Inside an art or woodworking studio with a large window, woodworking tools on a pegboard, framed artworks on the wall, and worktables with art supplies and frames.

From Picture to Print, Mat to Frame—entirety of process done here in-studio and by hand

Close-up of a Stanley Handyman hand planer on a wooden surface surrounded by wood shavings
A yellow plastic clamp holding a piece of wood next to some other wooden pieces.
A store display of various car tools hanging on a pegboard, including a bevel mat cutter, a tape measure, and other hardware accessories.
Photograph of a sunset over the ocean with clouds in the sky, placed on a wooden desk surrounded by a triangle ruler, a measuring tape, a notebook with handwritten notes and highlighted text, a yellow marker, a red pen, and a pair of compasses.
Wooden picture frame lying face down on a white paper covered surface with paint, glue, and a small bottle of oil inside, on a wooden table.
Photograph of two framed photographs on a wooden surface with a laser level and a USB flash drive. The framed photo on the left shows bees gathering nectar from a pink and white flower. The framed photo on the right is empty, with the USB flash drive placed on top of it.
A work table with a square wooden frame, a tape dispenser, a pencil, a small object, sketch papers, and a roll of printed material with a lion illustration.

My process starts from a simple block of wood.

And then the vision grows to become a finished work of art. Changing and morphing along the way to become something far different than what it started as-not too dissimilar from ourselves really. The process culminates with a one-of-a-kind piece; unique unto itself and made to last a lifetime.

A framed photograph of a woman sitting on a rocky hill holding a dog, set on a wooden surface surrounded by a small chalkboard eraser, a triangular piece of chalk, and a handwritten note with highlighted sections.
Wooden picture frame being assembled and clamped on a worktable in a woodworking shop.
A wooden desk with a panoramic printed photo of mountain peaks and trees, two smaller printed photographs of a lake and a waterfall, a yellow pencil, a red pen, and a measuring tape.

My “Build-Out Method” for fashioning custom-cut frames from a singular block of hardwood. Using this method starts with the photography, and I then work my way outward adding in mat and frame borders, followed by custom cut archival glass. This results in a one of a kind finished product and is my go-to for nature and landscape work. Species of wood I use include Oak, Ash, Cherry, and Chestnut along with other exotics.

My “Build-In Method” above. As opposed to building from the work outward, we instead build inward from a quality pre-made exhibition frame. This is my preferred method for gritty industrial works, cityscapes, and portraits. It renders a very nice end result suitable for galleries, offices, or commercial spaces.