Painter Girl

Traveling Wunda Size

I love using this water based sizing for leafing and when I use foils. The only problem I seem to have with this product is obtaining it in the Winter months.  It cannot freeze and it is nowhere to be found in the Boston/metro Boston area, so I have to have it shipped from other sources.  That works fine during the warmer months, but now we are into Winter here in Massachusetts and the distributors of Wunda Size cannot guarantee that it will not freeze, even if shipped overnight.  I can't blame them.  Who knows where it will sit during its' travel? 

I have a dining room ceiling to silver leaf the week between Christmas and New Years and I only have a small amount of Wunda Size left. This past weekend I knew I was traveling to New York City, so decided to see where I could obtain Wunda Size there.  I found the best source to be Sepp Leaf Products, which was very close to where I was staying.  I bought 2 gallons, one for the job and one to get me through any other jobs I may have during the Winter months. 

First, let me tell you about Sepp.  It is located in a beautiful building in the heart of NYC and you are buzzed in, like a fine jewelery store.  All the leaf samples are on display, hanging on the walls, like fine pieces of art, and they are truly breath taking.  The staff is very friendly more than happy to answer any and all questions.   I could not linger because the BF was double parked out front, since we were just arriving in the city and had not yet ditched our car in a lot.  I was so thrilled to have these 2 gallons in tow, saving me further aggravation trying to figure out how I would obtain this sizing for my job.  The gallons sat proudly on the bureau in our hotel room throughout the weekend.  

In case you did not hear, there was a blizzard in NYC over the weekend, so by the time we were to depart on Sunday we were faced with some travel challenges.  I was taking the train back to Boston, while the BF was continuing on to Montreal to pick up his daughter at McGill.  Being very protective of my Wunda Size, I decided I would put 1 gallon in my suitcase and the other would travel to Montreal in the car, with strict instructions that it must not be left in the car! I originally packed both of the gallons in my suitcase and was having my clothes go via Montreal, but I could not lift the suitcase with the 2 gallons over my head and knew I would have to do this on the train.  (Even the one gallon in the suitcase was a struggle, but some nice man gave me a hand.)  Due to the storm, I had to wait 4 hrs for my train to leave Penn Station.  Like everyone else in the station, I had to use my suitcase for a seat and found my gallon of Wunda Size made for a sturdy platform!  I was a bit worried that it would open and I'd have one heck of a mess in my suitcase, but I put it in a plastic bag first and luckily, no unhappy incident occurred, other than a permanent dent from my butt sitting on it for so long!

Susan Siefer and I will be on the ceiling job shortly with lots of pics to show. :-)

Jobs In the Works

I still have a delay with one of my jobs.  I was waiting for several months and I mean several, for the kitchen cabinets to be installed in this particular house so I could do the finish on the walls.  The cabinets are finally in, but now the delay is the painter who needs to do some prep work and base painting before I can get in there.  So... I'm waiting. 

Recently I visited two new job sites and am currently working on the proposals for both.  One is a residential makeover of a Family Room.  The room is small by Family Room standards, but has some unique components to it.  One being, a nice curved wall.  There is also one wall that has three archways cut into it, from chair rail height up, that opens into a formal Living Room.  The down side is that all walls have old paneling that is going to remain.  The curved wall I can deal with because it is panels of wood, about 15" square, lined up to form diamonds on the diagonal.  That will be the accent wall.  More about this job later.

The second site I visited is a commercial site where I did some repair work,  maybe 1 1/2-2 years ago.  I have no idea who did the original finishes, but they do not seem to want whoever did those finishes to return.  I find the management company easy and pleasant to work for, so I'm asking no questions.  There is one, very large wall, in the lobby that has quite a bit of damage.  The wall is done with multiple glazed finishes, in panels, very abstract.  It's a great design concept.  Unfortunately, it appears that the prep work was just not done correctly and is causing the glazed layers to chip and peel.  Some panels can be salvaged and just restored, but others will have to be completely redone.

Should this job materialize, I will post more photos and discuss what will be repaired vs. completely redone.  I love this type of work, so I hope it's a go.

