More framing today, but seemingly slower, the process can take far longer than hoped. The panels for Masters of the Sky and the Bird Orbiting a Black Hole needed trimming to fit the new frames (both paintings will show at least 10mm more than in the older frames).
I also varnished and stained the new red frame for Gynocratic Paedoparanoia. I first made up a colour-matched wood filler for the frame. Wood filler is any filling powder (sawdust, chalk, in my case pigment) and any binder (wood glue, any varnish or resin, a solvent based resin, drying oil, shellac, etc.) I made a dark filler from brown pigment and red acrylic paint, which matched well.
The stain though was tricky. These solvent based stains have such a powerful solvent that they tend to re-melt and affect prior layers. The old solvent-based Ronseal Colron was brilliant, but is no longer available and their water-based dye is very poor. My new Morrells stain is a good colour, but the solvent seems to be a bit more powerful and seems to lift previous layers more easily; this might be my imagination though, as I rarely made many multi-layer stained frames, and certianly not in years.
The new frame looks pretty enough but the homogeneity is more haphazard than I'd like, I wanted a more smooth and even finish but in the end must settle for some variation. One plus side is that I can add and remove layers ad-infinitum.
For each frame I print and stick two labels, cut glass, spacer, backing board and this, plus the decoration of the red frame and gluing of the other two, has most of the day. In the remaining couple of hours, I've re-read and re-written the computer book and have ordered a proof print copy.
My next job is the Salome music. After I've written and prepared for this, I can start painting. I'm have a few good ideas.
