At the recent West Coast Art & Framing expo here in Las Vegas I made it a point to visit AJoy Framing and after seeing her frames in person it inspired me to create one of my own! My artist wife, Diane Eugster; was with me and after talking with Alana and seeing her work she too was inspired to use that technique for a frame for her work. The unique thing about Alana’s work is that it’s painted in subtle colors and she adds a customizable trim to the sight edge. I’ve created a few frames using milk paint from Real Milk Paint Company and like the results so that was the product I used for this project.

Of course, any new technique has its own set of challenges. Diane recently completed a painting titled Force of Nature which is 24″ square and on stretched canvas. It is painted in a contemporary figurative style. The first challenge was to design what I’ll call a filigree for the trim on the sight edge. My first thought was to do it in two sections to insure that both sides were the same. After trying that method I realized the joint in between the two halves would always show. Since the frame and filigree will be different colors they will need to be painted first and then assembled. That raised too many problems so another approach was needed.

Plan B: To get four identical pieces the first step was to make a router template and pattern jig. To make the pattern start with a piece of paper at least the length of the filigree. Fold it in half, draw on thalf of the design then cut it out and glue to the jig. To make the pattern routing jig I used 1/2″ MDF and 1/4″ Basswood. The Basswood was attached to the MDF with pin nails and glue to cradle the filigree in position for the routing. The measurement inside of the mitered pieces is 23 1/2″ which gives me a 1/4″ rabbet since the filigree is also the sight edge. After cutting the MDF on the bandsaw files and sandpaper are used to get the final design.

The filigree pieces were treated like a picture frame, each is exactly the same size and fit snugly into MDF template. The design is first traced onto the wood then cut out on the bandsaw with a 1/8″ blade. Double stick tape was used to hold the filigree in the jig and the final shape was routed with a 1/4″ round over bit.

Assembly: The frame was painted with milk paint from RMP.co, I chose Plum for the filigree and for the frame mixed 9 parts Black Iron with 1 part Soft White to achieve a charcoal color. Before painting the frame the filigree design was traced onto it and then taped off so that the glue has bare wood to adhere to. The challenge now was how to attach them in the exact location, if you’ve ever tried gluing and clamping long pieces of wood in place you know my concern! The problem was solved by using four pieces of 1/4″ masonite that I cut the exact size as the filigree; this was done at the same time the filigree pieces were cut. When both edges of the masonite lined up with the miter of the frame they were perfectly aligned. To attach the filigree one piece of masonite was removed. The glue was applied sparingly with a brush to both surfaces, the filigree is positioned between the miters, and clamped securely. The opposite edge as done the same way so now 2 of the filigrees are attached. Having the masonite pieces there made it easier to line the filigree up and after they had been glued for several hours it was just a matter of gluing the remaining pieces in. It’s important not to get any glue on the painted surfaces because it’ll leave a stain — learned that from my sample piece! Sounds complicated but this slide show should illustrate it the process for you:

I’ve been using OSMO PolyX 3043 to seal the milk paint. Before applying it I used a Mirka Mirlon pads in 1500 and 2500 grit from Lee Valley to smooth the finish of the milk paint. My wife and I are both pleased with the results. Her painting is done in a contemporary take on a traditional figure and the frame is done with a contemporary take on traditional framing where I used painted ornamentation rather than traditional gilding. The shape of the filigree compliments the flowing dress of the subject and the palette. I wonder if there will be more of these frames in our future?