To the Framing Atelier,
Ebony Street, Bridgewater Square.
Dear Mrs Gildie, I'm sorry I won't be able to come to you in person.
Unfortunately, my schedule behaves like a whirlwind these days.
But I have no doubt my letter and parcel will reach you in the fastest
and safest way.
I recently painted a pastel portrait of one of my dearest friends,
and I find myself in a quest for a suitably enchanting frame to elevate this artwork
to its full potential.
I've heard a lot about your work, and I'm eager to discover your talent to adorn
my delightful creation.
Since a personal visit is not possible at the moment,
I thought I would rely on your skills and a sense of aesthetics
to choose the best framing.
I like sober yet elegant ornaments.
Nothing too fancy, but simply beautiful in the most striking way.
Not overloaded with embellishments,
and certainly not tawdry.
Although, I do always love seeing a bit of blazing gold.
No doubt you understand what I mean.
I entirely trust you on this matter and cannot wait to see what you will bring
into being.
Oh, and no pressure intended,
but I would be delighted to receive the finished piece by tomorrow evening.
Sincerely yours, Lady Millington.
Well, I guess I'll put aside everything else for now.
Let's have a look at this piece of art.
Oh my.
How beautiful.
I like how the skin tones were treated here.
Realistic but with so much character.
Same here.
Gorgeous.
Hold still.
22 centimeters... high. And...
17... wide.
So that means that if I plan to add a mat board, It would frame the portrait....
Let's say... Here.
And here, so 3 centimeters, maybe 4 on each side.
So...
(unintelligible whispers)
2 centimeters above the hair... And...
The shoulders...
Yes.
Perfect.
And now let's see what kind of mat board and frame would highlight your features.
I think a pale mat board and a thin frame.
Not necessarily thin.
Well, let's see.
(unintelligible whispers)
And for the frame...
Well...
So this is pure white...
Maybe too white.
Let's see off white.
That's much better.
Off white seems good.
This one is more...
Beige.
Very light beige.
No I think off white looks better.
And just out of curiosity, let's try burgundy.
Too dark, I'm afraid.
But maybe off white with just a dark red border all around.
Yes, definitely.
And, as for the frame...
This one is beautiful.
But maybe too thin.
That's interesting.
I might take care of the mat board first,
and I will decide for the frame later.
First, let's add a mount board behind you for a bit of support.
This one is probably the right size.
There, perfect.
(unintelligible whispers)
Let's see how it fits.
Perfect.
Exactly what you needed.
The border really brings out the red tones here and there.
Yes. This is lovely.
Now let's protect you with the glass.
This shall be quick.
And here we go.
Good.
I should clean that.
This is just a fingerprint.
Perfect.
And I'm going to secure all these layers together with a few clamps.
Hold still.
Three...
And four.
Good.
And now let's take care of the final and most beautiful part, the frame.
So I was hesitation between these.
This one is beautiful,
but entirely covered with gold and this might be too much for Lady Millington.
This one may not have enough.
I could go for this one and add a dash of gold later.
Lady Millington is a demanding customer
for sure, and we don't want to disappoint her.
No. Definitely not this one.
Silver is not your colour.
So, yes, this one with a few gilded parts.
Yes. Let's make it.
(unintelligible whispers)
And now the moment of truth.
Perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
Now all it needs is a few touches of gold to to highlight
the gold I see here and here.
I'm going to gather everything I need.
So I will apply just a line of gold
on the inside edge all around
to highlight it and I will make make it look
like antique gold, just as if it had been there for at least one hundred years.
The frame looks already very smooth and sealed
so just one coat of glue should do.
Let's move it a little further away from you.
And now, a bit of glue.
All around.
Being careful.
So it just sticks to the edge.
It's done.
Now I have time to tidy up a bit before it's dry.
So let's see.
Wonderful.
It's as sticky as it should be.
Now let's add the gold leaves.
I'm going to need very thin bands.
So, here's the first one.
Good.
Let's keep going.
Third one.
And that was the last one.
Now let's remove the excess gold.
Wonderful. And now final step.
I'm going to slightly burnish the gild so it doesn't look tawdry.
Lady Millington would certainly not want this to stay as bright as it is.
I'm going to gently rub the stone all around. Starting here...
Very gently.
Good.
Let's keep going.
Perfect.
Now I will just apply a light varnish and it will be done.
This should dry quite instantly and it will protect the gold.
Brilliant. My best work so far.
Now time to remove the clamps and nail the frame to hold everything together.
Ten should do.
And ten.
Yes. It's strong.
Now let's wrap you up and off you go.
Dear lady Millington.
I hope your art piece travelled back safely and lies happily in your hands
as you're reading this.
I followed your instructions regarding this beautiful portrait,
and I will be happy to read or hear your thoughts about it.
Please visit me anytime. I will be delighted to make your acquaintance.
And I look forward to discussing your future framing needs.
Sincerely yours,
Elsa Gildie.