Greet your guests with style. Red textured wall with gold highlights

The Meaning of Painting and Clients for Me

Some days as an entrepreneur, decorative painter, it's tough. Making sure you have enough jobs in the pipeline, keeping up with e-mails and follow-ups. But it's the times when even 'mundane' straight painting can bring such joy to a client, give your purpose and all the 'tough' days disappear.

Back Entrance Way Floral Mural

I'm now realizing for the second time that every project I do, and every color I use ends up being my favorite. With that being said, lets take a peek at my new favorite mural project of the week.

Every project has an exciting story behind it. The addition/renovation of this house was about 2 years ago, and ever since then, the homeowners have always talked about placing a mural within this space, since the walkway really doesn't allow for pictures to be hung. Well they got their wish about having a mural! The best part, is they have no idea. Lets see how long it'll take them to figure out it's there! I'm not good at surprises, and lets hope they're not following my twitter updates or blog.

Back Entrance Way: Before Mural

Being from Georgia, this house has the look and feel to be found on the pages of Southern Living. I knew that this mural couldn't be just ANYthing, but had to have a sophisticated look and feel, like something you would find in Southern Living.

My inspiration came from hand painted Chinese silk paintings, and kept with muted colors and some hints of saturated color here and there. Taking hints from the way homeowners decorate is a huge key an help when you are deciding how to design your mural. This homeowner likes to use muted wall colors, and accessorize with pops of color, and that's where my color decision came from. I also decided to do this mural in Oil paint.

Back Entrance Way: After Mural

Floral oil Painting for Sale

That's right... I started an E-bay account today, to help fund the trip to Worlds for Michael Schiavone's on the US National Team to Australia. It's actually very big, measuring 36x48. It's the first in the series that I've been doing. Part of me really wanted to just try E-bay to see if it works, and then if it does, to raise money for Michel's trip...
Michael Schiavone's Story for Worlds

E-bay Link to BID!

Helping Clients Better Visualize a Mural Project

We all know that murals can be quite the investment, and clients should have a great understanding of what you're going to create for them before they sign on the dotted line. This not only protects the artist, but also the client since both parties knows what's going to be delivered.

I've found that taking an actual picture of the room or wall, then placing the sketches within the photo and using past projects can be a great visualization for the client, and it's fun too! It's a sneak peak to what can happen and the beginning to a master piece!

Here's a sample sketch for a chalkboard wall with slated stones and wood for a small engine shop... I'm already excited, and it's only a quick sketch!

Your goal is to generalize the feel for the mural. Since these are inicial sketches, let your client then determine what direction they want to go in.

CloseUp: Painted Faux Marble Columns

Faux Fireplace:Marblized

This is REALLY hard to make out, but the top 1/2 of the fireplace was painted to look like marble. It's very faint. We didn't want the faux marble to be overwhelming... but subtle. The straight paint was to stark, and this dressed everything up.

Marblizing Walls in Action

Painted Granite

Mabled Columns

May Color of the Month

May's color of the month is, Grandiose From Sherwin Williams.

What a great way to keep spring around with this muted out green. Add accents in creamy whites and olives.

May 2009 Newsletter is out!

This months newsletter covered, Inspirations for Bathrooms. Have you been daring with color in your bathroom? Bathrooms are the first place to look, if you have a bold wallpaper, or paint color you's been dying to try. These little, often forgot about spaces, can entertain any house guest when you apply the right decor to the walls, and keep them coming back for more.

5 Affordable Updates using Decorative Painting

1. Do the base coat: To keep costs down, ask around to your family and friends, I'm sure you'll be able to find someone who is willing to help you base coat. Then the artistic work can be done.


2. If the wall paint is less than 1.5 years old: We can work with the existing wall base color, to do a color change, and you can instantly have a different room! (Photo Below: Room started off as the 'builder' white, and 3 layers were added to create faux)


3. Have a 'decorative boarder' added around a room: This works great in any room. Most clients have done this in hallways, kitchens and bathrooms. When you add a vine, or flowers to any wall color, you instantly get a different feel, and colors you never knew will start to shine through the room.


4. Paint the ceiling: That's right, look up in your home. These often neglected spots in the home are a sure way to give any space a 'wow' factor with out re-doing the whole room, with minimal costs compared to a whole-room re-paint.


5. Add a Decorative Accent wall: This allows you to have a whole new room, with only changing one thing, for a dramatic change.

The Making of Chip's Pizza Place

So here's the making of Chip's Pizza place, in Forest Hill, MD. It'll be opened around May 1st, so be sure to get a slice of the best pizza in the world, made by Italians!

Black Zebra Print Mural

Soon to be applied to a wall!

Papered Walls & Faux, a Perfect Fit!

Little Teady Bears Nursury Mural

Faux Painted Accent Wall, FINISHED!

Here it is! The pictures are a bit blurry, I'll get better ones. The comments from people who walked in the house, was incredible. Comments like 'When did they have time to tile the wall?", "That's not paint!?"... followed by going up to touch the wall! I used all Sherwin Williams paint, no decorative painting fancy stuff, straight paint. This is a great accent wall, and fills the need of wanting a stacked brick wall, without the hassle or expense of real stone and installation.

Faux Stacked Brick Wall

Here's a before and after of the sitting room... I'm working on the faux bricks in the shelving area right now.

You Pick the Name: New Faux

Once again, here I go trying to break the mold of traditional faux finishes. I developed this finish for a very special client of mine. They have no restrictions when it comes to texture, deep colors and shimmers. So that's what I gave them, and we ended up with an ultra rich finish with tones of lavender, so refreshing I'm not sure if they'll leave the bathroom(I'm joking ;))


I was asked on this project what my favorite project has been. If you've been following the blog it would seems as if the latest post would be my latest favorite... but it's the truth. If you can find joy in everything you do, then why not have your latest project be your favorite! I was taught at the Maryland Institute, by a drawing teacher, that you are going to create things in life that you're not going to enjoy, and you better find a way to enjoy it. In adition you must create as if it's the best idea in the world... and it usually ends up the best idea in the world, until the next project.

The bottom photo is the guest bathroom down stairs, demostrating the fearlessness in texture/ shimmers and richness in color.