A few years ago, I came upon EverGreene Architectural Arts.  You know the joy when you discover a company whose sheer craftsmanship and dedication to excellence oozes out of every image, every project and even every pore of their website?  Exactly.  Evergreene is truly a special and unique studio — one of the finest in the country.  Their scope of work is astounding — please do take some time to see their artistry.

We are proud to profile one of their recent projects, the lobby ceiling of a building along Fifth Avenue in New York City.  The project had undergone multiple renovations and the original entrance had an unusually narrow, low-ceilinged lobby. After adding lobby height and width, the new entrance and portal was then roofed with a shallow arch, evoking the building’s crown.  The commercial project had a decidedly contemporary vibe and the technique was designed by Robin Roi, the head of their decorative finishes department.

First, the team primed the surface and then created a textured pattern in a dark green color, which was the color that the client wanted to come through the final gilding.

The artists made a textured finish with heavy acrylic paint and massive brushes in a swirled pattern and then gilded it with aluminum leaf.

Close-up

It was all then sanded and abraded it lightly to reveal the texture even more. Finally, it was glazed to match the rest of the lobby.

Close-up

The gorgeous finish blends beautifully with the Travertine walls, patterned terrazzo floors and marble accents.

The final images are by Jock Pottle. All are courtesy of EverGreene Architectural Arts.

EverGreene advises that there’s a long historic precedent for this style, specifically, combed plaster from the aesthetic movement in the 1880s. It was actually more a style than a movement and was in response to the Victorian clutter of Gothic Revival.  To a certain extent, they used influences of the Far East as stylistic cues. Edward William Godwin is the architect that more or less typifies this style.  Taking the contemporary interior in mind, Robin Roi created a more abstract version of the textural aesthetic movement wall coverings for this project.  I think the technique is gorgeous and so well done — and am enchanted with the final colorations.

Since 1978, EverGreene has been creating award-winning designs and projects for special clients.  Their studio has several facets, including restoration and conservation along with sacred, civic and theatrical works.   In fact, they have a fascinating short video explaining how architectural conservators explore, sample and test historic interiors to determine past layers of history and suggest an appropriate plan of action.

The company also keeps a wonderful blog where they share some of their projects. You can also keep up with them via their Facebook fan page.  A warm Thank You! goes out to EverGreene Architectural Arts (and especially their Communications Director, James Tarmy) for sharing their project and incredible artistry with us.  What a beautiful way to end the week — enjoy the weekend, dear Readers!

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Faux-cus on the Pros is the series where we talk to other artisans in the field of design. Today, I’m thrilled that we have the chance to speak to Gina Garner, who creates incredible Italian-Renaissance inspired ceramic pieces. Her work has received many accolades, including features in museum collections and magazines such as House Beautiful. She writes a beautiful blog, Art and Alfalfa, that focuses on her wonderful country life, her travels and of course, her hand-painted ceramics. Let’s head to Utah to sit in her lovely home, relax and chat a bit.

Gina Garner

Gina Garner: I was born in a small fishing village by the Baltic Sea, in East Prussia (Germany).  During the war, my mother, sister and I were forced to flee our home and relocate to East Germany.  When my father was released from prison camp in Siberia, Russia, we planned our escape to West Germany.

I have painted since I was a small child, influenced by my father, a master woodcarver and watercolorist.  I would accompany him on painting expeditions to small farm villages in East Germany.  While living in East Germany I was trained as a topographic draftsman.  My first job, after escaping to West Germany, was hand painting greeting cards for a German card company.

After immigrating to the United States, I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Utah, focusing on Anthropology, The Applied Arts, Art History, and in particular, the Italian Renaissance.   Each year, my husband and I, travel to various regions of the world, bringing back new ideas and many Old World techniques.  With the renewed interest in decorative painting finishes, I now devote much of my time teaching workshops at our local college and teaching classes to designers, professional painters and private individuals.

