Our Story
We are a friendly team of creatives who just love what we do.
We started out as a family run picture framing business in 2007 with the vision of providing a fast, friendly, cost-effective and quality picture frames to local customers and businesses. Since then our business has gone from strength to strength, now supplying customers around the country with picture frames in a large variety of sizes, colours, effects and designs. From record frames to medal frames, 3D box frames and panoramic frames, our products are underpinned by our decades of experience in the business.
Our wealth of knowledge and many years of experience ensure that you will get the perfect frame.
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Ed Purdon
FOUNDER
Ed took his initial, and subsequent training under Pete Bingham, former Master of the Fine Arts Trade Guild a very highly respected trainer. He has also attended many training sessions with Mal Reynolds (Harlequin Framing) who is regarded as one of the foremost conservation framers in the UK.
“I love framing and the stories it tells. There is nothing more satisfying than helping a daunted customer choose the perfect frame and seeing the delight on their face when they come to collect a piece which will last for generations.”
A keen photographer himself Ed’s background in adventure travel and tourism gives him the perfect insight into peoples framing needs. This combined with 15 years framing experience means that his framing choices are truly inspired, especially when it comes to more unusual items such as football shirts and memorabilia.
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Rachel Purdon
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Rachel originally trained as a graphic designer and is an artist herself. Her background in art, design and antiques combined with her love of travel gives a perfect understanding of the sentimentality that a subject can hold.
“I love being surrounded by art every day at work and giving things a second chance and a new lease of life.”
Her training with talented restorer Sam Bingham - wife of Pete Bingham, former Master of the Fine Arts Trade Guild, and also Mal Reynolds (Harlequin Framing) - one of the foremost conservation framers in the UK and 15 years framing has given her the skills and expertise to restore beautiful frames and artworks and sympathetically frame needlework and other precious objects.
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Emma Boyes
MASTER FRAMER
Emmas personal art practice is deeply intertwined with her passion for nature and the outdoors. After moving to Penrith, a chance encounter framing her own work led her to become a framer, and has since mastered her latest craft in the shop.
"Working at Purdon & Co has shown me how important and transformative the power of a frame can be to artwork, and has certainly changed how I approach my own art."
With a strong academic background, she holds a Master's degree in Design, having first completed studies in three- dimensional design at university. Her true passion as a skilled paper artist, however, was kindled in 2010 during her maternity leave when she embarked on a creative exploration that has since come to define her artistic journey.
In addition to her Framing and Paper art, Emma has collaborated with many other businesses and individual artists using her skills in Set Design, Window Installations, Editorial, and Prop Design.
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Benjamin Cowley
WORKSHOP TECHNICIAN
Trained as a fine art photographer at Southampton Solent University in 2012, Benjamin has since lived in and travelled North America, documenting the Landscapes, Cities and Highways of the southern states.
After living in Austin, Texas for 9 years, he moved back home with his wife and two dogs at the end of 2020, and moved up to Cumbria in September 2024 to be closer to the landscapes and countryside that delighted them over the years.
“I am thankful every day that I get to be surrounded by such beauty in the land, and wonderful art that inspires me in my role here at Purdon & Co.”
As well as his knowledge of IT systems, digital technology and photo editing expertise, Ben brings a wide variety of skills and experiences to his job as a new picture framer, including decades of painting miniature models, woodworking; learned and inspired by his grandfather, and teaching photography for an arts charity in Southampton.
As members of the Fine Arts Trade Guild you can be confident that all our work is finished to the Guild’s exacting standards for framing.
The Fine Art Trade Guild is the trade association for the art and framing industry Formed in 1910 as the successor to the 1847 Printsellers’ Association, it was set up to oversee the fine art print trade. The Guild continues to set globally recognised standards for prints, and in addition, it sets standards and guidelines for picture framing.
Guild members agree to abide by the Code of Ethics and keep up to date with the latest standards, trends and materials. Guild standards have been developed by and for the industry, and are designed to protect consumers as well as providing clear guidelines for manufacturers, framers, publishers and fine art printers. The Guild Print Standards and Print Registration scheme, governing edition size, print quality and durability, have been industry benchmarks for over a century.
If you have any further questions find our FAQs here.
