Another wonderful client and homeowner, another kewl project completed....Another sigh of satisfaction!

I LOVE MY JOB!!

Here is an example of a glazed finish called 'Old Leather'.
Very pretty..very romantic...and, as the husband pointed out, "Just what you want in a room with a toilet!" ROFL! ..Ok, well, women like it anyway.

Also, shown below, I had the pleasure of doing their master bathroom in Venetian plaster. Probably one of the prettiest color finishes I've done. The warm yellow sienna flavor really makes you feel good.

The ceiling is painted in Sherwin Williams 'Croissant'. I hand mixed the color for the walls, but if you want to try, I mixed the Venetian plaster topcoat sealer with Modern Masters tints; Ivory, Tuscan Sun, and Pebble Beach until I got the right shade, then I troweled the sealer on.
Don't mix more than 4 oz per gallon with any tinting per the guidelines. It's a really good idea to follow them, because any alterations may affect the manipulation of the finish and the curing!

Please don't attempt this if you haven't had the training...It's easy to ruin!! Let a professional help you. :) We like it when we get phone calls!

The result: Gorgeous!

Thanks C & D for letting me into your home and your life for a wee bit!

Title:
"How fairy tales begin in the future"

It would be nice if we could just unbox our dreams and get started with the perfect model, wouldn't it? You know, you have plans for the perfect thing, whatever it is, so you just draw it up and boom, you're up and running..happily ever after.

"You can't always get what you want", Mick Jagger said, "but, if you try sometimes, you get what you need!" The message I take from this is that I can have what I want, a version of it anyway, just as long as I try.


I'm trying, I'm really trying. I know that following your dreams is one thing, but when you're an artist in need of patron, you're really shooting for the moon! Nevertheless, I keep creating, every day.

What the heck, I've got 40 years to work on it, or more. Grandma moses didn't start painting until she was in her 70's or something crazy like that. The perfect example of a late bloomer...the perfect example of why YOU should never, ever give up!!!

I believe in myself. Do you?

Have a nice day! Go do something that makes you happy.

Oh look at the time...

Well, there's nothing like a Sunday for a day of reflection...
Chillin',
layin' low, watchin' a Eureka marathon on the Sci-Fi channel, eating pizza for lunch and breakfast for dinner...

A great day to draw, I say. Sunday's should be reserved for eating, fun, creativity, and a nap!

What have you done this week?

Me? Well, I got cooking on some jewelry I've been wanting to make. I worked a bit on the bag line, my brother's painting (which is in rev. 2), and this little Art Trading Card, a pencil drawing from my own photograph, "Time Watcher". It gets mailed off tomorrow to my swap partner.

Try giving away your art to a stranger; it's both liberating, and difficult. You can never be sure if it'll be enjoyed. But, I do enjoy creating them, and I enjoy the process of these swaps. You get the theme and you have to come up with something original. It forces me to draw and paint on a regular basis, which I need!! Also, I have an opportunity to create something that is completely me and unique that will be exposed to many people, and this inspires me!

This month's swap theme was "reflections". You know, It took me a month to consider fully the subject and come up with this piece, but that's why I do this: To force myself to be a part of a new process, a subject matter I didn't choose, but one that I take to my own place, and definitely make my own.

Your turn!!
:)
Oh and Happy Mother's Day!!

Oh look at the time...

A decorator's dream!!

Goat-Cheese!!! (Translation: Gorgeous)

I have a wonderful client-couple up the road a piece. I just finished 2 rooms in their new home, under construction, but almost move-in ready!

This is one of several homes they've built, so they really have a good sense of what they want in a home! They want to come home each day to a place which gives them the feeling of being in some of the old homes and buildings of Europe. There's something so comfortable about the Italian countryside, for example, with it's beautiful sunset colors of yellow, orange, and deep woody browns...and also, you know, well used by generations!!!

Well, We're both very happy with the results.

The example above is of Venetian Plaster in a guest Bathroom. The client was asking for a more raw, stone like appearance than the typical smooth as silk of Venetian Plaster. It looks raw and stone like, but it's still smooth as a baby's b*#@!

Also, a master bedroom in a terrific base of yellow aged to a more subtle ochre. Gorgeous!!

This home is a reflection of our desire to reach back to the past and to take comfort in the feeling of living in history, instead of looking shiny and brand new!

They are not alone, and Tuscany certainly isn't the only influence in current home styles. There is also a resurgence in a variety of building styles that co-existed in the United States from the 1800's to the 1930's and beyond. Victorian, Federal, Queen Anne and finally, Arts and Crafts style, which was a pivotal architectural period in U.S. history, highlighting such icons as Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 20th century, are what builders are focusing as "current" trends. They realize that we want color and character in our living spaces, and finally, they're making some waves in construction.

I must say, what a beautiful project to be a part of, and a lovely couple to work for!!! Thanks, S and K!!

Have a great weekend!

A decorator's dream!!

Mural painting: Trick the eye!!

Well, I've spent 2 challenging weeks honing my skills with a small group of decorative painters under the guidance of the Premier Craftsman of France, Michel Nadai...and what a time was had by all!!

This is a 4 part course, including the master course in France. The next 2 modules will be in July, here in Atlanta.

Michel accompanied by his wife, Kyoko, (who translates all of his lectures),
is truly a master craftsman and an amazing mentor, who can take a group of individuals, completely diverse in talents, and bring them all together, raising them up to new heights and certainly lifting their spirits. It is not enough to say that I was delighted by the experience, plus, we laughed our butts off every day!

That's me second from the right, next to Michel. We were 7 fabulous femmes fatales plus Michel's wife, Kyoko, (second from the left)...could be a harem in other environs. Let me also say that the other 6 were magnificent babes in their own right, and I am fortunate to know all of these consumate professionals. You go girls...Go put put on your big girl panties and take on the scaffolds of the world!

These are some examples of Trompe L'Oeil murals that I painted in the last 10 days. Remember, these are all paintings..If you're not sure what Trompe L'Oeil is, it means a painting whose purpose is to "trick the eye" and these are examples of things I might paint on a client's wall, perhaps in a dining room or on a column to add character and decoration, without actually adding molding. It's art for art's sake.

Molding and Ornamentation study. Monochromatic in blue. Medium: paint on a prepared surface, so, er, FLAT, right...yet, when I took a picture of the above, there appears to be a cast shadow off the flower pattern that is in the center panel. This is kind of creepy, because I didn't paint that shadow, and of course, being a flat canvas, could not be possible.




Whimsical broken column "after a party". Study of the golden mean as it applied to a column, a brilliant example of ancient greek architecture, light and shadow on a cylinder, and cast shadow of the ribbon.



Another monochromatic painting; molding and ornamentation in green, this time with a rosette of lotus leaves.

This was only the first module with this amazing teacher, and we are all so excited to meet him again in July.

It was an exhausting yet exhilarating couple of weeks, and I am even more excited than usual to go do something cool!!

Mural painting: Trick the eye!!