I am big on the idea that an artist should create everything when it comes to producing a piece of art. I believe that an artist is at their best when they produce the whole piece.
I regard frames as being an important part of a piece of art. It can really make or break the work. When done well, it can add to the story behind the painting.
I make all of my frames. Initially, this was because professional framing shops are expensive and I usually have a ton of wood laying around the garage.
More and more I’ve come to regard each frame as an important part of the work. Many of these frames have their own characteristics and add to the story.
Recently, I’ve been visiting a local place known as the Amish Walmart. It’s kinda like a junk yard owned by an Amish family where they sell old farming equipment, tools and pretty much every type of wood you would ever want. They have stacks of old barn wood, fencing and so on. I love visiting this place. Each piece of wood has a story - marks from its original job, nails still sticking out and lots of authentic weathering.
This weekend I spent time converting some of my old barn wood to box frames. These frames are super cool to make and I love that they sit flush to the wall. I’m going to leave the marks on them, warts and all, only a little sanding to remove any splinters.
~Dan