CONGRATULATIONS to BEN MORRISON

of Relics Framemakers & Gallery; Salt Lake City, UT

This sweet little goldfinch painting flew in for framing with one of Ben’s long time customers - the kind who genuinely gets excited by good framing and has an unwavering trust in Ben’s taste and design instincts. The painting, study of The Goldfinch by Carel Fabritius (1622-54) was done as a gift for the future father-in-law by the future son-in-law. I’d say he’s a keeper.

The original trompe l’oeil painting from 1654 is considered the second most beloved painting in history by any dutch master after Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. The artist Fabritius is even believed to have been an influence on Vermeer. This particular painting is very mysterious in that the brush style is quite free for the time, almost a harbinger of the impressionists and modernists to come. The chained bird is a symbol of captive love which is the perfect subject matter for a wedding gift.

Read more on the art history of the original painting here.

Maybe the original would have been framed in a traditional dutch black rippled frame, but Ben and his customer quickly landed on a much more contemporary floater from the Stanley collection. The hand-painted rust effects, painterly texture and subtle blues, grays and warm browns look custom-made for this piece.

Ben has framed with the Bella Stanley multiple times in all its varieties of colors and profiles. He says that many times when he puts a Stanley corner sample on the artwork, it’s all over. Once the customer sees it, there is no going back and no other option looks as perfect. It’s a unique and specific look not easily substituted.

This is actually Ben’s second Creations Contest win. His design for twin canvases showing the softer, subtler side of Prisma took the prize in the Summer of 2015.

Congratulations to Ben on the summer Bella Creations Contest win! Ben’s little birdie has earned him the second entry in our grand prize contest for a free trip to WCAF Vegas in January 2020! The fall Creations Contest will be here before you know it, so be sure to snap a good picture of your latest and greatest framing projects incorporating a Bella or Prisma frame.

Heads Up for Fans of the Stanley Collection: Bella is adding new styles to this collection for Summer coming your way very very soon!