Early 19th C Frame

An early 19th Century frame in need of restoration due to the later overpainting and various losses and damage. You can see some areas where the inner ornament is missing and the good original water gilding can be seen beneath.

Round Mirror Frame

This 18th/19th Century round mirror frame had many layers of later applied gilding and paint, here it is being stripped and a more original gold leaf finish will be restored. This is another frame for the Belmont project.

Georgian Hollow

This late 18th or early 19th Century hollow profile frame will be cut down to fit a slightly smaller painting, the gilding cleaned, and re-gilded where required.

Fluted Empire Frames

Here are two great examples of fluted second Empire frames, both have a really deep hollow shape. The gilding on the top frame is heavily distressed, which shows the blue/gray bole clay that is beneath the gold leaf.

Acanthus hollow.

An antique hollow profile frame with acanthus leaf composition ornament.

Horse racing canvas

This painting on canvas by Jeremy Houghton has been framed in a deep cove frame with   silver gilded bevel sight edge. 

Cove frame

Here is a great antique cove frame, the inner carved leaf pattern is separate and is applied to the frame over a brightly burnished flat. Lovely colour to the gilding and bole.

Finished gilded and painted frames

The top photo shows some colourwash being applied with a brush it is diluted emulsion paint from Farrow and Ball, the next photo shows the two frames after all the colourwashes have been put on the scoop. The last photo shows one of the finished frames, I was particularly happy with the end result of this frame, it was exactly what I had originally envisaged the finish would look like.

Pair of Georgian coves

A really useful pair of 18th Century cove frames, a classic English frame with über-distressed water gilded finish. I think they are great as they are but they could also be restored if required.

Great fluted cove

This is a lovely French fluted cove frame, the style is called Second Empire. It was probably made in the first half of the 20th Century, and is a really good quality frame.

Antique portrait frame

This 19th Century Neo-classical cove frame was one I had in stock, a good standard size at 50" x 40" so it was only a matter of time before a painting came along that it was perfect for, and it is always nice to try and use an antique frame if possible instead of making a reproduction.
The frame was overpainted and had lots of little pieces of compo missing, and damage to the gesso on the cove. The pictures are not in order but show it before, during the overpaint is being removed with acetone, during oil gilding, and finished. The painting was sent away to be restored.

Another round antique frame

Here is another round antique frame, probably early 19th Century. It is an English Neo- classical profile, just a deep cove with triple half round outer moulding with about 8 cross ribbons, and a leaf tip sight edge. One thing I love about antique frames, which I have been meaning to mention before, is the bole colour. They seem to have a subtlety which is not seen in off-the-shelf bole colours and can only be achieved with careful mixing. The pinks, reds, yellows, and especially the greys/blacks of the bole on antique frames really do add something to the quality of how a frame looks.

Back to posting

It has been a while since I last posted on the blog! Sorry for the long silence, I have been moving house, snowed-under with work, dealing with red-tape/government forms, a little bit under the weather, and generally under pressure for a few weeks (feels like months!). The blogger dash board has even had a re-vamp! I have taken a few photos of some jobs over the last 6 weeks, I have not even had time to take many pics, but will post a few soon.
The top frame is a lovely deep scoop/cove shape with a rolling (swept or wave) top edge, a very bold and striking looking frame. It is going in a modern interior and will have a deep bronze metallic finish, along with a load of other antique frames.
The second, pretty standard antique neo classical fluted cove is a good 8" wide and has a rather attractive chamfered lap jointed backing frame.