Back in the 19th century …

This is how “drawings” were framed.  Mummy had this pencil drawing of us done by Alison Elliott last Summer at a charity event.

She thought it needed a strong presence if it was to be hung in our gallery amongst the oils, charcoal sketches and photography.One day while walking along Kensington Church Street she came across a frame shop stacked with hundreds of antique gilded frames. Hmmm, she thought. This might be the answer to giving the pencil sketch a presence.

She met Charles Daggatt of Daggatt Gallery and showed him the drawing.  And he knew immediately what would work. From his very large collection, he picked out a mid 19th century French gilded “drawings” frame.  It was the perfect size.  He suggested a handmade and decorated mount …Whilst there, we tried out how we would look framed – That works if we had a life-size portrait of me done.

George preferred a less formal pose. Weeks and weeks later, because we found the frame leading up to Christmas and the mount was delicately hand-made and painted. We’re very pleased!  Something different from the rest of our growing gallery.Now we just have to find a place for it on the wall.  We might have to remove Mummy’s framed photography at the far end – to hang our portraits.

Mummy also considered hanging it amongst the collection of gilded mirrors. That could work.  Could be quite interesting to break up the monotony of mirrors.

For now, it will sit on the window sill with other art pieces waiting for their place on our gallery wall.

May’s comment:  We need to re-arrange the gallery!  We need more space! Maybe we need a new wall! Maybe we’ll have to move! :). The things we do for our dogs!

Brilliant frame store if you’re looking for antique gilded frames – Daggatt Gallery on 225 Kensington Church Street, London W8 7LK.

Alison Elliott does amazing animal portraits. Maybe someday we will have her paint life-size portraits of Darcy and George!

“Alison won the Curwen Gallery Prize for Figurative Painting in 2014. She studied at Winchester School of Art and Newcastle Polytechnic. She takes her lead from the Old Masters, painting in a classical style and using traditional techniques in oils.

She paints animals in almost photographic detail, with a recent focus on dogs and horses. It was this exceptional level of detail which drew judges Sir Peter Blake RA, Anthony Green RA and Nicholas Usherwood, to her work in the initial stages of the competition.

Whether painting her subjects in life-size or in miniature she manages to perfectly capture something of their essence and character. This unique ability has made her a popular choice for animal portraiture commissions, particularly with dog and race horse owners.” – Curwen Gallery