venice

Old World Flavor with a Contemporary Twist

We recently framed a small, cracked, oil painting of Venice. The piece was in need of polishing for more than aesthetic reasons; the wood panel  had literally snapped down the middle and the painting was in two pieces!

Because the wood was so light, we were able to safely mount the halves onto a silk-wrapped mat board. We chose a very pale and creamy green that perfectly matched the highlights on the buildings.

Now that the painting was whole and in stable condition, we wanted to celebrate the antiqued charm and bring out the inherent beauty of its wear-and-tear. To do that we floated the piece in a deep shadow box, so that the irregular edges are visible, and the viewer is aware of the piece as a physical object as well as a transporting image.

We settled on one of our handmade maple frames with a “Light Teak” finish. Light Teak is a satiny black wash, which mingles with the natural tone of the maple and takes on greenish undertones. The overall effect is a very clean, contemporary look–that doesn’t forgot its classical roots with muted greens and silk.