I’m just horrible with crafts or artistry on small objects. Big walls, sure, but small surfaces? Can’t do it — and I’ve tried, trust. Which is why when I saw The Art of Ebru post over at one of my fave blogs, Art’s the Answer, I was overtaken by the sheer mastery the blog’s writer, Theresa Cheek, has of the art form.
Ebru is the process of floating ink on water to create marbleized patterns. A fellow decorative painter in Texas, Theresa shows examples of Ebru on different surfaces, talks about her collection, demonstrates the process and showcases some of her work. That’s just so impressive. My Mother, who is a creative genius with small objects, thinks it may come around for me eventually. I’m not so sure — but I do hope you enjoy Theresa’s artistry. Have a great day, dear Reader!
Artist Sheri Hoeger
Many years ago I heard of The Mad Stencilist and thought that was such a joyful name for a business. I had to look into the company and discovered that it was headed by the wonderfully talented Sheri Hoeger — and to this day, I admire her amazing creativity, professionalism and warm personality. Sheri has been working in the decorative painting industry for over 22 years. Her main focus has been residential interiors and she’s worked on nearly every imaginable surface from walls to floors, fabric, furniture and accessories.
In 1993, she began teaching and launched her pre-cut stencil line as The Mad Stencilist at IDAL. Her husband, Hugh, joined her full-time to run the management and marketing segments of the business in 1998. Shortly thereafter, Say What? Lettering, the first custom self-adhesive stencil masking system available to the decorative painting community, was launched and it now encompasses the Beyond Words Decorative Designs. Sheri has also been an advisor for The Faux Forum since its inception, made numerous television appearances and has also created instructional DVDs for our industry. I’m so happy that we were able to e-chat about her art, hobbies and a bit more about her studio and businesses.
The drapery was painted with an airbrush. The stencil was cut from acetate and used a paint and pull process on the wall.
SH: As my artistic skills evolved, I learned to use many different materials and techniques and have branched out into fine art, painting in acrylic and pastel. I especially love trompe l’oeil murals and capturing the essence of personalities in my animal portraits.
RG: You’re also very well known for your airbrushing…
SH: It’s not something I could have planned. I was introduced to the airbrush when I worked as a manicurist in the early 80’s. A friend showed me the traditional dry brush method of stenciling at about the time that multiple overlay stencils first became available. I loved the soft look of the airbrushing combined with the crisp edge of the stencil and it fascinates me to this day. In 1988, I began making my own stencils to match my clients’ décor and this, combined with airbrushing, became my ‘signature style’. Of course, I still use stencils and airbrush frequently, and enjoy developing new ways of using them.T'loose is Sheri's standard poodle and the dog love of her life. (Pastel)
RG: Do you have other go-to materials you use?
SH: Whenever possible I like to work from my own photographs. I take hundreds of photographs of whatever I happen to come across and file them by subject in my computer. I also love Dover Publications because they publish archives of historic ornament, illustration, old catalogs and other art resources that are copyright free and reasonably priced.
Handpainted using a wet T-shirt. I think this would be the best kind of entry in a Wet T-Shirt contest.
RG: Professionally, who are some of your inspirations?
SH: So many artists have influenced my development! Jan Dressler and Dee Keller were very inspiring, and both were very helpful when I was starting out. Pascal Amblard, Sean Crosby and Jennifer Carrasco are fantastic. William Cochran is incredibly inspiring, both as an artist and a human being. I’ve studied with William and had the chance to work with him on his project The Dreaming in Frederick, MD. It was a double pleasure to work on it along side my son, Ryan.
The landscape was painted with an airbrush using natural foliage as a mask. When grouped together, your eye makes it into a positive. The column was marbled and gilded.
RG: Are there any art books or artist biographies that you recommend for us to read?
SH: Like many artists, I have an addiction to art books. One of the first artists I was really inspired by is Lyn le Grice. Her books The Stenciled House and The Art of Stencilling were instrumental in my falling in love with stenciling, and that was where I first heard about SALI (now IDAL). I love all of books by Graham Rust and they have inspired quite a few of my murals. The Stencilled Home by Helen Morris is really great, and The Art of Faux by Pierre Finklestein. One of the most useful ones I have come across is Perspective Without Pain by Phil Metzger. Carolina D’Ayala Valva’s book on Grottesca is fantastic, and I can’t wait for the release of Pascal Amblard’s upcoming book.