In 2004, I designed a kitchen for a local attorney.  When we searched for hand painted tiles they were not available.  Those from Europe were too expensive mostly because shipping had become prohibitive.  So I decided that I would learn and teach myself how to paint ceramic tiles.  It was not that difficult and with a ceramic shop willing to fire my tiles, owning a kiln was not so important.

I have since traveled to Italy, Holland, France and Belgium and I have made it a point to learn and paint ceramics with several fine maiolica (or majolica) painters of Europe.  For the past 4 years, I have painted with Professor Nicola Boccini and Maestro Romano Ranieri of Deruta, Italy, one of the major centers of Maiolica production.

My husband Gene and I live in a small artist/farming community of central Utah. After many years of travel to Italy and studying the work of Andrea Palladio and his country villas in the Veneto, Italy, we decided to build an Italian inspired small villa in the middle of an alfalfa field.  Here is where we tend our fields and gardens and take care of the many animals that have adopted us. We designed every phase and did a lot of the physical work, such as laying all of the marble and I did all of the wall finishes, including gilding and marbling.  Several years ago, a Hollywood film company filmed our house.  We were awarded first place in International Design an in addition, an award winning Magazine featured our house in a 13-page spread.

Central Hall

Front Facade

The incredible views along their pond.

Where do you see ceramic design heading in the future?

We traveled to Deruta, Italy, only a few months ago. Things have changed. No one was visiting Deruta, one of the major centers for hand painted ceramics.  Ceramics are expensive and because of their weight, shipping is very expensive. U.S. companies are not importing  for those same reasons. The more than 600-year-old ceramic industry of Italy is suffering. Artists are looking for solutions and they are also looking for employment in other industries. I’m afraid, that at least for now, a very old tradition is losing its fine artists.

What are some of your favorite color and/or product combinations you’ve seen?

I’m no Minimalist. I like living with  objects and art which we have acquired from our travels. I love color. Not garish colors. The kind of colors designer John Saladino chooses for his interiors…the lavender that is almost gray and the green that reminds one of the foaming ocean. The charming and warm interiors designed by Charles Faudree hold just about the right amount of  exuberance. I like classic designs and I love to mix the humble with the splendid. Too much is not enough has always been my motto.

What are some of the most wonderful materials you’ve come across?

Italian powder pigments, which I bring back from Italy, provide color and an intensity that is quite remarkable. While taking lessons in Belgium, I was introduced to a product, Peptapon. It is made in Germany and acts as a binder with ceramic powder pigments. It is a product that prevents the smearing of pigment.

What artist would you like to commission to create a work of art for your home?

That’s easy. An Italian artist and mural painter who lives in Calistoga, California by the name of Carlo Marchiori.

What one existing book or movie title describes your life?

Actually it is a piece of Music from an opera by Verdi, Nabucco, the Slave Chorus.  Not because I see myself as a slave but because the music has just the right amount of  highs and lows, which describes my life perfectly.

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Such an incredible life. Her artistry is sublime, no? Speaking of sublime, I’d also love to commission Carlo Marchiori! Interestingly enough, I found out via Art’s the Answer that the architects who designed Carlo Marchiori’s Ca’Toga also designed Gina’s home. Very nice! Gina does have a wonderful, refined and warm way about her — it truly reflects in her colorful work and in the blog posts she writes. She also sells her work via eBay and her Etsy shop, Maiolica, and explains that, “I have found a niche for a product that has not been imported in the last few years.  There are only a handful of  tile companies who will import special orders”. Every year, her town of Spring City, Utah is “open” to the public and they have several fine artists living in the small community with visitors coming from far and wide to purchase art. Sounds like an amazing way to live life!  Thank you, Gina, for sharing your life and artistry with us. Have a wonderful day, everyone!

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Hello Everyone!

Today I have for you a design board I did that was inspired by a beautiful finish created by Sheri Zeman of Chicago’s Faux Design Studio. The finish, with a linen background and raised flower foreground, is called Marcello. I love the way that name just rolls of the tongue. We should all know someone with that name just so we have a reason to say it on a regular basis.

