In July, Peter Lattimer, owner of Lattimer Gallery, mentioned that he wanted to frame a painted drum skin. It would be a trial piece for a possible show. The drum itself was 36″ in diameter, elk hide skin, and painted on both sides. The artist is Kwakwaka’wakw artist, Steve Smith Dla’kwagila.The drum was one of twelve pieces that were part of an installation at the Vancouver International Airport. Shortly after the drums were installed at the airport, fluctuating temperatures caused the hides to tighten. As a result, many of the drums were warped, split, and had cracked frames.

I started the project and in August the first framed drum was finished. Peter Latimer and the Steve Smith were very pleased with the result.They asked me to frame 15 more for a show at Lattimer Gallery called “State of Flux“  -Opening this Saturday, September 24 – October 8, 2011. – With 4 pieces on display concurrently at the Vancouver International Airport.

Framing the drums presented challenges that don’t often cross my table. The drum hides react to temperature changes. The hide is a tough, rigid material to work with.  The original drums, after all were beautiful objects with enough energy and soul to stand alone.The challenge for me was to preserve the drums in a way that was simple, clean and elegant. Part of the process was to cut the drum skins off of the frames. I wanted to make sure that the drums maintained some of their 3-dimensional quality.The drums speak for themselves, so the framing treatment should be minimal.
Below are some images that hopefully gives you an idea of the process, without getting into too many of the really exciting details! (Well, exciting for me anyway…)

The paintings by Steve Smith Dla’kwagila are beautiful. Framing the drums was worth all the labour involved and will always be a very memorable project for me.  It was an adventure working on them and in a sense building them their new homes. Im proud to have had a hand in this project. Please be sure to stop by Lattimer Gallery 1590 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver, BC. The “State of Flux” show opens this Saturday, September 24 (3:00-5:00) – Until October 8.

Have a look at some advice and tips to help you hang your framed pieces. (Click on the image to view the online version of the magazine)

I always found it interesting, and kind of sad, that these random images of people were in a way lost. They are a part of someone’s family history, but somehow ended up in a box for strangers to buy for 50cents. I would often (and still do) buy a few old photos, and keep them around for a while. I might tape them on the wall by my desk, or use them to make postcards to send to friends. And to this day, I have a real respect for these little slices of time.

Since becoming a picture framer 16 years ago, I’ve framed hundreds, maybe thousands of photographs. From photos of company fundraisers, to original Ansel Adams prints… I’ve looked at a lot of photographs. But to this day, my favourite types of photos to work with are vintage photographs. Framing vintage photos is something I love for a various reasons. Like I mentioned before, they’re little slices of history. When a customer brings one to me for framing, it might be the only photograph they have of a certain person. Or, it could be their favourite photo of this person. Whatever the reason, they’re framing it because it’s important to them and their family, and it’s a record of the past.

Another reason I love framing vintage photos, is I feel like I’m helping to preserve something of importance. I cringe when I see people store their old photos in a musty old box. Or, if a photo is poorly framed, it can potentially destroy the print. With modern framing materials, – (conservation matting, glass & backing) it’s easy to display, preserve and protect valuable pieces. As well, every photo has a unique tone and quality to it – depending on the age. It’s always a fun challenge to select the perfect matting and frame combination to suit the time period of the piece.

Recently, I’ve had a few requests to re-touch damaged photographs before framing them. This is a service I’ve never really thought seriously about offering, until now. The idea of combining my skills and technology to bring damaged photographs back to their former glory is something I’m happy to offer. In many cases, the end result is an improvement on the original – even in perfect condition. A high-resolution scan, followed with some digital re-touching, and enlarging, can restore a photograph beautifully. One option to consider, is framing the restored copies, and safely storing the originals. Having a part in saving these vintage  photographs from further damage, or maybe the antique store shelves is something I’m looking forward to offering more of in the coming weeks. Check back for an update, and “official” listing of photo re-touching under the list of SERVICES at KENT Picture Framing. 

The client wanted something different. A frame with enough structure to it to carry the weight of the mirror. But also something elegant, and unique. I showed her a variety of frames, but none of them seemed to strike a chord. I then showed her a white, laquered Fotiou moulding, with decorative grooves running lengthwise down the moulding. It was a hit. But the single frame alone wouldn’t be strong enough for the size of mirror. So, we started experimenting with a few stacked arrangements.

What we ended up with was two of the larger moulding profiles, stacked over a smaller profile. The larger profile is 1 inch deep, and the face is also 1″. The smaller frame is 0.75″ deep, and 0.5″ wide on the face. After cutting and assembling the three frames, I wanted the three frames to look as though we had created one single frame. I filled in the seams where each individual frames met with plaster. Once the plaster was dried, I cleaned off the excess, and painted each seam with an acrylic paint. A tedious task, but the end result was well worth it for this triple-decker frame.

Having these framed at this point in the playoffs – can only be a good sign for Vancouver and the Canucks…

Have a look at our Sports Jersey and Memorabilia page for more information.

From Larson Juhl:
“Looking to hot designer color trends in both fashion and home decor, Larson-Juhl’s delicious new collection, Taffy, embodies all that is bright, fun and vibrant. The Taffy collection answers the need for energetic pops of color in home decor with a saturated color palette that has a panache for the dramatic.”

Taffy has been a very popular choice at KENT Picture Framing for framing children’s artwork, or artwork to be diplayed in bedrooms, playrooms, or kitchens. These frames have a colourful candy-like coating, that is sure to liven up your walls.

But once in a while, the frames that customers want to replace just need a bit of TLC. They can be cleaned up, re-finished, painted over, and re-used.

One of my favourite things to do is to rescue an unwanted frame, and find a perfect piece of artwork to fit into it. Sometimes, having a mirror made to fit the frame is just the ticket.

Here’s a piece that was actually taken off the backing of an old piece from 1902. It’s the framer’s stamp from The Rowley Gallery in London. Which by the way is still alive, kicking, and producing beautiful frames. – Since 1898!  The moulding used to frame the framer’s stamp was the moulding that the framer in 1902 used to frame the original piece (that the customer today wanted re-framed)… Still with me?

Admittedly, I’m a bit of a pack-rat when it comes to vintage frames. If I can find it a home, I will. – Even if I have to carry it around for a few months, store it, and wait to find the perfect piece. Here’s another example. A client brought in a piece and said, “I, don’t want the frame. You can do what you want with it…” So I hung onto it for a good six months. It’s a delicate gilt silver, drawing frame. During the six months or so, I found a small poster at The National Gallery of Ireland.

Here’s the poster of “The Wild Swans” by Harry Clarke painted in 1913. To me, this piece is a perfect match for this frame. The shapes in the piece, are echoed by the detailed corners of the frame, and make it seem they were made for each other.

So before you toss what maybe at first sight looks like a junky old frame; take a closer look. You might have a frame worth keeping.  And that frame might look amazing cleaned up a bit, coupled with the perfect piece you haven’t found yet…

Just added today are three hand-printed letterpress prints by Missouri artist, Doug Wilson. Titled “Make Your Own Path“, these prints have a simple message, but one worth considering. They’re hand-printed on vintage maps, meaning each print is unique and one of a kind. And at $80 CDN, they’re an affordable piece of art. We have three prints available, because it’s nice to have a choice. These prints can purchased on the ARTWORK page.