I take what you dump..

Today I made another frame using wood that modified from an unwanted wooden box. I collected this pine wood box from an electronic factory in Bayan Lepas.

I dismantled the wooden box and cut it into smaller size to fit in my frame. After that I applied a coat of dark stain on it. The wooden grain turn up beautifully after that. Before encasing it, I engraved some wording with my engraving knife on it. ( to descripe the miniature sandstone that my customer brought from Combodia).

See, I am not only save some money..... but also play my part on recycling ...

A guest from Australia.

Today a friend from down under visited me again, a regular guest to Penang Island. Richard is from Adelaide.

He brought me a few lettering cut matboards by his Wizard CMC this time. The matboard with the lettering cut of ARTBUG!( my gallery name on it!) He wanted to give me an idea how a CMC could help my business if I can buy one. He still feel surprised to see how could I cut different shape of opening just with my manual cutter and a few plastic template.

Richard also brought some framing material catalogs for my reference. I understand that he just want to help me so that I could have more complete framing materials in my workshop one day. He said he is going back to check with Australia distributor like Antons and LJ if they can arrange to export their products to Malaysia! ( what can I say......Richard is so kind to share his information and very sincere offering his help....I couldnt give him a nicely cut matboard as he does as he has a better one at his workshop. So I invited him for a lunch!! and I am glad that he was enjoying our local dishes...)

Just forget to let you guys know that he is a one of the Committee Members of PICTURE FRAMERS GUILD OF AUSTRALIA. (PFGA) He is definately the best and a very hardworking committee member! He help the framer even not from his country and not belong to his chapter. ( I am a PPFA member of US and Fine Art Trade Guild of UK! )

Heritage Bay Club in GayaTravel

The latest issue of GayaTravel features Heritage Bay Club.

Heritage Bay Club, is a marina club and resort. Just newly opened in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. We had supplied the decorative frame of the wood carving and songket fabric for their suite.

Year 2008 is visit Terengganu Year. Terengganu is famous for its Museum which is the largest in Malaysia, and their traditional boat builders, Emerald Islands, elegance Songket fabric, Batik, intricate skills of woodcarving, and many many more. If you are interested in know more about Terengganu please visit the Tourism of Terengganu.

Scrapbooking with Frame for our Client

A japanese client wanted to do a cute frame for her 5 years old daughter's birthday, and she needs two separate frames, one for her home in Penang and anohter to bring back to her parents home in Japan.

Took a few of her daughters in her ballerina dress .. ha happy girl .. posing for the photo.
Just completed the scrapbooking just now and will be doing the frame for her. Will update here once the framing is completed.

Restaurant Project

Nagore Road, the place that we are located now is full of restaurants. Near to us, you also see another food paradise, The New World Park, Penang.

We had 2 framing orders from neighbouring restaurants last week. The first one is Thai food restaurant and another one is western food restaurant.

The Chili Corner Thai food restaurant owner passed me some plastic chili to be framed. He tend to hang the frame in front of the counter. He asked my help to design the artwork in order to make the red chili look spicy and hot!! (It think probably he means outstanding!) Ching designed the artwork as he loved it very much.

And I just get a few done just now.

Ching's broken watch!

Ching had accidently broken her Adidas sport watch which I gave her as a gift for her birthday few years ago. She like the watch very much and she was disapponted that she cant wear it for aerobic class again.

Since the belt couldnt be replaced, we decided to frame it up ( we also feel that the watch has the sentimental's value for both of us ). So, she designed the background artwork and I had just get it framed just now.

Tomorrow, I will hang it in my gallery and show my customers even the broken stuff can be framed!!

Father Day Gift

Last week I did a frame for my customer. It is her father's 50 years old ping pong racket, the racket mean so much to her father and she decided to frame it and want to give him a surprise on the Father Day.

I use a hand finished wooden frame and intended to find some antique looked matting but found none from our supplier. So, Ching had to do the artworks design for the frame background. Since we can't found the old look colour and texture style matting here, so we had to design an `artificial faded colour' finishing to replace the antique look's texture matboard. We inserted some wording (greeting and some history) as well so that someone will appreciate when they look at the frame.

PPFA Certified Picture Framer Exam

I always want to be able to speak and understand well English language. But I still facing difficulties to understand it whenever I read an English Book or watching a Hollywood movie.

This time I have no choice. Because of the CPF exam, I bought my 2nd English dictionary two weeks ago. ( I bought my first one during my schooling day, the Indian English teacher `forced’ us to do so! And now I regret I didn’t listen to him and fully utilize the dictionary as much as possible. ).

So now and again, I can’t understand so many words in these reference books recommended by PPFA, there are so many terms and wording that confusing me. I need to browse the dictionary more than 10 times just only doing one page of reading! How I am going to finish so many books within 11 days after spending so much time on `reading’ dictionary!!!

Now, there are only few days left before I fly to Australia for my test. You know what?! I am still browsing my brand new dictionary more than the books every night!!! I feel worry that I might catch by the tricky questions because of my poor understanding…..

What happened to Malaysia artist and gallery?

I am a frame maker and I love to tour around the art gallery whenever I see one , or there is an exhibition going on, I think I will be one of the uninvited guest to visit.

It is quite common as a qualify framer, I expected to see some good framing for original painting, especially the expensive one, but what a let down. The majority of the frames are not properly done and preserve. Some were badly fitting with the width of the "gap" of the internal frame varying on each side. On the water colours where mat board was used, I found that most of matting are over cuts and hooked corners. All the mat are not acid free as well!

I dared to question some of the gallerists about these faults and got some interesting (and funny!) replies.....

1) aiya...the buyer is only interested in the art, they can change the framing if they like!
2) as an artist, the frame are secondary.
3) aiyo.....framing is so expensive la.. we have so many artworks to be framed, you know??.
4) Yes I can see the frame is damaged....we are rushing for the show... a last minute work, this kind of workmanship considered OK laa.....
5) proper framing....who care? Nobody will know!

These pictures had price tags from RM 2,000 to RM20,000 - many over RM10,000. I found it very disappointing to see such expensive original art so sloppily framed.
Are the artists or the galleries choosing the wrong framers?
Are the framers failing to sell their skills ?
Can't find any trained or experinced framers in their area?
Or the artist never feel their own work is worth for good framing?
Gallery curator who doesnt care??

Oh,...what happened to you guys???

Tibet and the Beijing Olympics 2008

Tibet and Beijing Olympic seems become another hot issue recently.Some western countries have create tension by using the human right issue towards the hitorical sport event's organizer. Sometime I am wondering why Dalai want to raise the independant's matter during this time? Isnt that he is a monk! Why involved in politics? And why those countries tend to boycott the Beijing Olympics because of it's China's interior matter? What is the motive behind?...I think this is not good to manipulate the human right issue and fail the sporting event! Go and fight China and dont disturb the Olympics!!
Anyhow, This issue is a bit complicated for an ordinary man, like me. So, I better keep my mouth shut!

When the Tibet issue become the topic for the whole world, it just happened that I have so many Tibet's Thanka painting to be frame recently. Even the walk in customer offered much higher price to buy from my another customer's thanka painting (which is framed in my gallery). Suddenly, Thanka painting becomes a popular painting! ( I dont know if Christie's has noticed that!) Previously nobody want it here because those painting are more on religious, the monk has blessed and prayed on the painting. So, only buddist like me will keep it. But now, it is selling like hot cake! I had framed about 10 pieces of thanka painting in the last 2 weeks. I think I want to sell the one that I hang in my room. I will use that money to buy a PDA!