Gesso

 

Here are some of the frames that we're working on this week. They're all going to be coated with gesso, which gives them a beautiful smooth finish. We've assembled the bare wood frames today and mixed some rabbit skin glue up ready to size them tomorrow, they should then be ready for 'many' coats of gesso on Friday. :-)

Clockwise from the top left we have a frame for a comic book cover, a frame for my nephews UK bedroom ;-) and a frame for an artist whose work is heading off for exhibition in a London gallery, so they wanted some extra special...an eclectic mix as always :-)

 

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Tapestry

 

Just pinning this tapestry, it's now all ready for the back to be laced. This allows us to get an even tension across the piece, keeping it straight and flat. Off to build the frame now, I'll show you the finished article tomorrow when I've assembled all the pieces :-)

 

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Framer and frame

 

Here's one of the painted frames all finished. The colour is 'James' by Little Greene and its had a light wax to protect it. A sophisticated frame that sets off this very colourful, dramatic piece by Maureen Gillespie. You can find more of Maureen's work at the SOTA gallery in Witney

 

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Drying rack

 

Lots more handmade frames coming through the workshop so I've built this drying rack this morning...now I'm off to unpack today's deliveries....busy, busy, busy :-)

 

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A busy week

 

Lots of bare wood mouldings in this week. Some are new ranges that we've been using to making up samples. Some are for artists getting their work framed for Artweeks, which starts next month here in Oxfordshire. Will post some of the assembled frames over the next week or so, but for now I'm off to walk the dog and have a beer. Have a great weekend everyone :-)

 

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Bryn helping out today :-)

 

This gessoed frame is getting a couple of coats of primer today all ready for painting tomorrow. We've also got a torn canvas in for restoration along with a watercolour that needs frame repairs...a busy and carried day :-)

 

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Framing a Turner

 

This is a gorgeous, small painting by Alfie Turner. It's one of a pair heading off to the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy in London this year. We've gone for a rich blue tray to match the sky colour in the painting and then a calm off white frame to set everything off. Really lovely painting, good luck Alfie :-)

 

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Woodwork...painting

 

Following on from yesterday's woodworking, here are the frames,trays and samples all painted up. They'll need to dry overnight and then they can be waxed and assembled tomorrow. The large frame in the background has just been sized, that'll be gessoed tomorrow. :-)

 

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Woodwork

 

Working on a couple of frames with trays and some tray samples today...

 

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The Hobbit

 

This is a replica of a prop used in the film The Hobbit: An Unexpected journey. We've floated it in a simple black frame which presents it nicely, allowing the viewer to see all the ageing thats been worked into the map...However this map...and the frame...have a magic secret up their Hobbity sleeves...

 

You'll have to wait for the next post to see what that secret is.... :-)

 

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Big frame

 

This is the large oak frame we were working on the other day...always exciting cutting the glass for these :-)

 

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Black and Red frame

 

Here's the frame that was bright red the other day...it was then coated in black and gently rubbed back to let some of the red show through, then a wax and polish and this is the finished look :-)

 

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Colours continued...

 

Here's the green frame from yesterday all waxed and finished. It's surrounding a print of one of my paintings which the customer bought in a gallery and then came here to have framed :-)

 

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Colourful undercoat...

 

Here are a few frames in various stages of the painting process, the white one is an inner tray for a canvas, it's just getting a couple of coats of primer. The green one is a gessoed frame that's just had its first coat of paint, several more to follow. And the bright red one (Atomic Red by Little Greene, for those of you wondering) is actually going to be finished in black, but I want to rub the final frame back to reveal some of this warmth underneath...:-)

 

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Stained Glass

 

Here's something a little different that came in for framing the other day. A stained glass panel that needed framing with an open back to allow the light to shine through. We've used an aluminium satin black frame which we lined before putting the glass in to cushion it from the frame. The photo doesn't do justice to the artwork, the colours are gorgeous :-)

 

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Getting ready...

 

Getting everything ready for my painting day at the SOTA gallery in Witney tomorrow. I'll be painting between 10 and 4.30 so pop in and say hi if you can :-) please note, The Cuckoo's nest will be closed for the day...we'll be open as normal from 10 o'clock Saturday :-)

 

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One of my paintings framed

 

This is one of my paintings that I've framed in a dark wooden tray with a waxed oak frame. It's on show at the SOTA gallery in Witney currently and I'll be in there this Friday doing a painting demonstration on a similar portrait :-) call in and say hi if you're in the area :-)

 

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A very large frame...

 

Working on a very large oak frame today...had lots of fun cutting the glass for this piece ;-)

 

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Happy New Year

Hello, a somewhat belated Happy New year !

I've been rebuilding the framing workshop this month, so no posts here and not very many frames built. However, that's all finished now and we've made space for a lot more framing!

I'll post some of the work we did as Christmas presents over the next couple of weeks. 2013 is going to be a very exciting year, with more expansion to the studio and some interesting framing and painting projects ahead, so I hope you'll stay tuned :-)

Here's one of the Christmas jobs. A wonderful print by David Hockney (my favourite). We used a simple purple frame, echoing the colours in the artwork. The end result was stunning...wish it was hanging on my wall :-)

 

 

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Handmade frame all finished

 

LOTS of framing going on in the studio at the moment, but much of it is for Christmas presents, so I'm not posting too much in here:-)

 

Here's one thing we can post though, the finished handmade frame we put together recently. A gessoed outer frame with a painted inner tray, and a coloured spacer. :-)

 

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