RG: What are some misconceptions about art that you encounter?
SH: The idea that many people have that they “can’t” draw or paint. I think most of those people have been unfortunately convinced of that by insensitive comments, resulting in a fear of trying. I don’t discount that there is a degree of “talent” that gives a person some pre-disposition for success in art, but the most talented artists I know work incredibly hard, devoting countless hours with a persistence that is mind-boggling. I believe that art is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Skills can be learned and perfected with practice and I’ve seen many determined beginners produce incredible work that surprised themselves and their teachers. I believe that being creative is a basic human need, whether it’s in art or math or science or cooking. That’s one of the reasons our business is so satisfying. We help give people the tools and opportunity to be creative beyond their expectations.
Airbrushed using the Renaissance Border from The Mad Stencilist Collection.
RG: Speaking of being “creative beyond expectations”, I’ve heard that you are a musician as well! What are your preferences? Do you play in an actual band?
SH: I love an eclectic array of acoustic music. Hugh and I have had the joy of playing music together for fun and semi-professionally for many years. We play a lot of Bluegrass, Americana and Soft Rock/Folksy stuff. We enjoy harmony singing and Hugh plays guitar, mandolin, bass and a little banjo. I play bass. Favorites are Alison Krauss and Union Station, Chris Thile (now in the Punch Brothers), Chris Stuart and Backcountry, Dan Crary, Laurie Lewis, Nanci Griffith and Tim O’Brien.
RG: That sounds amazing — I love the fact that both you and your husband enjoy performing together. Can’t get any better than that!
In 2002, Sheri and Hugh moved to a two-acre property near Placerville, CA in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, just East of Sacramento. They wanted to keep their business home-based and also have a studio that combined both in a beautiful, spacious setting. Their studio, Big Oak Arts, offers workshops in fine and decorative arts. In addition to Sheri’s classes, they will have Pascal Amblard teaching 3 workshops in September (his first visit to the West Coast) and William Cochran will return to teach his Trompe l’oeil Mastery Series in March 2011. Check out their schedule here. Sheri is also presenting a recent project at the upcoming PDPA Education Summit in Golden, CO. So many great things going on and coming up, no? Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed this interview — and I’d like to thank Sheri for taking the time to e-chat. I do look forward to seeing her studio AND hearing her play. Please be sure to click into all the sites — there’s so much good stuff to see and read about. Have a great weekend!
A few weeks ago, we profiled the wonderful artist Lynne Rutter. She writes an incredible blog, The Ornamentalist, and I look forward to reading each post she writes. The latest one, A House Inspired by a Jasperware Teapot, talks about how she took inspiration from an unusual source — and created an exterior masterpiece for her clients. Here’s the Before…
…and you’ll have to click on the post link to see the results. You’ll love it, trust. (Jasperware certainly gets around since I’ve also found it to be inspirational.) BTW, in the post Lynne also includes information on how black can be a serious contender for the exterior of your home. I kid you not — I’d slather it on if the architecture of my house would allow it. (Sadly, no.) Have a great day!
I stumbled onto my decorative painting career when I roomed with a film scenic artist. Her home was right out of a movie set (with props, too) and to this day I smile at the memories of my time living there. She taught me how production designers and scenic artists work to create a particular mood and how spaces are truly tailored to fit their characters. If only everyone adopted that theory and brought it to their own homes.
Since then, I’ve paid attention to the sets and design of the movies I watch. I also love to know about the artists that create so much of this work. One artist was Albert Whitlock, one of the film industry’s most skilled illusionists. Here’s a fascinating 1-minute excerpt from the educational film, Albert Whitlock: A Master of Illusion.
His specialty, Matte Painting, refers to the visual effect of creating the background scenery of a film. For instance, these visuals:
Painted Mountains in the Background (Movie - Earthquake)
Can you see where the set ends and the painted background begins? It's tough! (Movie - History of the World: Part 1)
Albert Whitlock’s painted backdrops can be seen in over 500 films and television shows and he is a two-time Oscar winner. He is generally known to have been the best of all the matte painters. He was able to create scenery that was impossible to film realistically, such as periods in the past (like 1930′s Chicago), disasters (the Hindenburg) or because they were too expensive to build (a mountaintop city). The trompe l’oeil work had to be masterful since the better you were, the less your work was able to be detected when seen with live-action photography. In fact, directors used to check with him first before they took on a project — they wanted to make sure the visual effects could be achieved within the budget and scope of the production.
