A Frame-Maker’s Journal
Updates and reflections 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
What Matters (for Earth Day)
“It is indeed in…the belief in the beneficent progress of civilisation, that I…entreat you… to enter into the real meaning of the arts, which are surely the expression of reverence for nature, and the crown of nature, the life of man upon the ear... continue reading.
They Maintain the Fabric of the World
Body and spirit are inseparable. And so are their well-being. A doctor on the front lines of the coronavirus emergency was asked on NPR the other day about the value of simple, home-made face masks. You might have expected him to minimize their importance, since clearly... continue reading.
Letting the Light In and Keeping the Lights On—Online
I hope this finds you and yours in good health and finding safety and solace in these frightening times. Please be careful and stay well. The Holton Studio family is all healthy, thank goodness. But in compliance with orders from the city, county, and state, the shop’... continue reading.
California Art Club Opening
Our reception this past Saturday evening for our new show “Treasures From the Bay Area: New Paintings by the California Art Club” drew a big and enthusiastic crowd. We feel very honored and privileged to be hosting this show, and everyone, from the organizer... continue reading.
Framing the California Art Club
We’re putting the final touches on our exhibition opening today at the gallery. We have the honor and privilege of hosting “Treasures from the Bay Area: New Paintings From the California Art Club.” This juried exhibition features 56 painters from to th... continue reading.
Framing S.C. Yuan
We recently framed this impressive oil painting by one of the most admired artists of the Monterey Peninsula in the late twentieth century, S.C. Yuan (China & California, 1911-1974). “Carmel Cypress” was painted in the 1960’s. The 26-1/2″ x 2... continue reading.
Framing Edgar Payne, and Exploring Proud Splines
This little study, “Indian Ponies,” by famed Southern California painter Edgar Payne came to us in a linen mat with an octagonal opening. The outside of the mat is 9-1/4″ x 10-1/4″. I’d been doing more with proud splines—as can be seen in... continue reading.
Framing the Wedding Banners of Bertha Lum
The unusual imagery of wedding banners central to this 1924 print by Bertha Lum, and giving it its title, offered me an opportunity to use a joinery technique I’d been playing with. “Wedding Banners,” is available from California Historical Design. The... continue reading.
Framing the Hopes for American Commerce of 1899
The challenge in framing this beautiful 45″ x 20″ antique poster advertising the 1899 National Export Exposition in Philadelphia was to harmonize utilitarian and artistic concerns: to balance the simplicity and boldness of presentation naturally suitable to ... continue reading.