Evolution of a mural

When I first started in this business I strictly did murals, hence my business name, Natalie Gorden Murals.  After many wonderful classes with some very talented folks in the business, I branched out to include decorative (faux) finishes in my repertoire. Over the last few years, it seems, I've done mostly faux and fewer murals, so when I get a call for a mural I get very excited because I love to do them not only as a change of pace but creatively, they are very satisfying.

Previous school mural

 Last spring I was contacted by the principal of a local middle school who, thankfully, found me and my work through a google search. (Glad to know that still works). Scott told me he wanted a mural done in the school gymnasium to replace a mural that was already there.  The school's mascot is "magic" and the previous mural was done in a theme that he and many teachers and parents felt was no longer relevant to the school and the image he wanted to project. He wanted something that depicted unity and diversity.  Upon our first meeting he showed me an image of a mural done by a very talented artist in Colorado. It was exactly what he wanted. Using another artist's design poses a problem for copyright issues and I would not do so if I didn't have the express permission of that artist. Upon browsing the artist's website, www.markclinedesign.com, I read that he was happy to share the image with other artists. Whew! That was a relief. So the remaining challenge of this mural was that it was really two murals in one. The first mural was to be the image of  two hands intertwined in a round shape with a globe superimposed on top. You can see Mark's mural here. Such a great image it's no wonder our principal wanted to use it.

The hands image was to be painted on a moveable wall consisting of 13 four-foot panels that slide to either the cafeteria or the gymnasium and needed to stand on its own.  The second mural was to be painted on the concrete border surrounding the stage area of the gym, therefore ultimately tying into the hand mural.  It was nice that the first mural was already designed for me, although I'd love to design something original, I truly like the image chosen and Scott's mind was already set on this image.

My version of the global hands, wall is on the cafeteria side.

The next challenge was to design the rest of the mural in such a way to incorporate the first mural and depict images fit for a sports gymnasium. The P. E. teachers had their opinions which is understandable because they spend more time in the gym than anybody. It seems that the previous mural which I was to cover, was never approved or even run by them so I wanted to make something they'd enjoy as well. It took us a few tries to nail down the design but we finally came up with something to please everybody and THAT is a feat in and of itself.

 Having a background in Graphic Design, I tend to create a lot of my designs on the computer. For this mural, that was very helpful because I wanted a very simple yet impactive design. Depicting "magic" is not easy.  I could see the direction the previous murals was going, but it was not what the staff wanted. The school's uniforms and logo have stars in them, so we went with that and as the P.E. teachers requested, kept the original "Magic Kingdome" theme for the gym.  A few sports silhouettes chosen by the teachers were all we needed for our gym tie in. The crown and stars help with the "magic" theme in a subtle way. 

This mural was my third middle school in Washoe County School District and I'm very honored to have been chosen to execute it.

Because every day is a good day when you paint

Many years ago, fresh out of Graphic Design school, I got a job that I didn't realize I was going to hate when I got it.  Lets just say that a little grey cube, a computer, and boredom are not a combination my restless, artistic soul can handle very well.  Throw a little corporate attitude on top of that and Natalie only lasts a year at a job.  It's experiences like these, however, that make us all realize what it is we don't want to do, which therefore helps us realize what we do want to do.  I've been a decorative artist ever since I left that job, and although its been many a struggle, I've loved what I do for a living and am grateful that I had that job to lead me to this one.  What a great stepping stone in my life that was. That job was also where I met one of my favorite friends, Mike Callahan. Seven years later, I still talk to him weekly and find his opinions helpful and his accomplishments as an artist inspiring. 
 
Mike paints beautiful landscapes in oils and has recently realized a dream of his own and opened a studio here in Reno.  He had graciously allowed me to take a class with him and been patient with this flaky artist as I've missed several classes due to my ..........oh look a squirrel!  

