Bryan (and Allyson) Smith Frames is a two-person shop, located in the mountains west of Fort Collins, Colorado.
Ours is the epitome of a small family business. In fact, it much more resembles an 18th- century artisan shop than a modern business, and we intend to keep it that way. Because we love the craft of frame-making and collaborating with artists, we have no interest in managing a larger business. This means that when you receive a frame from us it is built, carved, and finished by Allyson and Bryan (although sometimes we are able to enlist our kids to sand and polish). Our frames have a signature look because each frame is always crafted by the same 4 hands.
We would love to work with you to choose frames or develop a signature look for your art that will set it apart. Please contact us through email. Because we work long hours in the shop we apologize if we are not quick on the draw in responding (and will never be offended if you try contacting us twice).
Bryan has 25 years of experience building and finishing the highest quality picture frames. His work surrounds paintings by French greats such as Jacques-Louis David and famous Americans like Thomas Moran, as well as numerous other masters -– both historic and contemporary. Originally, Bryan learned the art of framing, gilding, and fine finishing during a decade-long tenure at Krieger-Ricks Framemakers. Most of his time there was spent as the lead finisher and art director, where he finished frames for elite galleries, individual collectors, and painters throughout the country, including many of the frames, mirrors, and furniture. Bryan left Krieger-Ricks in 2003 to pursue a Ph.D. in history at the University of Notre Dame, where he continued to build frames for local clients, including Notre Dame’s Snite Museum of Art. He spends his mornings teaching humanities at Loveland Classical Schools in Colorado.
Allyson has been working with her hands her entire life – crafting wood, cloth, clay, and various other materials. Over the last decade, she has added picture framing to her list of skills. In fact, Allyson does most of the frame building and hand-carving; she is the one who keeps the wheels on the road around this shop. As Tom Waits once said of his wife and business partner, Bryan says of Allyson: “She’s a shiksa goddess and a trapeze artist, all of that. She can fix the truck…she’s outta this world…she’s bold, inventive and fearless. That’s who you wanna go in the woods with, right? Somebody who finishes your sentences for you.”
Like most working artists we know, we spend nearly all our time with tangible materials in our hands, not on our website. Thus, this website offers only a small glimpse into the work we do (and never seems quite up to date). If you like something you see here, let us know and we can make it for you. If you like a frame style but want a different finish on it, we can do that. If you want something that you don’t see here – a style, a finish, a concept imagined – let us know and we will see what we can do to accomplish your vision.
For more information please contact us at:
