Happy New Year ! Wishing everyone a better, brighter, and joyful colorful 2021 !
#happynewyear #happynewyear2021
Sunday, December 27, 2020
Sunday, December 20, 2020
The World is Your Oyster
The World is Your
Oyster
“Pearls are always appropriate”
… Jackie Kennedy
The beauty of nature
is breathtaking. Artists strive towards a perfection that only an Almighty Creator
can achieve. But the practice of mimicking what we see in nature allows us to
get knee deep in the wonder of it. Or in this case, elbow deep. As a faux
artist, the feel of gliding metallic and pearlized plasters along a wall
surface is joy. The results are glorious. (It’s also a great work out for your
arms)
This week’s focus is
on a Master bathroom that was transformed from a sad shade of pale green to a
modern spin on an old-world technique. In the Before and After photos the quest
is obvious. The tile, shower design, and light fixtures are all sleek. Although
every color has its purpose, the choice of a pale sage green on the walls was
not appropriate for the space. A plain color also doesn’t allow the space to be
as luxurious as the rest of the home feels. Applying several layers of pearlized
paints and plasters elevates the rooms look:
The first step was to
white out the green. Since metallic paints and plasters are reflective on both
sides, you’ll want to cover up any color that you don’t want reflected back
into view. In this space I used Sherwin Williams Moderate White (SW6140) in
satin. The paints used were Setcoat Pearl & Metal glow Luna White. The
plasters were Faux Effects Stucco white ( this is not pearlized ) , Palette Deco
Silver & Champagne. To create dimension I added a third layer with Palette
Deco Clear and added in a hint of the Pearl. All of these glide like butter and
don’t need polishing. Clean up is easy, just peel off the tape and pull up
floor covering.
And now the space is
ready to enjoy just in time for Christmas and into the New Year
Read to have your walls embrace 2021? Contact me at Swan Studios Inc
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#plasteredwalls #venetianplaster #floridafauxpainter
Sunday, December 13, 2020
Seeing Double- Seeing Triple
Seeing Double- Seeing
Triple
The creation of private beach getaways at home continues in today’s mural project. This time with a twist. Actually, with a twist and a turn. The lanai wall space has a zero- gap fence in front of it to conceal necessary mechanical equipment that run a home. Rather than ignore the fence, it is incorporated into the mural. A planned palm tree is painted twice at the base. Once on the main wall but also on fence wall. It’s painted so that while relaxing in the lanai lounge area the mural appears to be a one continuous scene:
The fun continues as
you step out of the lanai. The “Double stack “mural now spins into a triple
take. Next door neighbors and friends have their own beach murals on their
lanai privacy wall. These murals were posted in earlier blogs. Standing behind
the homes you can see 3 different beach scenes at once:
For a closer look at
each:
Have your own lanai
turned into a private beach getaway. Contact me at Swan Studios Inc
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#beachmural #outdoormural #floridamuralist
Sunday, December 6, 2020
Dreaming of a White...Kitchen !
Dreaming of a
White …Kitchen
It’s the most
wonderful time of year. The smell of cinnamon wafting through the air as pies
and cookies bake, hot cocoa topped with whip cream, lights twinkling, carol’s playing,
and of course, your dreaming of a white …KITCHEN ! Updating your kitchen
cabinetry changes everything from the look to how you feel when your whipping
up your family’s favorite meals. You could say it makes everything … Merry
& Bright.
Here light oak wood cabinets are now bright gleaming white
A look at some other transformed cabinetry :
Bathroom cabinetry can also be updated :
For more inspirations and to see all of Swan Studio's art adventures, follow us on :
Sunday, November 29, 2020
Bikinis & Martinis
Bikinis & Martinis
It's always Bikini weather here in SW Florida. Even during Christmas season ! We have sandmen rather than snowmen. And no tossing snowballs , we prefer tossing back martinis ! Here's a fun painting project created for the fabulous rental property, Bikinis & Martinis, here in Cape Coral, Florida. Give them a call, pack your bikini, and head to the best place to vacation in the continental U.S.
Rental Link :
#muralartist #bikinisandmartinisfl #capecoralfl
Sunday, November 22, 2020
All In Good Time
All In Good Time
Let the good times
roll! Time heals all wounds…No time like the present…Time waits for no man…My
how time flies!... Timing is everything... There are so many sayings and quotes
about. Humans are obsessed with it. And today’s art topic is, you guessed…”
It’s About Time “(ha, had to throw in one more). Actually, today is about
painting time. Or more specifically about the transformation of a time piece.
You might say – “it’s been grandfathered in”
The Homeowner is in
the process of updating her interior. Moving away from dark wood tones to a
softer neutral palette accented with bling.
Some important things to remember if you undertake a similar project. First, make sure it’s not a priceless or heirloom antique. Secondly, make sure you have plenty of painter’s tape. And be sure to use a good gripping binder. Here I used Bull’s Eye 1-2-3. You can also prep with liquid etching. You want to avoid sanding since dust could collect within the mechanisms of the clock and the gyration could unsettle the clock.
The colors used here
were inspired from the recently laid floor of the dining room. The base color
is Colonnade Grey SW 7641. It’s a grey/beige and works well with driftwood
neutral tones popular now in SW Florida.
