Frames make it all look so great....

Who knows why these gold frames came to be called "Hudson [River] Valley frames & most plein-air I have seen is showcased this way? Maybe it is because this kind of gold "halo" makes a painting look so much better than the artist thinks it is. I do. I am trying to finish and make all the notes I can from the 2 Gruppe brushwork books I am into so I can complete the remaining 8 "Marshfield" collection of paintings I did [see below please] using teh lessons learned from this masters books. Now if I could just find his book on "Color" - expensive on line. Then I move on to a few days next week in near-by Santa Barbara. Photos and canvas all will be posted here - and thank you again for your comments & input. B