Anyhow, back in November Regina wrote about Sheri and a class she was teaching at The Paint Factory here in Orlando. In her post, Regina showcased three different finishes she learned at the class. Though I thought they were all amazing, Marcello was easily my favorite. When I first saw this design, I immediately envisioned it as the statement wall in a stylish contemporary dining room.

I present to you the Marcello Dining Room:

This dining room had to be elegant, contemporary, sophisticated and inviting. With that in mind, I set out to find items that would deliver on each of those points.

• The farmhouse table was the first piece I selected. I saw it several weeks ago at ZGallerie and fell in love with it.  I knew it would be perfect here because the rustic look adds warmth to a room that has a lot of reflective surfaces and helps to ground things.
• The Marcello decorative finish has a lovely sheen to it. I wanted something to balance off of that, so I selected the antiqued mirror buffet, also from ZGallerie, to sit on the opposite side of the room. It’s substantial enough to be an anchor, but because of the mirrors it doesn’t feel too heavy.
• The green Fresca Accent chairs by Sandy Wilson for Luxury Bedding Solutions bring a pop of color from the wall treatment to the table. I used them only on each end of the table; otherwise it would have been overwhelming. The tufting on the back of the chairs and the overall shape also evoke a sophistication that plays well with the relaxed look of the linen slip-covered side chairs found at ZGallerie.
• The curved pattern in the pale purple area rug (Rug Stop) echoes the curved lines of the wall treatment as do the glass links in the West Elm chandelier. The chandelier was also chosen because of the shape and its contemporary vibe.
• In choosing the artwork, I was looking for something that would bring additional color to the room. The varying palette of purples and blues in this piece I discovered at ZGallerie accomplishes that beautifully. Too, I like the way the flowers in the painting repeat the flower shapes in the wall treatment.
• The choice of using mostly glass in the accessories* – lamp, vases, bowl, and even the napkin rings – was deliberate. I wanted them to be airy and light. The items I selected not only follow the colors in the artwork, but like jewelry, they finish off the room and help bring the look together. Did you notice that the shape of the glass bowl is similar to that of a flower?
• As for the gazelle head from Graham & Green, it just looks cool and makes for an interesting conversation piece!

*Accessories Shopping Guide: Placemats, Napkin Rings, Candlesticks and Vases from ZGallerie; Lamp and Glass Bowl from Lamps Plus; Plate from Crate & Barrel

After completing this board, I was ready to redo a wall, any wall, in my house with the Marcello finish. Okay, maybe not any wall. Not so sure it would work in the Husband’s den…

I think what makes this treatment so special for me is the synergy that is created between the decorative painting techniques that are used in the Marcello design. The silver-pewter background with the look of linen, created with a twine roller, is the perfect backdrop for the raised green flowers created with stencils. The intricate detailing of the flowers is another beautiful feature. (Both the Loft 101 stencils and the twine roller are available via the Faux Design Studio.)  Finally, there is the color choice that keeps it all so fresh.

In this post, I used the finish on an accent wall. How do you think it would look on a ceiling? Do you have any other ideas on where this could be used? I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time! Be creative and have fun!

Cheers to all,
Peggy
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Sheri Hoeger is the lead designer and director of Big Oak Arts Studio.  She also started her stencil company, The Mad Stencilist, back in 1992.  We were happy to profile her for our Portrait of an Artist series back in 2010.  She has kindly agreed to write about something she is quite known for: Stenciling with an Airbrush. It is truly a wonderful way of working with stencils, giving beautiful lines and blended color. Let’s dig in…

Sheri Hoeger:  The airbrush is an incredibly versatile tool that is capable of the softest shading, the finest line and beautiful displays of color. This is achieved by delivering a fine spray of paint to the intended surface.  I have always been fascinated with the combination of soft airbrushed shading and the wide variety of edges that are defined by using stencils and masks. A stencil is simply a sheet of holes that one paints through to make an image. A mask can be an edge or found object that is cut, torn or used in its entirety to create a shape.

