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Geary’s most recent project was a 7 x 9-foot oil painting of a bull. A new Darien resident moving from London approached Geary with the project, and he delivered the framed piece within two days.
“The woman said it was her husband’s favorite thing and she’d love to get it done soon,’’ Geary said. “It was all in a pieces, the frame was taken apart. I thought I might have to go her house to do it, which would’ve been a real challenge. But she brought it in and we did it. My concern was it wouldn’t fit through our doorway. It did and then we borrowed a van from Darien Decorating Center to deliver it.”
The huge painting was the latest challenge for Geary, who opened his framing business in 1983. He added the gallery in 1991, but framing is still one of the primary business components. Geary also restores art, paintings and frames.
“The challenge is what makes it worthwhile,’’ Geary said. “People bring in a lot of different things and being a stubborn Irishman, I won’t say ‘We can’t do that.’ I always say yeah, sure. Sometimes I don’t exactly know how we’re going to do it, but we get it done.”
Among Geary’s more unusual requests was an 11-foot skin of a python that a customer brought back from an international trip. Another person had an Olympic torch that she wanted preserved. He has done simpler pieces, such as sports jerseys. Sports memorabilia is also a favorite, such as the customer who came in with a piece of the Green Monster from Fenway Park and a picture of Fenway Park. He also framed a racing suit of a Le Mans driver and a piece of the Berlin Wall.
“I kick myself now because over the years I wasn’t good about photographing the special projects when they were completed,’’ Geary said. “Now I document all the fun and challenging pieces.”
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