Baer Charlton
SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
This is going to be an on-going Thread.
I'm carving a 14c Icon frame for a lecture that I'm putting together. But I don't paint anymore and I never painted Icons.... and my gold leafing is not as good as another....so.... When the carving is done...Terry Hart gets it.
So as this all progresses, I will post the process.
A little back ground about these first "Picture Frames".
These are the first "frames" that we know to be designed to be independent of another piece of furniture or architecture. At this time in europe, the Catholic church basically had all of the money... and power to commission works of art.
So these amazing little pieces were designed to be carried by priests to out laying villages, set up and services given. The icon established a "sanctuary".
The frame and backing which is what the painting is on, are all one piece of wood. The recess and detail are carved out and the painting area is flattened, and smoothed. A sealant is applied which was probably shellac and rabbit skin glue.
The sealant gives a "firmness" to the wood allowing for a smoothness to be obtained through scraping. (sand paper doesn't come along for a few centuries).
Over this is applied coats of gesso than clay then gold leaf, and another sealing. After this the painting is painted in the recess.
The circles and holes are my getting lazy and I started to remove the waste with a drill. Now I have to drill out the holes and peg then re-chisel it all smooth. Next time I will know better.
The outside dimentions are 8x10.2. The board is 1.35" thick and is heart redwood that came from a water tower built in the 1870s. It is what is called "dry" and "aged"... I goofed up and set it down next to my fresh glass of scotch and only the glass remained....
I'm carving a 14c Icon frame for a lecture that I'm putting together. But I don't paint anymore and I never painted Icons.... and my gold leafing is not as good as another....so.... When the carving is done...Terry Hart gets it.
So as this all progresses, I will post the process.
A little back ground about these first "Picture Frames".
These are the first "frames" that we know to be designed to be independent of another piece of furniture or architecture. At this time in europe, the Catholic church basically had all of the money... and power to commission works of art.
So these amazing little pieces were designed to be carried by priests to out laying villages, set up and services given. The icon established a "sanctuary".
The frame and backing which is what the painting is on, are all one piece of wood. The recess and detail are carved out and the painting area is flattened, and smoothed. A sealant is applied which was probably shellac and rabbit skin glue.
The sealant gives a "firmness" to the wood allowing for a smoothness to be obtained through scraping. (sand paper doesn't come along for a few centuries).
Over this is applied coats of gesso than clay then gold leaf, and another sealing. After this the painting is painted in the recess.

The circles and holes are my getting lazy and I started to remove the waste with a drill. Now I have to drill out the holes and peg then re-chisel it all smooth. Next time I will know better.

The outside dimentions are 8x10.2. The board is 1.35" thick and is heart redwood that came from a water tower built in the 1870s. It is what is called "dry" and "aged"... I goofed up and set it down next to my fresh glass of scotch and only the glass remained....
