Over the years
I started out working for the fine art services company Momart. This is me and Charley loading one of the delivery vans in the 1980's. I worked mainly in their picture framing department but would occationaly be let out to do deliveries round the west end and as a special treat the odd international art fair. I went on to run the framing department for a brief time before becoming a freelance framer specialising in restoration.
One of the longest collaborations I've enjoyed over the years is with the ever lovely and immensely talented Sir Peter Blake. I've known Sir Peter all my life as my father was graphic design and typogrpher on Sargent Peppers lonley hearts club band by The Beatles. [Sorry to bring that one up Pete!] I say collaboration but Sir Peter tell's me what to do and I try my best to accomidate.
I started doing framing for Sir Peter at Momart and have done ever since, along with all manner of other project's from giving Grommet a quiff to sorcing a garden shed to house the secret collection of an imagined fanatical Elvis fan!
Another long time client of mine was Sir Howard Hodgkin, another absolute master of his craft. I use to spend days consolidating and conserving antique frames only for him to paint on them but it was always an honour.
Mostly the work I did was on his amazing collection of 18th century antiquities. He had an eye for things that was realy very impressive. He once summoned me to look at a small table he'd bought, all inlayed with mother of pearl and abalone shell. I told him it was absolutley beautiful and would be a joy to work on. He said "look again, the top is 100 years older than the base". As ever he was right but it was only noticeable once he had pointed it out.