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 Mary Curtis Richardson
We recently framed this 1898 oil painting by notable California artist Mary Curtis Richardson (1848-1931) titled “Hal & His Dog”. Hal is comfortably seated in—and so framed by—a sturdy mission oak chair. From this, and also (conveniently) in harmony... continue reading.
Framing a Good Life: Lessons from the Stones of Siena
I’ve been writing about some of Italy’s most spectacular frames, including the Basilica San Marco in Venice and Giotto’s Tower in Florence, and great lessons their stones still teach about the place of art and the unity of the arts—two fundamental concerns of th... continue reading.
What Ruskin Saw Framed in the Stones of Florence
One day in the 1860’s Ruskin had stood here at the base of the Campanile in Florence, his famously observant eyes captivated, darting back and forth between the sketchbook in his hand and one particular engraved stone just above eye level on the tower’s north wa... continue reading.
Framing Paradise in the Stones of Venice
John Ruskin called Venice the Paradise of Cities. And so it is. Last month I spent five days in Paradise, which I can report is—curiously enough—populated mostly by tourists who don’t plan to stay long. (Maybe they all have bad consciences and don’t thin... continue reading.
Now showing: “A California Spring”
We had a terrific opening a couple of weeks ago for our current show, “A California Spring.” It’s up for 2 more weeks (closing Saturday, May 31), and we’d love to have you come by to see this great display of dozens of new works by fourteen highl... continue reading.
“A California Spring” Almost Sprung
Final preparations are being made for our show that’s opening at The Holton Studio Gallery on Saturday, “A California Spring.” We’ll be hosting a reception for the artists that day from 5 to 7, and invite one and all to join us. We’ve also ... continue reading.
The Lasting Frame
“When we build, let us think that we build forever,” wrote Ruskin in The Seven Lamps of Architecture. We make in enduring form—stone, strong timbers, iron, and all durable materials—things we believe will endure in use and meaning. When we build for last... continue reading.
The Wooden Frame of Reverence
We recently framed this great painting by the 19th century British landscape painter Benjamin Williams Leader, which demonstrates the artist’s deeply felt reverence for the great frame of life that John Ruskin, the foremost pastor of the arts in Britain in Leader&... continue reading.
James McGrew Featured in Southwest Art Magazine
James McGrew, one of the artists we represent, is featured in the current issue of Southwest Art Magazine and being deservedly touted as an emerging artist. I love how he frames his objective as a painter: “I want the viewer to feel a sense of awe and wonder that help... continue reading.