The Frame of the Month, chosen from picture frames completed in the prior month.
March 2025 Frame of the Month
Zach and Meg Tyo of Rochester, NY, owners of several works by renowned Rochester artist, Ramon Santiago (1943 - 2001), had Santiago's 1980 work entitled, "The Kite." This rare art piece is an actual two stick diamond kite with grommet holes that they desired to properly present.
Intrigued by the black and silver striped pattern located at the top portions of the kite as well as the color of the kite's body (beige-yellow tint), three mat board colors were selected for this project: "Paloma," "Coal," and "Ecru." The kite was secured to the Ecru backing board by needle and upholstery thread at each of its four points via sewing. A Paloma and Coal Double Mat was cut in the shape of the kite allowing for a 1/4" (+) space to surround the kite's perimeter for the Ecru backing color to be seen. The kite was placed in a 1/4" well beneath the double mat given its thickness/depth and the entire 28 3/4" x 34 1/8" presentation was placed in a 1" black-frame shadow box.
February 2025
Frame of the Month
February's Frame of the Month features a circa 1950's tall and narrow Clyde Beatty & Cole Bros. Circus poster rescued years earlier by the father of Livonia, NY resident , Andy English. Andy, the current owner of the poster, was wanting to appropriately preserve and keep this "heirloom" in his family with plan to gift it to his daughter. As such, he wanted to have it framed in a similar manner as to a much larger Circus poster he hired the Rabbet Hole Picture Framing Co. to frame for him one year ago.
The poster was carefully mounted on an Indigo color Nielsen Bainbridge Alphamat and a shadow box was created using the same Alphamat color and materials to keep the glass from touching the poster.
The poster was protected with conservation grade 99% UV protected glass. After considering a number of possible frame moulding choices, it was finally decided to frame this 17" x 53 1/2" piece with Fox Moulding's 1 1/4" Lantana series. Specifically the Black, Gold, Red Lantana moulding was selected as it appeared beautifully congruent with the depiction and coloration of the Lions' mane.
January 2025
Frame of the Month
Featured for January 2025 is an antique embroidery/cross stitch that was made by the grandmother of Dansville, N.Y. resident, Mary France Rogers. The cross stitch was originally a wall hanging that was attached to a dowel-with-finials hanging system (dowels placed along the top and bottom edges of the work). A meaningful heirloom that Mary desired to protect and preserve, it was decided to encase both the cross stitch and its original dowels/finials within a shadow box under conservation grade 99% UV protected glass.
The beautiful dark brown dowels with olive green finials on either end helped to inform the overall color scheme that would be used for the shadow box. As a result, an "Etruscan Bronze" mat board was selected for the backing as well as the interior walls of the shadow box. Once the cross stitch was affixed to the bronze backing by its finials via screws from the back, the delicate soft colorful threads of the cross stitch "popped" forward creating an eye catching presentation!
A 1" "Woodstock Hazelnut" shadow box moulding by Decor was selected as the perfect complementary frame for this project. The overall frame size is 15 7/8" x 21 5/8".
December 2024
Frame of the Month
December's Frame of the Month is a large (approximately 26" x 34") lithograph portrait of George Washington created by Peter S. Duval Co. of Philadelphia circa 1856, after a bust portrait by the noted American artist Rembrandt Peale (1778-1860). The Duval operation was highly regarded in its day for the quality of prints produced.
The portrait is impressively framed in oval form with its large "Washington" title at the bottom presented in rectangular form via a triple cut mat having fillets of 1/8" and 1/4" widths. A fourth purposefully narrow mat with color that matches the highlights and facial tones of the print surrounds the entire work to act or appear as a frame liner. The frame moulding chosen for this project is from the Omega Moulding Company's "Volta" collection. It is a remarkable charcoal colored frame that has a lovely silvery-copper beveled lip.
Currently, this frame is hanging at the Rabbet Hole Picture Framing Co. studio for your viewing pleasure!
November 2024
Frame of the Month
While traveling in Turkey, Rick and Christine Beard of Geneseo, NY were able to watch a demonstration of "Ebru" by an artist in her studio. Ebru is the traditional Turkish art of creating colorful patterns by sprinkling and brushing color pigments onto a pan of oily water and then transfering the patterns to paper. This process is also known as paper marbling. Rick and Christine purchased one of the artist's marbleized works and brought it back to the States for framing.
As we wanted the yellow daffodils at the center of the marbleized paper to pop forward to the greatest degree, we created a high contrast, dynamic effect by choosing a frame with a complementary (opposite) color scheme of blue violet. The particular frame chosen by the Fox Moulding Company also had a distressed or marbleized quality about it that influenced a keen agreement with the marbleized portion of the work. The work was double matted relying on the daffodil's background color and lined border at the center. A dramatic presentation was heightened by placing the matted work within a shadow box.
