Hand-Painted Floor Pattern...

Spruce up any room with these tile-like motifs

By Pamela Acuff from Ty Pennington at Home

A simple way to spruce up a worn wood floor. Use stencils to create a tile design. Complete directions for this project can be found here.

photo from Woman's Day

Caromal Colours Distressing for the DIYer

Melissa at The Inspired Room blog transformed an old secretary with a Caromal Colours Distressing Kit. This is the result:

before

after

Melissa says, "...this project took about four afternoons to complete (only spending about 2 hours or so on each day). It was a lot to paint, since I not only had to paint the outside of this piece but the inside of the pull down desk, has a lot of cubbies and things to paint.

This paint is not like any other paint I’ve used before. It is very thick. The entire time I was painting I was SURE I was doing it wrong. You can really do it any way you want, stipple it on with a brush, brush it on, whatever works. I did more of a brush stroke but I think next time I will just “moosh” it on! The first coat will look messy no matter what you do, but that is OK! In the end, it all came together and looks like an old painted piece full of character."

photos and complete story can be found at The Inspired Room blog

Here is a video from Caromal Colours that shows a weekend kitchen cabinet makeover:

To order your own Caromal Colours paint kit and see what you can do with this line of products, visit Patty Henning's Fabulous Finishes blog.

Barnworn distressed finish samples that layer two colors

Gilded Pumpkins...

Wow oh Wow...I love these gilded pumpkins...this has to be one of the greatest autumnal decorating ideas ever! Okay, I am a little carried away, but decorative painters the world over should be putting together a display for their living space.

Last fall (2008) Country Living magazine featured these beautiful photos and article about Carol Kemery, decorative painter, nurse and owner of Caromal Colours...a paint company that allows homeowners to do decorative painting on their own, including the GILDING project featured here.

for more pictures visit Country Living


How to Gild a Pumpkin with a kit from Caromal Colours

photos from Country Living magazine and Caromal Colours



Step 1
For real or faux pumpkins, be sure surface is clean and dry. Wearing gloves, apply base coat with a paintbrush to seal the surface. Let dry for 30 to 60 minutes.

Step 2
Position stickers on pumpkin, then apply "sticky size" over entire surface, including stickers. Leave until it's clear and tacky, 10 to 20 minutes.

Step 3
Apply gold and silver leaf. Broken pieces of metal leaf, called Schaibin, lie easily on the pumpkin for a beautiful finish. With a soft cloth, smooth leaf onto surface to fill in gaps. Keep excess leaf for the next project.

Step 4
Carefully pull off stickers using tweezers.

Step 5
Apply toner with a paintbrush. Using a soft cloth, wipe away the toner to achieve the desired color. Leave the toner darker around the stem or in crevices for a more dramatic effect.

for step-by-step pictures visit Country Living

Creative Halloween Decor...

Anyone can create this fun spiderweb for Halloween. You could decorate the ceiling corners of your porch or an interior space with these spiderwebs made of black puff paint and white gauze.

Materials:

Black puff paint for fabric

Nonstick baking sheet

Directions:

1. Using the puff paint draw an L shape on baking sheet. Each line of the L should be the same length.
2. Draw a series of lines, the same length as first lines, radiating outward from the corner of the L.
3. Draw scalloped lines across these lines to form the spiderweb. Make sure all rows are touching.
4. Let dry for 24 hours.
5. Carefully peel the web off nonstick sheet. The hang them.

Spiderweb from Woman's Day

Molding Decoration from Women's Day Halloween Celebrations

tonight's episode of artistically speaking radio...

My talk show tonight features the House That Faux is Building in New Orleans...6:30 PM EDT... Join guests Lyna Farkas, project coordinator and Adrienne van Dooren, founder along with Jane Drew, Project Coordinator in New Orleans; Laine Discepoli, Sponsorship Chair in a lively discussion of the House that Faux Built project that happens the first week of November. There is still time to join in...

In November a mother and two young children will have a home of their own as a result of the efforts of decorative painters with a heart.

In 2005 over 50 of the industries best decorative painters joined forces and transformed a 1940’s home in Maryland into a gallery of faux finishing, stenciling and decorative painting. The project was not merely a showcase of talent and technique, it was designed to make a difference.

The house and the resulting book, The House that Faux Built, was the brainchild of Adrienne Van Dooren. The whole idea behind the project was to fund a Habitat for Humanity home in New Orleans, post-Katrina. Fast forward four years to today....the funds to build the home have been raised and the home is under construction as I write.

paint to make a difference....

”Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator and feel better” is something we often hear or read in the Sunday papers. Few people actually follow that advice. Can we get more people to take the stairs over the escalator by making it fun to do? See the results here:

Gotta love this...

In Stockholm’s Odenplan subway station, the staircase has been retrofitted to resemble giant piano keys, which produce real sound, to encourage commuters to climb the stairs rather than ride the escalator. According to this video—which seems to be part of a Volkswagen marketing initiative, though it’s unclear—it’s been a raging success. Freakonomics

Can you think of someplace to do this project? Decorative painters could adopt this idea and spread it throughout the world! Who is ready for this project? Let me know...

from The Fun Theory

Fresco Painting Event to Commemorate the Fall of the Berlin Wall...

Fresco Painting Event for The 20th Anniversary

Celebration of The Fall of the Berlin Wall Project

October 24–25, 10AM–4PM. The “Wall As Canvas II” painting event to be held on the grounds of the Page Museum, 5801 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Join iLia Anossov (fresco) of The Fresco School as he paints frescoes on sections of The Wall Across Wilshire as part of the 20th Anniversary celebration of The Fall of the Berlin Wall Project. After a fresco demonstration by iLia, viewers themselves are encouraged to participate in painting frescoes on actual section of The Wall Across Wilshire. On November 8, wall segments will be joined to form “The Wall Across Wilshire.” That evening, during a midnight ceremony, artists will topple the Wall as it is broadcast live on German television.

“Fresco is a dynamic art form that belongs everywhere, not just on church walls,” says Mr. Anossov (fresco). During the “Wall as Canvas II” event, he will re-create works in fresco on sections of the Wall Across Wilshire that he originally painted in oil while he lived in Moscow behind the Iron Curtain in the 1980’s. By painting his former works in oil as fresco, iLia will demonstrate how Fresco painting can be utilized in contemporary forms. His chosen subject matter and style of works made during his years behind the Iron Curtain symbolically expresses a reunion of past and present in the new freedom from “Walls” of any kind whether it would be the wall of Cold War or the wall between classic and contemporary arts.

Because of his passion for the use of environmentally sustainable products, iLia will apply the fresco plaster for this event onto a Stauss brick/clay lath ( http://www.claylath.com ) – a durable and earth-friendly backing for plaster applications. This chemical-free, non-combustible lath is the greenest and most environmentally conscious way to build a wall. The Stauss lath does not rot and creates breathable, earthquake safe walls for the same price of dry construction. By using this clay lath, iLia’s goal is to further educate the public on green building solutions.

for more info visit: http://www.truefresco.org/

__________________________________

Apprentice to fresco master and master plasterer

on the actual buon fresco project

iLia Anossov (fresco) and the Fresco School are starting the painting part of 3000 sq. ft. buon fresco in Malibu, California. There are apprentice opportunities in the month of November 2009. Our existing Students and really really dedicated are encouraged to contact Fresco School for the instructions on how to apply. Qualified individuals will join our international team for an experience of a lifelime. Build a wall fresco from clay-lath to the final touches.

Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference...

In Baltimore, MD this weekend October 21 - 24, 2009

The Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference

Where the Marketplace Meets

Choose from 65 seminars, workshops; architectural tours; keynotes and craftsmanship demonstrations in a four day event. Come for one day or all four. On Wed. there are day long special sessions on sustainability; historic tax credits; and doing business with the Federal Government. Other seminar topics will cover LEED for historic buildings; period interior design; window restoration; life cycle maintenance for historic facilities; old house restoration; plaster repair and sympathetic additions to traditional buildings.

Conference Location:
Baltimore Convention Center
One West Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-649-7000

The Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference is the only national trade show and conference for professionals and entheusiaists who restore and renovate historic buildings and houses. The show’s Web site is a place where visitors can keep up to date on events planned for the next event, including seminars, workshops, architectural tours, technical training sessions, keynote addresses, and networking opportunities. The Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference features a wide offering of educational programs in preservation, restoration and renovation, traditionally inspired new construction, New Urbanism, classicism, modernism, and other related topics.

The exhibition also offers hundreds of hard-to-find products and services not available at any other event and, in the process, attracts 6,000 participants—architects, members of the building trades, old-house owners, preservationists, and others in the field.

