When you bring us your art to frame, we always draw inspiration from what you bring us. That is as true for a small canvas as it is for a large oil painting, and it is as true for a piece of ephemera as it is for a signed limited edition print.
This small canvas by Bay Area artist Anthony Saine is a good example of what we mean. The painting is compact, colorful and full and it needed a frame that just matched it’s personality
The frame design: picking up the color
We chose a lacquer frame with ornamentation that picks up the pink in the painting directly. The lacquer finish gives it a sheen and a boldness that a matte frame would not have delivered, and the ornamentation adds just enough detail to give the piece a playfulness.
This is what we mean when we say the frame design starts with the art. The color, the scale, the mood of the painting, all of that informed every decision. A different painting gets a different frame. At Underglass we don’t have a strict formula for this.
Not everything has to be large to be framed
One of the most common things we hear from clients is that they have a small piece they love but are not sure it is worth framing. It always is.
Small pieces can be some of the most personal and meaningful things in a home. A postcard, a sketch, a photograph, a found object, a page torn from a book. The right frame gives a small piece weight and intentionality. It tells anyone who looks at it that this is something that matters.
Fine art, found art and ephemera
We frame all of it at Underglass. Fine art prints, original paintings, photographs, posters, concert tickets, menus, maps, letters, fabric swatches, pressed flowers, vintage labels – if it means something to you and you want it on your wall, we know how to frame and protect it properly.
The approach is always the same: We look at what you bring in, we talk about where it is going to live and how you want it to feel, and we work with you to find the framing it deserves.
Come in and show us what you have
We are a small frame shop in the heart of the Castro and we have been doing this for over 40 years. Whatever you bring in, big, small, precious or peculiar – we would love to see it.
📍 Visit our Castro frame shop 📞 Call us 📧 Email us your artwork 💻 Request a quote on our website