Castles, Mansions, and Trompe L'oeil - Oh My!

Goess Mansion, Austria

Peleş Castle, Romania

Lucricia Borgias, Tuscany

Frederiksborg Castle, Denmark

Cardiff Castle, Wales

Cardiff Castle, Wales

Decorative Elements: Azulejo Tiles

"A Ala dos Namorados" - Panel of azulejos by Jorge Colaço (1922), depicting an episode of the battle of Aljubarrota.

Azulejos in Rococo-style in the Queluz Palace

Azulejo Tile Mural
Azulejo Sign

Queluz National Palace Interior

Links:

Azulejos on Wikipedia

The Art of Azulejo in Portugal

Art & Literature

The Murals of The Library of Congress

The amazing murals of the United States Library of Congress were painted by a series of artists, including William A. Mackay, Edwin Blashfield, Robert Reid, Gari Melchers, William de Leftwich Dodge, and George Willough by Maynard just to name a few. Some of the most stunning, however, can be attributed to an artist by the name of George Barse Jr. as seen in the photos below.

Library of Congress Mural Information

Although originally founded in 1800, construction of a new library building in the style of the Italian Renaissance was underway by 1886. The design was prepared by Washington architects John L. Smithmeyer and Paul J. Pelz. Beginning in 1892, a new architect, Edward Pearce Casey began to supervise the interior work, including sculptural and painted decoration by more than 50 American artists!
When the Library of Congress building opened its doors to the public on Nov. 1, 1897, it was hailed as a glorious national monument and "the largest, the costliest, and the safest" library building in the world.

Set/Scenic Design for Film

Today I just wanted to write a little about a company by the name of "Moodscape Design - Creative Concepts". It's founder, Shari Berda, is an truly amazing woman. She started out in the interior design field over 20 years ago, and seems to always have a wealth of creative ideas for just about any situation. A few years ago she started a new venture, that of set design and decoration for the film industry.

Above: Renderings for a set design that included mural painting.

I've had the pleasure of working with her on a few productions, and I feel like I've learned so much. It's not that there's no hard work involved when working on a set, but there is such a laid back atmosphere compared to the stresses and deadlines that can accompany other lines of work. I've found the actors and crew to be genuinely artistic souls, a pleasure to work with. These people put in long hours and give their all until the result is "just right".

Above: In her former business, Elaine B. Interiors, Shari Berda created stunning roomscapes for her clients.

So I'd like to thank Shari for giving me the opportunity to get involved in this exciting field, which I'm proud to be a small part of!