This class happens to be a landscape class and meets weekly.  I think I've actually made it to only half the classes and I had to reflect as to why I had such a poor record of attending.  I think that some of it may be that I paint ALL the time and after a long day, week, month of painting, it's a little difficult to make myself go to a painting class.  After much thought, however,  I realized that it's my lack of confidence and concern for producing something so terrible that I'd be embarrassed.  Now mind you, I paint for a living!  You see, I've never really dabbled in oil paint and I think I've been afraid that oils were too good for me.  Let me tell you though, that after attending class with Mike, I'm feeling so confident.  Once I got the feel for how the paint behaves, (it's so different than acrylics) I'm really excited about finishing my Lake Tahoe painting.

During the three hour class, there is ample painting time. On our last class Mike took about ten minutes to give us a very enlightening demonstration on painting water, what gets reflected and how rocks and such can be indicated below the water. (Mike has a great knack for painting water. Check out his fabulous Lake Tahoe paintings here.) What I thought was a very intimidating subject became suddenly simple.  I'm really thrilled with what I'm learning and I can't wait to share it with you when I'm finished.   I'm thrilled that I'm finally getting to paint something that is just for me, it actually makes me enjoy painting that much more!

If you live in Reno and have any interest in painting, please give High Sierra Art Academy a look.  It's a very relaxed atmosphere with a great instructor who's not only knowledgeable, but pretty entertaining too.

Ok, ok, here's my painting so far, mind you I painted all the water in one three hour session.  It's not completely finished yet, but I'm confident that I'm on the right track.

My fabulous friend and colleague

I'm so excited to be heading off to Portland next week to the IDAL (International Decorative Artisan's League) conference! It's a place where I get to hang with others who do what I do, which unfortunately, I don't get to do a lot of here.

Three years ago, I was fortunate enough to attend convention in San Francisco. It was a fabulous time and I took some fun classes and created some great new sample boards. The most valuable thing that came out of that convention, however, was the friendship created with Diane Williams, an artist from Mechanicsville Virginia. We happened to have a class or two together and immediately became soul sisters. We have so much in common it's scary! We call each other at least three times a week to sometimes collaborate on a finish or just to tell what's going on in our lives.

Well, Diane is going to be in Portland for convention and I am so excited to see her. Her parents live there and have invited me to stay with them. I am incredibly blessed for that. So I dedicate this blog post to my friend Diane, the fabulous artist and wonderful friend!
Here's some of her amazing work..........enjoy!

Relationship building

Being self employed is like having a million jobs......I am the office worker (a crappy one) the salesperson, accountant, and artist. Like any other sales job, landing a sale depends not only on the quality of your product, but also on the character and presence of the salesperson. I am blessed with the gift of being able to make friends easily and that is what I tend to do with many of my clients. Being asked into someone's home to create a finish or mural where there was nothing is an honor and a pleasure. It is wonderful for me to make a friendship that will at the very least be a building block to more business, but many times those friendships turn into long lasting ones and for that I am grateful.

I was recently hired by a wonderful woman who was remodeling her home after a very devastating blow-the foundation was sinking. I am happy to say that a local tile and stone place referred me and that I was not the only finisher to bid the job. There were many contractors before me, all doing much more important work than I. The foundation had to be stabilized, floors redone, cracks filled and trim replaced. I was called in after all of this to put a simple glaze on the walls in the kitchen and family room. A great wall finish is like icing on a cake-if it wasn't there, it wouldn't be as sweet. Even the most simple glaze can make such a difference and my homeowner couldn't stop telling me how much she enjoyed the subtlety of the finish.
Once we had the walls done, we decided the new hood over the stove needed a little something special as well. Taking a plain box and turning it into something that looks like weathered copper with rivets is the epitome of a faux finish. It's a small project with a big impact. It went very well the the light fixtures that she chose and her craftsman style. Here are the finished products. I am very proud of the work I do and feel so blessed to be able to do it. More than that though, I'm thrilled to have made a new friend in the process of creating warmth in her home.

