A Kitchen Seasoned with Love

A Kitchen Seasoned with Love

Remember the adorable Pillsbury advertisement “ Nothing says lovin’ like something from the oven” ? I loved that ad and its cute pudgy dough boy. And its true- love comes from the kitchen. I spend a lot of time in mine. If I’m not painting, then I’m cooking. Occasionally both simultaneously which has led to some hilarious moments. Such as my husband mistakenly thinking a spoon was coated in chocolate batter when it was actually coated in a brown paint mixture. Or a bottle of sepia paint he thought was caramel sauce. I must admit that him sputtering and spitting and declaring “My God that tastes awful! “, did bring tears of laughter.  I’m blessed to have a kitchen filled with love and laughter. And I love cooking. Granted my family has tales of horror of my cooking adventures, but I’ve come a long way from the days of mistaking baking soda for baking powder ( too bad there weren’t cell phones back in those as 7 people around a breakfast table all gagged together on my biscuits) . And I’m proud to announce its been over a decade since I’ve exploded a chicken that flew from the kitchen up onto the family room ceiling fan. My Sweet Aussie husband now reaps the rewards of my former trial and errors and enjoys a home cooked meal every day, each seasoned with love.

Our kitchen has been sporting the typical SW Florida cabinetry of mid-tone almost orange wood finish like so many of the kitchens I have been changing for clients this year. It was time to refresh our cabinetry too. Husband loves the results and so do I. 

More views and close-ups

The infamous sepia paint David thought was caramel sauce:

Let's season you kitchen with love with new cabinet color. Contact me at Swan Studios Inc:

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Found It !

Found It!

Found it! That was my exact quote as I drove a friend home after work. Downtown Ft. Myers has several roadside curbings that jut out around trees. Unfortunately, some are just as you turn a corner. Sure enough, as I turned a sharp corner and was as usual chatting away, she reminded me of the obstacle. “Found It”! I shouted with navigational skills on par with Christopher Columbus. The right side of the vehicle ungracefully bounced over the concrete nuisance. But tree and passengers were all safe.

Speaking of navigation, I was recently requested to illustrate famous historical men responsible for great exploration discoveries. The first two chosen were Bartholomew Diaz and Mercator. The illustrations are acrylic on canvas board. For added fun, once photographed the illustrations receive some animation.

Bartholomew Diaz depicted on the shore of Cape of Good Hope:

Bartholomew Diaz, a Portugal Explorer, set sail in 1488. He was the first European to sail around the southern most tip of Africa. He would establish the route from Europe to Asia. The discovery of the passage around southern Africa was significant because, for the first time, Europeans could trade directly with India and the Far East, bypassing the overland Euro-Asian route with its expensive European, Middle Eastern and Central Asian middlemen.

The Illustration reflects Diaz on the shore of what is now known as the Cape of Good Hope. Although Diaz originally named it the Cape of Storms (Cabo das Tormentas), it would later be renamed by King John II of Portugal as the Cape of Good Hope (Cabo da Boa Esperanca) because it represented the opening of a route to the east

Gerardus Mercator depicted with Netherland background and globe with rhumb lines:

Gerardus Mercator was a 16th-century Flemish cartographer, geographer and cosmographer. He was renowned for creating the 1569 world map based on a new projection which represented sailing courses of constant bearing (rhumb lines) as straight lines. The Mercator projection, a cylindrical map projection, is preferred by navigators because the ship can sail in a constant compass direction to reach its destination, eliminating difficult and error-prone course corrections. His innovation is still employed in nautical charts.

Gerardus Mercator was one of the founders of the Netherlandish school of cartography and is widely considered the most notable figure of the school in its golden age (approximately 1570s–1670s).

If you have a project in need of illustration, contact Swan Studios Inc at:

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Happy Father's Day !

Today we celebrate Father's Day ! Let's hear it for the boys !

#HappyFathersDay

Panda-monium

 “Panda-monium”

It’s been complete pandemonium this week at the studio working on paint projects while also being nurse to my husband who is having to endure yet another knee surgery. This is the third one, lucky him that he had more than two. While he’s resting between bouts of excruciating pain and enjoying the relief that only medication can give, I have a few moments to paint, write, and hang out with the creatures of Baker’s Pond (term of endearment we’ve named our home). We love animals and I love painting them. In local mural work most of the time I’m commissioned to paint our gorgeous birds or adorable dolphins. Occasionally I’m requested to paint something more exotic. That’s always exciting. One such request was for an author as we worked on the style of illustration for a book. So, while the U.S. and China work on trade negotiations, I’ve been working on one of China’s adorable creatures- the panda.

 Deceptively cuddly, just like our local black bears. Both “bear-y” cute. Har-har.

The Panda illustration was created in acrylics on canvas panel:

Another exotic creature- the polar bear. This illustration was created in color pencil:

Not actually a bear, however, the koala is just as cuddly looking. 

Exotic or local, painted or sketched, Swan Studios Inc can create whatever animal you wish:

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Ooh Shiny !

Ooh Shiny!

I admit I’m a girly girl. Know me for five minutes and you know that I love shiny things. Jewelry, shoes, evening gowns, anything ! So, when clients want shiny sparkly faux finishes, I’m in total delight. Sparkle and shine can be used on walls, ceilings, furniture, and even home accents.

Gleam with foil faux finishes, sparkle with glitter and mica. Can’t decide? Do both! Like these storage hat boxes. Both with a silver metallic background, one in foil finish and one in a glitter finish.

Items like the hat boxes above and jewelry armoire and table top  below also have a clear topcoat for durability and practical use:

Wall faux finishes also receive a clear top-coat:

Silver foil faux finish over charcoal grey:

A mixture of silver glitter and silver mica create a sparkling accent wall that positively twinkles:

A combination of metallic silver and silver mica :

Ceilings brighten a room when faux finished with foil or sprinkled with silver mica:

It's Time ...

to Sparkle and Shine !

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For even more of our glitter art and finishes check out our Glitterazzi Boutique Division at:

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#glitterfauxfinish #foilfauxfinish