Watt a framing hero

WHAT A FRAMING HERO!

Alan Watt was one of the first framers to achieve Commended status with the Fine Art Trade Guild and so it was no surprise to discover that he has an absolute wealth of expertise and knowledge and is passionate about his craft, billing the Belvidere Gallery’s offer as ‘Traditional Craftsmanship in Picture Framing combined with Cutting Edge Technology’.

Alan opened Belvidere Gallery in Aberdeen in 1992, achieving GCF status the following year. Living and working so far north can sometimes be a challenge in terms of travelling south but this year Alan made the trip to Stratford to attend his first Guild weekend. And he loved it! “Attending workshops on specialist topics such as needlecraft and coins as well as talking to other framers and swopping notes were some of the highlights,” he says.

Hobby

“It’s a bonus when one’s passion, photography, can be combined with work,” Alan explains, “and the resulting framed images of sunrises shot along the stunning Aberdeenshire coastline, for example, have become favourite leaving gifts for American oil personnel returning to Houston. ‘Just look where I used to work’ said one!”

Thinking big

The trend that is particularly good news for Alan currently is the increase in big commissions. “Since lockdown, there has been a significant demand for big art in big frames. Oils, photography and prints, in particular,” he told 4walls, and we were thrilled to hear that Alan’s preferred mouldings for these large pieces include Coastal Woods and Normandy.

Specifically: 497000167, 241000137, 905005 and 905105. A somewhat unusual contract with a very specific brief that Alan relished recently was the opportunity to be involved in the major multimillion-pound renovation of the Aberdeen Art Gallery.

The gallery has a unique portrait collection initiated by Alexander MacDonald (1831 — 1884), a local granite merchant and collector of fine art, who commissioned over 90 uniformly sized portrait heads - 40 of which were chosen to be displayed. A space had been allocated in the gallery with precise instructions on size, presentation and type of materials to be used. Initially the specification stated 6mm laminated glass be used as a safety measure but after promoting the lighter and more versatile 3mm Tru Vue Optium Museum Acrylic with a 99% UV barrier, Alan’s recommendation was accepted as an improved option.

Although the 40 paintings were of uniform proportions, the ancient stretcher frames were not - resulting in the choice of moulding 243 494 000, which has a deep rebate although not enough to accommodate the artwork. Alan then added a 12 x 15mm fillet painted in a matching rich brown colour creating an interesting 3D effect and enhancing the final presentation.

497 000 167

Stunningly silky

Kanita Sim is one of Alan’s favourite local artists and the piece photographed looks absolutely stunning, framed in 241 000 137.

Born in Thailand, Kanita grew up surrounded by the vibrant colours of the gorgeous Thai silks which were produced in her parents’ factory in Bangkok. Coming to Scotland initially to study English, Kanita found her way to Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen, where she studied textile design.

Kanita’s love of colour and her knowledge of fabric design can be seen in her pleasing compositions and the subtle, often imaginative, colourings of her paintings, to which she has now turned full time. Kanita’s paintings also demonstrate a diversity in styles, which she attributes to the two major influences in her life – her Eastern heritage and her adopted Scottishness.Sustainability

Sustainability is very much on Alan’s radar these days and he tries to recycle and re-use as much packaging as he can.

When commissions arrive in old frames, if they are in good condition, he will donate them to charity shops to sell on, or to local artists starting out to showcase their work when they can’t afford custom framing.

Alan also supports Aberdeen Children’s Hospital by donating mountboard offcuts so that poorly children have a stiffer material to draw on while convalescing. Local schools and community centres are also recipients of materials.

Buying chop ticks the sustainability box for Alan too – and he will go with this option for the premium lines that he buys in lower volumes, although he remains a fan of length for his most popular mouldings.

Shout-out for Lisa

Alan speaks very highly of his Larson-Juhl area sales manager, Lisa Frazer Orrick. “I really appreciate Lisa’s regular visits. It’s always good to receive samples of new products and be kept in the picture on what’s going on generally. Now that trade shows are such a rarity, our meetings are all the more important,” he adds.

You can find out more about Alan’s business at belvideregallery.com 25