Natural(ish) Picture Frame

I haven’t posted anything for a while – it’s not that I haven’t been busy, I just haven’t created anything very good!
We needed a picture frame, and I was just going to make some kind of “standard square thing”. But when I looked at the wood that just seemed like a terrible waste of the shape and the natural edges. Having decided on the wiggly edges and the “slide in” approach I needed a base to mount it on. I considered doing some kind “contrast thing” using a plain and flat “blocky” base, but then it occurred to me that there was no reason not to mount the 2 pieces on what was left of the “branch”, and, hell, why not at the weird natural angles! Gluing it up was a challenge.
It’ll go on the banister I posted a while ago, so we’ll put (other) pictures on both sides, which is just as well since there was no way I could decide which side looked the best.
And, yes, this is the same piece of wood I entered into the knot contest – that branch has been good to me.
The pictures really don’t do justice to the amazingly detailed patterns and sheen of the wood.
Olive finished with oil/varnish/turps.