Walnut Picture Frames

Yesterday I showed a picture of the family history "folk art montage" painting that my mother painted. She gave digital copies to all her relatives. The six that she gave her own children were framed in walnut wood, from walnut trees which had been cut around 1964.

Here is her story:

There were many large walnut trees on the 1,500 acre ranch (in Oklahoma, near Caney, Kansas). Before we sold the ranch in 1964 we had several of the trees cut into lumber and I had it stored in Mesa, Arizona. I took 8 semesters of woodworking there and I made a large chopping block, 2 small tables, 2 bookcases, 3 wall units, a front door with a stained glass window, and more.

After painting this 10" x 72" montage, I wanted it framed with this beautiful walnut lumber that has been drying for about 40 years. I have taken 2 semesters of specialized woodworking at a Community College here in Salt Lake City and made 8 walnut picture frames for my children and me.

I am truly thankful for my healthy body at age 75, that I am able to drag the 30 pound pieces of wood around. It must go to many different machines like the planer, jointer, saw, sander, shaper, router and miter to finally end up with a beautiful walnut picture frame.

It took me over 100 hours to complete the picture frames and I am very pleased that my six children and their families will have a visual picture of their wonderful heritage.

"America the Beautiful: Joy in the Journey with Mother and Me" book by Christine Clarkson Kelly, p. 65.


This is a photo of my mother holding baby Cindy about 1955, about 9 years before the walnut trees were cut. But I wanted to include it because it shows the ranch behind her.