(Wikipedia) The Arts and Crafts Movement was an international design movement that originated in England and flourished between 1880 and 1910, continuing its influence up to the 1930s. Instigated by the artist and writer William Morris (1834–1896) in the 1860s and inspired by the writings of John Ruskin (1819–1900), it had its earliest and fullest development in the British Isles but spread to Europe and North America as a reaction against the impoverished state of the decorative arts and the conditions under which they were produced.


Above: A William Morris chair.

The movement advocated truth to materials and traditional craftsmanship using simple forms and often medieval, romantic or folk styles of decoration. It also proposed economic and social reform and has been seen as essentially anti-industrial.

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The art I am doing that is being framed by my friend and co- joint venture partner, Tom Wolfel, is aimed at a specific market in the Columbus, Ohio neighborhood of Clintonville. That area is the location of literally thousands of Craftsman-style homes, erected from the late 19th Century until the 1930s. Some of the houses are original Sears homes, purchased from catalogs and shipped to the site where the homebuilder could erect them. They are magnificent, even though many are small bungalows. The interiors are rich with hardwood mouldings, wainscote, floors and window and doorway trim.


Above: A 1910 Craftsman house

The open wall spaces in Craftsman style homes from the Arts & Crafts period are small and in some cases tiny. Due to the abundance of wood trim and moulding, space for large paintings is rare. This is one reason I have reduced my target sizes. I also am doing narrow canvases, either horizontal or vertical - what we call 'chimney style.'


(A typical interior of a Craftsman style home.)

The prospective buyers and collectors in the Clintonville area range from young working couples to elderly residents , and the percentage of them who have absolutely no 'modern' furniture or household items in these homes is huge. I have visited a few of them and marveled at the lack of large-screen televisions in the rooms! In fact, I usually only see a TV or other electronic equipment in bedrooms or kitchens! Antique collecting is hot there, and they buy art.


(Another typical Clintonville house. This is a Sears home. These are literally collector's items themselves! Huge prices!)


The interiors are rich wood colors, and the furniture is, too. There are two distinct styles: Mission and Craftsman, and in some cases a blend or mix of the two.


This is a Stickley chair. You can still find an original (at Euroclassics - where my art hangs), or a very good knock-off here and there. The originals go for thousands. A good copy costs about $750-850.


Inside or outside, the trim reflects the style.



Right down to the hardware that holds the toilet paper...



The art in these homes is framed in period style.



My partner, Tom, designs and makes frames like this one...


and this one...

(One of my paintings!)

To sum this up, I thought it would be a good idea to explain my reasons for incorporating some Arts & Crafts frames into my art.

Also, on the west coast, particularly in older communities such as Berkeley and Pasadena, the Arts & Crafts styles are always hot due to the extraordinary number of period homes there.