Restore Media has a great collection of websites including:

Clem Labine's Traditional Building

For nearly 15 years, traditional-building.com has been the premier gateway to information about the field of traditional building and design, containing targeted articles on restoration and renovation projects, new construction in period styles, architectural firms, cutting-edge topics, important news developments, and key product categories. Long the best in the business, its deep and rich database is also the place professionals begin their search for commercial and institutional products used in restoration, renovation, preservation, and historically inspired new construction. The site attracts more than 160,000 visitors and 500,000 page views each month.

there is a database for Decorative Artisans...

ARTISANS FOR DECORATIVE PAINTING, GLAZING, GILDING, MARBLEIZING, GRAINING, STENCILING, VENETIAN PLASTER

Clem Labine's Period Homes

Launched in 2001, period-homes.com is a serious tool for busy practitioners and serious-minded consumers interested in learning more about the field of residential restoration and renovation, as well as historically inspired new construction. It contains a treasure trove of articles on leading architectural firms, recent projects, topics of note to the field, significant news developments, and key product categories. With targeted product information on thousands of items and hundreds of suppliers, all indexed on the site, it's the place where architects, builders, interior designers, developers, and other professionals begin their search for period products of all kinds. The site attracts more than 70,000 visitors and nearly 180,000 page views each month.

Tradweb
Launched in the fall of 2006 and based on Traditional Building magazine's powerful publishing franchise, tradweb (tradwebdirectory.com) contains the most comprehensive collection of information about service providers in the field of building restoration and renovation, both commercial and residential.

BuildingPort.com
Launched in early 2009, BuildingPort.com is a portal site packed with deep and rich information on both commercial and residential design and construction, everything from feature articles to product reviews to links to relevant Web sites. With 26 topics; hundreds of sub-topics; spot-on search tools; and data about more than 5,000 suppliers of building products, materials, and services, BuildingPort.com delivers targeted information to visitors looking for quick and accurate search results.

Traditional Product Reports


Launched in May of 2009, Traditional Product Reports is a micro site containing in-depth information on traditional building products and materials, including checklists, directories, buying guides, case studies, stories, articles, primers, installation tips, and other information, along with thousands of links to manufacturers, distributors, dealers, contractors, installers, and others in the field of traditional building and design; new monthly reports on featured product categories; and tools that let visitors search and browse product databases containing information on thousands of companies in the market.

Traditional Product Galleries

Launched in September 2009, Traditional Product Galleries is the latest addition to Restore Media’s robust network of Internet sites covering traditional design and construction. Organized in easy-to-search categories, it features thousands of items—in big, colorful photography—tailored to the requirements of restoration and renovation projects and new designs done in a period style—both residential and commercial. It also offers contact information for hundreds of companies in the traditional building and design market and provides ways for visitors to quickly connect with interesting suppliers.

all information and photos in this post provided by www.restoremedia.com

first episode of talk show...

Here it is...the first episode of artistically speaking radio has been broadcast!!!

I am really excited!!!! Listen as Rebecca walks you through the new magazine, talk show, and community for decorative artisans, faux finishers, muralists. You can hear it below...just click the arrow button. There is a blank air space in the middle for about 5 seconds...so don't give up it resumes. Let me know how you like it!!

making a difference...the house that faux built

In 2005 over 50 of the industries best decorative painters joined forces and transformed a 1940’s home in Maryland into a gallery of faux finishing, stenciling and decorative painting. The project was not merely a showcase of talent and technique, it was designed to make a difference.

The house and the resulting book, The House that Faux Built, was the brainchild of Adrienne Van Dooren. The whole idea behind the project was to fund a Habitat for Humanity home in New Orleans, post-Katrina.

Fast forward four years to today....the funds to build the home have been raised and the home is under construction as I write. In November a mother and two young children will have a home of their own as a result of the efforts of decorative painters with a heart. Lyna Farkas will share the full story in her column 'Heart of Faux' a regular feature of artistically speaking magazine.

If you own a copy of the book, you helped make this happen. The original decorative artisans helped make this happen. The project founder, Adrienne Van Dooren helped make this happen! An you, too, can help make this happen...

The first week in November, decorative artisans will again gather in New Orleans to paint and decorate the Habitat home in the second phase of the “House That Faux Built” project. This phase includes in a re-printing of the original book which will benefit both Habitat for Humanity and the SPCA, a mini-documentary of the process, and an auction of dog houses.

For more information visit the Faux House website. There is still time to get involved in the second phase. You can:

Artisan Volunteers – the first week of November artisans will be creating faux finishes and murals in the Habitat home. Other artisans will be working on a mural for the SPCA headquarters. Great rates have been arranged with the Degas House (pictured above). If you have any questions contact Jane Drew, Project Coordinator in New Orleans: by e-mail Jane1478@aol.com or phone 504-666-2609.

Paint a Birdhouse for the SPCA Birdhouse Auction – the SPCA's annual fundraising event is scheduled for Saturday, November 14th, with a Hooray for Howlywood theme. During the event, there will be a charity auction of birdhouses hand painted by decorative artisans...so hurry, the deadline to send one in is Thursday, October 29^th. Send your birdhouse to:

Howling for Success Auction

Attention: Dean Howard

1700 Mardi Gras Boulevard

New Orleans, LA 70114

Paint a Doghouse for the SPCA Doghouse Challenge – During the first week of November, doghouses built by Connie & Randy Cotita of Monroe, LA, will be painted and decorated by the artisan volunteers. These will also be auctioned at the SPCA fundraiser by a special celebrity host.

Be a Sponsor – Sponsors include Golden Artist Colors, Modern Masters, Jeff Raum Stencils and Royal Design Studio. If you would like to help sponsor by donating products or cash, please contact the Laine Discepoli, Sponsorship Chair: e-mail Laine@misselaineous.net or via 513-533-FAUX.

Donate $$$ – If you are unable to participate but would love to help with this worthy cause, please consider cash donation. All donations are much appreciated.

See Artists4Others Facebook Fan Page.

coming soon to artistically speaking magazine & radio...

We have a stellar group of world-class decorative artisans for our first year. Editor-in-Chief Rebecca E. Parsons is pleased to announce the following lineup of featured decorative artisans, faux finishers, muralists, and decorators who will grace the pages of Artistically Speaking Magazine and will appear on Artistically Speaking Radio talk show:

Premiere Issue - available on November 12, 2009: click name to visit their website

Sean Crosby

Sass Lassley

Gary Lord

Michel Nadai

Issue 2

Connie Cotita

Yaeko Kurimata

Jeff Monsein

Annie Sloan

Issue 3

Decorative Artists of the Carolinas by Gary Lord

Elena Makievsky

Mark Nordgren

Yuri Villa

We are also pleased to welcome the following contributing editors and regular columnists:

Randy Cotita - In the Craftsmanship Workshop...new technique how-to

Lyna Farkas - Heart of Faux...decorative artists making a difference

Dan Gangler- Going Green...eco-friendly explorations

John Kochanski - Inspirations...New Directions in Decorative Painting

Tamara Taylor - Art Beat...the pulse of the industry (school/event news)

Martin Riding - Safety First...creating a safe working environment

Rebecca E. Parsons - A Business You Love...Professional Practice Demystified

Dean Sickler - Palette Talk...exploring color

TBA - Designer's Eye...musings of an Interior Decorator

TBA - Opinion8...book and product reviews

Stay Tuned...

Next week we will have a sneak preview of what's inside the pages of Artistically Speaking Magazine.

The first episode of Artistically Speaking Radio:

artstically speaking with Rebecca E. Parsons...

Date / Time: 10/17/2009 10:30 AM
Call-in Number: (347) 996-569

Join Rebecca as she walks you through the new magazine, talk show, and community for decorative artisans, faux finishers, muralists...called artistically speaking-giving voice to a new generation of decorative artisans... This show is interactive, so you can call in with questions. Join in the fun, lively conversation.

Upcoming Episode...
artstically speaking with Sean Crosby...

Date / Time: 10/24/2009 6:30 PM
Call-in Number: (347) 996-569

Master decorative painter Sean Crosby joins Rebecca for a lively discussion of decorative painting, life as an artist, teaching and so much more.

faux inlaid wood floor

from Southern Accents magazine

Painted by Billet-Collins Studio and featured in Southern Accents magazine, this faux inlaid wood floor was influenced by historical inlaid floors. Designers Robert Brown and Todd Davis created a sophisticated pattern to complement the octagonal foyer.

