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 :
You can also find Swan Studios Inc on Flickr
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.
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.
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.
#tromploeil #nauticalmural #paintedcolumns