Style in a recession

Let's face it, starting a business right now takes some cajoneys! When you've got advertising costs and equipment, employees, franchise fees etc., you may think the last thing you have the budget for is hiring an artist to do the painting. You may be surprised, however, how little paint can cost and yet what a big difference it can make in how your business feels.
I have some friends who recently opened a combination storefront with a Wireless Toys franchise and a coffee shop. They have a great location off the highway and near the university. The Wireless Toys side was easy to decorate - it's all decided corporately. The coffee shop, on the other hand, was plain white with a BIG, RED counter that these frugal owners picked up second hand. What they needed was a little interest. We sat down, crunched numbers and were able to work within their budget to create a great design with little money and a few good helpers.
The name of this cute little coffee place is Java Connect, which is very apropos considering it's within a cell phone distributor. I wanted to create a fun atmosphere that would be comfortable for those who want to sip their skinny-soy-green tea-no whip latte while perusing the internet on their laptop. There were two challenges with this room: 1. The BIG, RED counter top 2. The oddly shaped space with a 30 foot long wall. We chose soothing colors that would be mellow and feel technologically modern. The grayish green palette went well with the gray tables, yet was neutral enough to be used with a pop of red. I broke up the long wall with a swooping transition of color. By repeating circles in a color pattern, we created the "connect" to the techno side of the Wireless Toys store and it gives a nod to "connect the dots". By adding one random red dot in our circle pattern, we were also able to connect to the counter which we toned down by painting the front of it in the darkest gray.
This budget friendly design is very versatile in that items can be added later. For example we installed some very fun and flirty stencils this week to add a little bit of the unexpected. More red accents will be added as the notion hits, or the budget allows. Part of my idea with this design was that it can be done in stages if the owners choose. Let's face it, paint is cheap, if you have a flair for design, put something on paper and get it up on that wall! If you don't have that artistic touch, call a professional. You'll be glad you did.
If you've got a taste for a great coffee and need a new cell phone at the same time, head down to N.Sierra Street and stop into Java Connect and Wireless Toys and check out the 175 dots on the wall.

Awesome talent

Looks like I need to get some spray paint! These are truly talented artists

El Mac, Retna & Kofie: JUSTICE Mural for Manifest Equality- Time lapse: from Augustine Kofie on Vimeo.

New Color Trends

I had an opportunity recently to listen to a webinar (seminar on the web, for you non computer people) called Color Pulse 2011 by the paint manufacturer, Benjamin Moore. I find it fascinating to see what the color trends will be for the next few years. I'm sure many of you may be thinking "who cares what the trends are?" Well, paint companies do, that's how they sell paint, by updating and changing the palettes every once in a while.
Interestingly, these paint colors are not chosen randomly. The major influences in color for your walls come from fashion and industrial design and even nature. This webinar was quite informative about the trends coming in the next few years. They talked about Farm influence: where the whites will be more creamy and the yellows will be cheesy. The Urban and domestic farming influence will include soil rich naturals (like brown), with a splash of tomato green and orange for a pop of color.
The creation of Order will be seen in rooms with a black, white and grey color scheme where a random punch of vibrant purple or royal blue like this image from livingpod.com will bring whimsy. Red and black will make a return as a pair in decor with geometric shapes.
Patterning like the photo of the graphic green shapes from the fox hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark, will be key while fractal designs and irregular, almost 70's stripes will make retro modern again. Metallics are staying in style with entire rooms done in metallic leaf or just a few accents in furniture and fabrics. This photo is from Jeffrey Bilhuber Interior Design and shows fabulous all-over wall treatment in various metal leafs.
My favorite category talked about in this webinar was the Escape. These colors will be femine and translucent. A pale pearl or cosmetic pink will be done in light metallics, giving one a dreamy, and relaxed feel. These colors were actually inspired by the designs of Armani found on the runways of New York and Paris. Walls will be given a pearlized effect with crystals for drama.
If you're ready for a change in your decor, look to nature or even the runway for your inspiration this year and you'll be right on trend.

