Framing Kevin Courter's "Cradled Moon"

Enjoyed framing this 12" x 14" oil for Kevin Courter, now at New Masters Gallery in Carmel. Chose walnut for its color (used a light stain to get the harmony just right) and because it's good for carving. Chose a flat profile, since it's a flat composition, but at the sight edge it's got a very subtle convex, or ovolo, form echoing the form of the treetops cradling the moon. The frame similarly cradles the painting. The carved pattern takes its cue from the crescent moon and the branches. The narrow slip with lemon gold leaf matches the moon.

Framing Kevin Courter's "Soaring Skies"

Just finished framing this wonderful Kevin Courter oil on linen, 20" x 16", titled "Soaring Skies." I wanted the frame to extend the perspective with the right form and amount of line work, but keeping it simple and rustic in spirit. The color came out of the shadows in the grasses. Shadows are frequently a good source for frame color, helping the frame remain subordinate to the painting. The bright sunlight off the clouds suggested the gilt slip.

The painting is headed to New Masters Gallery in Carmel.

From Gold to Oak—II: 19th Century British Still Life

This is another re-framing job that we did maybe a year ago. It's a still life, oil on canvas, by 19th century British painter Edward Ladell (1821-1886). Here's how it was framed when it came in:

 

And how it looked after we re-framed it in stained quartersawn white oak to be more in sympathy with its rustic spirit:

Here's the profile, fairly flat over all, but refined and with beads all keyed to the highly formal and finely drawn painting: