Saturday, May 18, 2013

Hand-Painting, Handmaking and Customizing on Canvases, Ceilings, and Folding-Screens

The thing I like the most: customizing, painting, creating unique things that you will find nowhere else.
These burlap Wall-Hangings / Rugs have been the chore of my work when I still was in Paris. I was working on demand, or not. Actually working on burlap is difficult and enjoyable in the same time, because this is such a porous material that it needs tons and tons of primer and paints, but when the patterns start appearing like you wish them to be, it is a true pleasure to admire the final result.
A pleasure also to apply these layers of paint, transforming little by little your surface.
 
To use them as rugs, it is better to line them, otherwise, they can be used as a wonderful wall decor which gives to your home a castle look or an improvised beach as this one inspired by the Ocean world.
The one below is the first one I made. It has been damaged in the trip between Paris and Los Angeles, but I kept it because I am fascinated by all these nuances of yellow/orange. It is also the first time that I used gold powders in my stencils.
 The patterns here are mostly inspired by the Renaissance period.
Painting on burlap canvases, quickly became not enough and the nature started growing on my walls!
I am not sure that the ivy would be so beautiful without the antique moldings. It is however easy to re-create the look, there are so many fake and light moldings available at Home Depot for example, once painted, we can't even guess they don't come from France.
I had a cramp in the arms during several days, after finishing this ceiling, but it deserved the effort!
In my most elaborate and long lasting works, I would include the folding-screens painted according to the "Trompe-l'Oeil" technique, which consists of making you believe that something is there when it is not.
 

 This folding-screen has been the most difficult and the most fascinating one to make, teaching me the essential of the Heraldic knowledge. I included in it the Sinclair blazon (white and black) as a reminder of my love for the English TV show "The Persuaders" where Roger Moore was personifying Lord Brett Sinclair. This is actually the real Sinclair family blazon. At least, it proves that we can have some fun, learn and create in the same time!

All that to say, I can recreate for you a look on demand. It doesn't need to be so big, it can start on small surfaces, or even on bags or scarves!
I can't wait to go back to my brushes again!:-)