Rounding Out the Week

We had another snow storm yesterday, so I stayed inside most of the day, cleaning up the piles on my desk.  I wish I could say I am making great progress with getting my Tax Prep work done, but that is not going so well, so far.  I will make an honest attempt to work on that today.   I have been catching up on some of my favorite blogs, shoveling more snow, and talking with clients about their upcoming jobs.

February's projects are shaping up and looking like a lot of fun.  On deck, I have a ceiling in a Master Bath I've been dying to do; some new themes to add to the addition that is being completed at one of the Learning Zone Day Care Centers; the kitchen project that has been on hold forever (waiting for cabinet maker!), a laundry room, mudroom and maybe a kitchen cabinet job.  That should keep me busy enough and give me more interesting topics to write about than office work and snow shoveling!

My sample boards are done and approved for the kitchen, laundry and mudroom.  I need to go pick up my samples for that Master Bath and tweak them a bit.  I also need to spend some time doing a few rough sketches for the day care center, so that's how I will be spending my time for the remainder of this week.  I hope to get out to see the kitchen cabinet job Friday morning so I can determine what's going on there. 

Today I also did some research about getting Commercial plates on my vehicle.  Since I have to change my license plate I decided I might as well get one that means something to me, so I may go for a Vanity Plate!  I've never had one of those before.  I want it to be work related, so am exploring a few options.  Here in Massachusetts you can only have 6 letters on the plate.  You can use numbers, but only at the end of the letter configuration.  The plate has to begin with a minimum of two letters and you can't put a number in the middle of the letters like: pay8tr, which would have worked great! :-(  I'll let you know what I end up with. 

Dining Room complete, moving on

I thought I would not get to this until next week, but I was able to finish this dining room yesterday.  This room is open to the Living Room I just completed with the Tequila Sunrise Lusterstone accent wall, and Burnt Sienna glazed adjacent walls.  I did put a glaze on that off white fireplace in the background, so it looks better now.  I took this photo before I did the glaze.

I've used a lot of the Lusterstone colors, but this is the first time I have tried this color, Deep Periwinkle.  In some light it appears blue, other a deep purple.  It's a great color!

The Dining Room also opens to the Kitchen.  These walls still remain white and now look very out of place.  I will be returning to this home a little later.  The walls will be base painted a very light tan and the same Deep Periwinkle Lusterstone will be done in a horizontal stripe around the room and down a connecting hallway.  The stripe will be in the back splash area and then carry around the room at that height. 

Back to Work

Well, here we are in 2009!  I hope you all had a Happy New Year.  I have caught up on all of my sleep and am ready to pick up the paint brushes again. 

I will be spending part of today back at my client's home where I just completed the Powder Room before New Year's.  I have a few touch ups to do in that room, but will mainly be working on some on-site samples to try to duplicate the finish I did 5 years ago.  As you may recall, I will be carrying this finish into the new kitchen space.  I have some good records of the steps I did for that finish, but I also remember struggling with several layers of that finish, so just want to try to work it all out before I actually start this portion of the work in a few weeks.  I am also presenting some finishes for the new mudroom and laundry room. 

I have been working in this particular house for 11 years now so I thought I'd share some of my past work with you.

This is a bathroom that is located in the basement level of the home.  The homeowner has a dog and cat and this bathroom is often used for grooming the pets.  I did this mural in 2003.  You know, I'm not even sure the dog is still in this home.  I didn't see him when I was there last.  He does rotate between this house and the ex-spouse, so I'm hoping he was just away, but will try to remember to check on that.

Here's a close up of the bandanna.  I did this so long ago, that I cannot remember who's stencils I used.  I believe some of the stencils may no longer be available.  I know the hooks and leash were stencils, but the grooming tool and bandanna were done freehand.  The paisley design on the bandanna is from Royal Design Studio.

I will feature more rooms from this home throughout the next few weeks.

Finishing Up for 2008

I returned to work yesterday, but had no time to post.  Just before Christmas, you may remember my streaky mess in this small Powder Room?
I primed with Kilz, sanded and applied 2 new coats of the blue base on the 2 walls that looked so horrid. 