Incredibly, Mr. Whitlock referred to himself as a craftsman rather than an artist. He was unassuming and sought to demystify his craft, saying that it was “something that could be learned by anybody willing to make the effort”. Syd Dutton, who used to be his assistant, says “I remember one beautiful landscape Al painted that was supposed to be a whole bunch of weeds, chaparral in California. When I looked at it up close, it looked like Persian writing — just squiggles — but when you stood back, it looked just like chaparral. Al always said, ‘Paint is the effect of light, not the object itself.’“
Mr. Whitlock passed away in 1999. Here is an 8-minute tribute to him created by Craig Barron, of the Visual Effects Society. It’s educational and inspiring (and has Mel Brooks, another fave of mine prominently featured as well). Rest in Peace and Beauty, Mr. Whitlock.
Interested in learning more about the art form? Check out The Invisible Art: The Legends of Movie Matte Painting. Many thanks to the following blogs and sites for information and visuals: Rays in Blue, IMDB, Film Reference, The ASC and YouTube. I hope you’ve enjoyed this feature!
Modern Masters is a now-defunct show I enjoyed on HGTV. I remember an episode that featured the father-son team of Tom and TJ Moberg. They are known for creating beautiful relief designs and nature scenes using drywall mud and other unique materials. They are based out of Des Moines, Iowa and have a studio called the Moberg Gallery. I’ve seen them featured on other blogs but I thought I’d share some visuals with you as well.
Tree with Copper Leaves
Beautiful Scene with a Water Feature
A Cool Idea for a Staircase.
Love the idea of the tree transcending the wall -- and the sweet birds resting among the branches.
My favorite: Poseidon. Poseidon always seems to be upset about something, doesn't he?
Please remember you can always click on the pics to zoom. There are more visuals and information to be found at the Moberg Gallery website. Healthcare Design magazine also featured the family in an article entitled The Healing Arts. Hope you’ve enjoyed their work!
A bit ago, I stumbled onto the Babylon Baroque blog, who’s tagline — “snotty opinions and a fondness for excess” — had me at the word go. The blog is written by Los Angeles-based artist Leonard Greco and I found myself fully enjoying his irreverent mix of design history, decorative arts and personal conversations with his readers.
Artist Leonard Greco
Mr. Greco is a one-man studio and has been designing ornamental compositions and murals for the last 20 years. “I am self-taught and now at 50 years of age, attending school and earning a BFA. It is a humbling and wondrous experience,” Leonard says. “I hope to ultimately switch to large scale studio work outside the design community, in galleries.” His love and knowledge of decorative ornamentation and period aesthetics have garnered him many discriminating and unique clients, including singer Christina Aguilera, whose home was profiled in the October 2009 InStyle issue. I’m very happy that we were able to e-chat recently about his artistry, interests and personal musings.
RG: What is the first work of art you remember creating?
LG: The first painting I ever attempted was on a discarded chunk of sheetrock. My parents had allowed me to claim a corner of our basement for my own personal sanctuary. With that sheetrock I attempted to recreate a Buddhist wall mural, all in shades of jade and gilt. I nailed it to the ceiling. My first, and certainly easiest mural. I was 10.
RG: What are some of your personal favorite design and/or finish styles?
LG: I love all things 19th century, enlightened design to the vulgar, Regency to vaudeville.
RG: What is the best thing that has happened to the art industry in the last five years?
LG: The Green Movement has been a tremendous boon, not only for the obvious reasons. I no longer need to make a case for not using hazardous material. When I started out that was not the case and all “good” designers demanded oil treatments.
RG: Len, I love this! Tell me a bit about it…
LG: The Salome panel is oil on canvas, artist unknown to me. It is early 20th century and it inspired the room and my decoration. I was hoping to capture the bohemian decadent type of interiors favored by Stephen Tennant and his crowd of Bright Young Things in the 20′s.
RG: What magazines do you subscribe to?
LG: There is only one design magazine worth reading, World of Interiors.
RG: What artist would you like to commission to create a painting for your home?
LG: Whistler, he can doodle peacocks on anything he wishes.
