Back at the workshop

I am back at work now after a great summer holiday. Here are a couple of deep frames which are used to float frame some paintings on board. The wood is obeche and is finished with clear wax.

Now for a fun frame

Now for a completely different and unusual frame! So I started with a couple of frames made from offcuts, a 6” x 4” and 10” x 8”, both flat square sections. These were sized and then painted with gesso. I then drew on some very simple motifs and symbols, the ones on the larger frame were built up with gesso, while on the small frame the symbols were incised with a metal scribe. Next came lots of different bole colours, and water gilding in various types of leaf. The gilding was then distressed to get the different bole colours showing through, and finally the frames were sealed. I was going to do some burnishing and punched decoration but enough is enough and that would have been a little over the top! The finished framing is a little present for my wife.

While this frame is intended as a bit of fun, I think a similar idea, using pastiglia, incised, and punched decoration could make a very unique and special range of wedding and general photo frames.

repairs

This nice period frame was falling apart at the corners and had a split and broken rebate along two sides. It has been tidied-up and made secure.

Another icon framed

This icon has been framed in an antique fluted cove frame, which has been cut down to fit. The back of the frame is extended to accommodate the depth of the icon, the Artglass anti-relective glazing, 5mm spacer, and Correx backing. The new back extension to the frame is painted and finished in gilt cream to match the existing colour, it is fixed to the frame with screws. The job is completed with an antique brass ring hanger at the top.

Dali frames

Here are three beautiful frames around paintings by Salvador Dali. Photos taken by Mrs Framemaker on her recent trip to Spain.

Insect watch

It has been a rather uneventful and best forgotten week at the workshop for one reason and another, the most exciting event happened today when we found a big grass hopper in the moulding racks. Here he is, sitting on a length of moulding.

Some contemporary framing

Here are some paintings by the artist Melvyn Warren-Smith. The winter landscape above is framed in a scoop frame with two water gilded sections and a sludgy green paint which is distressed to show the red underneath. I made a sample like this nearly 10 years ago, more out of experimentation than anything else, and this is only the second frame I have made based on the sample. That is probably an indication that it is not very popular, but I have always liked the look of it, and it is certainly not something you would see everywhere.

The two fox paintings and the fire on a beach are framed in pretty standard gilded and painted jobbies, the one fox at the top is rather drunk on vino and old speckled hen.

Another 19th Century compo frame

Here is another good quality compo frame, it is probably French, late 19th Century, and is called a Barbizon frame, although the name is associated with a number of frame styles, I think this as a classic example of the style. I have some other Barbizon type compo frames I will post photos of sometime soon.

A 19th Century compo frame

Here is another example (I think so anyway!), of a well designed compo ornamented frame, I especially like the scrolling pattern. I think this style was generally called a Lawrence frame, after the artist Sir Thomas Lawrence, although I don't know if he used this exact style. Some interesting articles by Jacob Simon on Lawrence can be found on the National Portrait Gallery site:

Thomas Lawrence and Picture Framing

Airlines

I've never used air hand tools in the workshop, it's something I've been meaning to do for ages and with the imminent completion of the spraying booth, it was a good time to set up some airlines in the workshop.  Now we have an airline and two fittings (one oiled, one clean) going to the three benches in the clean area, a junction behind the compressor, and another by the underpinner. The tools that we can run on air are: point drivers, staplers, blow guns, and nail guns.

Finishing the walnut frame

Here is the finished frame, a 17th Century style polished wood frame with oil gilded sight edge. 

Simon Davis at Red Rag Gallery

These three paintings are by Simon Davis, and are for Red Rag Gallery. They are framed in water gilded and painted frames.

Gilding walnut

Here the the sight edge on the walnut frame is being oil gilded in double thickness 23.5ct gold leaf. Next comes more polishing, distressing, and the antiquing. I actually want to keep this frame, but the customer has been waiting forever so I will have to make another one for myself.

Walnut frame progress...

After a huge number of shellac coats, with rubbing back between every couple of coats the walnut frame was cut to size and joined. Now comes more stages of polishing...

Chinook over the workshop

Falmouth Frameworks

Falmouth Frameworks - 17th September 2011 to 19th November 2011

This exhibition, being held at Falmouth Art Gallery, Cornwall, looks at the importance of frames and coincides with the publication of a new book, below is the gallery press release.


This unique, innovative and groundbreaking exhibition is the culmination of a three-year project to raise awareness of the importance of historical and artist-designed frames, and the marriage between frame and work. 

There are no museum objects that are more neglected than historical and artist-designed frames. Frames are often an integral part of the works but despite this they are sometimes separated, not conserved or not catalogued.

Using Falmouth's important collection this exhibition examines the artists' relationship with the frame from the early 18th century, through to the modern day. Included are Sven Berlin, Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Thomas Gainsborough, Kurt Jackson, Dame Laura Knight, Sir Alfred Munnings, Ben Nicholson, John Singer Sargent and John William Waterhouse.
In association with Paul Mitchell Limited and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. The new book ‘Falmouth Frameworks' by Brian Stewart, is published by Sansom & Company.

Falmouth Frameworks Exhibition

Tray frames

These deep tray frames (also called floater frames) can be used to float mount canvases or panels, and can be finished in any number of different ways. Usually a gap of about 5 to 10mm is left around the canvas to give the floating effect.

Walnut frame

This walnut moulding was given a good sand to remove the machine cutting marks that are often left on hard wood mouldings. It was given one coat of stain, and then had lots of coats of shellac, with sanding between every other coat to build up the smooth surface. The finish will be a deep polished surface with gilded sight edge, to replicate an antique polished wood frame.