Painting tip of the week

BASEBOARDS
Something that many people overlook in their home is their baseboard. It gets taken for granted. Our eyes are focused much higher usually, but if your baseboards are dirty and knicked up it can make your whole house look dirty. I recently made a concious effort to thoroughly clean my guest/boys bathroom and the biggest difference I made (besides closing the lid) was painting the baseboards. The paint had been worn off the board closest to the bathtub from, I'm guessing, water being splashed onto it by my little stinkers, I mean angels. A fresh coat of paint, (and lots of bleach) made this bathroom sparkle.

A great tip for painting baseboards is to, of course, have that touch up paint ready at all times, along with a good 1 inch angled brush. The next thing I always keep on hand is an old slat from a vertical blind. This is invaluable for painting baseboards where there is carpet. Slide one edge under the board and over the carpet and you've got the perfect drip catcher! Now go clean up that house, it's the new year already and you want to start off right!

Fab fireplace redo

I have talked many times about how color can make a dramatic change in decor. My most recent client has done well with adding color to her home and likes to describe herself as a cave dweller. Her explanation is that she needs her home to have color and to be monochromatic. She did indeed have many different shades of caramels and chocolates in every part of her decor from the walls to the couch and the accessories. Having been in the home for several years now, the builder's white fireplace was wearing on my client's last nerve. It's no doubt that amongst all the warm colors she had in there, the fireplace was surely the sore thumb.
Here's what I did to change it up:
A fabulous torn paper treatment was already on the wall behind the fireplace and gave me the color palette for what I was going to do. I was requested to make the fireplace surround look like an old European antique. I took inspiration from the many hand-painted frames, and pieces of furniture in my client's decor and came up with a scrolled design and added fleur-de-lis at the homeowner's request. This finish is done in a couple layers of textural products, with custom designed and hand-painted elements. For the scroll work, I used a metallic gold that worked with the copper glaze on the tiles that surround the fireplace and the various gold and coppers around the home. I chose to keep the glaze very light to give an interesting contrast to the beautiful wall treatment. I think I know what I'm doing to my own fireplace now!

Stenciled accents

I have mentioned before, that one doesn't have to have faux finishes and decorative art all over their home to make a statement. I do think that a whole room faux finish can create a certain ambiance, however, strategically placed and well done accents can sometimes say so much more.
I was recently commissioned to create a stenciled design on a dining room ceiling and some niches that were adjacent to the dining room. The challenge was to find designs that were different, yet worked together well. In this case, I turned to a great resource for decorative artists, Modello Designs. A Modello is a one time use custom stencil that is basically a big sticker.
Of course I have hand-painted designs before and have created my own stencils, but with this particular product, I have convenience and time efficiency.
Modello Designs have a great library of artwork to choose from and for a small graphic fee, they will customize an existing design, or if you are an artist, they'll even make your design into a stencil for you.
For this project, the homeowner and I thumbed through the Modello Design book and chose three designs. I was able to have them adjust one of the designs to work better in the space I needed to place it.
There were two unifying factors in these three designs. First, we chose designs that had similar elements: leaves and bold, thick borders happened to be in all of these designs. Secondly, the fact that I used the same products and colors inside each stencil brought them all together.
I started with a three layered texture, then placed my stencils, colored them and removed the stencil. I finished up with a glaze and this is the final product.

It was a delight to collaborate with my homeowner on this project and find that exact look that she was in search of that would speak to her and show off her personality.

