-
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)
-
(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.