Happily, I was able to easily convince the homeowner to go with striae stripes, vs. all walls done as a striae.  The result was a much nicer look, lighter look for this tiny room!

With this house complete, I have moved on to a client I have had for a good 10 years now.  The homeowner recently gutted the Kitchen, expanded this area and relocated the Powder and Laundry Rooms that were off of the former kitchen.  There is also a new side entry and nice Mudroom. 

My task, should I accept, and of course I will!... is to match a finish I did about 5 years and continue it into the new kitchen and expanded Breakfast Room.  Work is still being done in the kitchen, so I will start this part of the work late January.  Here you can see a false wall that has been erected while the construction is still in progress.  This wall will come down next week.  You can also see some of the finish I did 5 yrs ago, that I will try to recreate.

On the other side of this false wall is the Family Room, where the finish is still in tact.

Here's a sneak peak into the new kitchen space. 

 In the meantime, the new Powder Room is ready for me, so I am working in there.  I have base coated the walls and will be adding ....drum roll please... the Fennel stencil!  If the Stencil Library ever awards a prize for the most jobs sold with this design, I think I might have a good chance at winning. ;-)  I have used this design on a large commercial project, and 5 residential jobs, including my own bedroom.  It's an easy sell and works great for narrow spaces that are difficult or impossible to place furniture.

I will be posting more about this job later in January.  I'll take the Powder Room pics then, because there is no lighting or fixtures installed in there yet and it is kind of boring looking at the moment.

Over the years, I've done a lot of fun finishes in this house, so I also thought it might be nice to give you all a little tour of the various rooms I have done here.  I will begin posting those when I return on January 5th.  Have a Happy New Year!

Commercial Job Completed

Much to my surprise, I WAS able to finish this entryway ceiling in one day.  When I did the other 2 buildings this Summer, it took me 2 days for each ceiling.  Of course, when I was working on those ceiling this past Summer, the stencil kept falling down on my head because it was so humid and would not stick to the surface!

Here's a little closer look.  This is the Rattan stencill from the Stencil Library in the Large or XL size.  I can't remember what size I ordered and I cut it up in a few pieces to make it more manageable.

I cut the stencil in 2 pieces for this job.  It killed me to do so, but I knew I'd be doing at least 2 of these ceilings solo, and the stencil was just too large for 1 person to handle overhead, on a ceiling.  For this job, I was just rolling a latex paint, straight from the can through the stencil.  I used a color from the Aura line, a paint which dries very quickly and has excellent coverage.  I'd stencil one section, take the stencil down and tape to the large window to dry, while I used the 2nd half on another section.  This system worked well.

Yesterday, I did 2 panels in the Lobby, using the small and large Allium designs from the Stencil Library.  I forgot my liner brush, to add some detailing, so today when I returned, I added in a dark brown accents to make the flower pop a little more.

Tomorrow, I will end the week with 1 more quick job.  I am doing a gold tone multi-glaze finish, with some veining,  on 2 kitchen walls.  I hope all goes quickly again, because I have a hair appointment at 5:45 p.m. and this client is hosting her Christmas Party on Saturday.

Fabulously Fast, Furious Finishes

Say that 5 times quickly! :-)  The Christmas Madness Rush is in full swing, as those of you who are in the decorative painting business know!  Rooms that were "no rush, after the Holidays", suddenly turn into "must be done before Christmas rooms".  I can never refuse my long time customers who make that panic call to have "just one room" done, even though I'm totally booked.  They keep me busy throughout the year, so now it's time for me to return the favor.

This week I'm doing 3 quick jobs. Monday and Tuesday I completed a Master Bedroom and a small bath. On Monday, I began doing a 2 color rag on this wall in the Master Bedroom.

I got as far as finishing the 2nd wall, when I had to dash off for my last Monday Mad Science class.

I was also able to get the one color glaze done in the small bath.  It's a metallic silver done over a white base, so not photographing well.