The array of effects you can achieve with relative ease is one of the big advantages of using the airbrush. I enjoyed being able to keep a consistent look to this cow mural even though the vent was in the way.

To get started with airbrush you need a good tool and clamp holder, an air source and high quality paint, such as Golden Fluid Acrylics, which I use along with Golden Airbrush Medium for thinning to skim milk consistency. Also, try to set up a work area where you can leave your equipment set up and close at hand. Be cautious about using the cheapest airbrush you can find. A quality tool will set you up for success. There are many airbrushes on the market that are excellent and I find the Iwata Eclipse to be a workhorse of a tool and suited to almost everything I do. It is available in either siphon-feed style or gravity feed styles.

For most of my airbrushed stencil work, I layer several colors within each window starting with the lightest and working to the darkest. I generally alternate between warm and cool colors with each color covering less area than the color before it. This allows you to see the full range of hues that are created by that particular combination and there is also a muting effect that tones the colors, which makes them look natural. I load an airbrush for each color, which are attached to a manifold, which is attached to my compressor. I usually use no more than 4 colors for any given design such as the floral shown. As an example, a floral like the one shown here is airbrushed with four colors: yellow, green, red, blue. (The one exception being the robin’s egg blue, which could not be achieved with the 4 color palette used in the rest of the composition.) The different tones and values are achieved by the order and ratio of the colors being layered.

Objects can be painted to look cartoon-like or stylized, like the image below.

Realism can also be achieved depending on the colors used and level of development.

I also enjoy combining airbrushing with other techniques and materials. Here, I extended the faux stone fireplace to create an arch with a gritty plaster and stenciled stones made from torn tape. Once that was dry, I added color and shadows with airbrush. In the same project, the airbrushed stair rail led to an archway adorned with a striped drapery.

For the cherubs (above left), I used airbrush to delicately shade the skin tones, but brush painted the hair with Golden Proceed Slow Drying Acrylics to give it more texture. (Cherub Stencil by Jeff Raum) I also appreciate the ability to allow a natural surface to show through the paint, becoming part of the artwork when airbrushing on wood or stone (above right). Click on images to enlarge.

Another of my favorite techniques is to use natural foliage as masks when airbrushing trees and landscapes. This dining room mural was created using a variety of leaves, some large, some small. Even though it is a “negative print” your eye makes it into a positive when they are clustered together.

Even though they look monochromatic and sepia toned, I have used at least three colors to give the foliage more depth and interest.  I love sepia tones, and have several ways of rendering them. In the airbrushed Renaissance border shown here, all the shading is done with one color which provides the values and undertone. Then I lightly spray with soft color, giving the appearance not unlike a hand-tinted photograph.

Finally, sometimes airbrush is the answer to a technical problem. For this painted ode to a William Morris tapestry, I cut a stencil of just the darkest brown background areas, including a pencil-line thickness cartoon of the design, because airbrushing was the best way to transfer the pattern onto my textured base. From there. the tapestry could be hand painted.

I hope this article gives you an inkling of the striking appearance and versatility that is at your command when mastering the airbrush. Of course, this is only pertaining to using stencils, and many more uses are possible when using the airbrush freehand for clouds, finishes and fine art. The sky is the limit!

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Thank you, Sheri Hoeger for sharing your time and talent!  Please note that if you’d like more information, keep checking her workshops page because as Sheri says, “It can be very helpful to take a class in airbrushing basics or intermediate airbrushing, as there are some tips that will help you along and save a great deal of time.”  She also has videos and books she has created and/or participated in on her website page.  You can also find the company on Facebook via the fan page, Big Oak Arts.  I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s post — love how it’s chock full of information.  Hope you are having an inspired week!

Please note that all stencils are from The Mad Stencilist line unless otherwise indicated.