RG: What is your greatest talent?
LG: My greatest gift is designing ornament, something I love deeply. With that said, I wish to become a better studio painter.
I admire how artists always strive for that chrysalis, the evolution into something better, different, deeper. I hope you’ve enjoyed the peek into Leonard Greco’s enchanted world. You can see further artistry in his online portfolio. I urge you to also check out his blog, Babylon Baroque — there is always something new to discover about the decorative arts and he delivers it in a witty, amusing way. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Late last week, we received our hot-off-the-press copy of Modello by Design, Volume 2.
Cover featuring the artistry of Dallas, Texas artisan Gracie Reed
Melanie Royals of Modello Designs, applicable decorative pattern designs, includes the work of 68 artisans and presents more than 175 ornamental finish images for artisans to use as inspiration for both themselves and their clients. If you recall, we profiled Volume 1 when it came out as well. At this time, Volume 2 is only available as a limited edition, so act quickly if you’d like to own one — or give out to designers and clients. I don’t want to spoil too much with a lot of images since all of the pre-ordered books go out this week and there should be an element of surprise for everyone. So here are just a few of my fave images:
Gorgeous ceiling by Anna & Scott Sadler of Phoenix, Arizona
Jennifer Reichert & Melissa Wagner of Canada’s Interiors to Inspire
Bill Bigler of Quality Custom Painting in Ventura, CA — amazing detail work on the ceiling!
Love Transitional Modellos! This beauty is by Julie Young of Vista, CA.
The design on the ceiling is just so striking. Artistry by Bill Borselli of Phoenix, Arizona.
A very cool feature of this volume is the Pattern Reference Guide that is included with the book. That was an extra effort that I’m sure will be very appreciated all around. If you are so inclined, you can see our work featured as well. [Funny story. My brother was showing the book to another artisan and couldn't find our images and so he says "Hey, I can't find our pics!" I quickly said "Pages 90 and 108." They both laughed and he says "Of course you would know that right off the bat." I gave them a big grin -- I can't help it. Proud we made it into this volume as well. :) ] Talk soon!
Carrasco Studio has a blog which blends a love of watercolors, drawing lessons, art history, gardening, mural work and the wonderful musings of artisan Jennifer Carrasco. She recently had a blog post entitled Drawing Lesson 8, Scandalous Profiles and Classical Drawing which had great information on creating a drawn profile, drapery elements as well as a bit of history of the inimitable John Singer Sargent. No more calls, we have a winner.
That is the profile of the eternally beautiful Madame X, which is just a tiny bit of the entire portrait that you can see in Jennifer’s blog post. Click on the link and found out who she was and how her life turned out — as well as how to create a profile and draw drapery. Until tomorrow!
There is a unique kind of artisan that not only produces sublime work but also possesses extraordinary knowledge about design, color, architecture and art history. If you are lucky enough as a client to have one in your area, they will elevate your project simply through their talent and innate understanding of what your space needs. One such artisan is Lynne Rutter. She runs a thriving studio based in San Francisco with commissions throughout the U.S. and has over 25 years of professional experience as a decorative painter.
Artisan: Lynne Rutter
Lynne is well-known for her ornamental ceilings, surreal-scale figurative murals and a fearless use of color. She has a BFA from UC Berkeley, where she studied architecture and design as well as fine art. “I started out as a scenic artist in the 1980’s when trompe l’oeil and faux finishes were enjoying a level of popularity I have not seen since. I sought out the best decorative painters and apprenticed with them, working for very low wages to gain experience. I then managed a large international commercial mural studio for 4 years and learned the technical aspects of running a mural business,” she explains. She founded her own studio in 1990.
We recently had a chance to e-chat as she was winding down from her beautiful wedding to composer Erling Wold.
RG: Congratulations! I think you had my favorite type of wedding: fun, wildly artistic and deeply personal. It must be amazing to marry another talented artisan. Considering your union, what are your personal preferences in music?
LR: Music is very important to me and it’s probably no coincidence that my husband is a composer whose work I adore. I have kind of a punk rock past but I am very eclectic in my tastes now, so I also love classical music, swing music, opera, gyspy jazz and non-western folk music. I have no idea what genres Radiohead, Philip Glass or Fila Brazillia fall into, but they are in heavy rotation at my studio.
