Artistic souvenirs and fantastic framing

Some time when I was younger I picked up an excellent habit of buying locally produced artworks and prints whenever I travelled. An unframed piece of artwork is easily protected with a plastic slip or manila folder and is light and easy to transport. This makes art a fantastic and unique souvenir and at this point in my life my collection has become quite large.

Unfortunately this has always left me with the problem of what to do about framing. Framing is frequently expensive and difficult to organise. Some items I had framed myself with varying results. Recently however I have discovered a fantastic local framer and so I shall be framing the rest of my collection over time. Good work deserves recognition so here's a hat tip to Song at Paddy Art Corner.

Web: Paddyartcorner.com
Phone: 0414 881 283
Email: Linxrsong@gmail.com
Address: Paddy's Market Stall 20-22, Haymarket Sydney
Map and directions: Google Places

These two pieces I bought in Kyoto and are full colour and gold/silver leaf woodblock reproductions (not prints but actual block presses) of two ukiyo-e pieces that I love. To be able to frame and hang both pieces in excellent condition for $80 is amazing.



Here you can see the quality of the framing, the staples are hefty and well balanced and the frame is sealed well with hefty quality framing tape. Both were chosen for custom size and matting with no additional cost.



Onna yu (Bathhouse Women), Torii Kiyonaga (1752–1815) framed in wood with custom matting for $35 ~A4 size

Ukiyo-e were commonly drawn of salacious activities in the pleasure quarter. Here we see a number of yuna, who were employed by the bathhouses to scrub the backs of patrons but were frequently engaged in "happy ending" affairs similar to certain types of massage parlour today.




Genji Monogatari: Yadorigi (The Tale of Genji: Ivy [Chapter 49]), Masao Ebina (1913 - 1980) framed in wood with custom matting for $45 ~A3 size

Genji Monogatari is the ubiquitous court novel of mediaeval Japan, akin to the Arthurian legends and as much adapted. Ebina completed an illustration for each chapter of the saga, the full set can be seen online. This reproduction is beautiful including all the textures and embossing of the original.