Framed!
Dutch artist Elly Ypma painted this miniature version of John William Waterhouse's 'Ophelia' (1894) for me. I had wanted this painting for the hall of my first dolls house for a long time, but only last month I decided to ask her to paint it for me. Isn't it wonderful?
Using mainly wood, I made a frame for the painting in the classical style which was often used by the Pre-Raphaelites. After a white base coat and a red bole acrylic seize I used 23 carat gold leaf to finish the frame. I am very pleased with the combination of the painting and the frame.
With the weather being very cloudy and dark, it was difficult to take realistic photos. The first photo of this post shows the most realistic colors. But here is the painting on the wall of the hall under two different lighting conditions. I think it looks fantastic!
I did a bit more framing this week. I ordered two frames from John J. Hodgson for paintings I had hanging in the Salon and the Dining Room of my first Canal House. I used one frame for the painting below, also painted by Elly Ypma after Frans van de Mijn's 'Portrait of Machteld Muilman'(c. 1745). A perfect fit!
I ordered the frames in a gold finish but realized they would look better with the same paint finish I used in the room on the mirror and light fixtures.
I used a matt white paint on the frame (Painting the Past, Matt) which dried incredibly fast. I held the frame under running water and rubbed the paint off the high areas. It was very easy to do due to the quality of the paint. The original gold finish held up beautifully.
I had intended the second frame for another painting, but as this portrait of a man (painted by me 12 years ago) is in the same room as the Machteld Muilman portrait I thought it best to give both paintings the same frame. See how well the frame matches the sconces and the mirror?
Now I'll have to order more frames for the other paintings.
Es un cuadro precioso, pero ese cuadro hecho por ti hace doce años no desmerece nada.
ReplyDeleteLos marcos miy adrcuados.
Un abrazo
Maite
Thank you Maite. I'm not entirely sure, but I think I understood what you wrote about my painting ;-)
DeleteEach painting and frame is beautiful, but I'm especially partial to Ophelia, Josje. Simply gorgeous. I've always loved that painting and since I work in the theater, primarily on Shakespeare, it has a special place in my heart. The frame you made is perfect.
ReplyDeletexo
Claudia
Thank you Claudia. With your background in theater I can imagine you love Ophelia, so beautiful and tragic. But even if you don't know the story it is a beautiful painting.
DeleteCiao Josje!!! Un post entusiasmante per me. Io ho parecchi quadri preraffaelliti da incorniciare.....certo non preziosi, non dipinti da un grande miniaturista, ma stampati su tela da me....ma per loro desidero anche io delle cornici molto realistiche, come ho fatto per due di loro.
ReplyDeleteYes I know you like the Pre-Raphaelites! ;-) A print on canvas can work very well and if you make a nice frame in the right style you'll have beautiful pieces of art.
DeleteIt's beautiful, Josje. And it fits the room perfectly. Your frame of a triumph!
ReplyDeleteThank you Simon!
DeleteThe Ophelia painting is gorgeous. What a lovely treasure for your dollhouse. A frame can certainly enhance or detract from a painting. You have gotten it just right on all your choices. The frames set them off beautifully.
ReplyDeleteThank you Catherine. I do like the style of frames used by the Pre-Raphaelites and these can be made by ourselves much easier than a Rococo frame.
DeleteA few days ago I visited a museum where they had around 40 Van Gogh paintings on show, all framed with the same simple but beautifully made wooden frames. It was very impressive, not just the paintings, but the frames helped to bring it all together and yet show off the paintings individually.
This is the museum: http://krollermuller.nl/en/van-gogh-gallery
DeleteI would have loved to see the Van Gogh paintings. I bet it was a wonderful show.
DeleteYes it was. It is a wonderful museum. All of these paintings are in their permanent collection. It was very quiet when we were there which makes such a visit a very different experience from a crowded museum. It felt more intimate, almost like a private visit. Some of the paintings there are so well known that you have seen them dozens of times already, but maybe never in real life. Seeing them for real and up close was rather special. It is funny, because I visit a lot of museums, but this time I was much more affected by the paintings. And maybe that was because there were so few people there.
DeleteAnyway, yes, a wonderful show. I will go back this summer as there's also a huge sculpture garden there which will be wonderful to see.
What treasures Josje. I can imagine the excitement when it reached your hands. Great frame.
ReplyDeleteRegards Janine
That was exactly it Janine, I was -and still am- very excited by it. I keep going back to the room to have a look at it. Thanks!
DeleteYour new painting and frame are beautiful and look great in your setting!
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda!
DeletePrachtig schilderij van John William Waterhouse, 'zijn' Ophelia is heel mooi geportretteerd door Elly. De lijst maakt het kunstwerk af, de andere schilderijen/lijsten passen mooi in jouw interieur.
ReplyDeleteGroetjes, Ilona
Dank je Ilona. Ja Elly heeft het echt mooi gedaan. Een pareltje ;-)
DeleteI cannot find words...so fantastic, so beautiful this painting "Ophelia" is!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWell thank you Kristiina, I'll pass on the compliment! ;-)
DeleteYou are quite an artist, and the frame you made is beautiful, and so is the painting. The paint on the gold frames was a great idea, and now they will be so well suited together in the room. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. ;-) Thank you for the compliments!
DeleteHello Josje,
DeleteThose are just wonderful. The painting of Ophelia is superb and looks amazing in the room. The frames are all gorgeous, but the second one, the John H. you refinished is incredible.
Big hug
Giac
The Hodgson frames would look fantastic in your house too Giac!