I used an acrylic tan streaked through to give some depth and wood
illusion. For the sun -bleached wood feel I used Crisp Linen MQ3-13. Crisp
Linen White is a pale, gray, cosmetic white with a sandy undertone and gives a
gentler look than stark white washing. As always, use a quality clear topcoat
on furniture. I’m partial to the UV resistant clear coats through Faux Effects.
Both their Aquathanes and Urethanes dry to a furniture quality feel and are non
yellowing.
In the center a bit of bling is added. This will coordinate well with the dining set arriving soon that is edged in bling :
From front or sides the clock's new finish is now Florida Fine and Gorgeously Glamorous:
Its "Time" to have your own furniture pieces updated. Contact me at :
You can also find Swan Studios Inc on Flickr
Just type in Swan Studios Inc into the search bar and every art project is divided into album specific topics for you.
#furniturefauxfinish #paintedfurniture
Sunday, November 15, 2020
Black and Gold Chinoiserie
Black and Gold
Chinoiserie
When you think of a
small space, most often the response is to make the walls light so the room “looks
larger”. However, embracing a deep rich dark color can make the space rich and powerful.
Using the darkest of all colors- black gives the space elegance and sophistication.
It was delightful painting this small space in a black and gold chinoiserie. Chinoiserie is the French term meaning "in the Chinese taste". It describes a European style of decorative ornament of Oriental scenery used on textiles, wallpapers, pottery, porcelain, and lacquered and painted furniture. Or as in this room, painted directly onto the walls. The walls are painted in Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black with a satin finish. The trim is also in Tricorn Black but in a semi-gloss finish. The Chinoiserie is a combination of bamboo stencil patterns (Thank you, Faux Effects), hand painted bamboo and hand-painted cranes and nightingale.
More decorative wall finishes are upcoming for this cultured well traveled condo. I'll post the results on Swan Studios Inc, as well as on Social Media. So stay tuned and be inspired.
Looking to have your own walls elevated? Contact me at Swan Studios Inc
or through your favorite social media :
#chinoiserie #decorativewallfinish #blackandgoldwalls
Sunday, November 8, 2020
Aloha From The Sky
Aloha From The Sky
I love it when serendipity happens. The home-owner’s of a custom beach mural and sky mural I painted (See art blog How High Is the Sky and 7 Little Cockleshells All In A Row ), contacted me with some additional requests. The first was to paint their lanai columns to appear as if they were weathered wood dock posts with ropes ( See art blog Nautical Columns ). Next, additional images representing members of the family in the beach scene ( we’ll look at those next week ), and finally airplanes painted into the sky walk ways. However, they wanted vey specific airplanes. Not just a generic plane or antique plane. They requested 2 Southwest Airlines style planes. Each plane was to be painted into a specific section of the sky mural. Each plane also had to be pointed in specific direction. The result is absolutely adorable and meaningful for this family. I knew this Sunday I’d be featuring aircraft I’ve painted and revealing these 2 new planes. What I did not know was that this would be the week Southwest Airlines would be announcing their inaugural flight from San Diego to Honolulu. They’ve also resumed other gateway services to Hawaii. Having a dear friend who just moved to Hawaii and 2 other dear friends heading for a Hawaiian vacation shortly. It seemed serendipitous to reveal today the bright and colorful airplanes painted in the home-owners favorite choice of travel – Southwest Airlines.
In the photo below you can see the size relationship of the airplane to the sky walkway and painted column:
A few other airplanes created for clients:
Antique planes in a child's nursery:
A home-owners personal landing strip and plane:
Of course, some travel via helicopter:
A chosen few need to travel beyond the sky:
Let your imagination take flight ! Contact me at Swan Studios Inc
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#airplanemural #custommural #muralpainting
Sunday, November 1, 2020
Nautical Columns
Nautical Columns
Faux painting columns
in Southwest Florida is a common request for faux artists. Most often the
request is to have concrete or fiber glass columns painted to look like marble.
Occasionally though a homeowner requests some more unique. That makes my artist
heart leap with joy. I’ve had the pleasure of painting columns that look like
ore retrieved from deep within in the earth and a set of columns aged to mimic
the columns from the Colosseum. This week’s request blends a fun nautical faux
finish with tromp l’oeil.
The concrete columns are located on the homeowner’s lanai. Previously I had painted a beach scene onto their privacy wall. Some additional items have been placed into that mural for sentimental reasons. But that will be discussed in a future blog. Today’s focus is on the columns. They are painted to appear as weathered wood dock posts and each column has rope painted on as if a boat had recently been untied from it. Each rope is differently placed, as would happen naturally. Using tromp l’eoil technique they appear more 3d than a mere representation. A totally fun idea for those who embrace the wonder and romance of all things nautical.
The rope on column two features frayed ends and a figure 8 knot :
Column 3 features the overhand knot and the rope appears to drape further down the column base.
The roll down shutters attach to one side of this column, so the real life hold down attachments appear to have the same the weathered water stained patina as painted on the tops of the columns:
Here's a wide shot showing the columns along with their beach scene :
Let's create a fun unique look for your lanai ( or interior ). Contact me at Swan Studios Inc
#tromploeil #nauticalmural #paintedcolumns
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