Behind the Scenes: Captain America

Here is a behind the scenes look at creating an aluminum wrapped frame for a Captain America movie poster.  Everyday I handle art and frames with extra care.  The process is so delicate at times that it requires wearing white gloves throughout the framing.  It was a nice change to let loose and just take a hammer to a frame. I wanted this frame to mimic the background of the poster.  I started by joining an unfinished frame to be the base structure.  

Joining the base of the frame.

Poster mounted and ready for frame.

Next, I measured and rolled out the sheets of aluminum needed to wrap the frame.  Started wrapping the aluminum so that the wood was no longer visible.

Rolling out aluminum sheet.

Wrapping aluminum around unfinished frame.

Then the fun begins...hammering the aluminum to enforce all the creases of the frame and wrapping more aluminum to the other legs of the frame.

Hammering aluminum to enforce the folds

Wrapping more aluminum

Once the entire frame was wrapped...more hammering to distress the aluminum.

Hammering to distress

Frame waiting for final touches

Here is the completed frame!

Complete!

Projects Past and Present

Here are a few of our memorable and creative projects that we have never posted to our blog.  All are items that were near and dear to our customers.  Coincidently none are photographs; but who says frames are just for photographs. When it comes to framing open your mind to the possibilities and create anything into ART!

Vintage Record Album: Abbey Road is The Beatles last recorded album. The image of the Beatles on the crossing has become one of the most famous and imitated in recording history.(1)   Since this album is so famous, it demanded a creative twist.  The cover and record are floating on a cream mat to match the white of the crosswalk.  The bottom of the mat was painted to mimic and continue the zebra walkway. 

Abbey Road

Retirement Gift: This gold badge was given upon retirement; commemorating 50 years of hard work.  An honor such as this deserves to be showcased.  The badge which included a diamond is raised to float over a black suede mat.  To enhance the dimension of the badge the black suede mat was also used as the top layer. The top mat has an opening cut and was raised to the level of the badge.

50th Anniversary Badge

Concert Memorabilia: You Get What You Give by the Zac Brown Band. The cover is signed by the band.  Unfolding the case and sliding the disc out transforms a simple cd case into art. The album and top mat are raised to add dimension. 

Zac Brown Band-Signed 'You Get What You Give' album

 House Warming Gift: A Wishnest is a beautiful house blessing meant to bring love, nurturing and prosperity to your home. The nest is cast from pewter.  The nest is attached to the blue textured background without adhesive. The liner is wrapped in a cream silk.  The nest is accessible to remove the eggs.  Each egg represents one of the customer's four children. 

Wish Nest

Custom Sgraffito Frame

A sunny day in the park makes a perfect engagement session. This amazing moment was captured by Justin Bass of Justin Bass Photography.  If you are looking for a wedding photographer you will not be disappointed. I guarantee you.


Now about the framing...This frame is the perfect demonstration of what we can do. We chose an old world frame style while giving the essence of modern touches. The frame was hand-crafted, finished-cornered and water-gilded (the oldest method of applying gold leaf.  Leafed only by hand, produces a luster and richness unmatched by any other method of gilding.)  with 22kt white gold by a master artisan.  It was finished off with a sgraffito (A technique where a top layer of color is scratched to reveal a color beneath.  the term comes from the Italian word Sgraffire meaning (literally) "to scratch".) leaf design on blue background throughout the frame. For an added personal touch the couple's names and wedding date were custom sgraffitto at the bottom. Custom framing is an old world trade and this frame showcases that.  In this case we wanted to add a touch of modern aesthetics, although it is hard to see in this picture the white gold was not antiqued as to show the brilliance of the gold which gives it the modern appeal. The piece also includes double silk mats with a fillet and UV filtered near zero reflection museum glass.

Close-up of custom name and date.

Wanted!

It's not everyday you get to frame a piece of history.  We just finished framing one of the earliest "Wanted" posters to bear a fugitive's photograph.  Five days after President Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot, authorities distributed posters promising a large reward, $100,000 for the capture of his assassin: John Wilkes Booth and conspirators.  The photograph of Booth had been produced as a publicity shot for the actor. 

This had to be framed a unique way.  The customer asked if we would make a frame from authentic barn wood.  A barn in Kent, CT had been torn down and he had purchased a few planks of wood.  We were able to take the planks, cut them in half and mill them to create the frame.  The peeling red barn paint adds an authentic feel to the art.  What better way to showcase this piece; that would have originally been nailed to the side of barns in 1865.  

Kid's Art Show Opening

Middlebrook Elementary School art club just had their two-night opening reception (May 17th-18th).
Here are some of the highlights from both nights. If you missed the fun art-filled nights there is still time to come by and view them all.  The art will be on display until June 1st. 

A peek at 2nd Annual Kids Art Show Opening

Here is a peek at the 1st night of the 2nd Annual Kids Art Show.  If you missed tonight's opening reception you may join us tomorrow (May 19, 2011 from 5-7pm)  All art will be on display until June 1st.

Latest Shadowbox Project

I had a customer come in with a few things from Charlie Sheen's “Torpedo of Truth” Tour: Signed T-shirt, 2 signed posters, Tour ticket and backstage pass.  

We laid everything on the table and she gave me creative reign on the layout.  Here is a look at everything before.

Before

We choose a black bevel frame with a thin red stripe.  I decided to sew the shirt center and one poster on each side.  The posters are lifted from the mat to give a floating effect over the shirt.  I placed the ticket and backstage wristband on the lower right to balance the negative space. Here is the final project, love to hear what you think?

After