Swan Studios Mural and Faux Finish Adventures: July 2019

Sunday, July 28, 2019

SHARK !

SHARK !!!

SHARK! Tiger-Shark that is! To be more specific, the Trafalgar Middle School Mascot. The Kiwanis Builders Club of Cape Coral decided to have the school’s mascot painted onto the school’s cafeteria wall and to appear as if it is bursting through a brick wall. It turned out to be one of my favorite projects to date. The club’s leaders wanted to pitch in. It was fun showing the girls various techniques and getting to know them. It also gives me hope for the future knowing there are kids with such good heads on their shoulders.

Speaking of heads on their shoulders, the shark's mouth is the perfect height for a photo- op

Twins Breann and Brielle, amazing helpers.

School Principal and Asst. Principal before project begins:

Day 1 : The faux brick wall begins:

Breann painted so enthusiastically; she wore out a sponge. It served nobly.

The twins, proud of the work !

Almost done:

Our Tiger Shark Completed. A slight teal sheen is glazed over it's skin ( teal is the school's main team color). The water was painted using various shades of blue and white with some having a heavy bodied gloss gel added in for effect. Additional flying bricks are painted to give movement to the piece. The entire mural received a clear top coat for protection.

Pano-view:

Water pours through the shark's lower teeth:

( Of course, this particular shark will always be known for his "mouth ribs". When standing in close proximity of the painting, you can see the various shades of burgundy and black that create the mouth's upper palate. Having a blonde moment, I called it the mouth ribs. Hope the girls don't have that question on an anatomy test )

The artist's signatures:

We did it ! Now looking forward to hearing the student's reactions to the master piece when school begins in few weeks and to seeing the student's selfies with their mascot.

To have your own custom mural created, contact me at Swan Studios Inc: http://www.swanstudio.net

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#sharkmural #custommural #3Dmural #TrafalgarMiddlesSchool #KiwanisBuildersClub

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Happy National Tequila Day !

#NationalTequilaDay

Monday, July 22, 2019

Mermaid with a Pearl

This animation is from a glamorous mermaid mural painted on a lanai wall overlooking a pool and waterway. Everyone wants to be a mermaid !

#mermaid #mermaidmural #custommural #outdoormural

Sunday, July 14, 2019

The Year was 1977...

The year was 1977…

Most homeowners will change their décor look every 5 to 8 years on average. Perhaps the changes may be to simply update the windows treatments, change the wall color, or switch some furnishings. Bathroom remodels hover around the 8 to 10-year mark. But 40 years later, it’s definitely time for an update. I was impressed that the Star Wars wallpaper from the original 1977 “Star Wars … A New Hope “remains beautiful intact and preserved in the office across the hall from the remodeled bath.

Once the new floors and vanities were in, rather than a mere paint color change, the homeowner wanted dimension for the walls. Silver metallic paint layered over a taupe base then troweled with Lusterstone in varying light neutrals gives an updated a sophisticated look to the remodeled bath.

The hall bath connects with another sink arear creating a Jack and Jill bath:

If your own bathroom looks like the before photo...it's time to update your look.

Contact me at : Swan Studios Inc http://www.swanstudio.net/

Star Wars fans, don't be dismayed...they are keeping the 1977 Star Wars wallpaper:

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#remodel #fauxpainting #plasterfinish

Sunday, July 7, 2019

Tin Roof-Rusted !

Remember the B-52s little ditty “Love Shack”? A place where the whole shack shimmies and everybody’s groovin’. Well everyone was groovin’ this week’s ceiling faux finish and ‘folks where linin’ up outside’ just to get a glimpse. This particular “little shack” wasn’t I a field but rather a hubby’s den. The home has a delightful by the side of the beach feel with driftwood floor finishes, splashes of seaside teal, and baubles evoking mermaid’s treasure. I’ve been blessed to create various faux finishes in the home. I’ll post former photos and links to those below.

The goal was to create a concept within the theme but not a repeat of the other finishes. Creating a wood board look seemed too obvious and too boxed in (pun intended), even if the variation of color would be different than the floor and furnishings. And then inspiration came in the form of Rust! There’s beauty in decay. Years of weather and distress of time offers amazing palettes and reverie.

To create the look, first the border was marked off that would become the wood beams supporting the tin roof. The base of the aged faux wood was painted on, as well as, the metallic silver base of the tin roof. Since the “wood” would be more of a driftwood I used a blend of taupe and light grey. A deeper metallic grey and chip brush gives the “tin roof” look. Two lines intentionally not space symmetrically where painted in with black. (Corrugation would have been too busy since the ceiling height of the room was low). The really fun part was painting on the rust. The are various ways to create a rust look. I opted for using the Designer Rust by Faux Effects http://www.fauxeffects.com/ . It has a wonderful grit to it making the rust very authentic, reminding me of the rust on the hinges and screens of the cabins where my family camped around Ft Morgan along the Gulf Shores when I was a little girl.

Once the faux wood was painted, rust is painted over onto it. Rusted nails are painted on to secure the beams and tin together. And, of course, chunks were painted out of the decaying wood to further create the look of decay.