The Framers Forum

Hello everyone at Framers Forum!

I am an Artist in the Devon area and have recently decided to exhibit some small Plein air studies in a local Art exhibition, so they need framing. I have spent the last few hours desperately trying to find a period style or Plein Air style frame or mouldings of that style. I cannot find anywhere that does this style (doesn't literally have to be period, just that style).

I particularly want something that looks like this. http://randyhigbeegallery.blogspot.co.u ... mecom.html
or this..
http://www.artgalleryframes.com/shop/it ... itemid=386

I have never made a frame so I don't really know if it comes as a mould or is made up of several mouldings. It looks like a frame mounted within a frame which creates the perfect depth for a small Plein air painting.

I'd love to have a crack at making one as I will need lots more and I'm painting all the time, but I can't even find a place that sells the mouldings let alone a tutorial on how to do it.

I really hope you can help, I don't really want to settle for less..

(I'm sure most of you know but for those who don't, 'En Plein Air' is French meaning 'In the Open Air' and was a term coined during the 19th century when the French impressionists like Monet and Pissaro broke tradition and left there studios to paint the outdoors directly)

Thank you in advance...

I would advise you contact forum member Not Your Average Framer(Mark Lacey). He is at Bovey Tracy and specialises in hand finished frames and frames made by stacking a number of mouldings.

You may have to spend a bit though but I am sure Mark won't mind that.

It's just two complimentary mouldings with a flat bit of wood inbetween. I do a lot of them. The beauty is that the flat bit can be any width to suit the proportions. Just saw a bit off.

This sort of frame is best done from plain wood and hand-finished. Finding three finished mouldings the right shape and finish makes the job a bit limiting.

Go see Mark.

It's probably easier to do than you are thinking. Are you going to make your own frames? If so, PM me and I'll reply with my phone number, so I can talk you through how to go about doing this.

Do you have any framing equipment yet? If so, then I may only need to tell where to get the same mouldings as in your pictures and how to start handfinishing.