Motorcycle mania

As a resident of Sparks Nevada, specifically the suburb of Spanish Springs, I am surrounded on a daily basis with all things motocross. In the summer, there is hardly a day when I don't hear the sound of a dirt bike in the hills behind my house or see the dust flying overhead. While I am not a motorcycle rider, I do appreciate those who do ride. Over the years I've been asked to do a few murals depicting a motorcyclist or two(or seven).
I was recently commissioned to create two separate murals for a couple of motocross brothers. For the seven year old, I designed a very graphic mural with him flying through the air, doing the "trick"of his choice, a no-hander. I added the wavy checkerboard border and paint splotches to make this more fun.
For big brother, we needed something more sophisticated. He chose to be depicted crossing a finish line in an arena. We made this a full wall mural, purposefully creating the bottom third of the wall less detailed so that the bed will be able to be in front of the mural without losing anything.
Both of these murals were very challenging, as all motorcycle murals seem to be, and satisfying. Thanks to these two great kids for letting me create their new rooms.

Sophisticated teen room

It's been a long and busy summer and I'm finally getting some down time to sit and post a few blog entries. I had a fabulous family employ my services to redo almost the entire house these past few months and I had a wonderful time doing it. I don't think I can pick a favorite room, so I'm sure I'll be chronicling all of them.

The first I'd like to brag about was for a dear 16 year old girl who is, of course, growing up and wanted something modern and more sophisticated for her room.

"Mom" and I started with the shower curtain that was purchased for her daughter's bathroom. As many accessories are today, the colors were aqua and chocolate. Our teen was very adamant that we needed to include fleur de lis in the design. As I do with many of my murals, I first mocked up an idea or two on the computer of a design for the main wall. A few revisions and this is what we came up with. There is nothing quite as satisfying as a sweet

sixteen year old telling you "you are my hero for making my room so cool". :)

diva bath

I have been working with textural finishes for five years now and have a great time making sample boards to entice clients with. I happened to create a board with Lusterstone in a peachy-pink color that I ordered to just play with in my studio. I had a scrap piece of a stencil that I created a border design with and just had fun. What could be more fun than adding crystals to the design? The board ended up to be just scrumptious and I had planned on displaying it in a showroom, but didn't quite get it there before I was introduced to a fabulous lady through my hair dresser.
I love, love, love to meet people with a vision. Funny how most people for whom I work have an idea of what they want, but don't know how to get it out. The inspiration for the Diva Bathroom came from this wonderful lady who has always been a diva herself. She happened to want her bathroom to be peachy-pink colored, and I knew right away that she was the one I created that board for without even knowing it.
With her idea of placing an image of a glamorous woman on the wall, we put our minds together and finally decided on using the most famous diva of all. I was able to create a silhouette and have it made into a stencil. Crystals were added to every point on the border design as well as on the shoes and bathing suit of our sexy lady. Four layers of texture, some creative stenciling and many, many Swarovski crystals later, the Diva Bath was born. It has to be one of my favorite creations and collaborations yet. I look forward to more projects with this innovative client.

A wall of a different color

Every once in a while a project comes along that is so out of the ordinary and fantastic that as an artist I can hardly contain my excitement. The past two weeks I had the extraordinary opportunity to work on such. I have to say that I always love my job. (the creative painting part anyway) I have enjoyed each and every creative endeavor to beautify my client's homes, but this one job has actually been one of my very favorite.
I've done many homes in the last five years, each finish has been unique in it's own way. Most clients, however, are very mindful to stay fairly neutral. The most popular finishes I've had seem to be all the "tuscan" style finishes done in browns and soft glazes.
I happened to mention in an article in January's Home Improvement and Remodeling Magazine that the new trend is leaning toward metallics. Well, here is one wonderful case in point.
A fabulous lady who has the most unique taste of mirrored furniture and modern crystal chandeliers contacted me about a month ago and asked me to come look at her home. She had a file filled with photos from all sorts of magazines on decor and design. She showed me one picture in particular that had an item that was done in silver gilding. She said "I want that on my walls." Well, I have to say I was thrilled and horrified all at once. I love to use leafing and think it is one of the most amazing of decorative art forms, but it absolutely stinks a place to high heaven, not too mention the time and money that it costs tends to turn a client off.
What I came up with instead is this. It's a combination of silver leafing and silver plaster. (like venetian plaster) The results were absolutely incredible. I haven't enjoyed a creation yet as much as I did this one. The project didn't end with the silver walls either. In addition to her affinity for mirrors and light, this client has also had an affection for a famous designer who painted or rather printed a very recognizable face on many items from plates to chairs. She has several of these pieces and wanted that same face on her walls. We did that and then some. Here are the results.

