I gained a new appreciation for frame-making throughout the process of making my own. Donnie walked me through every step, from selecting the planks that would make up each side of the frame to running them through the planar and finally the cutting and assembling of each frame. Each frame was unique, with its own history and character.

My favorite set was made from mushroom cypress. Donnie explained these planks originally came from mushroom growers, who use the soft substrates of woods like cypress and cedar in their cultivation. The resulting wood is a beautiful dark brown, gnarled and twisted from the growing fungi. The wood itself is very soft, and needed a delicate touch to make frames with.