Kitchen Cabinets Revamped

Let's face it Kitchen cabinets are expensive, in a sluggish economy renovating a kitchen can work itself right off the "to do " list. If you have a kitchen that has wood cabinets, they can be finished in a ver affordable , highly durable, beautiful finish. We strip the wood, prime then and apply the desired finish. The finish can be a lovely faux wood, a warm cherry look or glazed oak. Some of our lovely finishes can include crackling, distressing, pickling, and handpainted designs. Our variety of samples also show various plasters, activated finishes and all colors.

Concrete Countertpos

There is an inexpensive quick, durable attractive way to get rid of ugly formica counter tops. A concrete over lay is a practical way to achieve the look you want for less. I have done quite a few of these over lays there are several manufacturers that make the concrete geared for this application. A products I have had great success with are SKIMSTONE from Modern Masters . Skimstone can be manipulated to give various looks on a counter top from poured concrete, travertine looks to granite and venetian plaster type looks too. The product goes right over the existing counter top and has a surface when dry that is rock hard. Skimstone can also be used for floors, patios and basements. The beauty of the product is that it can be made to look like stone.

Utilizing Home Show venues for Marketing your decorative painting Business

I have done several home shows over the years as well as outdoor craft, and art shows. All of the above mentioned have their benefits to Decorative artists. I like doing the larger home shows because they are usually indoors, and the traffic is heavy. The opportunity for potential clients to actually "see" what you do is very important, the booth gives you the opportunity to showcase some of your work as well as meet with and talk to people. Many of these shows attract designers and people in the industry that use artists . Craft and open air art shows are a great way to showcase your work, for a smaller fee and meet clients also. These shows are usually outside and the opportunity to bring an easel and paint in plien air is a terrific way to create a "buzz" around your booth.

Thank you Long Island !!

Once again the votes have been counted and the Long Island Press has tops in all categories. The Best Artist Honors have been bestowed on Arlene Mcloughlin Murals the studio is finishing in the top 3 and is very proud and gracious to all Long Islanders who took part in this voting process! To read more please look for the January 15 issue of the LONG ISLAND PRESS

Merry Christmas to all!

Happy Holidays to my friends and family from myself and the staff at Arlene Mcloughlin Murals .

MEOW

Kids rooms are a joy to paint. Some of my favorite commissions have been for childrens living spaces. The client is always thrilled, the child's wide eyed wonderment and enthusiasm is contagious! My most recent project in a three year old little girl's room is quite the sophisticated look! The mother wanted a chocolate brown and pink color scheme, she painted "shadow boxes" around the room, but they were missing something.... I came in and added the "leopard print" through out the room, the completed project is very dramatic, fun and the perfect balance of whimsy.

Using Plasters in Mural work

Lately I have been getting calls for an olde world look to my mural painting. I enjoy utilizing plasters in my mural work and there are several ways I go about this. Traditionally if I am using a lime based plaster I will paint my mural as a fresco using egg tempera, earth pigments and water. This method is time consuming, and more expensive ar far as products being used, but the results are quite stunning, and finished murals look like old Italian walls. I also use a method where I paint my mural using regular artist acrylic paints. I use very saturated colors, and then I apply carefully placed layers of synthetic plasters on top of the painting. This method produces a crusty old worn down look that is quite attractive. The plasters can then be sanded for even more age, waxed or left alone.

Long Island Press BEST OF 2009

Arlene Mcloughlin Murals has been nominated again by the Long Island Press as LONG ISLAND'S BEST ARTIST!! Please show your support for us and vote at http://www.votebestofli.com/ we are located under the "Arts and Entertainment " section. This is an honor for me and our staff here at the studio. We work hard for our Long Island clients , to bring new and exciting Mural looks as well as Plaster and the latest Faux Finishing looks to you! So thanks again for the nomination, and keep voting for us!

Illuminated Jack o' Lanterns

http://www.nassaumuseum.com/spookyhalloween.html This is a link to a great Halloween exhibit, at the beautiful Nassau County Museum of Art. I am looking foward to participating this year, and carving a Jack 'o Lantern for the festivities, I can't imagine how cool 3000 illuminated pumpkins will be at night! Halloween is my favorite holiday, and these kind of community gatherings really get people in the celebratory mood. There are also several really good Haunted Houses in the area, my favorite being the Bayville Firehouse. This Haunted House is definitely not for the little ones, but more for a date night or group of people. Go on a rainy night! The numerous corn fields on Long Island and hayrides, pumpkin picking and festivities are in abundance so go have some Halloween fun! And go ahead eat your favorite candy bar...I know the Grand will be in ,my trick o treat bowl

Redecorating for teens, and tweens

When kids get to a certain age, 11-12 they no longer seem to be interested in "characters" fairys or superheroes any more. I had this dilema recently with my daughter. We have muraled her room 3 times since she was born, her nursery was a circus theme, as a toddler she had Princess room , and then around 7 years old we did a Breakfast at Tiffany's look with Cats. She loves cats. So this year she will be 11, she has Jonas Brothers mania, and wanted bright colors, turquoise, fuschia and purple, How do we make this work? I came up with an India inspired theme. We used plasters in these bright saturated colors on the walls and furniture. The touches of gold, orange and fuschia accents really pull it all together , but the Taj Mahal type head board my husband and I cut from a sheet of plywood and upholstered really says "India Princess" Coming up with a color scheme is the easy part its finding the cohesive elements that make the story work. I look through magazines before I commit to anything for inspiration and ideas.Determining my theme helps too. Albeit India, sports, or just color. A scrollsaw and some good hand tools are helpful too.