Saturday
Gesso frames and sanding
Lots of gesso frames being sanded and smoothed. This is done with various grades of alu oxide papers and also with damp cloths.
Paint finish
An obeche bolection profile which is painted with red/brown Plaka casein paint, then a browny black Plaka mix, it was then distressed and polished with 0000 wire wool.
Friday
Carved Italian frame
Another frame seen in Italy, this one was surrounding a TV screen in a small natural history museum. It is very ornately carved as you can see, some of the carving is relevant to the town we stayed at, whilst other details seem purely decorative or are more classical for such leaf frames. The towns famous castle can be seen at the bottom, a cable car is bottom right, wine bottle and glass on the left, handbags on the right, and a lady's leg and high heel shoe top right. There are lots of other smaller carved motifs all around the frame background but my poor photo does not show them.
Black bole-ction
This frame is made from a bolection moulding, the term originated in the 17th C and is used to generally describe raised mouldings used around doors, fireplaces, and paintings.
It has been sprayed with gesso and was then given a few coats of black bole, which is fine clay mixed with glue. The bole was lightly rubbed with 0000 wire wool, and next it will be gilded.
Thursday
Pile of frames
This pile of 10" x 12" obeche frames have been made in various shaped profiles. They will be used at a practical gilding workshop at an upcoming framing event:
Gilded slips
A couple of slips that have a grey bole base and are then gilded in 22ct moon gold. The support frames are made from MDF and just make it easy to handle the slips when applying the gesso, sanding, applying the bole, and then gilding. The outer frame is left in barewood and will be painted by the artist customer.
Tuesday
Italian frames
I've just spent a very enjoyable holiday in Italy, here are just a few photos of the many framing and frame design related things that I saw.
I had some really good photos on my camera of work I finished before I went away, but lost my camera on the first day in Italy! better than losing it at the end of the holiday...
Frame sites
I found these framing blogs sometime ago and have been meaning to post them on here for ages. Both have some great images and ideas for framing styles:
12/9/12 edit: Just been looking at this Tumblr blog, also a good website with some beautiful antique frames:
Thursday
Little carved frame
A nice little carved and oil gilded frame, I have just made some repairs and fitted a matt water gilded slip.
Wednesday
Antique cut down
A silver gilded antique frame that has been cut down at two diagonal opposite corners, it was then glued, clamped and pinned.
Gaping mitres
Two antique rough sawn and oil gilded frames which have rather big gaps at the mitres.
Saturday
Gilding samples
Today I was gilding these corner samples and also some frames for a big order. There are 20+ more frames to be gilded next week, some of these can be seen in the photo above.
Washline mount
A traditional washline mount on museum mountboard for a limited edition artist's print. It will be framed in an antique looking gilt frame.
Tuesday
Bole...
I've been painting bole on frames today, most of the big order of gilded frames have been done, and some corner samples in various bole colours. The antique frame in the background of the top photo has also had some repaired areas painted with bole.
Saturday
Fusilier portrait
We recently visted the Tower of London, and had a very enjoyable day out. This military portait and antique frame can be seen in the entrance to The Fusilier Museum located within the Tower of London. It is a great example of a 19th composition ornamented frame. The museum has a collection of medals, uniforms, portraits, and other items of importance to the regiments history.
Monday
Antique frame
A good quality Louis XIV style revival frame, compo ornament, with original highly burnished water gilding. It just need some damage and missing sections repaired/replaced.
Saturday
Yearly order
We have a number of orders that repeat annually for long standing exhibitions, these obeche frames are one of them, and make up half of this order. These frames are just waiting to have a size coat of rabbit skin glue brushed on, and I am just going to the workshop to do this now...
Narrow slips
These 3 narrow slips have some bits of wood fixed to the back so they are easy to handle and are not flimsy, the inner section will be gilded.
