Portrait frame

   

This rather striking 1920's portrait is framed in a 4 1/2" wide fluted cove frame, probably best described as a neo-classical style. I have water gilded the inner and outer sections in 23.5ct gold leaf, with some areas burnished. The fluted cove is finished in bronze powder, as are the sides. The back edge is painted in a yellow ochre, which was typical of many antique frames. The gilding is distressed and given a layer of protective varnish.

12 box frames

These 12 box frames are waiting to be painted, they have been filled, sanded, and given a coat of quick drying acrylic primer undercoat. Next week they will have a couple of coats of Farrow and Ball emulsion.

Floral watercolour

This watercolour was rather poorly float mounted using masking tape, I replaced this tape with a suitable water activated adhesive tape and mounted it with a green/grey single mount with a gold slip, it was then framed in a 3" wide swept frame.

A few jobs

This little swept frame was an urgent repair, it had a few pieces missing, although I should have taken a 'before' photo. Various frames hanging up, waiting to be painted, collected, or have something done to them.

Frosty morning behind the workshop

Books of gold leaf

For about 2 years I have been saving my empty books of gold leaf, most were 23.5ct gold, but also 12ct white, 22ct moon, silver, and other carats.

Here are 382 books which had 25 leaves per book, so 9550 leaves of gold.

Each leaf is 3" x 3" and the thickness is about 4 to 5 millionths of an inch or in metric that is 0.1 to 0.125 millionths of a meter (or micrometers, µm)

1000 leaves has about 16 grams of gold, so gives 152.8 grams, today the market price for pure gold is 27.99 GBP per gram, so a value of 4276.87 GBP

1 book covers about 1.975 sq feet so this gives an area of 754.45 sq feet of gold that I have used to make gilded picture frames in the last two years!

Textile artwork

This modern textile artwork has been float mounted and framed in a deep box frame.

Gilded and painted frame

Gilding and more gilding

Calligraphy and illumination framing

This calligraphy and illuminated writing has been double mounted in blue and gold, and framed in a medieval inspired stained oak frame which is finished with wax polish.

Repaired carved frame

Before and after...

Antique oak frame

This painting has been framed in an antique oak frame, from the same period, with a gold sight edge slip.

Oil gilded frame

This frame is made from walnut, it was given a dark rosewood stain and was then oil gilded with 23.5ct gold leaf, the finish was then distressed to reveal the colour of the stained wood, and was finally protected with an acrylic varnish.

Carved frame is tidied up

This frame had some minor losses to the gesso, and has now been tidied up.

Louis XIV frame

This is a really good little antique frame, which has taken some damage while being shipped from America. It is a Louis XIV corner and centre frame and it was made in the late 17th or early 18th Century. The ornament is carved by hand and gilded. If you look at the back you can see the frame has been skillfully extended to fit the painting it currently surrounds (which is mid 19th Century). The frame was sawn through either side of two opposite centres and then the four new blocks of wood were added, these were then carved to match the scrolling ornament and other carved decoration. A frame like this is probably worth around £1500 to £1800

Gilded door samples

These are test pieces and are samples of a door, they are for a furniture makers on the same estate as me, the moulding has been oil gilded in 23.5ct gold leaf.

Furniture store

I've been having a rather difficult time for the past few weeks, trying to deal with moving my Dad from a large house, into a very small bungalow, whilst also trying to get deadlines finished.

It should have been done some years ago, but at least it is being dealt with at last. The workshop has turned into a furniture storage building, a few pieces will be kept but most of it will have to be sold or given away.