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The reason I enjoy writing Fauxology is because I love showcasing how incredible decorative painting and faux finishing can be.  There is no doubt, however, that our industry has changed and evolved due to the current times.  Many artists have found other avenues to supplement their lives while maintaining their sense of creativity — and Boston artist Susan Siefer is no exception.  I thought it would be great to hear about her journey and how she has moved beyond the walls and added an incredible new direction to her studio offerings.

Susan Siefer: You could say I am returning to my roots. I started out as a fiber artist, fabric designer and painter. I was then hired as a store designer by a large retail furniture company in the Boston area. I painted walls at a time when decorative painting (well…faux painting) was just becoming popular.  We had a team going from store to store creating beautiful walls and vignettes. After about 15 years, and many, many large walls later, it was time to go out on my own and I started MadPatter Production. That was in 2002, the year my first granddaughter was born. I have been lucky to have some great clients that have  inspired and encouraged me to create fabulous walls, ceilings and floors.

Image from Modello by Design, Volume 2

Working with designers and clients, it seemed there was a disconnect between artful walls and art on the walls. I am fascinated by the relationship between Architecture, Interior Design and Art. With a little understanding of all three, I  have created canvas panels using Modello Designs, leafs, foils, plasters and glazes to compliment some of the wall finishes. They were applied with hot wax on the back…much easier than wallpaper paste…and they were framed out with frames and moldings from Beaux-Artes.

Frames and moldings from Beaux-Artes showcase panel artwork.

Running has been a constant for all of my adult life and I often get my best ideas and clearness of thought when hitting the roads. One day last spring was no exception: I thought “Why not implement this same concept on a small scale that could be interchangeable art?”. I’ve always liked the idea of multiples and the idea of changing a throw pillow, a lamp or any decorative accessory. Thus, Change of View© canvas were created.

Change of View© Studio

I use the products I love…Venetian plaster, leaf, foils, metallic plasters, stencils from Royal Design Studio and Cutting Edge, among others, and apply onto the flat canvas.  I have them in my Etsy store and they are carried at the boutique Soirée in my town of Andover, MA…

Painted furniture and artwork featured in the Soirée boutique.

…and, of course, in some of my client’s homes.

I chronicle the story of the process on my blog, Change of View (at the Studio). When people start playing with the pieces, they really have a good time mixing and matching. I am working with a marketing person that has been a great help. It is a really interesting process.

My wonderful clients and designers do keep me in the game with some interesting and fun projects and it pays the bills. I have found an amazing company to help with implementing my finish designs in a couple of larger commercial commissions that recently have come through. I am also excited about a collaboration with my good friend and incredible designer and color consultant Linda Holt of New Light Redesign. (Check out her amazing blog).  We are absolutely in love with Annie Sloan Chalk Paints and have become paint groupies.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Dressers

We have spent the summer and fall painting repurposed pieces of furniture that we find, pick, buy and beg. The name of our business is Chalk It Up!  and we will soon have a Facebook page and site. We are rather yin and yang, and bring our own different and unique talents to the table (literally!). I am excited to be taking an ASCP workshop with Barb Skivington next month. 

Showhouse mudroom we did together to highlight paintings and furniture.

I am also moving into a new workroom space with other artists and designers in the beautiful new Mill District just north of Boston. There is a common space I will be using for workshops and seminars on paint and design. I was fortunate to see the Alexander McQueen show at the Metropolitan Museum in New York last summer and the beauty of his fabrics and materials got me thinking about fabric design again, so who knows? Maybe that’s also part of the future big picture. Thanks to Regina, I have been inspired to enter the social media foray and am muddling through as fast as I can! Finding a community of like-minded creatives, I know we will get through these challenging times together and figure out our own vision for the future.

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Thank you, Susan! It’s great seeing many artists have found ways to supplement their lives with their artistic talents and collaborations. I know our company did something similar when we branched into alternate surfaces. It has made all the difference; I’m sure it will for Susan! I hope today’s post has inspired you to take a hold of those ideas that pop up in your mind begging to be fulfilled. Have a wonderful day!

