50 June 2014 ART BUSINESS TODAY

Professional framers need tobecome a ‘jack-of-all-trades’,particularly those who handlea range of different artworks,both 2D and 3D, all of

which present their own set ofchallenges. It is easy to get caught upin the day to day, especially if you areworking alone or with just a smallteam, but framers shouldn’t be afraidto cut out a niche by specialising.

I have been supplying uniquebespoke frames for galleries andmuseums for several years. It isrewarding to work with originalartwork and to enhance, and, in some

instances, completely transform apiece. It is great when a client exclaimsthat they can finally ‘see’ the work forthe first time, even if they have livedwith it for many years. Nothing cankill what is otherwise an interestingand strong piece quite so much as badframing.

I specialise in creating periodframes for Modern British art, whichmeans artwork created between 1900and 1970 (post-1970 is generallytermed as contemporary art). As atrained artist myself, I am able tobring an understanding of painting tomy framing.

When creating period frames, thereis a fine line between enhancing theartwork with a frame that isrepresentative of a past era andensuring the frame doesn’t look oldfashioned. Developing a goodunderstanding of the period, includingvarious art movements and changingstyles, is important.

I always work closely with the clientto make sure I understand what theywant to achieve. Some clients want toincrease the presence of a piece, othersmight want to enhance a particularaspect, or reduce something they feelis weak in the original, such as one

Becoming an expert in aparticular area of framing canhelp set you apart from yourcompetitors and make you the‘go to’ framer in that field.JONATHAN GOODERS GCF,who specialises in designingunique hand-finished framesfor high-end Modern Britishart, shares the inspiration andtechniques behind recentcommissions

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Haute couture framing

June 2014 51ART BUSINESS TODAY

over-riding colour. All this can beachieved by the use of shape, finishand subtle colouration.

It is important to make sure youcreate the right ‘weight’ of frame. Toobig and it will swamp the picture, toosmall and it will not achieve thenecessary effect. Some small paintings,for example, can actually carry quite aheavy frame – it depends on thecomposition.

Do not be afraid to put differentmouldings together; turn them ontheir sides, flip them over, cut intothem, or re-engineer the shapes. Letyour creativity run wild. Experimentand have fun.

First World War battle I was recently commissioned to frametwo original works by CRW Nevinson,one of the key artists of the FirstWorld War. The first piece was anaerial battle that contained a lot ofvery strong blue, which, if not handledcarefully, could have made the wholepainting feel very cold.

It was originally framed in a thinframe, which did not give the paintingthe gravitas it deserved. I created a

FRAMING

Opposite page:Jonathan Gooders GCF with a framed wartime etching by PaulNash, and examples of his frame finishing techniques

This page:The distressed frame Jonathan made for a painting by CRWNevinson

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Frame DesignAnnabelle Ruston

Frame Design by Annabelle Ruston is £12 from theGuild Bookshop (£10 to members), plus p+p

Order at fineart.co.uk or contact Moira Sanders on020 7381 6616 or moira@fineart.co.uk

52 June 2014 ART BUSINESS TODAY

profile by stacking severaldifferent mouldings toproduce the right shape. Theframe was built up at theback to provide thenecessary depth toaccommodate the canvas. Iadded further elements onthe outer side, to add visualinterest and bridge the joinsbetween the mouldings.

Once I was happy withthe shape, the frame wassanded, filled and treatedwith rabbit skin size to sealthe wood. Layers of differentconcentrations of gesso wereapplied to build up thesurface (on this frame, about12 coats were applied). Thegesso was sanded to providea ‘blank canvas’ on which tostart distressing.

The amount and styleof distressing you applycompletely dependson the painting andthe eventual finishyou want to achieve.On this particularpiece I wanted toconvey a feel of thewood, canvas andmetal of the bi-planesin the picture. I wantedthe frame to feel that ithad been through thewars.

