A Frame-Maker’s Journal

TimHolton writingUpdates 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

Framing Paul Kratter’s “View Through the Trees”

Posted on May 4th, 2023

Here at the Gallery this Saturday, May 6 from 1 to 4, we’ll host an opening reception for “Paul Kratter: View Through the Trees”. It was twenty years ago that Paul Kratter came in to the old Emeryville shop to frame some of his recent paintings. Paul w... continue reading.

Bill Cone Demo

Posted on March 18th, 2023

This morning, we were pleased to host a pastel demo by the incomparable Bill Cone for California Art Club members. With several attendees having little or no experience with pastels, Bill covered the basics before executing a seascape based on a photo he took on a recen... continue reading.

Framing (and Re-Framing) Walter J. Phillips Botanical Woodblock Prints

Posted on February 27th, 2023

These are two color woodblocks by the eminent Canadian artist Walter J. Phillips (1884-1963). Phillips’s first works in printmaking were etchings, but a love of color led him to take up woodcuts. We’ve had the pleasure of framing several Phillips prints for ... continue reading.

R.I.P., Mr. Goines

Posted on February 25th, 2023

I learned yesterday that David Lance Goines died last Sunday, February 19. Goines was an internationally renowned printer and graphic artist who, after moving to Berkeley to attend the University in the 1960’s, remained in the city, producing posters and graphic w... continue reading.

Hanging this Weekend With Gus and Hans at the Grove Park Inn

Posted on February 18th, 2023

A little while back I posted about framing this 1912 Hans Jauchen copper relief for Gus Bostrom’s antique business in Alameda, California Historical Design. This weekend the piece is on display at Gus’s booth at the 36th Annual National Arts and Crafts Confe... continue reading.

Let’s Get Lost: Robert Flanary Show Opens Tomorrow

Posted on February 3rd, 2023

Today at the Gallery we added the finishing touches to our one-man show, Robert Flanary: Seeing All Together. Along with a great air of anticipation here, we enjoyed also a considerable amount of fond reflection. The show marks the beginning of our twenty-fifth year of ... continue reading.

Robert Flanary and the Genesis of Holton Studio Gallery

Posted on January 24th, 2023

As we frame our new show, Robert Flanary: Seeing All Together, I’ve been reflecting on the great significance Bob has for Holton Studio. It was 24 years—almost a quarter century—ago that I first met Bob. Before we hatched the Holton Studio Gallery, he walked i... continue reading.

“Seeing All Together”: Framing an Exhibit of Recent Landscape Paintings by Robert Flanary

Posted on January 15th, 2023

The weeks leading up to a show at the Gallery are always exciting, as we get to live with a crop of new paintings, see our own work enhance already beautiful pictures, and watch the exhibit come together. It’s always a joy. But the show we’re currently mount... continue reading.

Cherries Jubilee for the New Year!

Posted on December 31st, 2022

Looking for a festive recipe for your New Year’s Eve dinner? Here’s one from none other than Alice Waters, as designed, calligraphed, and printed by David Lance Goines at his St. Hieronymous Press. “Cherries Jubilee” was created in 1970 as part o... continue reading.