For the love of coral!

I have been traveling to Venice for well over a decade.

The magic of Venice is like no other place on earth....

Each shop window is full of temptations....

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So, how have I missed these fabulous pieces of glass(?) coral??

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Linda Bailey Zimmerman is in Venice now and spotted these in a shop window. Coral on a Christmas tree...fabulous! ( Linda has a wonderful blog on Venice here and is a serious photographer and you can buy her work here. ) 

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 Tony Duquette understood the magic of coral and used it extensively in the Venetian Palazzo Brandolini. In the photo, Hutton Wilkinson is installing the coral.

See how the red pops against the pink and cream walls? 

Tony had a source for coral in Venice!!

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Here is another example in a Venice store window. Next time you are in Venice, keep your eyes open for coral!!

Facelift for a Refrigerator..!

I love clutter. I thrive in chaotic creativity! But, even I have to draw the line sometimes. My refrigerator had become an explosion of photos, memorabilia and too much stuff.

Is this the same refrigerator? You probably see order and nice, clean lines. I see a blank canvas...something my brain is always wrestling with.  How far do you take a blank surface in your home?

I had an idea in the back of my mind for about a year now on how to turn my refrigerator from kindergarten art to an elegant piece of furniture. I began by gilding pieces of trim.

I purchased old hardware on ebay and the hardware store.  I wanted something between a La Cornue range and a Flemish painting....First, I put my refrigerator into a little black dress.

I used items I had to give it a european feel.

I lined the edges of the doors with the gilded trim and finished out the corners with brass plates and acorn nuts.

I love the industrial look it gave.

Is this the same fridge? It shows what a quart of paint, some trim and imagination (and restraint) can accomplish!

The items hanging are things picked up in Paris and other travels...they can be appreciated now, not lost in the clutter.

I really cringed about showing you the before photos, but thought this might help others in how to accomplish a relatively simple facelift!

Imitating Wallpaper

Have you ever been asked to replicate wallpaper? Maybe it is out of print now, or other reasons for a client to want this done. I just finished a job where wallpaper was the inspiration for a powder room.

I started by chalking in some of the design -using two stencils -to give the client an idea of the process. Chalk is a wonderful tool to express ideas directly on the wall, just wipe off the mistakes,  paint directly over the guides and keep going!

I began the stenciling -after doing the math- so on each wall the design would stop at the corners. I started with the stencil "as is", but knew I would need to alter it to make the gold design come out right.

Here comes the chalk again. I began to add ornament to the stenciled shape, making it wider and longer.

Here is the finished design, closely resembling the wallpaper graphics.

Now, time to add the gold! This is what makes the design so wonderful. If you have a sharp eye, you realize I have done all of this in reverse. The wallpaper was gold background with blue silkscreen design-which is what drove their cost up! By reversing the process, I used less gold to keep cost down but had issues to solve where the design met the background.

Here are the finished walls. I had to trowel blue paint over gold and gold paint over blue around the edges of the stencil to make the color crossover work. I also did some negative stenciling over the gold in blue to add to the design. The client is very happy and I enjoyed the whole process. Always think outside the box with stenciling, they are usually just the beginning of a creative process.

Seattle...Full of Surprises!

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Last week, I went to Seattle for Salon-an international gathering of decorative artists from around the world. I stayed in a charming B & B- the Pensione Nichols with Helen Morris , the fabulous owner of the Stencil Library and her blog -from the United Kingdom.

Staying in a pensione allows a more intimate travel experience. We were greeted each morning by Theo the dog and the owner, Lindsey. Guests meet in a common area for breakfast ,  best view of the waterfront , good music and chatting.

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This is where we met artists  Loredano Rizzotti and Maureen Hoffmann. Loredano was having a show at a nearby gallery and Helen and I were invited to the opening!

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The Christian Grevstad gallery was hosting a wonderful representation of Rizzotti's overscaled work. Helen and I walked in and swooned!

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Rizzotti's father was a mosaic artist and Loredano began his career as a lithographer.."something which yielded a precise and technical training.."  This exhibition consisted of larger than life images of shoes, purses, books and more from his series-The Gated Doors, The Books, The Journey and The Musical Instruments.

The detail was incredible!

To me, it was a combination of fine art, decorative art techniques and trompe l'oeil. I was in heaven!

Maureen posed with the beaded bag used in this painting.

Nothing was left to imagination, every bead painted with a glassy reflection...

...and the strings exposed showing the sewing of the rows of beads.

Then there were the books! Painted , time worn books stacked haphazardly showing their worn edges and leather spines.

One of the largest pieces was this incredible painting of broken musical instruments...Loredano says..."destroyed, dusty, now unusable. As if to say that the music is over...that there is no more music in our world...that it is time to be silent"

Thank you Maureen Hoffmann for talking to me about Loredano's work. What a pleasant surprise it was to meet you both.

...and the view from the balcony was not bad either!

Opportunity is Knocking.....

Do you always recognize an opportunity when it comes knocking?

 This September, two of the greatest decorative artists in the world will be combining talents for an 8 day workshop plus 2 days of touring in Rome!

 Carolina d'Ayala Valva will teach for 4 days the art of grottesca painting......

and Pierre Finkelstein will teach for 4 days and the students will then have 2 days to sightsee Rome!

Can you hear the knocking? This is an incredible opportunity! Rome! Pierre and Carolina! Students will study marbles, stone and trompe l'oeil with Pierre and grottesca done with egg tempera with Carolina.

I assisted Pierre a few years ago in a class....I was green as grass and he was very tolerant of me!

I have also studied with Carolina and am thrilled they are combining their talents for students to benefit from.

How can you miss this? You can't! The classes will be in September, so plan now and check out the websites!

Roma awaits!

Tea and Da Vinci...only in Texas!

A friend invited me to High Tea at a nearby old plantation home today.....

 Promptly at 2:00, sixteen women were seated to a lovely menu of fruit, scones, tea sandwiches and desserts.

On the left of me were two women from Louisiana(friends since college) and a woman originally from New Jersey celebrating her birthday. These teas book early and are only offered three times a year. Look at those unusual tea spoon rests, aren't they fabulous!

The owners of the plantation live in this home and keep it spotless for tours and teas. The grounds include a log cabin, chapel and other buildings.

I kept wandering off from the group, shooting pictures of the original bricks made on the plantation in the 1800's....

...and the old cast iron vents for the pier and beam structure. I have been to this home over the years for parties and other events, but never a tea.

One treat on the tour is a 15 feet by 28 feet life size copy of the Last Supper..who knew?

An earlier home owner had traveled to Milan and was so taken with the original, they hired artists from Greece to come to Texas and produce this oil copy on canvas.

Never turn down an opportunity to spend time with a good friend, you never know where it can lead!