Easy painting tips
Personalizing a child's room on a budget
My son was four years old when we moved into our new house. He was used to his old room and he had only just adapted to sleeping by himself. This new room in a strange house was very intimidating. He had a hard time sleeping in it until I painted a room full of dinosaurs for him.

You don't have to be an artist to create a comfortable and familiar place for your child to feel at home. Here's a few tips that can create that space that they'll want to be in.

1. Have them help choose the paint color. I realize that your daughter may go for Pepto Bismol pink, but with a little coercion, you can direct her toward the lightest pink on the swatch stick and she'd still be happy.
A great way to choose colors is to find them in her favorite comforter.
2. Don't be afraid to paint a stripe or two in bright colors to add some interest. It's easier than you think and if you check this blog there are some great tips on how to paint a straight line. Even some polka dots in different sizes are totally easy and way fun. An even better idea is to take simple elements from that comforter and mimic them on the wall on a large scale like these flowers.
3. Go to a thrift store and find a side table, dresser, or even headboard and give it a good paint job. You'd be surprised how an old, seemingly ugly piece can be transformed.
4. Get frames half of at the craft store (ours seems to always have a sale) and put your child's artwork in it.
5. Again, go to the craft store and buy your child's name in wood letters. Spray paint them, put some stickers on them, or leave them plain. Have them help you paint and hang them and they'll love it.

The great thing about paint is that it's cheap. Don't be afraid to put those colors on the wall. Who cares if it doesn't go with the rest of the house.

The color GREEN

It's no secret that we are living in an era where society has become aware of the effects of our actions on our planet. We are recycling more than ever, our government is looking into alternative energy, and the hybrid car is becoming more and more attractive! (arguable, I'm sure)

With all of this GREEN consciousness, it is now possible to be GREEN and attractive on your walls as well. Paint companies are recognizing that people would like to breath better air and save the ozone. Many companies today are developing and selling new lines of low VOC paints and finish products. What is a VOC? -you ask. Volatile Organic Compounds are chemicals in paints that emit harmful gases into the air. Back in the day, oil-based paints were used for everything. They were durable and easy to work with, but the odor was horrendous! You don't even want to know what those chemicals can do to your body.
Water based paints and latex paints have been around for a long time and it's almost impossible to find an oil-based paint anymore. Even some water based paints are fairly high in VOC's. The glossier the finish, the higher the VOC content. This is because the glossy finishes have more bonding agents in them and therefore more of the chemicals that release those gases.

I've just returned from taking a fabulous class that was all about low VOC decorative textures and paints. I am now a Preferred Provider for the new Shizen line of finishes by Modern Masters paints. These are products that not only are low VOC, but use recycled or renewable materials to boot!
The Koruku finish for example is made from bark from the cork oak tree. The bark is harvested and the tree grows it back. This is not your '70's cork tiles, it's a fabulous organic looking finish that can be done in any configuration imaginable. It has the ability to control humidity and is an excellent thermal insulator. This example is two colors of Koruku done in a fabulous cherry blossom stencil.

Another texture that is part of this line is called Kai, which means "seashell". This amazing texture is made from soil, sand, stone and ground sea shells reclaimed from the food industry. It has a fabulous sheen to it with little sparkles all over, it's subtle and beautiful all at once. The most amazing thing about this product is that not only is it low in VOC's, but it has the ability to absorb or dissolve other VOC's that may be lurking in the air in your home!

