Decorative Painting

Glazing A glaze is paint mixed with in a medium to create a transparent layer. The base paint and the new glaze combine to create a new effect that is not solid.  The way a glaze is applied and manipulated gives it a sense of movement.  A glaze can be applied to any surface, walls, trim, ceiling, or floors.  Common uses of wall glazes are a soft flowing movement, ragging, color washes, striés, and cross striés.  A glaze applied over trim (doors, moulding, and windows) can be manipulated to simulate a natural aging process called antiquing.

Gilding Gilding is the timeless art of adhering gold leaf onto surfaces. Gold Leaf is gold hammered into sheets that are much thinner and more delicate than tissue paper.  The slightest breeze could blow the leaf out of the artist’s hands making it very difficult to apply.  Gold Leaf is adhered to surfaces by applying size (paint that stays tacky like syrup left out so that the gold leaf sticks to surface) which is applied to any surface, and then as it is dried which takes from 3 to 36 hours.  As it dries it becomes very tacky, allowing the gold leaf to adhere to the surface.

Textures Textures come in a wide range and variety.  All texture products we use are synthetic materials and can be applied using trowels, brushes, sponges, and anything else you desire. The tools used in applying the textured product vary the look.  We can create any type of atmosphere with our textures. A very rustic cave like settings can be achieved as easily as a soft elegant metallic texture that is smooth to the touch. Textures should be selected with both a look and a feel in mind.

Venetian Plaster A true Venetian Plaster is made with marble flour (ground up marble powder to the consistency of flour) and lime slake.  It is these natural elements that give a true Venetian Plaster its hardness and sophistication.  Plaster comes in all forms, and differs from other textures by having the lime slake and marble flour in its surface.  When someone is talking about “Venetian Plaster” most people think of the classic technique which is applied very smooth and waxed or top-coated to a high shine. This is one form. Other forms include simulated concrete, old stucco walls falling apart, and many other subtle movement plaster that are more coarse to the touch than the “smooth technique.”

Faux Bois (Wood Graining) and Marbling The art of graining and marbling can be dated back hundreds of years in Europe.  A typical graining or marbling process requires: One or two base coats, These coats then need to be sanded or wet sanded smooth to simulate a realistic effect for the proceding layers. The actual marbling or graining coats which consists of under layers, accent layers, and veining and movement layers A minimum of three topcoats to be applied to create a smooth final surface This intricate process truly convinces people that the wood or marble is real.  Some uses for graining and marble can be as follows: Accenting a niche in a dining room with marble Matching existing doors, to your new cabinets as you re-do your kitchen Changing a paint grade door to match the rest of the space. Mimicking the effect of an exotic wood at a fraction of the price.

Tromp L'Oeil Tromp L’ Oeil is French for “fooling the eye”. This primarily refers to making a painted object (2 Dimensional) look 3 dimensional by adding shadows and highlight and rendering the object in a life like size.  Some instances where this can be used would be to add moulding on a wall or ceiling space to accent the room.

Murals Imagine stepping inside your dining room, only to enter an exotic jungle, or to go to bed at night and still be looking at flowing clouds brushing against the horizon with the sun beaming down, or better yet having your children’s room transformed into an array of cartooned animals and landscapes.  Murals are based on themes and styles.  They can range from traditional European landscapes and scenes, to a more impressionistic theme. Did you ever dream of having Monet’s “Water Lilies” painted throughout your entire room? The majority of our murals are done at our studio on canvas, and then are wallpapered into the room. This allows us to get in and out of your space quickly and allows you to change the room easily and permits you to place the mural elsewhere.

Stenciling Stenciling is used to create multiple similar or identical prints as a quicker method of hand painting each pattern or piece by itself.  This is especially efficient when geometric patterns or ornaments are used. We scan existing elements from a fabric or wallpaper and have them digitally cut.  This allows us to print them on a wall or ceiling to coordinate the room into a whole. We can apply these designs to furniture, floors, or inlays to completely integrate the room.