Frame of the Month 2025
The Frame of the Month is chosen from picture frames completed in the prior month.
December 2025 Frame of the Month
Travis Thorne of Geneseo, NY, had two 7" x 13" 19th-century landscape paintings executed in oil on panel within their original historic frames. He removed the paintings from their frames to have them professionally cleaned and restored. Once the restoration services were complete, he brought them to The Rabbet Hole for a proper return to their original frames.
The inside lip of each frame was carefully lined with Lineco acid free Foam Rabbet Tape, a product that provides padding and a "slippery surface" to protect oils from sticking to the frame's rabbet. As each frame's opening had a 3/8" allowance that was more generous than ideal, 3/16" acid free foamboard strips were attached to the inside walls (rabbet) of the frame as pictured. Now having a much better fit, the paintings were placed back within their frames, secured and protected using a series of offset clips and an acid free backing/dust cover.
November 2025 Frame of the Month
November's Frame of the Month is a 1983 Dolona Roberts silkscreen print on paper (28.25" x 22.5") entitled, "St. Geronimo Day." It is owned by Robert Bates of Arkport, NY.
Given the print's beautiful deckled edges that we desired to keep visible, the print was float mounted on an Ebony 4 Ply backing board leaving 1/4" of this Ebony board visible around the perimeter of the print (created by having a larger mat opening). A double mat consisting of Alphamat's "Orchid" and "Chaps" colors was cut with a V-Groove added 3/4" from the Orchid mat's opening. The V-Groove was a necessary element as it worked in conjunction with thin "Almandine" Alphamat boards added in sections to the top, sides, bottom and corners of the piece in such a way as to create a simple Native American corner motif in each of its four corners.
Finally, Omega Moulding Company's 1" x 1 3/8" Ebony Tall Square "Lanais" frame moulding was selected given its appropriate dark brown textural wood finish most suitable for Native American subject matter and works.
October 2025 Frame of the Month
October's Frame of the Month is the frame completed for Geneseo, NY resident Barry Caplan. Caplan, a prolific collector of rock and jazz music concert posters and handbills, brought in his original first printing poster for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Buddy Miles Express, and Dino Valenti performance that occurred at the Winterland Arena in SanFrancisco, California in October 1968.
The vibrant colors of this poster (whose creative was a collaboration between two poster icons, Rick Griffin and Victor Moscoso), provided a wonderful framing opportunity to triple mat with purpose to pick up on complimentary (opposite) color schemes used in the artwork as well as to use a seldom selected Nielsen Bainbridge yellow shade board known as "Beeswax." The top mat color of Beeswax perfectly matched the yellow shade typeface used for Jimi Hendrix's name in the poster, thereby appropriately directing one's attention to the key subject of this concert. Omega's 7/8" "Foundry" moulding having a "mottled" gold face further complemented the yellow-to-orange blend roll used for the poster's text block making it a most intriguing and successful choice.
September 2025 Frame of the Month
The September Frame of the Month is the shadow box frame constructed to showcase the 1999 mixed media work on paper created by artist Willa Cox (“Untitled #3”) and owned by Geneseo, NY resident Diane Hamilton.
Seeking the perfect “frame wall” and background color to surround and attach this 22 1/2” x 29 3/4” work to (shadow box construction), Diane and I chose Artcare’s Alphamat board color, “Mare,” given its quiet and highly complimentary yellow/green tone.
The desired frame moulding for this exquisite presentation was deemed to be Omega Moulding’s rubbed gold cap “G24” series. Specifically, the largest 1 1/4” version of this moulding allowed us to create the 1 1/4” shadow box depth desired to set off this extremely attractive abstract piece.
August 2025 Frame of the Month
August's Frame of the month does not showcase a singular frame, rather it features 58 framed works completed by the Rabbet Hole Picture Framing Co. on behalf of collaborative area artists Paul Bartow and Richard Metzgar. Bartow and Metzgar had been preparing for their exhibit, "Terrakwa: Where Memory, Place, and Water Meet," and hired the Rabbet Hole to present their works "all in white" (white frames and matting) for display.
Their exhibition, which opens at The Buffalo History Museum on August 6, 2025, explores the Erie Canal, not just as something from history, but as a place that’s alive and changing. Bartow and Metzgar used interviews, maps, and research to show how people and nature interact with the canal today. Their work depicts the canal as a vibrant, diverse, and active place.
The framed pieces that make up the Terrakwa exhibit share stories from people who live, work, and spend their time along the Erie Canal. Bartow and Metzgar's works include unique drawings made by trees along the canal. These drawings were created naturally over time by weather and wind, showing how nature and humans both shape the environment.
This exhibition celebrates the Erie Canal’s Bicentennial (2017–2025) and highlights the canal’s importance both in the past and today.
