We recently framed a wonderful piece of oversized art by a local artist, John Parente, a professor of art, creativity,philosophy, and religion at Chabot College. His work is filled with symbolism and knowledge reflecting world religion and philosophies.
This piece is a large-scale watercolor done in 3 pieces that are presented together as a triptych. Since it is a waterborne medium on paper, one of the major challenges was to keep the pieces flat and supported inside the framing package. We utilized a large fabric covered liner that is strong and won’t flex like a matboard might, and attached the art to a sturdy backing. The larger center section is nearly 7 feet tall, so plexi is a must. We went with Optium museum plexi which has no reflection and is anti-static as well as scratch resistant.
They are now proudly hanging in the Language & School of Arts building at Chabot College in Hayward, CA. A fitting tribute to a much appreciated artist. As John would wish for us all, “Peace and Fullness of Life!”
Each spring the Oakland #3 Rotary club hosts ‘brown bag lunches’ for all the members, so they can learn about jobs and projects in which their fellow Rotarians are involved. This year Galleria Scola hosted a group in our gallery to learn about framing and specialty custom services that we offer.
We began with a yummy catered lunch during which everyone asked all the questions on their minds – What is a French Mat? What is a shadowbox? What is a woodblock print? Elida skillfully answered all the queries with visual aids all around the shop. Then we put the folks to work!
After posing for a group portrait, each Rotarian selected a frame to put their photo in. While the pictures printed out, Micah gave a demonstration of how to cut and join a frame using a double miter chop saw and a Cassese v-nail driver. With all the right tools, it looks so easy! Jennifer then showed the pleasures of having a computer controlled mat cutter – great for cutting out special shapes or multiples of the same design.
They pitched right in, with Elida as their guide, to cut and clean glass & backings & attach the photos to the mats. Everyone had a great time seeing how “easy” it is to frame a picture – ha ha! All were very adept with the tools and techniques, and were justifiably proud of themselves by the end! And all agreed they would rather have US do it for them next time.
Vintage ephemera are always appealing. Elida has acquired a collection of antique labels that were intended for many products from lima beans to hair oil. The lithography has a different look and feel than today’s offset and inkjet printing. The graphics, fonts, and crazy products are all wonderful links to the past. Oh how products have changed for addressing the same issues we have all faced since the beginning of time: skincare, hair care, dandruff, tooth polishing, – vanishing cream!
The labels have never been applied to bottles or jars and so the colors have great subtlety and clarity. Many are luxuriously gold foil stamped. Perfect for your powder room, dressing room, or any small nook that invites a lingering look.
More often than you might imagine, someone tells me they love their framed artwork. But this image captures a rare moment of framing rapture between Reesa Tansey & her antique Chinese infant wrap. Reesa is a commercial real estate maven with Collier’s International. She brings in treasures from her world travels, then kvells over the results.
She really loves her frame!
Three-dimensional objects lend themselves ideally to shadowbox frames. The antique infant wrap from China was a delicate batiked and pieced fabric. The simple presentation includes a silk covered backing board to which the batik was hand tacked with small stitches, surrounded by a liner covered in the same color silk. The frame is a solid maple in a strong beveled profile, finished in a tone that echoes the creamy white in the artwork. Museum glass is the best glazing option for shadowboxes, as it affords an unobstructed view of the details in the objects. You can still appreciate the drape of the fabric and the holes in the corners where the bundle was secured.
Packing & shipping cause more damage than you can imagine. Our friend Gloria O’Quinn, of Le Visage Salon & Gallery on Grand Ave, local Shona sculpture purveyor, received a beautiful three-foot tall carving of a woman, who lost her feet in transit from Zimbabwe.
‘Shona’ describes much of the population of the Bantu Nation living in Zimbabwe as well as the sculpture they create. The Shona have been sculpting stone for nearly a thousand years. Traditionally, items were produced for utilitarian purposes such as headrests, household items, and musical instruments. Then in the mid 20th Century, a new style emerged which was purely for artistic purposes; characterized by highly polished shapes sometimes offset by rough-hewn areas. The stone is serpentine or verdite, which ranges in color from black & green to yellow, orange, grey, red, and even purple. It is considered a semi-precious stone and is extremely hard. Before work begins, the sculptor must find the stone and explore its character. The stone tells the artist what shape it must have, and the artist can only work as long as they carry the image in their mind that the stone has conveyed.
Gloria’s sculpture had an unfortunate accident on the way to Oakland. So, the first step was to assess the damage.
damaged sculpture
Then we had to determine the composition of the sculpture. In this case, the stone had missing areas around the broken parts that needed to be recreated. Both raw surfaces at the break were sealed to prevent further damage and to prime them to accept the adherent.
sealing broken surfaces
sealing broken surfaces
Then both pieces were supported by custom devised sandbags and blocks, in preparation for the gluing. The adherent was a tinted epoxy that was then applied to both surfaces. The pieces were put together and left to dry in the custom-made support system. After the basic parts were back together, the missing areas were filled with more epoxy to build up to the final elevation.
repair with lost areas filled
When those layers were dry, the epoxy was smoothed and sanded to imitate the surrounding surfaces. To unify the entire repair, we mixed pigment matching the color and applied it with an airbrush. Then the surface sheen was replicated by fine polishing. A sealant was applied at the end to preserve the work.
unifying the finish
completed repair
This stone restoration was difficult to execute, due to the asymmetrical weight of the object. Very often the reason why articles break is a function of their original construction. If you have sculpture that is not able to rest evenly on the surface where it’s displayed, it could be worth remedying the problem before it causes the piece to fall. Some ways of accomplishing this is with build-ups on the item or on the display base using felt or museum gel. If there are any cracks, fissures, or particles around the piece, it is wise to attend to the problem before it gets worse.
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