this is a new entry

I think that it is hilarious how many diverse bands we get tossing us add requests on myspace.  I shall go down the list for you:  Lee Blaske who does classical piano pieces about vampires (not bad!), Marie who is a random jazz singer, a rock/hip-hop/indie group called FOUR19, Chris Watson Band who is apparently a southern rock band, Drew Davis Band which are country artists, Robin Overall who does a prog rock gig out of LA, F.N. Wright are two dudes who do REALLY bad They Might Be Giants covers, an electrotrance group called Aier Sauft, probably the most retarded of all retarded rappers 5-6 Familia, some wannabe anrgywhiteguyrock band called Synged, and that’s just the first page.  not a SINGLE thing that is anything like anything else at all.  You will never see these people do a show together.  I think that’s really funny because we sound nothing like any of them either.  We just pick the ones we like.  We’re picky that way.  By the way we posted a very very recent version of the song Covenant on our Myspace page http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=3753876   It kicks giant radioactive lizard ass.

I love cutting wood frames.  it’s a skill that you develop more as you do it.  you find tricks of doing things certain ways to make even unfavorable conditions turn out quality frames.  Most people don’t realize what kind of work actually goes into MAKING a wood frame.  They come in and ask us the most hilarious question: "How much is a frame?"  Oh I’d say almost always between $50 and $500.  Sometimes more sometimes less.  I never say that but it’s true.  It all depends on a million variables that we try to specify by asking quesitons like "What size would you like?  What moulding?  Will you want us to build it for you?  Glass?  Mat?  Backing?"  The list goes on and on.  And putting a frame together properly also takes time.  They always say "well can’t you build it while I wait?"  Sure!  Have a seat and I’ll have this out for you in about an hour.  That is if there isn’t something else that I’m already working on and if I have room on the table to put 2 more vices on it.  People I can’t magically pull frames out of my ass.  What I CAN do is do a professional job that’s not going to ruin your artwork.  But don’t get me wrong!  I love my work, and most of the people who come in are a blast to work with.

Take Mr. Fabulous.  None of us remember his name but he was the most flamboyant person we’ve met in a loooong long time.  Everything he saw was "fabulous."  He was getting this hideous bright red graffiti art face framed for his loft or something and he chose the hugest gaudiest gold frame that he could find.  The frame itself was like $30/foot and the piece was like 30X40 or so, meaning that when you do all the math and geometry it takes almost 20 feet of frame to build it.  Then the frame was so wide and so high it wouldn’t even fit on our double mitre saw so we had to hand cut each leg on a larger saw (which still didn’t cut all the way through so we had to use a hand saw on the rest.  You have to be very very careful when you do this, because being off of a true 45° by even a fraction of a degree and the corner doesn’t join right and you have a ruined $600 frame (before adding shipping and labor charges).  Also you have to have a very sharp blade or it may chip the compo or tear up the gold leaf.  So my dad and I worked on this together checking everything carefully with protractors and we got the frame cut, then it took the both of us and the super giant vice to line each corner up and then put the wood glue on it and muscle it into the vice.  then we had to touch it up and fill in any tiny cracks with gold putty to hiiide them.  This whole thing took like 2 weeks to do.  Then when Mr. Fabulous came to pick it up he brought a moving van (which is nice because sometimes people bring a tiny toyota corolla to try and pick up a giant oversized abomination that will never fit) and he also brought a lady (I think) that was more manly than he was to help him move it.  He was so excited he kept skipping around like Pee Wee Herman and saying "Oh it’s sooo fabulous!  This is going to look so great!  Isn’t it just fabulous?"  and when it came time to pay, he pulls out this huge wad of cash and when he sees us looking at him curiously he’s like "I SWEAR I’m not a lap dancer!  I’m a hairdresser and I always get paid in cash.  I’m not a lap dancer!"  We shall never forget him.  I hope his art looks fabulous.

I Like to think of things in D&D terms.  I’d have to say that I am a mid level bard.  but I’m also dual-classing as a professional specializing in picture framing.  Since I’ve started working at Balcones, I’ve leveled up in framing a whole lot.  I routinely succeed on my craft frame checks and I even produce masterwork frames like I did for Mr. Fabulous.  I’ve even got the skill focus feat in craft (wood frames) giving me +2 to all framing checks.  Framecraft allows me to identify frames on other artwork just by looking at it, and I’ve got a few ranks in that.  I think visual design is another skill I’d have too because I’m getting so good at that I can start picking the right frame for a piece without even seeing them together.  I rock.  Anyway.  I should go to bed.