July 2025 Frame of the Month
David McKeown of Geneseo, NY, brought in a vintage painting on silk of his mother to be preserved and framed. The painting was made between 1952 and 1954 during the Korean Conflict at which time his father was stationed in Japan. Reportedly, his father took a photograph of David’s mother to a Japanese artist so the artist would have a “likeness” of her to work from.
When the painting was complete, it was adhered to a scrolled piece of paper that was rolled up within two attached outer dowels. A ribbon was affixed to the top dowel. Interestingly, over the approximate 70 years of the painting being rolled up and stored, a mirrored “ghost image” of the portrait developed on the rolled up paper around the painting. This ghost image on paper as well as the ribbon were deliberately saved at the time of the painting’s framing and placed on the backing of the frame at its completion.
Working with David, we chose a double mat consisting of Fairfield White, a yellow-tint on the color wheel index, and Beryl (a green shade) to showcase this 1950's presentation. The Beryl accent worked perfectly with the painting's rich green background and a v-groove cut into the Fairfield White mat affords a subtle yet striking design element. It accentuates the portrait adding depth and sophistication. Finally, to enhance the work's overall aesthetic and to complement its style, we chose Fox Moulding's 1 1/4" Cloudy Antique Pewter and Black moulding. It is the ideal visual anchor for this cohesive display.
June 2025 Frame of the Month
Randy and Laurie Mastin of Pavilion, NY photographically reproduced two vintage hand-colored photographs of Randy’s grandparents in oval form. Hand-colored photographs were most popular in the mid- to late 19th century before the invention of color photography.
The Mastins’ objectives were twofold: To frame their two photographs in a historic gold colored octagon wood frame that had been in their family, and to minimally have each photograph positioned next to one another within oval cut mat openings.
The Rabbet Hole Picture Framing Co. chose a Renaissance Gold Alphamat with a Deep Sage fillet to satisfy the desire for oval openings to surround each photograph but significantly advanced the presentation by introducing two additional mats having color harmony, contrasting square cuts, decorative corner cuts, and v-grooves around the images. The end result is a visually exciting pictorial display of Randy’s grandparents that not only honors them but also honors and incorporates 19th century design.
May 2025 Frame of the Month
Ms. Catherine Weissmann, a resident of historic Vestal, NY, located in Broome County, possessed a set of 6 note cards that she wished to frame together. The note cards depicted the colorful life jacket series painted by prolific Geneseo artist, Erin Hanafin Sweeney.
In terms of coordinating colors for Ms. Weissmann's frame, it was decided very quickly to stay away from using the primary colors of red, yellow, and blue so as not to over saturate and take away from the beautiful works that very successfully rely upon the use of those vivid colors. Rather, we were intrigued with Erin's management of "shadow coloring" in her life jacket paintings (browns and greens) and decided to use these similar colors for matting and backing purposes to support and enhance the framed imagery, better allowing it to "pop!"
A double mat combination of "Solid Pampas" with a small amount (1/8") of "Jalapeno" as its fillet and a warm brown backing called "Briarwood" on which the six note cards were arranged and mounted was the color scheme that was decided upon. To lend a more historic and unique look, special corner cuts were introduced to the Jalapeno fillet and a V-groove was cut into the Solid Pampas mat that created an additional accent line with desired color around the work.
Thinking about and in keeping with the look and color of the wooden Boat Houses built in the late 1800"s and early 1900's around the various finger lakes of New York State (that housed boat accessories including life safety jackets), a 1 1/8" Lanai series frame moulding by the Omega Moulding Co. was utilized to provide just the right look and nostalgia. The finished frame size is 17 9/16" x 16."
April 2025 Frame of the Month
April’s Frame of the Month features a precious 8 3/4” x 9 5/8” graphite drawing of “Baby Sylvia.”
Dale and Jean Etzel of Geneseo, NY were blessed with the birth of their first grandchild, Sylvia, in 2024. Given the significance of this event, Dale hired artist Lex Blaakman to do a graphite rendering of Sylvia with plan to make this a Christmas gift for his wife, Jean. Touched by this meaningful Christmas present, Jean brought the drawing to The Rabbet Hole Picture Framing Co. to preserve forevermore. Her primary specification for framing was to have it equipped with an easel back to enable it to stand on the appropriate table top or shelving surface as opposed to having it hang on the wall.
Selected for the drawing was a double mat that included colors “Smoke” and “Fiori” that sensitively brought out the steel-grey to medium black tones of the graphite. A “V-groove” was cut into the mat to provide a decorative white accent line around the mat opening. Omega Moulding’s “High Line” series, an Italian made frame, was deemed to be the most appropriate frame to use for this project. Specifically, the grey panel delicate silver edged frame of the series was selected. The frame was finished off with a velour easel backing attached by 16 brass brads placed around the outer back edges thereby meeting Jean’s objective.
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, NY 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".