Pat's Favorite Things

It's always tough to reflect on the past year and try to pick favorite projects. For me, it's not how they were framed, but what went in the frame. For example, a client brought in an old drawing of the proposed plan for the Town of Portage from the 1960's. It was fun to look at it, knowing what the town looks like some 50 years later.

I enjoy sports memorabilia probably more than I should. I have a client who is a huge Pittsburgh sports fan, and has collected photos & newspaper stories touting wins of the various teams. When guests see their basement, there is no doubt where their allegiance lays. Another client acquired an old wool Black Hawks sweater, and spent some time getting the Hall of Famers' autographs on it. I have heard that when guests see it, they must pay it the proper respect.

It would be a truly empty year without the heartwarming pieces. One client had a photograph and a plaster paw print of their dog, who had recently passed, such a great way to stir memories. There was a reply letter from one of the lead illustrators of Star Wars, a client's son-in-law had written to, encouraging him to continue with his passion of drawing. Mom-in-law earned some points there! We framed a college jersey for a client whose friend had been diagnosed with ALS, and he was having all his friends sign it. That's a lot of love. Speaking of love, a client brought us her son's swimming medals, which is quite an accomplishment, considering he is autistic. One client brought us her old Beatles albums, which were in amazingly good shape, to frame. Talk about the memories!!

In the 'just plain fun' category, a client brought an art piece that her daughter's boyfriend had drawn in a caricature, of the 'Women of the family' on the first Thanksgiving day he had spent with them.

Normally, I do not have an absolute favorite, but this year I do! My eldest grandson graduated from Naval training this past August, and of course, it comes with pictures! I have always believed, it is not how much the art costs, it is what it means to you, and I could not be more proud of my grandson, making it the best!

A Memory With Love

It Makes Me Smile

So Very Proud

An Artist's Insight

~Pat~

Kat's Favorite Things 2010

Of all the projects I worked on this year, there are a couple that really stood out from all of the rest.

Kristopher Howard is a three year cancer survivor with a story to tell. He came in with the medals from all of the marathons he has run since beating cancer, and wanted something special with room to grow. Working together, we designed this medal case. It is the perfect way for him to share his story with the world!

Dennis and his wife Adrienne had this very sentimental photograph enlarged and put on canvas. They came in looking for just the right frame to hang this over their fireplace. A dark linen liner balanced the image, and the silver in the frame draws the eye down to the water and the light.


~Kat~

Barbara Ann's Favorite Things 2010

As always, there were too many fun projects this year to fit on one page. However, here are just a few of the projects I enjoyed working on the most…

These were vintage hand-held games – I wanted to keep the playfulness but be able to keep it neutral enough to fit any space. This project was a surprise gift for someone, which made it that much more fun!

It is always a joy to see what the Nelsons will bring in to the gallery next! They always let me be 100% creative during the design process. Here we stacked a Biltmore moulding which was very traditional, with a Bandana Moulding that was more shabby chic, it was the perfect way to blend two styles.

This was one of two original paintings. The colors were so warm & vibrant. We selected two hand-wrapped fabric mats that worked perfect with the piece! The framing became an extension of the art. I loved working with this client to get just the right look.

A photo of this photographic work of art just doesn’t do it justice. This piece was also one of two. It is a breathtaking foil photograph. The detail was sharp & glistened. We used 4 mats & a fillet. Nothing less did the trick on these.


~Barbara Ann~