We love you grandma

I am writing this in hopes that some of my siblings , cousins and family members take a moment to look at some of the pictures and add to the great memmories I have of Grandma. I will miss her. The more I think of her these last few days the more I realize what a unique person she is. What a unique Christian she was, and how she really did live her life in a state of grace. I don't think I can say I know too many people who have been such admirable role models but as I sit here today one thought comes to mind, patience. I have yet to meet someone in my lifetime who epitimized the word, 40 years never heard her even raise her voice. Grandma came to every school play, dance recital and communion we all had. I even remember her and Grampa, mind you not small people, squeezing themselves into child size desks for Grandparents day back when I was in third grade. My most impacted memmory of grandma is when I was about 13, and all the smaller cousins broke the crib upstairs, Grampa was angry, and we all knew it, but she came up from the party basement and in her soothing voice, "its ok Chris, its Christmas, let them play" Yes I can certainly take a page from her book! Grandma, likes games and she was a Grandmother who never said no to a good game of cards, or a simple page to color. I love Grandma, she and Grampa were unique people, they tried to understand and bond with each and everyone of thier grandchildren, me in 5th grade having some growing pains and not fitting in, I recall telling them that the kids in school called me a fagot because of my sneakers, I laugh now as I remember Grandma getting the dictionary and Grampa looking puzzled as the definition said a bundle of sticks! I missed those Christmases in thier basement before the extended family got too big, I missed playing bartender with my sister, and those funky flowered Christmas lights. Grandma has always reminded me of Mrs. Claus, especially after her hair went white. She has always had a smile, and a kind heart for each of us. I will miss her, but she will be in my mind, like Grampa is whenever I see a pink sky. His made up crayon "sky blue pink" that I could never find! I will think of Grandma when I eat a peanut chew, or when I see someone drink scotch. I will think of Grandma when I see those cheesy polyester pants advertised in the back of the Sunday paper. The pink lipstick that somehow got worn down flat? How that happened will remain Grandma"s mystery , but I will think of her. And of course a really good chocolate chip cookie will make me smile as no-one really ever made them like her. I hope she finds her peace soon , and is laughing , traveling, bowling and drinking with grampa, crocheting, and happy with Auntie, and her parents...I will still miss her

Puglia... a new look, a new resturant...

A new resturant in East Meadow Long Island, Puglia of Little Italy. The warm , cozy atmosphere was achieved by colorwashing the walls in the main diningroom with a soft terra cotta glaze. We then transformed what felt like miles of mouldings from white semi gloss to a warm Faux Mahogany , for a rich and classic look. The restirant is located on Hempstead Turnpike and is a well known establishment in NYC's Little Italy.

New Class

I recently taught this beginner trompe style fruit bowl at the Art League , We hade 5 students in the class. We used Faux Effects paints and transferred our images onto cambric cloth. The concepts of light and shadow were covered in the class. I think the students did a great job, and we had alot of fun! The next class i will be teaching at the Art league will be Venetian 101 , this class will cover proper techniques for application, surface preparation, differences between synthetics and lime. Students will complete 3 sample boards.

Up coming Art Classes

I will be teaching several classes at the Art League in Huntington. The classes are a Trompe L'oeil niche painted on canvas, the niche will hava a bowl of fruit in the center. This class is in March. The other 2 classes are "Venetian Plaster 101", this class is in April. The class will focus on proper troweling techniques, different plasters, and decorative applications. Students will see demonstrations of the plasters as well as hands approach. The last class is a "Basic Faux All You Need To Know" this class wil cover different applications of glaze techniques used in Faux Painting. Students will create several boards , This class is in May. For more info visit the Art League or click the title of this post

Painting on Pellon

Cieling murals are particularly difficult to paint areas. When appraoching a mural on a cieling I like to take several factors into consideration. Are there multiple techniques needed for the background, are there figures, and what the height is. Height factor is important because scaffolding slows you down, being careful is a prerequisite, and cautious painting while up there is mandatory! I recently did a cieling mural with quite a few figures the faces were done on pellon which made the mural install very painless. Literally. Looking up for long periods of time can be quite stressfull on the neck muscles . Using pellon is a welcome alternative. Pellon can be found at craft and sewing supply stores, I used the mid weight. The fabric takes paint beautifully and the mural melds together seamlessly.

Textured Plasters

I really like working with plasters, I prefer Lime for smooth and polished applications, the benefits of Lime are durability, mildew and of course the "green" factor. I also have alot of fun with synthetic plaster applications. I do alot of crackled looks, the plaster gives a very old, and leathery appearance. I have also done a variety of stria'd looks with plaster. The look can be nubby and shimmery like raw silk, or more rustic like a grass cloth. Stenciling on top gives even more dimension!

Faux Marquetry

The look of a fine wood floor is classic and beautiful, add to the floor a marquetry pattern or inlay and the results can be stunning, timeless, and a fortune! So the art of a "faux" inlay is quite affordable and looks very convincing. I did this floor with the help of "Modello" a decorative masking pattern that makes staining these types of floors a breeze. The preparation of the floor should be left to a proffessional floor person. This means sanding, base staining is needed and the polyurethane topcoat. I cut the Modello to size and used gel stains , which gaurd against"bleed through" Voila! a faux inlay!

Thankyou Long Island!!!

Long Island Press Best of issue 2008 ....Thankyou to all of my friends, clients and family that voted us "Best Artist" on Long Island!!This is very exciting, the Long Island press features businesses all over Long Island each year in their annual "Best Of Long Island " issue. We are featured under Arts and Entertainment section with a link to our web site. Just in time for this weekends Home Show, come see why we were recognized for our excellence! We will have a booth featuring our Murals, Italian plasters and our unique Custom finishes! The show is in Farmingdale on route 110...Hope to see you there!

Texture on Walls

I am involved in an amorous love affair with textures, I love walking into a room and wanting to "feel" the walls. My portfolio is filled with different textures, plasters, rough and smooth, tissues, sand finishes and relief stenciling, but my favorite of late has been "crackling" I love the look of thick crackled synthetic Venetian Plasters. The statement is indeed bold, but oh so dramatic. When these finishes are glazed or stained they look very leathery and rich. I like pairing them with gilded finishes and or smotth walls.

A HOME SHOW!!!

We are proud to be included in the first Home Show of 2008! This great event will be happening on January 11, 12,+ 13 at Farmingdale Community College on route 110 ..We will be demonstrating some of our "Fresco Lime Plaster" techniques as well as displaying many of our unique murals, surface textures , Skimstone Concrete and a few surprises! The show is from 10:00 am till 10:00pm Friday and Saturday and 10:00am till 6:00 pm Sunday. Come see us and find out a little more about our artists, and our company!