Tuesday, when I returned, my client wanted to see if I could add a little more silver to the bathroom walls.  I just took a chip brush and dry brushed on some of the metallic silver in a swirling pattern.  That seemed to add a little interest and did the trick.  I couldn't get a good close shot, but hopefully you can see a little difference.  It shows up better in person.

I also finished the last 2 walls in the Master Bedroom.

I am following 2 painters who are doing the base coats, ceilings and trim work.  Next week I will return to do this hallway, stairs, and downstairs entry in a multi-glaze finish with some veining.  I also have a small powder room on the first floor to do.  I may have to bring in some help to get this done in 1 day, because I think that's all the time I have left to allot for this job.  The walls in this area were done years ago, by someone else.  It's sponge painting... talk about a blast from the past! ;-)

Back on the Hill

This week I will be back on Beacon Hill for a few days working on a very fun project.  I actually have 2 projects to do here, but one is decidedly more fun for me.  I will be stenciling a small border around the family room and kitchen, at the ceiling level.  That's the basic job which should be quick and easy. 

The part I am really looking forward to is doing a little something fun and creative with this Butler's Pantry.  This door will be removed, so the pantry will be very visible from this room.  This is the room where Stacy and I did that ceiling and accent walls, using the Portofino plasters. 
I want to bring in this burgundy color, because that diamond fireplace wall is directly opposite this Butler's Pantry.

The walls are a challenge because this is a very old brownstone and they are quite bumpy and uneven in this space.  Here are some of the issues I will have to deal with:

This area is over the tiny sink. This closet sized space is narrow, about 3 feet wide.  I will have to wedge myself up into this corner to get the half window ceiling area.  Also, things like these miscellaneous valves, will have to be worked around.

This large support beam runs at an angle just above the doorway, inside the pantry.  Everything is painted in a glossy white at the moment. Also, I see some sort of wire hanging down there, which has already been painted.  Luckily, this is a wall that will not be very noticeable, so I'll just do my best here!

The counter top is done with this royal blue tile, which is staying, so I have to tie in that color some how.  These base cabinets will be getting a very elegant treatment. 

While I work out the final details for this little space, I will slip in one other small job Monday, helping out another decorative painter.   November and December are typically the craziest months for most decorative painters.   Everyone wants their house beautiful for the holidays, and everyone seems to wait until the 11th hour to decide to undertake these renovations.  This is why it is great to have a good network of other skilled artists willing to pitch in and help each other out.  More about this weeks projects and the help of other decorative painters throughout the coming week. :-)

Hammered Steel/Brushed Steel Finish

This week I've been busy cleaning/organizing my studio (still), consulting with new and old clients, and creating some sample boards for upcoming jobs.

This sample board is one I began creating for the ceiling of a Master Bath.   I felt this bathroom just needed that "wow" factor on the ceiling because the current white ceiling just was not doing this fabulous Master Bath justice.  The inspiration for this finish came from the hammered steel vessel sink in this room.  I'll have to take a picture of that fabulous sink next time I am there.  As soon as I was half way through making this board, I realized this finish is just what I wanted to do in an upcoming salon job.  I love it when I have back to back jobs that can use the same or similar finish!  The salon job will happen first, at least Phase 1.  We have 3 exciting finishes planned for this salon.  The reception area will have a rusted metal technique done on the walls, plus the Hammered Steel/Brushed Steel finish will be on the ceiling. 

The bathroom, which is a unisex bathroom, will have a multi-layered plaster finish with raised, hammered copper leaves.   The board you see pictured on the left, is a copper striae that will go on a curved vanity front.  The leaves will be randomly placed on the wall.

The board on the left, shows the hammered copper in more detail.  The color is actually somewhere between the boards above and below.  It's difficult to photograph the metallic finishes. 

Because this salon is only closed Sundays and Mondays, Stacy and I will get in there this weekend to begin.  Although I will do the same finish for each job, I will be altering the design concept a bit.  Pictures of both job sites to follow.  I always hate giving up my Sundays to work, but I'm very excited about this project.  I had a fairly easy week , with no on site painting, so I it won't kill me to pick up a brush on Sunday!

Oh, btw, I just read Helen's blog post about bib overalls. That reminds me that I never did get around to ordering mine.