Custom Frames

I spent the day touring (and practicing in) a couple of custom framing stores today. I am looking into doing it for my 'real' job, and the gentleman who is looking to get back into the business was nice enough to introduce me to some of his friends at their places of business.

First up was Framed in Time in Framingham, MA. The owner, John Fournier, was nice enough to allow me to test my skill in matching a variety of images with appropriate & attractive mats and moldings. I felt like I was back in school taking a test! By the time I was done, the pressure of the challenge (as well as the lovely frame artist who was running the front of the store while I worked) left me sweating. But my choices were praised for the most part, and I left the store with a bit more confidence than I'd had when I began the task. The entire staff was very friendly and knowledgeable, and John was very generous with his time and work materials. Check them out.

Then it was off to Maynard, MA to visit Gallery Seven. The owners, Nick Johnson and Kelli Costa, were both very gracious with their time. They allowed us a look in their basement production room, which was very cool. Their classy upscale (yet super-friendly) gallery does more than just custom framing, they also feature the works of several local artist and photographers (including Nick), and do in-house shows from time to time.

It was great to observe first-hand how friendly and helpful the framing community is, as I listened to the various people give each other helpful hints and leads, and reminisce about how they got into the business and met one another. Food for thought...

Green

Creative Day

I spent the day watching parts of seasons 1 & 2 of "Mad Men", and during the morning part I read old "Look" magazines, sketched, and messed around with all of my white Lego blocks for a photography idea. The rest of the day I did more sketching: random doodles and thumbnails for various ideas, including a "sock puppet leviathan" and a character from a Flinx short story.

Checking In...

I did some drawing yesterday, nothing fancy, just some quick sketches. I need to breakout the acrylics again soon.

Monitor Upgrade

I'd been toiling along for the last few years with a 13-inch monitor, and I was used to it, and content. Today, however, my Aunt Jean Marie presented me with a gift beyond gifts: a new 24-inch monitor! She got me a Viewsonic VG2428wm, and it is amazing. It is light-years larger, brighter, and easier to view than the old one, and it has better speakers, more modern features, and a lazy susan-style base, for ease of rotation. I am so psyched. It will make using the tablet a lot simpler, and the images will be easier to examine and ponder over for changes. I have the best aunt ever!