October 2024 Frame of the Month
Susan Potenza of Geneseo NY had plans to gift a family heirloom ring to her granddaughter. To accompany the ring she desired to have a picture frame created that would showcase photographs of herself, another grandmother, as well as Susan's mother and grandmother (three generations).
A composition was developed that relied on a historic light grey ("stone"), maroon and sage green complementary color scheme. Decorative mat cutting using oval cuts, straight cuts, specialized corner cuts, and V-grooves not only helped to give the overall presentation a historic look but were done in such a way as to create the intended illusion of photographs "popping" forward. A 1 1/4" Maroon and Black finished frame provided just the right touch to showcase its contents!
September 2024 Frame of the Month
Mark Congdon, Founder and President of Horizon Financial as well as Collector of Civil War Era source documents and selected resources, hired the Rabbet Hole Picture Framing Co. to frame a number of his pieces.
Selected as September 2024's Frame of the Month is an 18" x 42 3/8" shadow box that contains (and protects) two of his documents: 1. A May 30, 1865 Government Depository check issued by the First National Bank of Washington (placed at the top of the frame), and 2. A January 2, 1866 Muster-Out Roll of Capt. Theodore Mink, Co. "J", the 47th Regiment of Pennsylvania's Veteran Volunteers (placed at the bottom of the frame).
A color scheme including three different mat board colors was used given the appearance of these colors in both documents. These included "Antique White," "Sea Green," and "Beryl" (a darker green). A Sun Ray Pattern of lines and Sea Green triangular shapes, designed to "radiate" from the First National Bank Check document and to hover over the Muster-Out Roll document, were cut into the mat board to create a unified aesthetic. The key element used for this presentation is the "V"-Groove cut, which surrounds the Muster-Out Roll and forms part of the Sun Ray Pattern just noted. In all, nearly 16 feet of "V" Groove cuts were made to complete this project. An Omega 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" Ebony Square "Lanais" series moulding was used given its "period appropriate" veneer texture and look. Lastly, a custom engraved brushed gold solid brass title plate was added to the bottom rail to provide extra detail and to assist the viewer with his or her examination.
August 2024
Frame of the Month
August's Frame of the Month is actually a "triptych" or artwork that has been framed in three panels.
While working and traveling in Japan years earlier, Richard Gifford, retired Associate Professor of Accounting at SUNY Geneseo, received 12 decorative "Ukiyoe" coasters as a gift. The coasters were arranged into the triptych presentation by category: 4 "Male Figures," 4 "Female Figures," and 4 "Landscape Scenes."
A unique colored mat and backing that had a harmonious blend to the particular grouping being framed was used for each of the three panels and the same Ebony colored fillet (or double mat) was used in all three frames to maintain a desired continuity. A 5/8" gallery gold frame was selected to set off each of the three panels.
July 2024 Frame of the Month
Robert Bates of Arkport, N.Y., a collector of Native American and First Nation People art and imagery, had a wood and silkscreen limited edition print entitled, "Whales," by artist George Pennier. A double circular mat was designed and cut, the top mat having the same color as the print's paper color and the fillet color reflecting the ink tone of the print's interior line drawing of totem pole, sea, and dorsal fins. In addition, a square v- groove was cut around the perimeter of the mat's circular openings to reinforce the horizon line drawn within the inner circle. The frame that was selected was simple but classical in its profile, with a matte black finish thought to be harmonious with the bold black design elements of the print.
June 2024 Frame of the Month
While traveling in Italy, Joan and Gerry Floriano of Rochester, N.Y. collected seven hand painted ceramic tiles that they wanted to properly showcase. A pleasing layout was developed for the tiles using a textured fabric mat (“Aragon”) with multiple openings and a grey/black shade (“Kona”) backing to set them off. Glass was purposefully omitted from the frame so as not to place barrier between the viewer and these elegant art objects.
May 2024 Frame of the Month
Mike France of Geneseo, N.Y., acquired a print by artist Alex Grey depicting the Vajra Guru, an Indian Master and Teacher who historically brought Buddhist teachings to Tibet. A unique gold "Margaux" series frame moulding was chosen to mimic design patterns found in the print. Double suede mats ("Persimmon" and "Sundrenched") that matched and enhanced the vibrant colors of the print while manifesting a desired texture as well, were also utilized to complete this very handsome framing project.
April 2024 Frame of the Month
Marlene Hamann-Whitmore of Geneseo, N.Y., acquired a linocut block print entitled, “The Sparrow’s Fall” by artist Robert O. Hodgell (1922-2000). An antique frame was cut down to the appropriate size, rebuilt and reinforced for this 1/8” shadow box project. Brass plaques were added and installed at the bottom center of the frame to depict artist name and title of work.
March 2024 Frame of the Month
Bachelor and Master Degrees of Mr. Steven Reuter, framed together with his College of Engineering Scholar Medallion, presented within a shadow box.