"Please allow me...

[Harry]

...to introduce myself."

Hello to all from across the pond. My name is Harry and I am a framer of 23 years in the beautifull Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the good ol' US of A. My current business is approaching it's 4th birthday. I have a small art gallery and custom frame shop that I co-own with my Dad. I'm the framer and he is the in-house artist.

I just learned of your forum via The Grumble and I look forward to hearing (reading) thoughts on our industry from folks in other parts of the world.

Again, looking forward to the learning experience.

Respectfully,
Harry

[Merlin]

Welcome Harry

The more participants the merrier.

[Moglet]

Good to have you with us, Harry!

[John]

Great to have you on board Harry.

[Phill]

Welcome Harry, have you any pics of your dads paintings? would love to see them.

[Bill Henry]

Hey Harry,

Welcome to The Forum!

There are a bunch of nice people here willing to share their expertise, experience, and a rather strange sense of humo(u)r … if you can just figure out their lingo. Most of them won’t laugh at you too hard for what they consider peculiar spelling on our part.

We’re almost neighbors, kind of. Where ‘bouts in the Bay State you be at?

[Moglet]

Most of them won’t laugh at you too hard for what they consider peculiar spelling on our part.

'Course we won't laugh at Harry's spelling, Bill. We'll be too busy laughing at yours!

[Harry]

Bill,
I am in Shrewsbury. Just east of Worcester. Not far from you at all.

Phil,
you can see some of Dad's work @ www.gastonartandframe.com. Go to the GastonartEditions page.

[foxyframer]

Welcome to the forum Harry

Don't mind Moglet, she's a bit of a turn and a class act, but we like her.

Here you will find sound advice, common sense and a varied turn of wit.

Most of all, we are kind and helpful with one another, which is the maxim of the forum.

Foxy

[Moglet]

Also, Bill and I have a "bit of an understanding"....

[Spit]

As in Bill understands he could be turned into a toad at any time of her choosing

Welcome!

[Moglet]

Oh, no. Not our Bill! He might start following Mollyl's advice and post nasssty mog photos again. Not so much 'diplomatic immunity' as détente, mind...

My apologies to Harry for such dreadful frankenthreading! (We're not quite as well-behaved as TFG members ... )

[Harry]

Wit, fun, and a bit of razzing now and again I am fine with... infact, rather prefer it. It's the constant whinning and bickering on TFG that turns me off. I read there a bit, but don't add much.

As for Bill, I think the folks on TFG might want to turn him into a frog first.

[Spit]

As for Bill, I think the folks on TFG might want to turn him into a frog first.

They'll send him to Canada?

[Moglet]

Wit, fun, and a bit of razzing now and again ...I am fine with... in fact, rather prefer it.

Me too. You'll get on famously here, Harry!

[Roboframer]

Hi Harry and welcome.

Re TFG - over here we have less laws of average to defy.

We don't talk politics, religion, sexuality etc - much, if at all. We don't have the BB problem and there is less landscape between towns.

This forum has seriously affected my Grumbling but TFG is still a great resource- it just, for me, gets filtered far more.

I think that this thread brings home the power of TFG - the amount of anticipating/donating members is probably greater than the total of regular contributors here.

[Not your average framer]

Hi Harry,

Welcome to the forum.

[Spit]

I think that this thread brings home the power of TFG - the amount of anticipating/donating members is probably greater than the total of regular contributors here.

I'd like to think that under similar circumstances, we'd do the same. The main problem for us is that there are very few of us with employees who can carry on with our own business while we help someone else with theirs.

[Phill]

Your dads watercolours look great Harry, and a lovely selling space, all that room, I fill any space with product, I wish I could afford to have an empty floor like that.

[Moglet]

Your gallery looks really beautiful, Harry, and I enjoyed seeing your Dad's artwork, too; great versatiity and range of styles.

Regarding The Grumble, I concur with John's comments: what a shining example of a real "family we chose for ourselves"!

I, for one, am very grateful that we don't have 'the Big Box problem' here, and as a reader of The G it is very sad to see how it is affecting so many framers Stateside; and, as in many families, it is understandable that worried Grumblers can be niggly as a result. But, like any close and loving family, boy do they pull out all the stops when the chips are really down! In this day and age, it's sad to say that such people seem to be very thin on the ground. They are worthy of our highest respect.