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I wrote about the Faux Expo 2011 back in September.  In the post, I mentioned the Double Down workshop taught by Sheri Zeman of Chicago’s Faux Design Studio and Donna Phelps of the Sarasota School of Architectural Finishing.  I had actually hoped to take the class but didn’t sign up because I was unsure of my schedule at that point.  I ended up visiting both Sheri and Donna while they were teaching the workshop and each took a moment to show me their samples in person during a class break.

To say that I was devastated that I did not take the workshop would be an understatement.

They were some of the best samples I’ve seen in a long, long time.  They were fresh, they were contemporary, they were hot.  I literally wanted to gather them all up and run away with the pretties, all the way home, and never give them back.  I controlled myself but my friend Mary Childs had to console me.  Feel free to ask her.  It took me quite a bit to get over losing out on the one-time class.

I found out Sheri Zeman was teaching another class at The Paint Factory, an excellent studio here in Orlando.  This time she is solo but, of course, I’m taking the class and I couldn’t be more excited.  Here are three of the eight finishes…

I’ve only heard great things about Sheri Zeman and her studio has been on my Must-Visit list.  It seems they consistently teach finishes that help elevate what we offer to the savvy clients and designers of today.  The class was organized by the three Florida IDAL chapters: Florida’s Golden Palette, Southwest Florida Decorative Artisans and the Professional Decorative Artisans.  Many thanks to them for putting the workshop together! The class is November 18th & 19th.  I’ll be doing a round-up but also hope to provide pics for you as the class progresses.  Be sure to check our Facebook fan page and Twitter stream for that.  Talk soon!

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A fantastic event shaping up for next week here in lovely Orlando, FL is the Faux Expo.  It runs from September 26th through the 30th and is being held at the Doubletree Resort at SeaWorld.  I think Orlando is one of the best places to have a show since there is so much to do outside of the events — you can literally make a vacation of it.  Not only the Disney Parks but the creative hubs of cities like Winter Park, the state-of-the-art arena we now have plus the nightlife in downtown Orlando.  Something for everyone!  Plus, I’m here to guide you so what could be better, right?

The Instructors list is impressive and there’s so many great classes to choose from.  Incredibly, the registration is $75 which gives you access to all the show events, including the trade show, lectures and several live full-mural demonstrations.  The classes are very reasonable (ranging from $195 to $455) and run from Tuesday through Friday. Here’s the show schedule for you to check out.  (I see there’s a miniature golf tournament going on.  Might have to spruce up ye olde swing…)  Here’s a peek at some of the class samples…

 I seriously get so excited when I see samples like this. I mean, it’s just incredible to be able to replicate! This is the Aurastone class.

I met Bonnie LeCat at the recent IDAL convention and she is just a lovely person. This is just a small sampling of what you can expect in her Foliage & Flora class.

Faux finishes that keep up with current interior design trends — here are 2 of the samples from the Double Down class by Sheri Zeman and Donna Phelps.

My woodgraining acumen grew by leaps and bounds after taking Dean Sickler’s class at his NJ studio.  He teaches it here — this skill is a must in any bag of tricks.

Patrick Kirwin has a 2-day Realistic Water class. He teaches a photorealistic yet quick technique – the link has more incredible images.

Pierre Finkelstein is also on tap as well as Nicola Vigini, Sean Crosby, Henri Menendez, Gert-Jan Nijsse and a few other great artisans and manufacturers.  I’m also very excited about Tuesday’s William Cochran lecture on the importance of trompe l’oeil as I missed hearing his lecture at IDAL.  True to form, part of the event will help benefit both the Ronald McDonald House and Give Kids the World – love that!

I am excited to have the opportunity to meet those who are coming to Orlando.  I will be there on some days (finalizing the schedule to see if I can take some classes) and I know my friend, Mary Childs, will be there as well.  We’ll be posting some info and images for you as we can but I’m sure there will be great coverage on the Faux Expo Facebook fan page, too.  See you there!