What We're Framing Now: Jay

Who better to showcase the magic of perfectly framing that special piece than our founder and CEO, Jay? In this installment of What We’re Framing Now, Jay digs back to his childhood to frame a piece that shows full circle how Artists Frame Service has been in his DNA from the beginning.

What piece did you frame?

A diaper pin from when I was a baby. I’ve had it in a drawer somewhere and didn’t think about it for probably 50 years. One day I opened the drawer and it was like stepping back into a time machine to when I was a year old.

My guess is that everyone has their version of my drawer somewhere and that opening it takes you back to another place and time. I’ve always believed custom framing is a beautiful way to tap back into those special moments in life.

Why is it meaningful to you?

I didn’t get the pin until after my mother was gone and it was special to see that she had saved it all those years. And the fact that it’s yellow made me pause and consider my own “rosebud” Citizen Kane moment. From this pin to the first Schwinn bike I bought in 1971, yellow has been a color that I’m drawn to. It isn’t a coincidence that it plays such a prominent part in Artists Frame Service to this day.

Why did you choose the framing combination you did?

The yellow draws it out and I love how it’s set back in the shadowbox. We’re not into boring framing combinations around here.

What's your favorite part about how it turned out?

It’s just a happy duck. It feels happy. It feels simple. Plus, how many things can you look at that you can remember when you were a year old?

Where will you display it?

In my office at Artists Frame Service. From that original yellow pin to today celebrating our 45th year in business…it’s a full circle moment.

What’s in your memory drawer? Come see us in Lincoln Park, Highland Park or River North to frame and celebrate life’s most special moments.