This frame is an open faced “tray” or “floater” style. The oil on canvas appears to ‘float’ inside of a ‘tray’ that’s just slightly larger than the work. This is the ultimate in minimalist framing. The piece is surrounded by a black void, which is in turn surrounded by an elegant, thin line in gold or, in this case, silver.

Sometimes frames aren’t actually ‘frames’. This small Nara canvas, barely 7 inches tall, would be overwhelmed by any moulding because the design is so delicate. Instead of framing, we floated it on a custom made wooden panel in a coordinated color.

The distinct mural style of this painting is expressed in the black outline of the forms. This technique is often brought to smaller works, such as this 36 x 48 canvas. All the pre-finished moulding samples tried with this piece failed to evoke a positive response. We resorted to a hand-finished moulding that echoes the muralist style of black outlines. The result is very attractive.

“DANCER” is a 40 x 60 oil on canvas that called for a light-colored frame, without much detail in order to coordinate with its rather monochromatic and simplistic theme. We chose to place a black void at the canvas’s edge to minimize encroachment into the delicate design and to emphasize the black stockings. The monotony of the three-inch, flat, silver-gilt surface is ‘broken up’ by the addition of a half-inch, raised panel finished in the same way.

A contemporary, Argentinean piece echoes Spanish history. We do the same by adding simple sgraffitto to this oil gilded, western profile. As the portrait shows, there is great homogeneity between the design and the painting when the colors, scale and shape come together.

Our design staff concurs that color is the most important element in frame design. The combination of this Mark Nelson oil on panel and hand-gilded and painted frame responds to that idea. It’s hard to imagine a better combination of frame and art. Having an in-house custom finishing team makes successful creations like this one an everyday thing.

There is an overall pinkish cast to the light in this Michael Lynch oil of Brighton Beach, UK. This is duplicated in the warm, pinkish-brown wash on the three inch, reverse moulding and linen liner selected to surround it.

An Henri Matisse linocut looks like (and is) a group of white lines on black paper. To emphasize these lines (and NOT the black background) a half-round moulding and filet were chosen to collect light and reflect it like a group of white lines. The subject nearly jumps off the paper.