5 months post Hurricane Sandy

It's been almost a month to the day since my last post! How time flies when you are busy! We, meaning myself and my helping hands who work with me are currently helping restore our 27th home post Sandy. Things are starting to come around for people, many who lost their first floor and or basements are re-floored, re-rocked and ready for paint. This is all good news for so many people. Thank God the weather has begun to warm up too. A few things post Sandy I think will be in the forefronts of people's minds along he shoreline of the south shore will be tides during storms. Post Sandy we have had 3 pretty wet, rainy storms, all have brought water, scary enough to make people nervous about flooding again. The other thing I have noticed is the abundance of dead trees away from the shore. There are dead white pines, cedars and other smaller shrubs all around the island. I think it has something to do with all the salt that was in the air during that storm. Quite the weather anomaly . Long Islanders still continue to preserve and be strong.

Almost 4 months!

Well, the Hurricane Sandy aftermath is almost four months past. I am sad to say way too many people are still displaced, with out repairs or waiting for insurance money. I am on my 17 renovation. We have been working round the clock , often 7 days a week trying to get friends, nieghbors and our community back into thier homes. Many of these people have had problems finding the resources to get them to a completed home. This link is a link to my album on Facebook, showing some horrific before pictures. I pray the people get the insurance and FEMA monies they so desperately need.https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4937945570443.2194903.1352742366&type=3. In the mean time we are painting one house at a time.

Long Island faux finishing and paint trends for 2013

So this is the beginning of a new year! I am happy to bid a good riddance to 2012 after the last few months I have seen too many gutted homes, exposed studs and subfloors as well as the lovely pink insulation to last me a life time. It's time to get people back into their homes and restore these homes to the original beauty. Many of my clients were effected by the hurricane Sandy. All these clients shared an appreciation for faux finishing, and specialty painting, some clients are painting the exact replica of what was there originally others are looking at the storm damage as an opportunity to have fate force their hand a re decorate or restyle the home. The trends I am seeing are going towards smooth walls, minimal if any textures like Venetian plaster or tissue. Soft colors , color washes, strie or a color on color handpainted mural. Faux finishing on Long Island is still relevant, the color palette may have quieted but people still love a custom look that only a trained professional can achieve. Murals on Long Island are happening in homes, and commercial venues in many effected areas, businesses are rebuilding and either replacing murals or adding them. Long Island is strong, we will come back better than ever!

Friedbergjcc JCC gets a new mural

The beautifully new and spectacular Friedbergjcc JCC camp for sick children has a new grand pavilion. This wonderful new building boasts a huge meeting room, that can host a slew of events, bathrooms, and a lovely foyer. I was approached to donate a Muralin the entryway as all building, and materials were donated by very generous organizations from all over Long Island. I painted a donor tree. The mural consists of the large tree, and a depiction of a scene right from the camp grounds, cabins and all. The tree will host metal art butterflies which will have the names of all the donors who helped make this wondrous project happen. On the opposing walls I designed decorative paintings that mirror the lovely doors, that feature branches and etched glass. This project is a wonderful way for the community to help these children who may be terminally I'll, and or handicapped.

Green Harbor Beach Club gets a new mural

Over the summer my good friend and member of the beach club asked me if I would be interested in a " beautify my community " project. Of course I said yes, I loved the idea of a mural on the beach front property and to paint outside in the summer was an added bonus. I got my friends at the Seaford paint place to donate the Benjamin Moore paints and got to work! The mural s 6 foot by 15 feet and faced the main pool area. I did an under water mural scene complete with dolphins, whales and a mermaid. The beach club members could not have been more gracious!

Long island faux finishing trends

In the last year I have been incorporating a lot of bling into my finishes. What I mean by bling, is the use of jewels, crystals and stones. The use of these elements adds a dimension to the finish that is luxurious, opulent and a ton of fun. The majority of these finishes have been done on ceilings, which makes sense because the jewels can not be touched. Lowers the risk of loosening them. I have used large gems, and a wide range of crystals. The array of jewels to be found are endless, and incorporating them into a faux finish, or stencil job is another creative way to create a design in a clients home that is unique, beautiful and very distinctive. To view the latest coffered ceiling using jewels and gems please visit my Facebook page.

A new home completed in Rockville Center features custom murals, stenciling, gold leaf, copper leaf, Venetian plasters and an abundance of fabulous furnishings. We designed the fantastic finishes in conjunction with the talented designers at Desalvo interiors. The foyer features copper leaf and tissue in the dome, a Lusterstone plaster with all over stencil adorns the coffers. We did a soft wash on the walls and tied it all together with gold accents on railings around the lovely circular staircase.

Long Island and Art seem to go hand in hand. The bountiful assortment of artists, mediums, and galleries are a blessing to all of the artists that live on the island. Recently I have had the pleasure and creative excitement of being involved in a truly exhilarating experience. Live Art Fusion. This new and happening event takes place every Wednesday night at the supercool 841 lounge in Huntington. The set up is 10 to 14 artists set up an easel and paint live while a jazz band plays ultra cool sounds for 2 sets. The artists are on rotation, there are about 40 of us and we all have different styles, mediums and finished paintings in about 45-60 minutes! Some of the artists paint the band, some florals, some abstract there is something for every taste. The bands rotate also which make for a unique experience each week. The 841 lounge has a great atmosphere, and a very good tapas menu, so you can feed all,your senses while enjoying a seat on a relaxing super , comfortable couch to literally take it all in. This is an ongoing event, to find out more visit Live Art Fusion on Facebook. Hope to see you there!

Live Creating Yourself.: Jenna Lyons Home for Sale

Live Creating Yourself.: Jenna Lyons Home for Sale. Another mention of this lovely home and beautifully decorated interiors. Photos by Melanie Acevedo. Art work in child's room by Arlene Mcloughlin i am finding links all over the place for this work! Which brings me to the question , shouldn't artists be made aware when thier work is being published? It was purely by chance that I was made aware of this exposure my work has gotten from Pinterest. Myself and the interior decorator were never mentioned or even told our work would be so widely distributed. Better late than never that I would find such fabulous photos and mentions from Domino , and Livingect. Magazines to videos on Oprah! The Internet is a great tool for sharing and this proves, that once it is out there it never goes away.

Habitually Chic®: Jenna Lyons Home: The Complete View

Habitually Chic®: Jenna Lyons Home: The Complete View. Some greats photos of a project Dale and I worked on a few years ago in Park Slope Beooklyn. The nursery with yellow striped ceiling is our handi work, the whole apartment is magnificent! We had no idea at the time who we were working for, we were working with the Interior Decorator. Now we are excited to see our work has been published numerous times as well as featured on Oprah. Thank goodness for the Internet! Pictures and info are here forever!