Eric Ravilious

Eric Ravilious was a fabulous artist and here's a print by him we had in for framing last week. This is a wonderful example of his work and we've used a delicious Mantilla frame, double mount and Artglass to present it beautifully. The Mantilla range of frames has been proving very popular of late, it comes in Black, Gold, Silver and Ivory and has a gorgeous satin finish that adds a luxury touch to those special pieces of artwork, along with the 'invisible' Artglass, this is the perfect way to frame such a fantastic work of art.

Large pictures in thin frames...

Here we have a couple of large posters that needed framing in thin white frames. As these frames have minimal strength and the glass in them is pretty heavy, we needed to make a couple of 'sub frames' to hold everything together. A sub frame is simply a strong wooden frame attached to the rear of the main frame out of sight. The long thin Hockney poster was hung in the usual way with a cord across the back. But the large square Richter piece was too heavy for this, so we added two split batons to the top, these are the two strips of aluminium you can see in the photo. Each strip is one of a pair, with the other screwed to the wall, the two parts then lock into each other, securing the work firmly. It's a simple and strong way of hanging heavy pieces.

Valentines day.....for dogs....

With valentines day nearly upon us, I thought I'd post one of the more unusual jobs we've done recently. This is a canvas print of two dog cherubs!...It's going to be hanging in a London bar this Friday night, so owners can have their dogs pose,in couples, in front of it... and have their photos taken...I told you it was unusual :-) We've taken the rolled canvas and put it onto stretcher bars, so a nice simple job and something very different for the romantic dog lover :-)

Oxford International Art Fair

This weekend Oxford plays host to the Oxford International Art Fair…

 “Bringing the best selected artworks to Oxford by top emerging artists from around the world for everyone to enjoy. Giving Art Collectors and Art Enthusiast a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy directly from the artist that has travelled all the way to Oxford. A unique experience for both visitors and exhibitor, at the beautiful Oxford Town Hall, a jewel at the heart of the historic city of Oxford.” 

One of the artists taking part is Amarita Vargas and this picture titled ‘Unity’ is one of the works we’ve framed up for her this week. Her work ranges from abstract to figurative and all have a beautiful flow to them. This piece is framed in limed Ash, with a simple snow white mount.

The exhibition is open today 11.00 to 5.00 and tomorrow 11.00 to 3.00. Entry is Free. For further information go to http://www.oxfordinternationalartfair.com

For further information on Amarita’s work take a look at http://www.amaritavargas.com

Greyhounds

Here we have a lovely pastel drawing of two greyhounds with a wonderful sense of movement to it. We’ve used a double mount and classic black wooden frame to give a bold and unfussy look that sets off the subtle monochrome colour of the piece.

Tim Rudman photographs

These two works by fine art photographer Tim Rudman are handmade silver gelatin fine art prints. They have a beautiful velvet quality to the grain that reminds me of early photography, but the composition of both pieces is thoroughly modern.

Thin black frames, white mounts and UV glass set them off and protect them perfectly.

You can find out more about Tim's work and purchase his fabulous photos at http://www.timrudman.com

Spring Fair 2014

Yesterday we visited the Spring Fair at the NEC in Birmingham. Covering everything from Home Interiors to Jewellery, it’s a vast exhibition showcasing the latest designs and trends for 2014.

With nearly 300000 new products on display there’s a lot to take in, so after a brief detour for coffee, we headed straight to the Art & Framing Hall…

Chunky Black/White frames are proving very popular with Art publishers showing lots of graphic comic & cartoon images, everything from old Beano covers to Moomin & Marvel characters.

In a similar vein the popularity of artwork based on famous faces shows no signs of slowing down, a large Frank Sinatra portrait incorporating broken records to form his suit and hat was probably the standout piece, this was thickly resined and presented in another chunky black frame, this one of a highly glossed finish.

Resin was very prominent on everything from the famous faces, to abstracts and 3D woodland scenes similar to the ones Graham does here at The Cuckoo’s Nest. Framing on these resined pieces came in three distinct styles. None, on the abstracts, chunky black on the portraits and highly ornate on the 3D works.

Square, loosely painted landscapes and the perennial favourites, Cow & Hare portraits were still going strong, chunky white frames looking like the trend for these in 2014.

After exploring the art publishers, we headed off to see some of the frame stands, meeting up with current suppliers and making some new friends. After much chatting and now armed with the latest catalogues and leaflets for machines you never knew you needed, we headed for home…New additions to our frame mouldings ordered, new ready made frames on the way, new website up and running…we’re off to a flying start in 2014 :)