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
Recent Bill Cone work, and framing
Bill Cone recently brought in these two beautiful pastels for The Summer Show. “Gateway Morning,” pastel on paper. 8″ x 8″. “Wildflowers,” pastel on paper. 9″ x 12″. We’ve also just completed framing a few of Bill... continue reading.
The Arts and “Reverence for Life”
“It is indeed in…the belief in the beneficent progress of civilisation, that I venture to face you and to entreat you to strive to enter into the real meaning of the arts, which are surely the expression of reverence for nature, and the crown of nature, the ... continue reading.
“Als Ik Kan”: Hephaestus’s Imperfect Frame
If the Arts and Crafts Movement can be said to have a motto, it is surely “Als Ik Kan.” First assumed by William Morris—more famously in its French form, “Si Je Puis”—it was further popularized by Gustav Stickley through the marks on his furn... continue reading.
“Kevin Courter: From Dusk to Dawn” is posted
The last of Kevin Courter‘s paintings for his upcoming show, “From Dusk to Dawn,” is in, and it’s a great example of a theme he’s been having a lot of fun with for the last few months. This is called “Evening’s Solitude,” ... continue reading.
Reframing Art: “All true art is praise”
The first entry for the quotes on the page, Re-framing Art: “All true art is praise.” John Ruskin‘s statement is among his most quoted and is takes us right to a central motive for why painters paint—a motive that fundamentally shapes our idea of a... continue reading.
Framing J Bond Francisco
Recently framed this John Bond Francisco , designing the setting to echo playfully with the massive green frame at the center of the painting. This little oil, 12″ x 8″, depicts the artist’s San Francisco studio around the turn of the century. The fram... continue reading.
Framing Ludmilla Welch
We’ve had the privilege of framing more and more historical work, and this past month got to re-frame this sweet oil painting, “Foggy Morning,” (10″ x 17″) by Ludmilla Welch, who with her husband Thaddeus Welch, worked in San Francisco at t... continue reading.
True Grit: See us on the big screen!
Early last year I got to brag here that we’d gotten a call from the set designers for the Coen Brothers remake of the classic western, True Grit. Well, as you’re probably aware, the film is out and doing gangbusters at the box office. If you look closely, yo... continue reading.
Framing Kevin Courter’s “Cradled Moon”
Enjoyed framing this 12″ x 14″ oil for Kevin Courter, now at New Masters Gallery in Carmel. Chose walnut for its color (used a light stain to get the harmony just right) and because it’s good for carving. Chose a flat profile, since it’s a flat c... continue reading.