A Frame-Maker’s Journal
Updates and reflections on our work and mission to revive the art and craft of framing pictures. Here I'll show you new jobs we're especially proud of and keep you up on what's going on at the Gallery, as well as discuss topics germane to our work, including handcraft and work generally, the place of art, and ideals of the Arts and Crafts Movement (especially its greatest leaders, John Ruskin and William Morris).
I hope you’ll subscribe (see the form in the left column) or at least check back often. And I welcome your comments!
—Tim Holton
Framing William S. Rice—a Watercolor and a Block Print
A pantheon of great Bay Area artists would not be complete without William Seltzer Rice (1873-1963). Best known for his block prints, Rice also painted beautiful watercolors. We just framed one of each medium. First, the watercolor: “Autumn Leaves, Leona Canyon,&#... continue reading.
Picture Framing Magazine Interview with Tim Holton
We got a nice write-up in the current issue of Picture Framing Magazine! The industry’s leading journal chose Holton Studio for its regular monthly “Retailer Profile.” Editor Kim Biesiada interviewed me for it and did a good job writing it up. Read t... continue reading.
Chris Schwarz’s “Chairs and Crapitalism”
I’m a recent fan of Christopher Schwarz and The Lost Art Press. The guy is a master woodworker (here’s one of his chairs), but is as much a wordsmith as he is a woodsmith; he knows woodworking and its history, and every sentence both elucidates and entertain... continue reading.
Framing Orpha Klinker
Here’s another desert etching, this one by noted Southern California artist Orpha Klinker (1891-1964). “Winter Touches the Dessert” is about 7″ x 9″, and dates from the late ’30’s (winning first place in the California Society o... continue reading.
Framing Another Gene Kloss Etching
A year ago I posted a lovely 1930’s landscape etching by Berkeley printmaker Gene Kloss (1903-1996), called “Desert Clouds” (at right). Here’s another one by her, below. Titled “Arid Land,” it’s about 6″ x 11″. The m... continue reading.
Framing Harvey Otis Young
Here’s a wonderful example of the work of Harvey Otis Young (1840-1901). As a very young man Otis came to California to mine for gold. This oil on panel, which measures 7-3/4″ x 15″, was painted in 1869 at Half Moon Bay. We framed it in our No. 448—2... continue reading.
A Frame With a Nod to a Chairmaker
My friend Jim Whitaker painted this 12″ x 16″ watercolor for a mutual friend, who asked me to frame it. The image includes a beloved family heirloom Victorian chair. The painting is simple and asked for nothing more in the way of a setting than a nice neutra... continue reading.
Framing Jan Schmuckal’s Art of Protection and Prospect
Illinois artist Jan Schmuckal’s beautiful oil painting, “Wild Lilies” (2014, 24″ x 36″) offers a great example of the compositional principle of protection and prospect that is key to how frames work with pictures—which made my job of des... continue reading.
A Kobe Leaf Frame for an Ohara Koson Woodblock
As part of the modern Japanese print movement known as shin hanga, Ohara Koson is not as well known as Hiroshi Yoshida or Kawase Hasui. But I, for one, couldn’t tell you why—and I can’t get enough of those other two guys. Koson was an unsurpassed master of... continue reading.