Raised Plaster Faux Finishes

My next installment in my ongoing re-cap of a project I recently had the pleasure of working on is the Formal Living room , and Dining room . These two rooms are directly located off the main entry way and kitchen area, The rooms had to have a "flow". The color palette and design elements had to work together and compliment each other. The design elements and faux treatments also had to be able to stand alone. As I stated in the previous installment the clients vision had to be reminiscent of his home country. The walls, and designs were selected to evoke a feel of home for them when they walked through the doors. We did utilize many stencils, but each stencil was applied in such a manor that it became so much more than a stencil. In the formal living room we used fantastic stencils from Victoria Larsen. The room had a surround of raised panels, each was painted with Sherwin Williams matte finish paint in "Antique white" We then painstakingly centered each of the 15 stencils in each box, the stencil was plastered with a custom mix of Palette deco and gold paint for a very bright and brilliant gold raised look. The ceiling moldings were hand detailed with gold paint. The dining room also had lovely raised panels, these were octagon shaped and each one had a round stencil, some were from Royal Design Studio , Victoria Larsen and The Mad Stencilist designed our corners for us. These stencils also were treated with a bright gold plaster. The magnificent cofered ceiling had a hand painted gold leaf application on all decorative moldings

Faux Finish, Stenciling, and Mural extravaganza on Long Island

I was recently commissioned to work in a grand home in Brookville, Long Island. The clients and I worked together for approximately 8 months on 12 rooms in the home that would have decorative painting in some capacity. Much of the inspiration came form lovely ornate inlays the clients had imported from India. The inlays adorned floors in bathrooms, foyers, great rooms, and contained fabulous marble , lapis, mother of pearl and other various beautiful stone elements. I used stencils for much of my "back ground" wall work . In the entry way foyer and great room , which boasts 22 foot ceilings and a lovely round "rotunda" style architecture, we used a very soothing color palette of warm shades of white and tans that coordinated with the marble floors. The wow factor in the rotunda comes from the 9 foot diameter dome that is directly above the round entry inlay. We chose to paint this a red velvet faux finish with gold leaf stenciling and hand applied jewels to each individual flower. The columns flanking the balcony in the foyer and great room were faux painted to look like marble and have lovely gold capitals.....My next installment I will cover the formal living areas, Dining room and Living room...

Tropical Murals

Bling in the Faux painting!

Going forward in 2011, I have noticed through out 2010 the request for Bling!!I have had more commissions this past year including bling than I have had in my entire 15 years as a decorative artist, and 25 years as a paid artist. Let m define BLING , here on Long Island I think we are getting bit by the in flux of reality tv. The tv shows that air homes of the rich and famous have inordinate amounts of marble, crystal, jewels, gold leaf and opulence galore. So my "BLING" filled commissions have included a lot of leaf this year. Gold leaf, copper, or aluminum, used as accents or entire walls or ceilings. I have used more crystals than when i had my bridal gown business 20 years ago! The crystals have been used in faux painting, as well as murals and kids rooms. I have also used more metalic paint this year than any other paint, so I think the desire and appreciation for all things shiny will comtinue through the new year. I look forward to 2011 and all it will bring, wishing all of you a Happy and Healthy BLING filled New Year!

Ceiling Murals on Long Island

Lately I have been getting an abundance of requests for ceiling murals. From Merrick, to Montauk and Hewlett in between. Murals on the fifth wall seem to be very popular this year. I did a ceiling mural with gold leaf and Sworavorski crystals on a dining room ceiling in Merrick,a week later a ceiling design with ornamental scrolls , floral's and pearls in Dix Hills. The most popular ideas for ceilings used to be cherubin and sky scapes, recently I finished a Victorian home in Rockville Center with for different ceiling treatments all with variations of stenciling work. True murals on a ceiling are even transpiring into kid's rooms. In Massapequa Park I recently finished a fun compass rose mural for a nursery. So when designing the decor of your rooms remember to take into consideration the ceiling, be it a tray, recessed, coffered, cathedral or flat - Murals on the ceiling add an unexpected element to any room. To view photos of many of the works mentioned please visit www.arlenemurals.com

A Valley Stream Classic

Valley Stream Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor icon "Mitchell's" on Rockaway Ave. has been serving happy customers since 1938! Recently I had the pleasure of working with owners Chris and Dimitrious in lending a hand in the updating of the establishment. The interior has been completely renovated, revealing fabulous "mod" looking glass tiles in fun gradient colors wrapping around the eating area. The counter where you can sit and have a refreshing ice cream soda has fun glass tiles and a new mural complete with a hot fudge river! The vestibule and back areas were treated with a mica faux painting treatment to compliment the tile work. As an ode to the original I was asked to paint a portrait of the old building on a canvas that will hang in the main dining room. What a wonderful place to take your family and friends for a bit of Valley stream and old New York nostalgia! And the ice cream is delicious!

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