And I welcome your comments!
—Tim Holton
Framing TO-DAY—and John Ruskin at 200
“I have met in my lifetime some extremely revolutionary characters; and quite a large number of them, when I have asked, ‘Who put you onto this revolutionary line? Was it Karl Marx?’ have answered, ‘No, it was Ruskin.’” —George Bernard Shaw “The book was impossible to lay aside, once I had begun it. It gripped […]
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The Penetrating Imagination: Framing Bertha Lum’s Window on Distant and Hidden Things
Here’s a delightful block print by Bertha Lum (1869-1954), which came through the shop recently. The image is about 16-1/2″ x 9-1/2″. It had been trimmed closely, without enough margin left to cover even a tiny bit with a mat, so we floated it in the o... continue reading.
California Art Club Event: Jeff Sewell Demo Packs Them In
This past Saturday we hosted a painting demonstration by Jeff Sewell of Laguna Beach. The event was sponsored by the Northern California chapter of the California Art Club. As you can tell from the pictures, Jeff drew a standing-room-only crowd, which was transfixed for... continue reading.
Framing Sausalito: Jane Kriss’s Homage to M. Sasek
I don’t think there’s a more charming site on the shore of San Francisco Bay than the town of Sausalito. My sister, Jane Kriss, is very lucky to live there, and was inspired to write and illustrate a book to match that charm: Next Stop Sausalito. And I’... continue reading.
Framing “Discoveries In Early California Art”: North Point Gallery Exhibit Opens Today
Over the years we have framed numerous paintings for our friends at North Point Gallery. Today they are opening a lovely show called “Discoveries In Early California Art,” and I’m happy to say we have a large number of frames on display. North Point... continue reading.
Framing a William S. Rice Woodblock Print
A happy customer just left here with this block print, “Lake Merritt”, by the great California artist William Seltzer Rice (1873-1963). An interesting thing about making wooden frames for block prints is that decorative carving of the frame can be done in th... continue reading.
Protecting Paradise: Framing Ernesto Nemesio for “Beloved California III”
This morning I completed the framing for “Beloved California, III”, our big annual all-gallery exhibit which opens today with a reception from 4 to 6. (I hope you’ll come.) The final piece framed is Ernesto Nemesio‘s “Sailor Lake Wildflower... continue reading.
Framing Carol Peek for “Beloved California III”
Here’s another great painting that will be in our show “Beloved California III” opening this Saturday. This one, “Spring Melody,” 11″ x 14″, is by Marin County painter, Carol Peek. We framed it in a simple 2-3/4″ stepped p... continue reading.
Framing Bill Cone and “Beloved California”
Our annual all-gallery show, “Beloved California,” opens in two weeks, and we’re down to the last few frames. So I thought I’d put up a few posts talking about the framing. We’ve been exploring some new directions, and this show offered the... continue reading.