These are only a few of the products in this line. There are other finishes as well that are already low in VOC's. A Venetian Plaster is very low as is my favorite metallic plaster. Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore both make base paints that are not only low VOC, but highly durable and fabulous to work with.

If you are interested in seeing some exciting innovations in GREEN wall finishes please come and visit my booth at hgcDIRECT the weekend of March 6-8 for the GREEN Expo.

Easy painting tips

Professional straight lines at the ceiling
Those white walls have driven you mad and you have decided to put your favorite shade of chartreuse on that big wall in the living room. You got all the tools from your favorite hardware store, paint tray, can opener, brushes plastic drop cloth, roller and tape. The paint is poured into the tray the roller hits the wall and its smooth sailing. "Who can't do this" you think to yourself as your boring white wall transforms magically to the vibrant pop of color you have imagined for so long. You get your handy dandy brush out to cut in the edges and start slapping on the paint only to find that some of it is leaking onto the ceiling and perhaps the adjacent wall. The perfect paint job just got ruined by the not so perfect line at the ceiling.
Well don't despair, there is a great trick to achieving that perfect ceiling line. No, it's not that edge tool that you've seen on tv. It's much more simple than that.

When cutting in the edges of your wall the only tool you need is a good angled brush. I usually like to use a 2 inch brush, it's not too big, but big enough to hold some paint. Don't try and use a big paint can full of paint or a messy tray while trimming, get a smaller container that is easy to hold in your hand and has a good edge to scrape some of your paint off your brush with. Most likely you will be using a latex paint which is water base and means you can thin it with water. That is exactly what I do. How much water is the key. Some paint will be the perfect consistency for trimming right out of the can, but most of the time I add a little water. What you are looking for is the consistency of chocolate syrup (you know what that's like don't you?) or maybe a little thicker. The important thing to remember is not to add so much water that when you put the brush up to the corner it runs down your arm. The point is that if the paint is too thick, you will get clumps instead of a nice bead of paint.

Once you've mixed your paint to the right thickness, take your brush and dip it only halfway up the bristles. Never dip all the way to the ferrell(metal band) because that will ruin a good brush fast. Touch your brush to the side of your container. This should take some paint off the brush. Next take the brush and put the flat side on the wall about an inch away from the ceiling. Give it a little push into the wall. You may notice some bubbles come out at the tip of the bristles, that's good, those air bubbles will ruin a good straight line every time. Now you can move your brush to where you want your edge to be, however, the trick is that you keep your edge about 1/8 of an inch below corner. Yep, it’s that simple! By keeping your brush loaded with paint that’s the right consistency (typically slightly thinner), removing the air bubbles, and aiming for an edge that’s about 1/8 of an inch from the corner, you can achieve a perfect edge with no unsightly leaking into the ceiling where it doesn’t belong! Give it a try and see what a difference it makes!

To Faux or not to Faux

The notion that faux finishes are either in or out of style is a topic that tends to come up in conversations about decor from time to time. When I hear someone state simply that "faux finishes are out of style" I tend to look at that person as one who is merely uninformed as to the history of decorative painting. Term "faux finish" actually gets used a little too often and most of the time incorrectly.
A "faux" finish is one that is replicating, or "faking" something else. For example, if I were to paint your builder's white columns in your home to look like Carrera Marble, that would be a faux finish. Throughout history artists were employed to replicate different stones or wood grains in order to save the cost of installing the real thing. A simple wall glaze today can be used to replicate the aged walls of old Italian villas.