RG: I imagine with your love of period design that you travel quite a bit. What have been some of the most inspiring spaces you’ve seen that had decorative painting?
LR: There is so much amazing painting to see out there, and I do love to travel. I have found inspiring moments in grand rooms and little hallways alike. Some more notable places: the Gallery of Maps in the Vatican Palace, and the lesser known Salette Borgia and Eglise Saint-Germain-des-Pres in Paris. Here in San Francisco, if you go to Coit Tower there are some spectacular WPA murals inside. All over Italy there are wonderful churches and villas with breathtaking décor inside. Some of my favorite painted rooms are in the Lower Belvedere Palace, Vienna. Last time I went there it took me four hours to pry my eyes off the ceilings and we kind of got locked in when they closed for the day. I had to ask the guard to let us out. I started my blog in large part to have a place to post these pictures.
Lynne sneaking a pic in the Lower Belvedere Palace (Vienna)
RG: What are some of your favorite go-to materials you use in your work?
LR: I use paint- usually acrylics, oils, casein. I paint all my maquettes in gouache. Whenever possible I like to add gold leaf. And I swear by good quality brushes. My favorite tools are my scenic fitches, a #6 synthetic round and a good sable liner.
Lynne has participated in the restoration of painted ornament in churches and civic buildings, as well as in Victorian and period-revival homes. While she does contemporary work in modern homes, adorning a previously barren space with historic-inspired murals and ornament has become one of her signature looks. Her work has been featured in numerous national design magazines and books on interior design. Recent commissions include two public libraries, the Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, the Malibu home of Barbra Streisand (to be featured in Ms. Streisand’s upcoming book, Passion for Design) and in illustrations for Williams-Sonoma.
RG: Any art books or artist biographies that you recommend for us to read?
LR: I love books and have a huge library. I adore doing research for my work and all the things I learn in the process. When I re-launched my website last year, I posted my library there in my own little bookshop.
RG: What has been the most fulfilling project you’ve been involved with?
LR: The project that shaped my career the most was a 10 x 13 foot mural I painted based on Girl With A Pearl Earring by Vermeer. I was painting it over 600% of the original size, so I had to come up with a different technique and a lot more information, or I risked having it look like a billboard. I had the most supportive patroness, who paid me well and gave me plenty of time to go through whatever process I needed to be happy with the work. While I could have cranked the mural out in a week, I took this painting much further, and at some point decided to invest myself in it as an artist, not just as a painter. When it was done we had an opening party for her, and I invited people to the studio to drink champagne and get a close look before I took her down for installation on site. From then on, I no longer viewed my chosen career as just my job, but also as my art. Ever since that epiphany I have pushed my work further on every job I do, no matter what the budget or deadline. I completely dismissed all the negative messages I had ever heard telling me what I cannot do and I take bigger chances with my designs.
I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know Lynne and seeing a bit of her incredible artistry. Please take a moment to look at her website and blog. Lynne also has a renowned studio where she teaches workshops between commissions. She is traveling to the IDAL convention in Portland to teach Painterly Cloud Ceilings.
When asked about a personal artisan philosophy and last words of advice, Lynne says, “One of my favorite painting teachers told me something that I find really helps me, especially when I am teaching: Every artist is essentially self-taught. You can get the techniques and knowledge handed to you in a class or on a silver platter, but the artistry comes from the time you spend alone, in practice. So much of what is satisfying about my work is how much I keep learning and how doing something well is worth the extra effort. Beautiful work improves the lives of those who see it and raises the esteem of the entire trade, not just my own reputation. It last longer than whatever you can possibly buy with the money you earned doing it. The Sistine Chapel ceiling would not be the masterpiece that it is if Michelangelo was just trying to make a profit. The best piece of advice I can give is this: Do your best, always, and believe in yourself. The day you realize you deserve what you really want, you will get it.“
I’ve been informed via e-mails and Facebook (thank you Krista and Belinda!) that one of our fellow finishers, Lynnette Wright, has sent in her audition tape to be one of Oprah’s new talk show hosts. Apparently, she is in the top five percent and needs our help. Her show, called Trending Now, would focus on all that’s hot in decor, fashion and food. Click to see her video audition. The voting continues until July 3, 2010. I think she’s got a great presence on camera — and I hope she gets a shot. Go, Lynette!
