Who would have thought that one of my best days at the studio was one I never put a brush to canvas? Believe me, I had every intention of painting on Wednesday. I arrived in the afternoon eager to get to my current work in progress, which I had hopes of completing within the next day or two, having no idea of what would soon distract all of my attention elsewhere. I got set-up, quickly warmed up and enjoyed some leftover goulash to tie me over until later and was tying my apron strings when I noticed two large boxes sitting next to my work area. I hadn’t paid much attention to where they had been sitting when I first walked up. Luis, the general manager of the communal studio, had been cleaning up the upstairs attic area when I arrived. Two new studios are planned to be built later this year in the upstairs space, but it’s been quite an undertaking so far. The attic area is technically quite large, but due to the sheer amount of accumulated stuff from over the years, it’s proved to be a multi-day event. I’ve seen a bunch of junk and other bits and pieces be pulled from the wreckage so far, but nothing quite like this. I looked closer, intrigued by the looks of a small print I could partially see in a broken frame, when I realized it was two full boxes of old frames and prints. I asked Luis what his plans were for them, and he said he was just going to toss them. Hating to see potentially reusable art supplies go to waste, I asked if I could go through them first, and so began my distraction…
Carefully digging through piles of dusty broken glass and pieces of wood from separated frames I began my search, seeking what treasures lie in wait. My first salvage: five black and white prints of drawings from different areas in San Francisco during 1885. They appear to be the type of art prints produced for tourists or those seeking to have a themed décor. I have no idea the date on these as they are only paper prints, but my eye was drawn to their crisp, old-timey feel, so I set them aside. My next find: an original lithograph of a fountain in a courtyard, signed, titled and numbered. The title reads “Fuente;” the artist, Gloria Granedo, number 63 of 100. The colors are still bright and the frame appears old and possibly foreign, sealed completely in metal with a very small hook on the back. I find one other small dark wooden frame in this box – a 5”x 7”, with a thin braided detail and rubbed with a gold finish. The glass is still in-tact and it is the perfect size for a small painting I just finished for my husband of the Royal Mile Whiskey shop in Edinburgh. I couldn’t help but to smile to myself as I turned my attention to the next box.
On to box number two. Again, carefully removing bits of sharp metal siding and stray pieces of lumber jagged with nails I continue my search for more art plunder. I quickly uncover a beautiful, old carved dark wood frame with intricate floral detailing. It is sturdy and charmingly old-fashioned looking, sized for an 8”x 10” canvas (perfect for another piece I recently gifted to my mother). My next score: another ornately carved piece, this time finished in gold with a black interior boarder for added contrast. It cleans up nicely and will proudly display a 10”x 14” canvas. I also come across a large dark frame with unusual gold floret corner pieces and a carved floral interior border finished in a gold rub. It is sized for a 16”x 20” canvas – awesome, I have many of those! There was a second matching frame in the same style but it was too far gone for repair, sadly. Probably the most intriguing of my lot for the day is my next find – a very large, cream and gold antiqued frame, with some signs of age, but still beautiful in its wear. It is an unusual size, housing a 14”x 17” canvas this time (which will be a bit of a search to find but worth it, I’m sure). Upon inspecting the back, I notice that it was completely covered with newspaper at one point and upon further inspection, also see a bit of charring due to fire damage. If this one could talk, it would have quite a story to tell. I take a closer look at the newspaper and notice the date across the top – November 30th, 1907. NO WAY!! Even if the piece itself shows a little more age, wear and history than the others, I find beauty in its imperfection. This one is special. It will take some extra love and care in its cleaning. I salvage one other large plain wood frame and four more modern-looking wooden frames with black inlays. All are big enough to accommodate a 16”x 20” canvas, and the last four are actually the “floating” style used to frame paintings specifically. A nice bundle to end my treasure hunt.
By the time I’m through with my hunting, I haven’t even started to work on my piece. Daylight is fading. My sister calls. I have two packaged paintings I still need to ship off this evening. I sum up that while I haven’t actually painted this afternoon, today has still been a treasure – in more than one way. Tomorrow I return to my oils. They call to me.