For details and more tips see: Painting Your Floor: A Primer from the Pros by Julia E. Lewis

"A properly prepared floor will yield the best results," says Kellie Hodges of the decorative-painting firm Billet-Collins Studio. She advises clients to have their floors professionally sanded or screened prior to painting.

This is especially important if the floor is old and has a wax finish, adds decorative painter Bob Christian: "The wax has to be removed; otherwise, the paint won't adhere to the floor."

Glazes were used to create the look of inlaid wood and allow the grain of the wood to show through. Several coats of polyurethane are used to seal and protect the finish one is is cured.


RESOURCES: Kellie Hodges, Billet-Collins Studio, 301/670-5550, www.billetcollins.com; Bob Christian, 912/234-1960, www.bobchristiandecorativeart.com; Richard Keith Langham, 212/759-1212; Todd Davis and Robert Brown, Brown Davis Interiors, Inc., 305/401-7565, www.browndavis.com; Stiles Colwill, Stiles T. Colwill Interiors, 410/828-7805.

python-skin finish...

Library by Eva Quateman

Walls are painted in a python-skin pattern (black-and ivory paint) by decorative artist Paul Minnihan.

"It provides an unexpectedly glamorous background for the library of Chicago Merchandise Mart DreamHome 2006. Chicago designer Eva Quateman decided to reject the classical notion of a library as a traditional interior with lots of wood and brass lamps. Instead she came up with a black, gray, gold, and ivory room whose sensual personality combines masculine and feminine elements."

from Traditional Home magazine

faux Venetian plaster finish...

aged plaster faux Venetian plaster finish from BHG Paint Decor

This beautiful faux finish done with paint, not plaster, creates the timeworn look of aged Venetian plaster in minutes instead of centuries. You simply trowel on thin layers of semi-gloss paint (3-5 colors). For full directions and more photos visit Better Home & Gardens Paint Decor.

Note: All colors are Sherwin-Williams semigloss latex paint.

Deep Terra-Cotta

• Raynard SW6348
• Tassel SW6369
• Anjou Pear SW6381

Blue-Green

• Composed SW6472
• Shagreen SW6422
• Jersey Cream SW6379

Pale Cream

• Tassel SW6369
• Anjou Pear SW6381
• Jersey Cream SW6379

Tips

• Use at least three colors for this technique, but, after that, you can use as many as you like.
• Choose at least one pale hue, one medium hue, and one dark hue for this technique for richer results.
• You don't have to prime over a previously painted wall. Instead, just work over it. When you're finished, you'll see hints of the original color, which will create more interest. If you are unhappy with the amount of color that shows through, just apply more paint.
• Don't wipe excess paint off the trowel; the randomness of the application is what creates the illusion of depth.
• Apply a final, lightly tinted antiquing glaze over the entire wall to add depth and unite the colors.

all photos from Better Home & Gardens magazine Paint Decor

painted furniture...

Swedish furniture pieces are delightful in color and design...if you would like your own Swedish clock, they can be purchased at Swedish Clocks.com...

from Veranda photo by Peter Vitale

Inspired by the soft hues and understated elegance of painted Swedish furniture, as well as the light shades of flooring in many European homes, Bowers found a linen with a "petit blue" undertone that dictated the colors of the interiors. "Often I'll pick one fabric, and it will determine the palette for an entire house. The wall color is also a derivative of that fabric."

Complementing the Swedish pieces are numerous French antiques that exude a similar aesthetic. "Most of the French furniture is from the Directoire period, so the lines are very clean, and those pieces work well with our Swedish furnishings."

Venetian plastered paper towel holder...

Motorcycle-racing must be very lucrative...John Kocinski, a 34-year-old motorcycle-racing champion from Little Rock, Arkansas has a Venetian plastered paper towel holder in his Beverly Hills French villa...

from Archictectural Digest Photography by Mary E. Nichols

“You see what we mean by quality?” Kocinski asks rhetorically. “My garage is finished the same way as my living room. The door hinges on the electrical room outside are the same as the door hinges throughout the house. If you go into the laundry room, it’s all mosaic back-splashes, limestone countertops and Venetian plaster. If you open up the smallest cabinet to get a roll of paper towels, it’s Venetian-plastered.”

looking for artists and artisans to be featured in the new magazine...if you think you would like to join us, please contact me by e-mail... Send an email to Rebecca now!