Profiles
The profile you choose for your painting will depend on size, contour, and style. A large painting can generally support a larger frame, while narrower frames can often be overwhelmed by a large painting. Compositions with lines might look best in a more structural profile, while figures often work well in profiles with curves and scoops. Floaters can give a more traditional composition a modern look, while floral carves can soften and enhance a painting’s subject matter. We specialize in choosing a profile that will bring out the very best in your painting.
Finishes
Accurately photographing a given finish is almost as easy as capturing a mirage. Variations of light throughout a given day – both natural and artificial – can drastically alter the look, and bring out different aspects of the undertones, leaf, and patina. Add to that the fact that our frames are made by hand, one at a time, and each finish will be unique. That said, we have tried on this website to offer a genuine portrait of finish options. Below are some aspects to consider when choosing a frame.
Bole
While most people think exclusively of leaf and paint options when they consider the finish on a frame, of equal importance is what lies beneath them. The first several layers of finish are made up of polished bole – either a single color or a combination. We offer three colors of bole: yellow, red, and black (although we have utilized both white and ivory bole finishes, as well as concocted a blue bole for use under 12k leaf for one very creative client!) The choice of bole can drastically alter the tone of the leaf or paint that follows. For example, yellow bole under 12k will offer a warmer tone, red will round it out, and black will cool the leaf dramatically. Red clay under 22k will bring out the rosy tones of a painting, while a red-black combination will also bring forward the darker tones of the work. Sound complicated? Overwhelming? Don’t worry! We have years of experience matching every aspect of a frame to the art it will surround, and will walk you toward the perfect fit for your painting.
Leaf
The majority of our frames are finished in karat gold – 12k, 16k, 18k, 22k, and 23k. We also offer both gold metal leaf and silver metal leaf, and work hard to give these ‘poor cousins’ of karat gold as rich and sophisticated a finish as possible.
Patina
Some of our frame styles end with leaf and polished bole or paint, but most have a final layer of one or more patinas. These final touches serve to warm or cool the finish, as well as blend the various materials into a cohesive unit. An umber wash offers a warming finish to any leaf, and can serve to deepen the tones. In contrast, a lighter, dusty patina will cool and soften the finish. Sometimes both patinas are used, a dusty patina following the umber, to soften and even offset the darks, or to add a more aged look.
Wood Finishes
Although we specialize in frames finished with leaf, paint, or polished bole, we also offer wood finishes as well. Over the years we have created both flat panel and scoop frames in cherry, alder, mahogany, and maple, with finishes ranging from matte to a polished high gloss.