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
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.
Framing Kevin Courter’s “Soaring Skies”
Just finished framing this wonderful Kevin Courter oil on linen, 20″ x 16″, titled “Soaring Skies.” I wanted the frame to extend the perspective with the right form and amount of line work, but keeping it simple and rustic in spirit. The color ca... continue reading.
From Gold to Oak—II: 19th Century British Still Life
This is another re-framing job that we did maybe a year ago. It’s a still life, oil on canvas, by 19th century British painter Edward Ladell. Here’s how it was framed when it came in: And how it looked after we re-framed it in stained quartersawn white oak t... continue reading.
From Gold to Oak—I: Re-Framing Rosa Bonheur Stags
The theme of this post, replacing gilt frames with dark wood frames, has since been greatly expanded upon on a page created a couple years later, “Fixing ‘A Very Prevalent Error: The Cabinetmaker’s Answer to the Gold Frame Convention,” here. Have... continue reading.
Framing Photographs—I: Contemporary Landscapes by Geoffrey Agrons
Geoffrey Agrons is a good customer and a superb photographer. We just framed this set of his photos printed on handmade Japanese paper, and they present a good opportunity to demonstrate two important lessons of framing design: framing contemporary photographs close, an... continue reading.