THE STROGANOFF MUSEUM On my quest to find decorative painting around the world, during the annual salon event, I found these gems in St. Petersburg, Russia. This is part one of a two part blog. History- The Stroganoff’s were Russia’s most influential and wealthy family whose entrepreneurship was significant within the patronage of the arts. The […]
NYC Trompe l’oeil Class 2013
December 11, 2013 by 1 Comment
Our NYC trompe l’oeil class for 2013 was a success! We had a full house of students in our tiny little Manhattan studio. The students began the 3-day adventure with a medallion study. This is an invaluable exercise that forces the student to learn by repetition. See post on this study. Once the students had […]
Trompe l’oeil
August 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Trompe l’oeil is a French phrase that literally means “fool the eye.” In decorative painting, trompe l’oeil techniques use the interplay between light and shadow to create an illusion of dimension and depth. Trompe l’oeil techniques are only used to depict inanimate or stationary objects such as architectural details and still lifes. There are six […]
Fluting
July 31, 2013 by Leave a Comment
If you sliced a flute in half, lengthwise, you basically have the shape of fluting. This shallow, concave, repeat vertical pattern is found on columns, pilasters, and millwork. Painting the illusion of fluting on a flat surface, using trompe l’oeil techniques, is a challenging exercise. The soft shadow placement demands a good understanding of how […]
Dado
July 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment
A dado (day-doe) refers to the area below a chair rail (aka dado rail or skirting board). The lower boundary is typically a baseboard. The original function of the chair rail was to stop chairs from damaging the wall. The space below the rail quickly developed into a design opportunity. A dado (or wainscot) is […]
Frieze
June 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
A frieze is an architectural flat band between a cornice and an architrave. The horizontal band was often decorated with a continuous, repeat pattern. Decorative painters often are asked to create one in a space. It can make a room look bigger while adding a delicate design element. Usually horizontal and placed either below the […]
Oeil de boeuf
May 31, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Oeil de boeuf: in English, “eye of the steer”, “bull’s eye”, “ox eye” – these are all common translations. This architectural detail is defined as a small, round or oval window. Furthermore, it is usually placed in an attic space. Today, this style of window is seen all over the world, but it originated in […]
Egg and Dart
October 5, 2012 by 1 Comment
Egg and Dart is a popular ornamental pattern consisting of an egg and dart shape alternating. It was often carved out of stone, wood, or plaster. This pattern is found in Ancient Greek architecture and was used by the Romans. This classical antiquity was commonly copied in the 16th and early 17th centuries. Then, it […]
Pilaster
October 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment
A true pilaster is a flat, rectangular column which projects only slightly from the wall and has both a capital and a base. It is primarily used as an ornamental motif, but is often needed to support or buttress the wall.
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