DeleteCette peinture d'Ophélia est une merveille, quel plaisir vous devez avoir de la posséder pour votre intérieur. Le cadre que vous avez imaginé est parfait, je l'aime beaucoup. J'ai été voir les Van Gogh que vous signalez et c'est vrai que c'est très beaux ces cadres simples en bois, particulièrement pour une expo, par cette simplicité les peintures sont encore plus fortes et plus belles.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jean-Claude. I am very happy with both the painting and the frame. You're exactly right about the frames at the museum!
DeleteEl marco que has hecho para esa precisa pintura "Ophelia" es perfecto para ella. Y también encajan estupendamente los acabados de los otros marcos
ReplyDeleteThank you Isabel!
DeleteOphelia is a pure miracle and your frame is perfect for that kind of painting. Beautiful, I love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dominique, I'll pass on the compliment!
DeleteWow, Josje, that painting is just Breathtaking!!! It is hard to believe it is painted in miniature!!! The colors are just gorgeous! And the framing you have done is absolutely perfect! I admire your skills with the gold leafing... I am going to have to learn that someday! As for the finish on the other frames, they are perfect in your salon!
ReplyDeleteThank you Betsy, it is wonderful isn't it?! I'll tell Elly to read the comments here too. As for the gold leafing, it is not difficult, you just need a bit of patience. In my opinion, real gold leaf has the most beautiful reflective quality and a depth of colour that no paint can match.
DeleteHi Josje! What kind of material are her paintings done on, if you don't mind my asking? The surface looks so smooth! And I do agree with you about the luster of real gold leaf! I will need to find the right materials.... the sizing and the glue all have to be the right kind, I believe? So many products are available in craft stores... it can be confusing! Thank you for sharing!
DeleteHi Betsy, she uses oil paint on canvas board. Canvas board is acid free card with canvas glued onto it which is prepared with gesso. It comes in many different sizes, also very small ones, but of course you can easily cut it to the size you want.
DeleteYes you need special sizing for the gold leaf. I use water based mixtion for indoor use. My old bottle has a red colour mixed in (a red bole clay), but I just bought a new bottle yesterday which is colorless. This one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pebeo-Gilding-Paste-Mixtion-reparation/dp/B00J8Q0F84 I don't know if you can get this in the US, but I am sure you'll be able to find similar products.
Did you see the video's I made a few years ago on gilding? It shows what I use and how. You don't need fancy tools, just the gold leaf, the glue/size/mixtion and some paint brushes. I bought a new packet of gold leaf yesterday as well. The price is now double of what I paid about ten years ago!
*videos ;-) (I keep doing that....)
DeleteThank you so much, Josje! I have written it all down so I can hunt up the stuff over here! I believe I did look at your video a couple of years ago... how quickly the time goes! I will need to look again, and again when I have the materials at hand! I really appreciate your sharing!!!
DeleteYou're welcome. Have fun gilding when you find all the materials!
DeleteHi Josje
ReplyDeleteYour new painting is fabulous and your frames are just perfect. How I envy your museum visits. Can't believe one museum has so many treasures.
Cheers, Linda
Thank you Linda. Yes the museum's collection is enormous. The woman who collected these pieces in the early 20th century had such vision!
DeleteWhat a beautiful painting! I admire also your frames, they are amazingly wonderful.
ReplyDeleteGeneviève
Thank you Geneviève!
DeleteWat een prachtig schilderij heeft Elly er weer van gemaakt Josje, echt prachtig! En het past perfect in je hal. Hoewel het niet echt mijn smaak is past de lijst er wel erg goed bij en het bladgoud maakt het zeker af. De lijsten zijn erg mooi en passen door je behandeling perfect bij de rest van het 'goud'. Ah, die ken ik nog, tenminste ik geloof dat ik je schilderij eerder heb gezien, netjes hoor en de lijst past er goed bij. Het zijn allemaal erg mooie aanvullingen op je al prachtige ruimtes!
ReplyDeleteJa het schilderij is mooi he! Ik ben er ook erg blij mee. Ik heb dit weekend er nog eentje bij Elly opgehaald, ook prachtig. Die zal ik later laten zien want ik wacht nog op een lijst. Wat de lijsten betreft probeer ik in de stijl te blijven die de schilderijen oorspronkelijk hebben, voor zover ik dat kan vinden natuurlijk. Ik weet niet wat voor een lijst er om Ophelia zit, maar wel wat er in die tijd in deze stijl gebruikt werd. Ook voor mijn nieuwe schilderij heb ik gezocht naar een lijst die lijkt op wat er om het originele schilderij heen zit.
DeleteDe ruimtes gaan zoveel meer leven door de toevoeging van de schilderijen (vind ik!).
Your frames are gorgeous. I like the wallpaper in your last two photos.
ReplyDeleteThank you Polly! The wallpaper is called 'PORTIA' from Small Interiors, London. I don't know whether it is still available as I bought it 12 years ago or so, but it is a really nice paper.
DeleteThe whole room looks perfectly.I love your miniatures!!!! I could look at them over and over, lots of cute details, realistic results! Well done! What a beautiful design of blog! Can't wait for more!!
ReplyDeleteHugs
WELCOME TO MY BLOG (CLICK)
Thank you Niele!
DeleteWhat magical art you make. And your friend has done a beautiful copy of the Waterhouse. I have a print of that picture on my bedroom wall. It is so lovely.
ReplyDeleteThank you Susan! It is a lovely picture, both the full sized one and the miniature one. I will pass on the compliment!
Delete