Amityville Art Show

Outdoor art show next weekend in the Amityville Main street market. There will be live music , artists showcasing and selling works, art demonstrations as well as opportunities for folks to meet and get to know some great local artists. I will be showcasing some gold leaf paintings around 2:00pm.

Long Island Faux finsh trends

As an artist and experienced faux painter celebrating almost 20 years working for myself on Long Island I have noticed many trends over the last few years, I sold nothing but Italian "fresco look" paints and plasters for a while, then it was the "chocolate brown " trend. Lately and for the last year or so my top selling finish is an interpretation of tissue. I personally love tissue as a finish. The tissue is cheap, and labor is not huge so it's quite affordable, but what draws me to the tissue is the diversity in which this substrate can be manipulated and transformed into countless looks. The fact that the tissue is also a fantastic remedy for botched wallpaper removal, and poor walls is always an added plus. My number on selling finish is tissue with metallic paints and activating sprays, the results are nothing short of magical when all that mica gets caught in the tissue creases! The classic leather look utilizing tissue paper faux finish as a base is also a popular look. For some diverse and fantastic looks please visit my gallery on facebook or my website...thanks for reading!

Solo Show in Hicksville

I am happy to announce a new show for the month of March at the Hicksville Public Library on Jerusalem Ave. I have 35 paintings in the show. Some of my oil on gold and copper leaf paintings, along with ornamental, floral and a few abstract paintings. The paintings are hung in the lower level gallery and can be seen during the hours of 11 am- 8 pm daily. All paintings are available for purchase.

Amityville Artist Circle Gallery

I am pleased to announce that one of my paintings has been accepted into the Juried show "Dreams" opening this weekend at the Circle gallery in Amityville. The show opened Saturday evening , with a beautiful and interesting collection of works from Long Island Artists. My painting is an aluminum leaf painting with acrylic and plaster. The theme of my work is the longevity of the Earths ocean and my dream of keeping them clean and the marine life safe. Hours of the Gallery are daily from 12-6. The Circle gallery is located next to Vittorio's on Main Street in Amityville , Long Island. The show "Dreams" runs until June 26th

Avon Walk for Breastancer

I have officially started my training this week for the walk in October, this walk is a 39 mile walk around Manhattan. I did it last year and it was a truly wonderful experience. My fundraising efforts are a bit slow going this year, but I am confidant through word of mouth I will raise the much needed money to end this disease. My training will be periodically updated here and if you feel like giving me a small donation I would much appreciate it! Click on the link above to go to the fundraising page http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=1970&px=4423358&s_src=boundlessfundraising

Faux Glazing Techniques

I would like to talk about some very simple faux painting techniques that I have been using successfully for over 20 years. Many of these techniques require a paint - glaze ratio and or water. Fundamentally a glaze is a medium which makes paint tranlucent and workable. I have several favorite means of application , for fast results over a good solid pre- existing base coat a color wash looks terrific and is almost effortless. I like to use a round car wash brush for this and blend and stipple he glaze, for a cloud like faux finish. Some times on a ceiling i will use a woolie for this finish it covers for area and also gives a nice even finish. Ragging on a glaze will give you a more defined pattern of a finish depending on how much glaze you use. I prefer a faux finish that I devised for covering bad walls or minimizing the time for a base coat. This is a "roll and faux" technique. I roll 3-4 foot sections with a light basecoat then rag wet into wet for a very mottled and heavy movement type faux finish. This has cut out an entire day of base coat painting because you are essentially basecaoting while you faux. This works well with 2 people as one will roll the other will faux paint. These are just 2 of my favorites more to come......

A trip to Versaille and all things Parisian

I recently was lucky enough to be able to travel overseas to enjoy a few days in Paris with my daughter Niamh. We specifically went for the annual exhibition of the Salon Of Decorative Painters. This years exhibition was held in the glorious town of Versaille , just outside of Paris. The Salon is set up to showcase the best of decorative arts. To be included is an honor and to be an onlooker is a treat. The Panels submitted and shown this tear were simply fabulous from the grandest of murals to ornaments and marble. We spent the morning perusing the exhibition hall taking photos of all the panels, then went to the demonstration hall to watch some of the masterful artists in action. There were some great artworks in progression and it is always a delight to see these artisans work. After our Salon visit we walked to the Palace Versaille. The day was a glorious sunny , cloudless afternoon and to enjoy the ponds, trails, and gardens on such a sunny day was a treat. We rented bicycles and were able to ride to Marie Antoinette's apartments and to the farms in the back. We especially loved the small lite houses with thatched roofs and small rabbit pens. Enclosed is a link to my photo album please feel free to enjoy the magnifcence of it all.

Hierloom Christening Gowns

Hierloom Christening gowns, made form a treasured wedding gown. What better way to pass on your wedding gown fabrications. I was recently commissioned to design a Christening Gown for a dear friend a very good client. I was given the wedding gown, which was a fabulous concoction of silk satin, ornate beaded accents and alencon lace. I made a pattern for the dress, my main concerns were utilizing the beautiful cut work on the front hem and train of the shirt. The gown was a traditional long gown with a matching bonnet and head band. I trimmed the waisteband with small satin rosettes and pearls. Creating these gowns are fun and being able to incorporate and mother's or grandmother's gown into the Christening gown is a fabulous way to creat a family hierloom.

Yankee Stadium Mural

This mural of the new Yankee Stadium was one of my most challenging and rewarding projects I have done. The clients vision was a feel that you the viewer could "jump" right into the field. The length and height of the wall served the challenge because a panoramic view would not include the field or diamond. I elongated the outer boxes and seating to give the viewer the feeling that they were in the stands, and at the same time was able to fill in around the outer stadium walls with the "feeling" of surrounding buildings. This mural is 10x 16 feet in a little boys room. On the other walls and closet I used graffiti lettering to write the boys name and painted trompe lockers on his closet door. The results are a true Yankee lovers theme room. I am not sure who is happier daddy or baby....

Upcoming show

I will be having an exhibition at the Oyster Bay Public Library for the month of March. The exhibition will iclude about 30 various media paintings n canvas, as well as several acrylic tapestries and 4 new paintings I have recently completed on gold and copper leaf backgrounds. The show is a part of the Town of Oyster Bay Rotational Arts Exhibition. The paintings can be viewed during regular library business hours.