Recent Mural Commissions

Above is a recent commission I received for a tapestry wall hanging. It features a grottesca style design over a black O'villa plaster backdrop. O'villa plaster is very similar to Venetian plaster, but has less of a sheen to it. The grottesca design was painted to appear somewhat like inlaid precious stone, and I used metallic mica powders to add to it's dramatic appearance. This technique is also known as faux scagliola, or pietra dura. (border not shown)

This is a portion of grottesca paneling I am currently working on. Here too I have used O'villa plaster which adds to the antiqued, old world feel. A decorative moulding separates each panel, and has been gilded with a liquid gold leaf solution. If you'd like to try your hand at grottesca, decorative painter Nicola Vigini has an amazing line of stencils.

Fifteen years ago, when I first started painting, I would often choose floral stills as subject matter in class. I did it so often, in fact, that I became proficient at botanical illustration. This was back long before I ever painted on walls. So when I was commissioned to do a Pierre-Joseph Redouté reproduction last month I was thrilled. This custom piece measures 24" x 36", was rendered on 300 lb watercolor paper, and the mediums used were watercolor and acrylic paints.