Many wall textures or paint treatments today are not trying to "fake" anything. They are actually custom, high-end designer finishes meant to add ambiance, depth and interest to a room that may other wise be very simple. Is that to say that every room needs a custom decorative finish? I suppose considering what I do for a living, I should say "YES! Absolutely I can come up with a finish for every room in your house!" Well, I can, but I certainly wouldn't think that to be the best idea in every situation. I certainly don't have different finishes in every room of my house. I think a little can go a long way in most cases, although, I have done homes in which we did almost the entire house in custom finishes......subtle, custom finishes that flow together seamlessly.
The point is that every person has different taste, every home has different architecture and every era has different trends in decor. The heavily textured terra cotta finish of a southwestern home would not work in the dining room of your colonial style Virginia home, but a fabulous silver metallic glaze over steel blue paint would be divine! If your taste is Tuscan (which has been and continues to be VERY "in style") then a fresco mural in the niche on your staircase is definitely in order.

The so-called trend right now happens to be metallics and they are popping up on ceilings, in niches, and in fabulous Venetian Plasters. The metallics of today go with many different decor styles, from traditional to Tuscan.
Simply put, a well chosen flat paint color can definitely be the right choice in many situations, but not only are Decorative Finishes in style now, they have been for centuries. Look at magazines, get inspiration from your vases, fabrics, rugs, etc and let a trained professional show you the many possibilities that custom "faux" finishes can give you.

30 days in August

As much as I set my mind to blog once a week, I've already blown that goal and am now posting a full two months since my last article. I've been a very busy girl and have four murals, three faux finishes and 9 cut out and painted characters two show for it! When I'm not busy I'm crying and when I'm busy I'm crying. I suppose that is an artist for you.
My month of August started out with a friend asking me to check out this new home and garden center opening up in mid month and would I want to do a booth in it. Well here I am now and I did two finishes in the reception area, a mural for a landscaper's booth and a faux finish for my own wall along with a trompe l'oeil window. In the midst of all of this I had a gig to start for a new Goddard School opening up in the south part of town that wanted two large murals and mascots for each of their 9 rooms. I have to say that I've not worked so hard in a very long time. My house has not been this thrashed in a very long time! I've finished all with flying colors, except for my own booth which may never be totally finished in my head anyway. (never good enough in my head, most artists can identify with this I think)
I have to say that I truly was blessed to land such a wonderful job as The Goddard School and to have it as sort of a respite in the midst of working a much more trying job (or two) at the Home and Garden Center was probably what saved me from going absolutely crazy. I had a great time designing the characters and the owners were so kind. Here is the main mural finished, and yes, I should do a better job piecing the photo together, but I've got little energy left and you can get the idea anyway. The wall measured 10 foot 10 inches square oddly enough and is facing you as you walk into the school.

The very creative couple who own the school had this great idea of "Come explore our world" I love it when a client can articulate what is in their head and I am just able to interpret. We had nine class rooms to represent in the mural and the animals were each put on a continent with the explorer in the ocean. It couldn't have worked out better.
Next we decided that a procession of the animals walking into the school along side the children as they enter would be in order and this is what I came up with for the entry hall.

I had an absolutely wonderful time painting this one and hope to do more like this.

I have great pics of the mural and finishes in the home and garden center that I will share on the next post.

preliminary sketches

In as long as I have been honing my mural skills, I've long had a debate with myself about how to present or even render preliminary sketches. I've done paintings, pencil sketches, colored pencil, and even watercolor pencil. I've come to the conclusion that for me, the colored pencils work just fine.
For our sweet woodland nursery, we've chosen the paint color and are ready to execute the mural. This particular design is broken up into several small murals at the baseboard around the room. As I do with all my murals, I sketched a small example in colored pencil for the client's approval. If I have a client who needs more help visualizing the finshed product I will paint a small example on canvas for an additional fee. I do direct my clients to my website to have them look at previous work to get an idea of what I am capable of. This usually takes care of any apprehension that may arise from the pencil sketches. Here is the preliminary drawing and the mural as finished today. I'll be adding flowers and butterflies in a couple days.

These cute little racoons turned out pretty much like the drawing, but better. I think it is up to the individual artist to choose how the preliminary drawings are done. Of course, each client is different and some need a little extra visual help.