Pre-Raphaelite influenced frame

This beautiful little antique frame has some Pre-Raphaelite inspired incised patterns reminiscent of motifs used by Rossetti. It is a simple but really great looking frame.

More gessoing

Lots of frames being gessoed at the moment, the compressor is still offline, so doing all these by hand makes me realise how time saving it is spraying gesso.

Tulip frame

This tulip frame is a custom made profile, based on a 19th Century frame pattern. It is being covered in gesso, next it will be painted with bole, and then it will be gilded.

Pins and silk

My compressor is being repaired so some frames have had to be joined using the old fashioned side pinning method, this small slip has also had some silk glued on the back to strengthen the corners. I actually think this side pin or cross pin joining on frames is better in some ways than the modern corner wedges, just much more time consuming. I have also been joining lots of frames using a Hoffmann dovetail router, which is an excellent alternative to my usual compressed air driven underpinner joints.

Gold mitre blocks

Louis XIV style

An example of an early 20th century Louis XIV style corner and centre frame, based on French 17th Century frames. The style is generally known as, and sometimes called a Bérain frame, named after Jean Bérain (1640-1711) the French designer and artist who had a huge influence on styles of the 17th century.

Corner block - black

Metal leaf gilt

This gesso and distressed paint frame has had the sight edge gilded in metal leaf.

Corner blocks

This is a simple bevel shaped frame profile that has had some corner blocks added over the mitres. The frame will be painted black, and the blocks will be dark gold. 

Another Barbizon frame

Here is another example of a Barbizon frame, also known as a Salon frame, that came into stock today. It is late 19th Century, in really excellent condition with good original gold leaf gilded finish, and virtually no areas of damage. A lovely antique composition frame.

Barbizon frame

This excellent example of a French 19th century Barbizon frame had various missing pieces of ornament, although thankfully the lovely antique gilded finish is original. The whole frame was treated with a consolidating adhesive which was introduced into all the cracks in and around the composition ornament, in order to stabilise and secure it to the substrate. The photo at the top shows the areas repaired and painted in red bole. Grey/black bole was applied over the red and then these areas were gilded and toned to match the original finish.

Carved frame

Re-gilded frame

This antique neo-classical frame has been re-gilded.

Distressed antique gilding

An antique frame with nicely distressed gilding, showing the pink, grey/back boles and down to the gesso, where rubbing and cleaning have worn away through the layers.

Orange bole

More washline mounts

A selection of washline mounts with antique and newly made frames.

Striped back

This antique 19th Century frame had lots of layers of over-painting and modern gilding. It has been stripped right back and will be re-gilded. It is a Victorian neoclassical profile with oak veneer flat.

Washline mounts and 19th C frames

These nice examples of washline mounts came into the workshop today, the antique frames with the mounts need some repair and restoration work.

A rush job

This frame has been an urgent job for one of my favourite clients, I finished it today. It is a scoop frame which has had the back edge cut off to make it a little customised. The gilding is in 22ct moon gold, and the scoop and sides have a paint/wash finish.

Antique frame cut down

This nice gilded antique watercolour frame was cut down on one side to fit a smaller painting. Top photo shows before, the second photo shows after two cuts have been made, third photo shows the excess moulding that needs to be removed, and the last photo after the one side has been joined back to the frame.