Carol Coulter Framing

As always, my day starts when I turn on the radio and tune in to the Today programme. News that a ‘WANTED‘ poster, (issued in 1651 by Oliver Cromwell offering a reward for Charles II’s capture), is to be auctioned, caught my attention. The reward of £1000, equivalent to over £75,000 in today’s money, is the guide price that is being put on the poster, though due to massive interest, it’s expected to fetch much more.

I’ve never framed anything quite that old, though my colleague Bill Ranson of Step Gallery Framing, recently framed a declaration that had been signed by Elizabeth 1 no less.

Anyway, the poster put me in mind of another ‘collectors piece’ that a neighbour recently brought to my workshop for framing. Dating back a mere 31 years, it’s a commemorative poster celebrating the 100th anniversary of The Natural History Museum, South Kensington.

My neighbour and her husband visited the exhibition with their then, 2 year old son and bought the poster as a souvenir. It had been carefully stored away all this time but she decided to ‘dust it down’ (though it wasn’t dusty cos my neighbour is a domestic goddess) and present it to her now grown-up son’s 2 year old daughter.

The poster was the winning entry in a competition aimed at schoolchildren, to design the poster that would mark the anniversary.The delightful image of a dinosaur with candles on its back, was the work of Amanda Taylor from Bristol. What made it all the more amazing, was that Amanda had Down’s Syndrome and as such the story attracted a lot of attention. I think it’s wonderful.

I framed it using a very simple flat-faced pine moulding with a nice linear grain, that I stained to match the background colour of the poster. That involved mixing mid and golden oak stains with, believe it or not. a bit of green. UV glass was used to protect the poster from exposure to sunlight.

My client was very happy with the result. I was happy. And I hope that the son and grand-daughter who will continue to enjoy this lovely souvenir for many years to come, will be happy too.

This week I completed a framing project for Creative Scotland. Formerly the Scottish Arts Council, it is the national leader for Scotland’s arts, screen and creative industries. It’s their job to ‘help Scotland’s creativity shine at home and abroad’.

2012 sees a year-long celebration of the nation’s cultural and creative strengths and one of the initiatives being recognised are The Creative Place Awards. These celebrate the hard work and imagination that contribute to the rich cultural life of a community, as well as its social and economic well-being.

It was these awards that I was commissioned to frame. They had been designed in-house and to complement the clean, contemporary look and the square format (nice change from A4), myself and the designer settled on a simple, black lacquered, flat faced moulding with a complementary coloured window mount. As the awards were going to be photographed, non-reflective glass was used.

Details of the winners and runners up can be found here.

Rather a grand statement it has to be said, but nonetheless true!

I am pleased to report that I have just completed my second framing project for the indomitable Carina Contini of Centotre and Scottish Café fame. Many of you (hello Edinburgh Coffee Morning goers), will no doubt have seen the fantastic shots from the lens of local photographer, Shannon Tofts, that are currently gracing the walls of Edinburgh’s most popular eatery. I had the privilege of working with Shannon on that project, undertaking the framing, hand-setting the captions then hanging (with the aid of wonderful handyman Dave) the final 15 shots.

Last Sunday, while most of you were probably still in bed, me and my ‘humper’ (his words, not mine)), husband Mike Coulter, were hard at it again. Hanging pictures. But this time in the hallowed halls of the Scottish National Gallery no less.

It is here, that the Contini’s run The Scottish Café (on the Princes Street Gardens level) where the very best of Scottish produce is championed.To mark their second anniversary, Shannon was commissioned to take portraits of their team of wonderful suppliers and producers, highlighting the provenance and quality of the ingredients the café uses.

As with the Centotre project, I made the frames – simple tulip wood, hand finished with a pale grey wash – and painstakingly, hand set the captions beneath each shot. This really was a labour of love, tweezers in hand, carefully composing, with 3mm rubber type, the words which hopefully convey just how important these people are to the whole ‘Scottishness’ that is the Scottish Café.

The results, if I may say, look great. Shannon’s portraits looking every bit worthy of hanging in such esteemed surroundings. And I’m rather chuffed with my frames too. The National Gallery – who’d have thought?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrscoulter/sets/72157628192526579/

I have just finished framing the last (and largest) photograph for Billy’s Big Charity Auction which takes place next Thursday 29th Sept at The Old Ambulance Depot, Brunswick St. I’m really looking forward to it and to meeting the photographers and everyone else who is planning to attend on the night in support of such a good cause.

There’s loads of great stuff up for grabs. Take a peek at what’s going under the hammer.

Here’s one of my favourite shots, kindly donated by David Boni, that I have framed using a simple tulip wood moulding, hand finished with a light grey wash.

The bar opens at 6pm, the auction kicks off at 8pm. Come along. Bring your wallets.

N’er cast a clout till May is out. Never a truer word!
The day started very promisingly, with beautiful blue skies over Edinburgh. It is now very grey. And raining.
I am hoping however, that the weather gods are shining down in Padstow, Cornwall where the May Day celebrations will be in full swing. We were lucky enough to live in Padstow a number of years ago and the village marks the day (and the arrival of Spring) with a fantastic display of pagan ritual. There is dancing in the streets, in the houses, around the harbour. There’s bunting aplenty and every lamp-post is adorned with greenery. There are parties, barbeques, picnics. And the pubs, it’s fair to say, do a roaring trade.
At the end of the day, the fairies come out and clean the litter-strewn streets of all the fallout, as if nothing had happened. Bit like Hogmanay in Edinburgh I guess. There, I’ve come full circle. Happy May Day everyone!

Today, my sleeves are rolled up. But not as you might think, because I am hard at it, working away. No, it’s because it is warm! And I even turned the heater down a notch!

I have survived my first winter down at Albion Road.

A very happy new year to family, friends and followers. Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and are looking forward to a great 2009. Despite the predictions of doom and gloom.

After a pretty hectic run-up to the holidays, Carol Coulter Framing pulled down the blinds and took a two week holiday. A lovely Christmas was spent with family in the Lake District consisting of big, cooked breakfasts; brisk, bracing dog walks; lunchtime sessions in the village pub; big and boisterous family dinners and long lie-ins. Heaven!

New Year was a quieter affair, as Hubs was feeling a bit worse for wear, but I spent a lovely evening with our neighbours Murray and Myra Ross. As always, hospitality was impeccable as the champagne flowed and ever more delicious amuse bouche made their way from Myra’s kitchen. The evening was made all the more charming with the arrival of another neighbour and his mother, who was visiting from South Africa. Of Russian origin, she entertained us with poetry readings and folk songs, beautifully delivered in her native tongue.

We all agreed to get together again for Burns Night and as Hubs possesses a smattering of Russian too (‘your sister is a plate’), we have challenged him to perform some Burns – in Russian!

Anyway, back to work. The first day in the workshop has been a chilly one to say the least. I am currently sporting three layers of clothes (inc. thermal vest – a Christmas present from my sister), tights, socks, boots, woolly hat and fingerless gloves. Plus, two heaters and a large cup of tea. I think there may be a stalactite hanging from my nose. (I always remember that from school days – mites go up, tights come down). I have managed to tick off several things from the to-do list for today so will call it a day.

Tomorrow I will re-arrange the workshop in readiness for the arrival of my latest acquisition – a shiny, new vertical glass cutter. Very exciting!