Wednesday 15 September 2010

Visit our website instead!

We've redesigned our website to feature case studies and design news, so this blog is now inactive. Please visit www.johnjones.co.uk for insider tips, advice and an amazing array of design projects.

Friday 19 February 2010

Hand Gilded Frames

This imposing triptych painting is a feature work in the private dining rooms of London's prestigious Ivy Restaurant.

We collaborated with both The Ivy and artist Sebastian Horsley to develop a unique design that enhances the work without overwhelming.




Each piece is framed individually whilst presenting one iconic artwork that sits in harmony with the signature interior of The Ivy.

The elegant frames are gilded with gold leaf, whilst the deep sides are hand painted to subtly reflect the colour of nearby artworks, unifying the overall impact.

Gilding is a centuries old craft, using layers of gold leaf, painstakingly applied by hand, to achieve a luxe finish.













Friday 22 January 2010

Framing Photography

We are delighted to have framed over three hundred photographic works for the latest show Where Three Dreams Cross at London's Whitechapel Gallery.


This exhibition is a major survey of photography from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh from the past 150 years.

Many public galleries opt for straight forward black or white frames on photographic works as an easy option. However, we wanted to ensure these fascinating images were presented to their very best, helping the gallery in their aim to develop a highly professional, beautifully executed exhibition.

Using Walnut wood from sustainable sources, our frame designers experimented with a variety of different finishes, finally selecting a dark green-black finish that enhances both black and white and colour works, drawing out the warm tones in the images and maximising their impact.

The works have been presented with 4 PLY unbuffered museum board, which we recommend on all photographic works. Museum board is the highest grade of board available and offers maximum protection. Unbuffered board does not contain an alkaline buffering agent which is added to standard board to reduce acidity. Photographic works should not be presented in an alkaline environment due to the processing and printing chemicals used in their production.

Works were then glazed with Ultra Violet filtering Perspex glazing, which reduces the fading effects caused by natural light. We always recommend Perspex over glass as it does not shatter and therefore reduces potential damage to the image should it break.

We work with the very best materials and would like to thank three of our excellent trade suppliers for their kind and generous support with this important exhibition:

John Purcell Paper for the museum board
Perspex for the Ultra Violet filtering glazing
Brooks Brothers for the American Walnut

Thursday 14 January 2010

Framing Street Art

The bold subject matter of street art enables us to really push the boundaries with framing. We've recently framed this great image by Dran - its float mounted on a white museum board background, with a white timber frame that has been splattered with paint to reflect whats going on in the work.

The value of the frame in comparison to the print is often questioned with street art. This print was £130 from Pictures on Walls (now sold out), whilst the frame was over three times that amount. This is due not only to the high standard of craftsmanship and design (all our frame moulding is run by hand from FSC certified timber), but most importantly its the high quality museum standard materials - in particular the glazing which is ultra violet filtering and low reflective. We believe its worth protecting art that you love, especially if you expect it to rise in value.



Watch this space for images of works we've framed by Adam Neate and Banksy.


Free Speech, Dran

Framing for Interior Design























Our talk at London Art Fair went well last night, with a good turn out despite the snow. Through a series of case studies, we addressed how a frame can be used to create a statement piece or to blend artwork into an interior.

We also discussed the various design elements that can be used in framing - shape, material, finish, proportion, glazing and installation.

We'll be uploading a document of the presentation to our website later this week.

There will be more talks later in the year, so keep an eye on our website, or sign up to our newsletter.

The Connaught Hotel, London