By appling a wash without a shellac sealer, you can create a great Spanish patina that shows beautiful lay lines and the subdued look of gold that is
centuries old.

Back in my early days in New York City, I was very lucky to be working with master frame maker Henry Rothman.  His friends at the time were some of the last remaining artists from the WPA (Works Progress Administration) period in New York, from the mid 1930s to the mind 1940s.  The artists who participated in the WPA ranged from the figurative and academic all the way to abstract expressionists to surrealists.  Almost every other school of painting, sculpture, and the graphic arts, including prints and posters, were included.  And that included framemakers.  These artists were paid by the government to paint in public projects all over the county, helping to bring the U.S. out of the Great Depression.  I was in my early twenties, and they were in their late seventies.  As a framemaker and artist, I couldn’t have gotten a better education anywhere in the world.
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