Richard Dack painting

This painting by Richard Dack has been framed in a traditional profile which is painted white and waxed. It is for the Red Rag Gallery.

Some work finished today...

Gilding a couple of frames

Making a display case

John Hammond SWAc paintings

These great landscape paintings are by John Hammond SWAc. They are painted in acrylic on board and capture the light and atmosphere of sunny landscape scenes beautifully. I have framed them in water gilded and painted frames. They are for the John Noott Gallery in Broadway.

Perspex backing

This pastel on linen canvas has been backed with perspex, air holes are drilled to prevent the canvas from being moved forward by air pressure, if the back of the picture is ever pressed. The perspex adds protection from damage and also allows any writing by the artist or makers labels to be seen.

Making a gilded frame - size coat

The first stage in making a gilded frame (after it has been joined, had the corners filled, and the whole frame has been sanded), is to apply a size coat of rabbit skin glue. This primes the barewood surface and will help to create a strong bond between the gesso layers and the wood substrate. If the frame is not given a size coat the glue in the gesso is absorbed into the wood and the bond will be very weak. The glue granules are mixed 1:8 with water and left for 24 hours to soak. The glue is then heated in a double boiler and brushed on very warm, but is not heated too much as overheating the glue causes the adhesive to break down, and become useless. The frame is left for a day before the next stage, which is the gesso. Sometimes strips of fine silk are put over the mitres, this interlagio helps to reduce the inevitable cracking that occurs at the mitres, as the wood shrinks, expands, and moves during variations in the surrounding atmosphere.

painting a frame

The inner part of this frame is being painted with water based paint. It was painted with acrylic primer undercoat first, and then two coats of emulsion.

Jeremy Houghton

This painting, called 'On Air' is by Jeremy Houghton, it has been framed in a black painted scoop shaped frame with a white slip. 

painting, gesso, and gilding

Here are a few frames being worked on at the moment. The frame being painted with gesso in the photo above is made from two mouldings, the inner part has been cut down on the table saw, it is then joined to the outer box frame. 
The three frames in the middle photo are being painted black, and will be sealed with an acrylic varnish, they will also have a white painted slip.
The top photo is another frame made from two mouldings, it is being water gilded.

Finished floater frame

Canvas float frame

This canvas float frame was damaged so I have just tidied up the finish with black casein paint on the inner part, and red casein paint under the water based acrylic gold paint. The profile is a simple 'L' shape, the canvas sits in the tray and is held in place with screws. The canvas has a gap of about 1/4" all round which gives the floating effect. The gold paint has been stippled on and is a very simple and cost effective finish.

Duncan MacGregor paintings

Today I finished a load of paintings by Duncan MacGregor, they are for the gallery Broadway Modern. The inner slip frame is a painted scoop, and the outer is a very chunky square box frame.

Selection of work

Here's a little selection of some pieces of art at the workshop at the moment, examples of two jobs waiting to be collected, and two jobs waiting to be done.

The Labrador puppies are a limited edition print called 'First Litter' by Chipping Campden based artist Paula-Jayne, and are framed in a wide oak frame with dark wax finish.

The green image is a micro photographic print called 'The Filter Feeding Forest' by Lawrence Wu, and it is framed in a ultra-white box frame, the image is mounted on Foamex and is float mounted.

The large black and gold frame is in need of some minor repairs, the frame is a very nice water gilded and painted number, and is made in Scotland. 

This great painting is by Joe Hargan, I love his work, mainly because he paints frames. This is for Red Rag Gallery, who have galleries in Stow-on-the-Wold and Bath.

Last but not least, the flamingos canvas waiting to be framed is by another of my favourite artists; Jeremy Houghton, and it will be going in a painted frame.

Back at work

I'm back at work now, and lots of jobs have come in while I've been away. Quite a few urgent repairs, various gilded and hand made frames, prints, posters, photos; lots of different jobs in fact. The heavy snow we had just before Christmas meant that alot of customers did not collect their framing before the holidays, and they have been slow to collect and pay in January too! 

Some Russian frames and paintings

I've managed to take a few photos of some paintings and frames during my holiday break. These paintings are by Igor Sushenok, who is a professor and teacher of art at a school in Moscow, a number of paintings are on display at the school.
Very impressive paintings, with some good frames too, the frame on the top painting (with piano and Mrs Framemaker) is a wide natural wood profile with quite a 'rustic' look (don't like this word to describe frames but can't think of a better one), I think this 'tree like' frame is very appropriate for the painting. 
The second photo is a wide cassetta frame, with gilded and painted finish, I've always liked this style of frame.

Christmas and New Year shut down

The workshop is now closed for Christmas and New Year holidays, and will be open again on Monday 10th January, although I am having a longer break and will not be back at work until Tuesday 18th January. The workshop is all neat, tidy, and ready for 2011. 

We luckily have a considerable amount of work planned and booked-in for January, February, and March. I am very thankful for this situation, as business can be tough at the best of times, and the last year or so has been particularly hard for everyone. 

Happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year to all my customers, and visitors to my blog, and a huge thank you to my customers for your valued business throughout 2010.

minor repairs

Silver leaf frame

This watercolour has been framed in a silver leaf, water gilded frame, which has been distressed so the red bole shows through. The surface is then sealed with an acrylic varnish to prevent the silver from tarnishing.

Carved frame

 

This rather nice hand carved fluted cove frame is probably from the late 18th or early 19th Century, I would guess that it is English. It has a very neoclassical or Roman look, a Carlo Maratta style perhaps? with its architectural inspired tongue and dart inner pattern, ribbon twist, and egg and dart outer decoration.

I like looking at the backs of frames as much as the front! Here you can see the mitres are joined with oak splines instead of nails.

A few of my paint brushes...

Journey home

Some photos above from my journey home this afternoon, I found it fine crawling along at 5 to 10 miles an hour, its when I met other traffic around the village of Willersey and my home village Broadway where problems occurred. A number of cars abandoned on the road side caused congestion, then people struggled to pull away without wheel spinning. 

As I got to Broadway, one driver was having particular trouble, some guys from other cars got out to help by pushing this person, who was stuck in the middle of the road, causing even more problems for other cars trying to go in the opposite direction.

The snow has reached us...

The snow has finally reached us here in Worcestershire, with a few inches falling overnight, and a good 10 inches during the morning and early afternoon. The 4 mile journey to the workshop was OK, although the journey back took alot longer. I brought back 6 frames that need gilding, and 2 that just need some little repairs. I can do this sort of work at home, as it looks like the snow will be here for a few days least, and I need to get these done before Christmas!

A few more frames finished today...

We actually got a whole load of frames and jobs finished today, here are just a couple of examples! 

The ornate gold frame just needed a slip fitting and some small areas of damage were repaired. The set of 6 prints have been framed together, mainly for ease of hanging.

Waiting for gesso

These 3 obeche frames have been sized, and tomorrow will be covered in gesso. I have 11 gilded and painted frames to get finished before the Christmas and New Year holidays, and another 4 to be done when I'm back at work in January. There are 5 frames waiting to be repaired/restored, and probably about 55 'normal' to 'awkward' jobs which includes cross stitches, prints, a medal with a certificate, acrylics on board, pastels, and various other pieces of art, which all need to be done before Christmas.

Ornate double swept frame

 

 

This rather nice, and well made little double swept frame needs some minor repairs, with about 6 areas of missing ornament. Its called a double swept because the back edge also has sweeping lines, as well as the usual outer, high part of the frame. I think the style is best described as Rococo.