When distressing you canemploy many interesting techniques(and it’s a good way of releasingstress!) For this frame, I used acombination of denting using differentsized hammers, dragging with nails,chipping away with a chisel and‘roughing up’ with wire brushes. I alsoused a specially created implement - apiece of wood with various sizedscrews in it - to create ‘worm holes’.The effect needs to be random; if it istoo considered it will lookmanufactured and artificial.

The finish was built up with a seriesof coloured washes, each knocked backand sponged to create depth. Around25 layers were applied. Moredistressing was then carried out, whichwas rubbed back to reveal glimpses ofthe build up.

In order to express a sense of age, Iapplied an artificial rust and verdigriseffect, which helped bring the planes

‘forward’ in the composition. Thewhole thing was then built up furtherwith a series of waxes, to convey theidea that the frame had been handledover many years. Finally it wasbrushed with rottenstone, to create‘dust’ in the corners and crevasses. Ahand-finished slip completed thepiece.

The frame helps convey the ideathat the viewer is part of the convoy,almost sat in a plane following theothers, being drawn into thecomposition.

Wartime landscapeThe second painting, by the sameartist, is a wartime landscape, whichemploys strong Vorticist shapes. I

wanted to emulate theseshapes in the frame, whichwould provide a sense ofperiod.

I constructed a frame withstrong angles positioned atdifferent levels, which lead theeye into the painting andwork with the perspective.This was achieved by adaptingexisting mouldings, thenmarrying them with speciallycreated elements.

The treatment of the framein terms of build up was thesame as the previous frame,however. This smaller paintinghas a strong stylised look, sothe distressing had to betoned down and subtle,otherwise the frame wouldhave been distracting and

taken attention away from thepainting. Never forget that theartwork is always the mostimportant element of thewhole. Good framing is likea good soundtrack to afilm; it should enhancewithout being distracting,if you notice it, it is notdoing its job.For the finish, I took

colours from thecomposition and used them

to enhance the perspective,which led the viewer away from

the top of the painting. Theartwork needed to be contained, butat the same time the frame had towork with the artist’s intent ofconveying endless destruction.

I introduced gold leaf on the inneredge, which was heavily burnished, topick out some of the highlights in thepicture and provide movement. Theouter edge was waxed, but to givecontrast, I left the inner ‘gully’ matt.Further light distressing was appliedand brushed with rottenstone toconvey age and create ‘dust’.

WoodcutThis small Edward Wadsworthwoodcut needed a different approach,despite being from the same period. Itis a small intimate piece, only 4x3”,with clean lines and minimal colour(just black, brown and olive green).The artist was interested in structureand composition.

This is a work on paper, so had to

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The frame for the wartimelandscape by Nevinson

June 2014 53ART BUSINESS TODAY

be treated accordingly. The piece washinged with reversible Hayakumuseum hinging paper onto cottonmuseum board, so it could be easilyremoved without damaging theartwork. Because the print is madefrom very thin paper it was importantto find an undermount of the rightcolour, which would elevate the workwithout changing the colours. Toodark and the paper would feel dirty;too light and it would have been toobright, throwing the balance.

Working with the strong angles inthe image, I decided to combine adeep bevel with cotton museum boardin the same colour, so there was noobvious jump to distract the eye. Anembossed line was added to introduceinterest and ease the eye into thecomposition.

The frame is clean and simple,made from a single deep angledmoulding. This was built up usinggesso, but instead of distressing, it wassanded very smooth to provide analmost glass-like surface. The innerangle of the frame was painted with alight tone of the olive green in thecomposition, while the top and outer

edges were finished in dark charcoal. The whole frame was waxed and

buffed to provide a slight gloss.Finally, I gave the inner top edge thelightest of sandings, to reveal a tinyamount of paint, which conveys asense of age and wear. Museum glasswas used to give protection andclarity. �Jonathan Gooders GCF owns Framers insouth west London. framers.co.uk

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The glazed framefor the

Wadsworthwoodcut