Up until around 100 years ago, cypress trees were logged in bulk then floated downstream on a river. However, around 10% of the logs sunk to the bottom and stayed there for a century or longer! Cypress wood has an oil which resists water rot, so when the trees were discovered and eventually raised they contained a unique pattern, and like other former underwater logs, were called sinker cypress! The sinker cypress boards used for these frames has an appearance akin to driftwood, mirroring the lighter shade of red cypress with some of the characteristics of a worn board which has survived the rigors of water.
The reason for my interest in Cypress trees is Vincent Van Gogh’s fixation on them in his paintings. The wood is about as light as pine but has a delicacy to it. The color is a tan with rich browns and yellows across it. The commercial names for cypress often offer hints as to the tree’s origin. Red cypress, in addition to having a red undertone, usually denotes a coastal origin and yellow cypress an inland one.This is a handmade, made-to-order Cypress frame. The condition is "New" even though it is made in a simple fashion like older farm house-style frames. The appearance is subjective, of course, but this isn't manufactured to look a certain way, it actually is as it appears.
The width of each board varies based on the optional outer border or not.
- The face grain measures 1.75 inches wide, showcasing the beauty of the wood.
- If the outer border is selected the width of each side will be around 3 inches. The outer border will display the edge grain of the board.
The standard offset (called the “rabbet” in industry) of the frame for the image will be .25 inches. This means if the image is 16 x 20 inches, 15.5 x 19.5 inches will be visible from the front. The standard depth in the frame will be .5 inches. I can easily make the offset and depth dimensions different at no extra cost, but you will need to specify in a note.
The frame comes with hanging hardware on either the horizontal or vertical orientation.
If you are ordering a glass option, the backing board is included by default. However, any Lowes, Home Depot or hardware store will sell glass at a comparable or lower price than what I have listed. I will happily sell a backing board by itself and ship with the frame and have included that as an option.
Standard frame sizes I offer for this and all wood types (or should unless I forgot..!) include 3.5x5, 4x6, 5x7, 6x8, 8x10, 8x12, 9x12, 10x12, 11x14, 12x16, 11x17, 12x18, 16x20, 18x24, 20x24, 20x28, 22x28, 20x30, and 24x36. All dimensions are in inches.
As a note, I will happily make custom frame sizes to fit your application for a comparable price to a standard size in various wood types, including barn wood, oak, poplar, sassafras, cherry, maple and cedar. Glass sizes that aren't standard can also be made, but will cost more, unfortunately.
Any of the images which aren't obviously Van Gogh or Monet are likely one of my own paintings used as a prop in the listing picture. I offer prints for all of the images which I own the rights to. If you cannot find the listing for the image you'd like, please message me and I will find it!
After much meditation, I've come up with an answer as to why a person should consider buying from me instead of a larger frame shop or big box store.
1. Legitimate wood. The barn wood was ripped off some farmer's former structure (sometimes you can still smell the cow manure). The lobster traps caught someone's dinner before being retired and sent to me in the Midwest.
2. American-made. Yes, I make it in my garage, but my garage is in America.
3. I'm an individual. If you want to have a custom frame or to celebrate someone (or yell at them?), I'm your guy.
4. To wax poetic, every frame's wood grain is unique. The beauty of the boards is there in the materials purchased to make your frames.
5. My wife is the unofficial Quality Dept. She does not let ANYTHING slip by.
6. I want to buy a place in Key West, so buy buy buy! Maybe that's more a reason for me, but I'm being honest :)