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!
Green is a color that signifies life — growth, renewal, healthiness. It is a color that denotes nature and balance and can usually be found within a calm color scheme. Used well, it can help alleviate anxiety and relax both the mind and body. Many famous phrases revolve around the color, such as “going green”, “green with envy”, “green-lighting a project” or “it’s not easy being green”. Mmm…maybe that last one not so much. ;) In entertainment, there is even a “green room” — it is the area a performer can be found waiting until his or her time to go on stage. Interestingly, it is rarely painted green.
Sensational Color has wonderful further information on the color green. In the meantime, I found a few catalog and magazine images that showcase this beautiful color.
Wallpaper or Decorative Artwork
Venetian Plaster on Accent Walls
Unexpected Areas
Overall
I hope you’ve been inspired to Go Green! Until next time, dear Reader!
Image Sources: Architectural Digest, Interior Design, Benjamin Moore, Phoenix Home & Garden and Elle Decor
Late last year, our team did a crocodile skin finish in a hotel bar. It had beautiful shades of aged eggplant and silvers — very shimmery and sleek. Per request, we used both stencils and cheesecloth to create the crocodile texture. Oh, but how it took time. I don’t even want to tell you how the stencils looked after so much trowelling.
Fast forward a few months and I learn about this roller. (Of course, it happens that way…)
It was released by Atova and they say that it makes creating crocodile textures fast and consistent in pattern. The roller originated in Italy and you use it to just roll the pattern onto your surface material. It can be rinsed for reuse with mild soap detergent and water. Last I heard, Atova offers contractors a 15% discount. It comes in two sizes: 7″ and 3.5″ — you can find more information here. You can also contact Atova directly if you have any specific questions. Needless to say, I will plan on using these the next time I have a crocodile request. Looks like it’ll save us quite a bit of time…and I look forward to not throwing out cheesecloth and stencils due to so much use and abuse! Until tomorrow!
I subscribe to a lot of newsletters since I like keeping updated on the latest and greatest. I received the August newsletter by Golden on their Proceed System and in it, there was a mention of a Finishes & Techniques area of their site wherein they give out complimentary recipes on finishes using their products. It’s nice to have freebies like that! The newsletter mentions that they are going to start adding more recipes to this area very soon — so keep an eye out. In addition, there is a video section produced by the Faux Design Center.
Embossed Glass Beads
We’ve tried their glaze and it has one of the longest open times available. A friend of ours loves to use their texture products prior to his decorative work. If you’d like to read more about the Proceed Systems product line, click to read their story and see a list of retailers. The Faux Expo in Orlando also has an upcoming class. By the way, the site also has a comprehensive resource section that provides great links for artists — everything from publications to associations to material sources. Have fun learning new recipes!
I apologize in advance to those who follow me on Twitter or are a Facebook friend, as I already shouted this one out from the rooftops on those sites. Google Alerts was kind enough to let me know that the Fauxology blog was mentioned in a Connecticut Now article entitled “Trick Out Your House with Color” — as one of two recommended blogs to read (the other being the wonderful Color Buzz).
Thankfully, y’all can’t see me doing the I’m a Superstahhhhh! Moves. (Looks like this…)
The article was written by Feng Shui expert Kathryn Weber — a big hearty thanks from me. Click on the link to the article which contains great tips on the addition of color in your home. I particularly like the one about painting your doors a snappy color. My doors are now looking at me like “What? We look good — you woodgrained us already!”. Silly doors — they’ll see a lot more changes throughout the years. Enjoy the article!
When someone says “Victorian design” or “Baroque style” or even “Georgian architecture”, do you wish to instinctively and visually know what each entails? (raising hand) I do! This is why I so appreciate books and workshops to educate me on each style since I do love to learn about design history. Our book selection this month, Classic Design Styles by author Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, outlines the chronology of each period in design and takes us on a tour of houses decorated within each style. She also shows how the reader can achieve the looks by explaining the methods and theories behind each design. Andrew Wood, Ianthe Ruthven and Mick Hales beautifully photographed most of the interiors.
Some of the additional design styles covered are the Renaissance style, the Baroque style and the Federal and Empire styles. In the back of the book, there is a section on details such as walls, ceilings, textiles and paint — and a very nice glossary. Hope you get a chance to check it out!
The beauty of interior design and decorative painting is that a space can take on any personality. The choice comes down to the client, of course, but also what the aesthetics of the area is. A unique option to consider is a silhouette — an outline of a chosen image with an appropriate background. Just a hint of artistry without overwhelming the space. Here are two examples:
Above is a teenager’s room (I believe) I found profiled in Country Sampler magazine a few years ago. I love the overall idea and colors — I’d replace the chair and take out the hung magazine collage next to the silhouettes and the frame trimmed in black lace, though.
(Above 2 images) This space never gets old for me. The artist is David Carter and the room is featured in his book, The Complete Book of Paint. The plus is that he shows how to achieve the effect as well. It was among the first design books I purchased and is still a perennial fave.
Hope you’ve had a nice start to the month of August. See you tomorrow!
Color Buzz is one of my fave blogs. Sponsored by Valspar, their team of artisans really do an outstanding job of writing posts full of color inspiration, history and best of all, provide specific swatch names and numbers. A recent fave opened the door to this blog nibbler: The Shades and Colors of Parisian Doors. (Yes, that was my attempt at a pun. I know…)
Beautiful Parisian Door
We’ve profiled Ann McGuire before on our Blog Beat series, in case you’d like to read more about her artistry and the Color Buzz blog. The Parisian doors post was inspired by a few rainy days spent in Paris. I think that would be a beautiful experience, non? Oui!
Linda Banning, the owner of a new Orlando, FL workshop studio, La Murabella, recently introduced me to a few products in the market. One of these was Perfetto Wood Gels. Now, I’ve been using another water-based woodstain system to color and use within glazes to great success. However, that product is not exterior-rated (ask me how I know) and although we love the wood color options, we’ve been searching for another product that would allow us to use them outside with no fear. Enter Perfetto Wood Gels.
The stains are water-based, can be combined with other products such as glazes, are exterior-rated and are comparably priced at about $20 per quart, give or take. We took a leap of faith and used them recently to woodgrain a set of garage doors — a technique we do a lot here in Florida. The color held and although not as strongly tinted as other products on the market (you will use a bit more), they are much more liquid and therefore easier to stir and blend than other products. So for us, it was a great result.
(above) Before ~~~ (below) After
They have an array of 20 colors in addition to 3 metallics (Gold, Silver & Copper) which can be added to the stains as well as a Black Concentrate to deepen the available colors at will. One of my fave colors is Gilded Walnut, which gives a subtle rich sheen to the stain — very nice. You can check out the other colors available here. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Linda at La Murabella. She’ll lead you down the right path. :) Let me know if you’ve used this product and what your results were, if so. Have a wonderful day!
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!
