Woodworks by John
CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
Recently my wife and best client asked if I could make a 14" x 18" floater style frame for a stretched canvas painting she recently completed. Although I knew what a floater frame is I had no idea of how to make one. Checking the usual YouTube and other online sources showed the amatuerish (IMHO) methods of just taking pieces of wood and gluing, stapling, or otherwise sticking them together -- not my style. Instead, I went about it like building a piece of furniture. In a Whistler style frame done many years ago I gilded directly over Oak and then rubbed the gild back to expose the open grain. She wanted something similar to compliment the texture she had painted in the siding on her work. The frame is Basswood and approximately 1 3/4" square. There is a 1/4" reveal all around the painting. Composition gold was leafed directly onto the frame after painting the floater and inner surface flat black. You can see how I made this frame in this blog post. That painting is now in her gallery, The Meyer-Vogl in Charleston, South Carolina. The title of it is Waiting.
Ironically, no sooner was the frame for her completed than I received a commission for two more floater style frames! These are large, the rectangular painting measures 3' x 6' and the other is almost 4' square. Hard to see the detail but it is also Basswood with a Baltic Birch plywood for the floater section. The finish is Japan Black over red clay. There is a very slight chamfer planed on the edges of the frame and the Japan Black was rubbed back to expose a hit/miss red edge.
Ironically, no sooner was the frame for her completed than I received a commission for two more floater style frames! These are large, the rectangular painting measures 3' x 6' and the other is almost 4' square. Hard to see the detail but it is also Basswood with a Baltic Birch plywood for the floater section. The finish is Japan Black over red clay. There is a very slight chamfer planed on the edges of the frame and the Japan Black was rubbed back to expose a hit/miss red edge.