I’ve filled the website with samples of my work, including ceilings, murals, framed paintings and decorative furniture.  Here are some of the terms you’ll encounter and brief definitions to help you visualize the techniques.

  • Trompe l’Oeil (pronounced tromp loy) is a French term for “fool or trick the eye.”  For more than 3,000 years, the art form has been used create the illusion of three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface.  Accuracy with perspective, shadows and tightly rendered details are required for good trompe l’oeil images.  Both playful and intellectually serious, the artist toys with spectators’ seeing to raise the question, ‘Is it real or is it not?’  These are most effective when painted in an area viewed at a distance.
  • Faux Bois (foe bwa) is a French term for “false wood.” It refers to the artistic imitation of wood or wood grains in various media.
  • Grotessca is fine decorative art discovered in the remains of Roman bathhouses, the ruins of Pompeii and Nero’s palace. It was revived during the Renaissance.  The art consists of human figures, flora and fauna, and decorative flourishes in a classical symmetrical design.  It is ideal for tapestries as well as furniture.
  • Frescoes were originally works of art painted on a thin layer of wet, fresh, lime mortar or plaster.  Today, artists can mimic the look with a faux technique in which the wall or canvas is treated to appear aged, then typically painted with soft earth colors to create a worn appearance.  When I do a fresco on canvas, it can either be framed or applied as a mural directly to the wall, in a manner similar to wallpaper.
  • Tapestries are uniquely personalized panels, which can often be the solution to having a decorative piece for that odd-sized space.  They are custom-cut regarding size as well as theme then distinctively bordered, sometimes with the addition of jewels, usually Swarovski crystals or pearls. 
  • Grissaile (griz-i) is a painting technique by which an image is executed entirely in shades of gray or other color. It is usually modeled to produce the illusion of sculpture or relief.  It was popular among 15th-century Flemish painters as well as in the late 18th century when artists used it to imitate classical sculpture in wall and ceiling decoration.
  • Antique Distressed Mirrors are another personalized item. The mirror is chemically altered or distressed, masked and painted from the reverse side.  This decorative art form is making a big comeback in fine home furnishings today as an ornamental as opposed to a functional piece. It fits all modes of décor, including contemporary.  Please keep in mind that mirrors are a bit difficult to photograph.

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