Portrait of Jodie - Finished

Here is the portrait of Jodie all finished. I’ll get it framed up next week then it’ll be up on the wall :) I’ve added a photo of the palette i used, for anyone who’s interested.

Many thanks again to Jodie for posing. If you’d like a portrait just get in touch :)

Any questions about the painting, just type them below or message me :)

Floating Canvas

Here’s another of the pieces we framed for Maureen’s exhibition at SOTA. A beautiful acrylic sunset. We floated the canvas within the frame by adding a small tray (the unpainted piece in the inset photo). Once painted this adds a lovely detail to the frame, giving the canvas space to breathe. Its a simple touch that makes a big difference when framing canvases.

For further details on Maureens work go to… http://www.artbymaureengillespie.co.uk/

For further details on SOTA, go to… http://www.sotagallery.co.uk/

Tim Layzell

This gorgeous racing print is by Tim Layzell. Titled ‘Carrera takes Targa’ it showcases Layzell’s dynamic, graphic style perfectly.

We’ve framed it with a double mount of blue over black and used UV glass to protect the print. The frame was machined down to a slightly thinner size than standard, to get the perfect width and depth for the piece, this was then gessoed, sanded and painted.

Its a wonderful, dramatic piece that would appeal to petrol-heads and art lovers alike :)

You can see more of Tim’s work on his website at http://www.timlayzell.com

Maureen Gillespie Solo Exhibition at SOTA in Witney

These are a selection of the paintings we’ve framed up for artist Maureen Gillespie’s solo exhibition which is currently running at the SOTA Gallery in Witney. It’s a beautiful collection of work inspired by her love of the countryside and sea. We’ve framed a number of originals in a variety of hand painted frames, along with some prints framed in oak. Her work has a wonderful sense of depth and the textures are gorgeous. Well worth a visit :)

For further details on Maureens work go to… http://www.artbymaureengillespie.co.uk

For further details on SOTA, go to… http://www.sotagallery.co.uk

Portrait of Jodie - Stage 1

Along with the Framing and Jewellery…we also paint pictures at The Cuckoo’s Nest..its all very renaissance here ;)

This is a portrait of Jodie who runs Illustrate My Name over here at Cuckoo Lane. I’ve just done a first pass on the face, lots of refining to do, but you get the general idea. The background and hair are ‘probably’ finished, I say probably as I may well change my mind when I next look at it :)

I wanted to get an example of the kind of portrait commissions we can do, so many thanks to Jodie for volunteering to pose…I hope you like it when its finished :) The plan is to get the painting all finished and framed in time for Artweeks, so if you’re interested in getting a portrait done, call in an take a peek :)

…now back to the framing :)

Valerie Wartelle

This print is amazing! It's by Valerie Wartelle and the original piece was made using fibres. It's then been beautifully photographed and printed, with the print having a wonderful three dimensional effect and velvety finish. We've framed it using a wide classical moulding which we've painted white. An absolutely gorgeous piece...you can find out more about Valerie's work at http://www.valeriewartelle.co.uk

Decorative Tiles

For these beautiful tiles we've built a solid frame with routed openings. Some of the tiles are slightly different sizes, so each is carefully fitted and held in place with individually cut foamboard supports. The frame has been finished with an off white eggshell paint and the final result is a clean contemporary way of displaying these beautiful pieces.

Hatching a plan...

So, a little more about the plan we're busy hatching...as you can see from this photo our beautiful little gallery is currently somewhat overcrowded with framing materials...you can just about see there's artwork on the walls behind everything, but there's no chance of getting to anything...so, the plan we've been working on is to secure some extra workshop space to expand into…and behind the white doors in the second photo is what will become The Cuckoo’s Nest Workshop!!! Hopefully we’ll have the keys early next month and then we’ll be transforming that into a framers paradise…or something like that…The workshop will allow us to increase production and turn the gallery back into the tidy, welcoming space it once was…we can’t wait ! :)x

Stained Glass

Here we have a beautiful stained glass panel. Rather than use a conventional frame, we've produced an oak stand which has a grove inside to hold the panel securely. The oak has been finished with a lime wax and given a good polish. The piece is now standing on the customers windowsill with the spring sunshine showing it off in all it's glory :-)

Yachting

This very dramatic yachting piece is acrylic on canvas paper and our customer wanted to do something extra special with it. We selected a classic scooped moulding which we added some extra depth to and then painted off-white. The painting was then double mounted and a matching blue sidewall was used to set the piece back from the glass, the glass itself was ‘invisible’ Artglass which removes 99% of the reflections. The end result is really spectacular and would look wonderful hung in a traditional or contemporary setting. A lovely piece to work on :)

Nelson Mandela

This morning I've been in a parking garage at Rhodes House in Oxford, varnishing the speed painting done my M.Raivard on Thursday evening. Not as impressive a location as the hall where he painted it, but that's why he's the famous artist, and I'm doing the varnishing ;-) It's a spectacular portrait of Nelson Mandela, a little over 2 meters tall and 2.5 wide he cuts a most impressive figure. The painting has a beautiful kaleidoscope of colours and the energy with which the paint was applied is self evident, very dramatic. However the warmth and calmness of Mandela's smile still shines out of the picture...and amazing painting of an amazing man...

Michael Raivard

I went to meet speed painter Michael Raivard this morning, a thoroughly charming chap who we’re doing some varnishing work for over the weekend. He was busy supervising the stage setting for a performance this evening at a private party in Oxford, lots of lights and music being organised in a beautiful setting, where he’ll produce his very large artwork in just a few minutes… An amazing painting experience, the total opposite from the way I paint, but fascinating to see how he organises everything. Am really looking forward to seeing what he’s painted when we go back on saturday…:) 

You can find out more about Michael at http://www.raivard.com/en/

Watch some of the videos…amazing stuff :)

Aboriginal Art

These are a couple of aboriginal style prints on cloth from Australia. We used a black frame with silver detailing and an off white mount. We've set the artwork at the back of the frame using coloured sidewalls in each frame, one blue and one orange to compliment the colours in the artwork. These lovely mementoes of our customers trip ‘down-under’ have now become pieces of artwork to be treasured.

Little Miss Poppy

Here’s a piece a young art collector brought in for framing. We used a bright blue frame with matching slip and an off-white mount….looks great :) So, which Mr Man/Miss would you choose ?

Print of Ravello

Normally at the Cuckoo's Nest we try and steer our customers towards modern, contemporary framing as much as possible, but occasionally traditional is the way to go. Such was the case with this beautiful little print of Ravello, our customer was having the piece framed as a gift for an older gentleman so we selected this thin black and gold frame moulding. In the past this might have been coupled with a hand lined mount, but this really does give a picture a dated feel. Instead of that we opted to use a double mount with a dark grey lower mount, this balances the colour of the print with the frame and gives us a traditional looking frame with a fresh feel.

Silk Print

This is a lovely silk print of some fish, the colours are amazing, this photo really doesn't do them justice. We've used a rich deep red mount and an oak frame which we've button polished to really bring out the warmth of the wood. Button polish doesn't work with everything, but the colours in this are so rich, it's the perfect choice.