Skip to content
Creative Matting, Framing & Designs

We're here to bless your day as God has blessed ours!

Picture framing and original art in Alamosa, Colorado

Framed by hand,made to last.

Bring in the photo, the painting, the diploma or the cross-stitch you finished years ago. Dennis O'Dowd and his family will help you pick the frame and mat, then build it in the shop.

CallText
Illustrative showcase of ornate gold, black, natural oak, walnut and silver picture frames
A study in frames. Gold, wood, black and silver.
  • Framing since 1987
  • PPFA certification
  • Family-owned and family-run
  • 4 customer discounts
  • Satisfaction guaranteed

Choose your mat

The mat decides how the art feels.

The same kind of piece can look calm, warm or bold depending on the mat around it. These are real orders from the shop and the choices made for each one.

  1. No. 1

    Deep umber mat, silver frame

    A dark mat makes the sand colors glow. The silver frame keeps the piece light on the wall.

    Framed sand painting of a frog with a dark brown mat and a silver frame
  2. No. 2

    Terracotta mat that answers the art

    Pulling a color straight out of the painting ties the frame to the piece, so it reads as one object.

    Framed sand painting of a dancer with a terracotta mat and a silver frame
  3. No. 3

    Double mat with a cherry frame

    A thin white inner mat adds a crisp edge. The warm cherry wood picks up the reds in the print.

    Framed print of a mother and child with a terracotta and white double mat and a cherry wood frame
  4. No. 4

    Black and blue double mat, gray frame

    Cool layers frame a cool scene. The blue line repeats the sky and the river in the drawing.

    Framed watercolor of Notre-Dame in Paris with a black and blue double mat and a gray frame

Bring your piece in and we will lay mat corners beside it until it looks right.

What we do

Two kinds of work, one shop.

Framed painting of a yellow Chevy tailgate in a brushed silver frame

Picture Framing & Matting

Six suppliers and more than 350 frames in metal, wood, hand-finished, carved and gilded styles, plus floater frames and shadow boxes. Custom and precut mats, including hand-carved mats cut to your design. Most orders are finished in about two weeks unless a special order is needed.

  • Regular picture framing
  • Custom picture framing
  • Custom matting
  • Glass replacement and installation
  • Picture frame hanger installation
  • Frame repairs
  • Glass repairs and replacement
  • Mat repairs
  • Picture repairs
Hand-turned wooden bowl with natural grain and blue inlay

Other Art & Design Services

Dennis draws and sculpts. His son Lance works in wood, bronze and mixed media. Tell the family what you want, the size and the material, and they will design it and make it, from a drawing for a gift to a carved bowl or a custom gate.

  • Drawing
  • Woodwork
  • Sculptures
  • Creative design
  • Additional custom artwork
Dennis O'Dowd holding a framed watercolor landscape

The O'Dowd family

The framer is also the artist.

Dennis O'Dowd started drawing and sculpting when he was young and moved into matting and framing from there. He and his wife, Cheryl, share that love of art, and it runs through the whole family.

Their son, Lance, holds a BFA from Adams State University and works in wood, bronze and mixed media. Their daughter, Danielle, is a photographer, and customers often meet her at the counter helping pick frames.

Because the people who frame your piece also make art, they look at it the way an artist would. Tell them what you need and they will help make it happen.

Dennis O'Dowd and family, framing in Alamosa since 1987

From the bench

Recent work from the shop

  • Old window frame turned into a six-photo collage of mountain wildlife
  • Tall frame holding four small landscape paintings on green mats
  • Framed painting of a brown trout with a gold fillet and cherry frame
  • Framed word art tribute with a light blue double mat
  • Pencil drawing of a unicorn by Dennis O'Dowd
  • University diploma in a black frame with a white mat
  • Welded sculpture of a chain rising from a gear with a crystal at the top
  • Custom red wooden garden gate built for a home in the valley

What customers say

In their own words

The work was absolutely incredible and very professional. It turned a simple poster into an absolute masterpiece. The turnaround for the work was appropriate and the pricing was very fair! Would definitely do business with them again.
David L H

1 / 5

Visit the shop

Bring the piece with you.

Seeing your art next to real frame corners and mat samples is the fastest way to choose. Delivery, pickup and shipping are available too.

6037 Meadow LnAlamosa, CO 81101
Get directions
Mon–Fri
9am–5pm
Sat
11am–3pm
Sun
Closed

Discounts we offer

  • Military discount
  • First responder discount
  • Student discount
  • Artist discount

Have something worth framing?

Call or text Dennis. Tell him what you have, and he will tell you what it takes.

CallText
CallText