For more than four decades, Sherwoods Gallery has been the trusted destination for serious art collectors in Houston's Briargrove neighborhood. What sets us apart isn't just the calibre of original fine art on our walls — it's that every piece we sell, and every piece our clients bring to us, can be framed with the same level of care and craftsmanship right here under one roof.

Our Picture Framing Department was established in 1981, the same year Sherwoods Gallery first opened its doors. The roots of our framing practice, however, run even deeper. Sherwood P. McCall III has worked in the world of fine art and picture framing since 1967 — more than fifty years of hands-on experience selecting moldings, conserving surfaces, mounting watercolors, restoring antique frames, and protecting one-of-a-kind paintings from the wear of time.

In 1981, Sherwood and his wife Connie McCall co-authored The Art of Picture Framing, published by Bobbs-Merrill Co., Inc. in Indianapolis and New York City. That book remains a reference in the trade today and is a testament to the depth of knowledge that informs every piece of work that leaves our shop.

Why custom framing matters

A treasured painting is a one-of-a-kind object. So is the frame that surrounds it. The choice of molding, mat board, glazing, and mounting technique should be made to preserve and celebrate the specific artwork — not pulled from a row of pre-cut sizes on a discount-store shelf.

Big-box retailers serve a useful purpose for everyday prints and posters. But the materials and methods used in those operations are not designed for original oil paintings, watercolors that may be a century old, important photographs, family heirlooms, military medals and shadow boxes, or fine-art prints intended to be held in a collection for generations. Acidic mats, low-grade backing boards, ordinary glass, and pressure-mount adhesives can — and do — cause permanent damage over years of exposure.

At Sherwoods, we frame the way museums frame.

What “archival” really means

Every job that leaves our shop uses acid-free, lignin-free 100% rag and conservation-grade matting so that nothing in contact with your artwork can chemically degrade it over time. We use archival hinging tapes and corner mounts — never pressure-sensitive adhesives — so the work can be removed from its frame later without damage. We offer UV-filtering glass and acrylic glazing to block the wavelengths of light most responsible for fading pigments, watercolors, and photographic prints.

For valuable or vintage work, we offer conservation-grade backing boards, sealed-package framing to keep dust and humidity at bay, and shadow-box and floater-frame construction for three-dimensional and unconventional pieces. Where appropriate we use spacer bars to keep glass from touching pastel, gouache, or photographic surfaces.

The consultation

Custom framing is a conversation. When you bring a piece into the gallery, we sit with you and the artwork itself. We look at:

• the medium, age, and condition of the piece,
• where it will live in your home or office (lighting, humidity, sight lines),
• the visual context — surrounding art, wall color, period,
• and the budget you've set.

Then we pull samples of moldings, mats, and glass and lay them physically against the work. Hardwood, metal, ornate gilt, simple modern profiles — we'll show you the options in front of the painting so the decision is informed, not theoretical. This is the part of our craft that no algorithm or online configurator can replicate.

Services we offer

• Archival picture framing for original paintings, watercolors, pastels, and prints
• Conservation framing for vintage, fragile, or valuable works
• Custom shadow boxes for medals, sports memorabilia, christening gowns, instruments, and three-dimensional keepsakes
• Mat cutting in single, double, and multiple-window configurations, including hand-decorated French mats
• Antique frame restoration — re-gilding, repair of broken gesso and ornament
• Re-glazing and re-fitting of older frames to bring family pieces back to museum standards
• Art recovery and consultation following fire, water, smoke, or other damage

Visit us

We invite you to bring your artwork — whether it came from our gallery, was passed down through your family, or was acquired on your travels — to 2618 Briar Ridge Drive, Houston, TX 77057, in the heart of the Briargrove district near the Galleria. Our hours are Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm, and Saturday, 9am to 3pm Central Time. Estimates are always free.

Your art deserves to be enjoyed for generations. We're here to make sure it is.