Saturday, January 11, 2014

Glorious Gracie....!



I think you all know by now that I have a penchant for all things Chinoiserie.....


I recently was asked to embellish a small powder room done in Gracie paper. The trim and door were white and competed with the scene.

I based coated everything in a high green. Gracie wallpaper is very complex with layers of  subtle washes of color for their backgrounds. I used three to four washes to make the design seamless.


Details were extended into the moulding to complete the scene...now, on to the door!




I based the door and then began the layers of washes....all straight acrylic paint thinned with water and wiped back. No glaze.


The layers gave a soft patina of age and depth. Accents of corals were added to the edges and bevels...


A main element of ornament was added to the top panel with small accents in the lower panels...


A bird cage of bamboo was added with songbird and foliage...colors were  a traditional palette..cadmium yellow, burnt sienna, raw sienna, burnt umber, alizarin crimson and bone black


The client designed the birdcage with thatched roof and bamboo design.



 This is a teeny room under the staircase and hard to shoot an interior shot with a camera!



It's always about the details...there are no shortcuts.


I can't wait to see the room with the sconces and mirror hung! It was a lovely project to be involved in.


10 comments:

thegildedbarn said...

Theresa, this is GORGEOUS!!!

MyFavoriteFrenchAntiques said...

What a difference you made...wow!

Lynne Rutter said...

Wonderful work , Theresa! What a nice way to commune with our comrade painters in China *clink*

Jeff Huckaby said...

Perfect!

Jeff Huckaby said...

Perfect!!!

Gina said...

Dear Theresa, Beautiful work! Such a lively green, so wonderfully layered. And the details so well executed.

home before dark said...

Perfectly charming. Happy New Year and can't wait to see you paint the year up!

Mark D. Ruffner said...

Dear Theresa,

One can see from the photo of the baseboard how beautifully you've matched the walls! Are you teaching any workshops? I think that would be a natural extension of all you're doing.

Stencil Helen said...

Just gorgeous,gorgeous,gorgeous.

columnist said...

Excellent work. I too am very fond of Chinoiserie wallpaper, and have a fragment framed in a gilt bamboo frame, which hangs in my dining area.

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