The Decorators Show House

This years St. Margaret's Hospital Guild Decorators' Show House will be held at the Historic Booth Tarkington House.  The Show is not until April 24th to the public, but for the Designers, work in earnest begins this coming Monday, February 1st.  A year of planning and preparations go into the most successful show house in the nation, and there are many reasons for its long running success.  The Ladies of St. Margaret's are very dedicated to the cause that is near and dear to their hearts, and they work tirelessly to make their show a huge event in the spring of every year.  To learn more about St. Margaret's Hospital Guilds Decorators' Show House, please click St. Margaret"s , and if you would like to see some cool old photos and a history lesson on the Booth Tarkington home, please click Indy Star.  Area designers put their best foot forward by donating their talents yearly to this great cause.  This will be the 8th year I will have had the creative pleasure to do so, and my work on this project started last September. Along with my own work in the area I have designed, I will be featuring the work of many exceptionally talented artists in my area for the opening in April.   If you are in the area,  preview tours are this weekend and next, hope you can make it!

The Bee's Knees

From the archives.  One of my clients had this wonderful gold inlay sink in a powder room, and wanted to expand on the design for the walls.  We chose this soft honey gold metallic wall finish with a gold leaf border taken from the sink motif. I really loved working with this particular client, as she has a wonderful sense of wonderment and whimsey about art and beauty.  Not shown in these photos are the honeycombs and honey bees she had me paint where you might least expect them.  She also had me add a single trompe l'oeil  fly...to see what reaction her husband might have...so much fun!

Trompe l'oeil,  in french means "trick the eye", and is an art that you can learn more about by clicking here here  Once I locate my old photos of the bees and fly, I will post them.

The Frog & The Lady Bug

The bottom photo is a canvas that I designed and painted for an antique swivel top game table.  The tables original green felt was way past saving...and the top would no longer turn to open into a game table.  Layers of black paint were the glue holding it together.  I found it in a local antique emporium, and I fell in love with its graceful lines. The two chairs were found in Tennessee...and had seats of burlap with a chalky white paint.  The carvings were so similar on both that I had to introduce them to each other and see what path we might find ourselves upon.  My favorite part of this whimsical set are the frogs and lady bugs in the fabric and on the game top.  It nearly broke my heart when they went their separate ways... the table one way the chairs yet another.   Each found their way to a new home, bringing along a bit of whimsey of their own. The top photo is a faded image is the finished set.

Silver Bomb'e Chest

This little bomb'e chest is one of the vintage pieces a good friend brought back from France for me to have my way with. On this chest I chose a silver leaf with clear crazing.  The process took quite a while to do, then quite a while to cure, or dry completely. The little chest made it's way into a photo shoot for a room design, and I am probably the only one that noticed the whole bomb'e did not make the final cut...ouch!

Piano Chair

This sweet little piano chair came from an auction in the northern part of the state.  I had my eye on it all day...along with a few other treasures. The little chair was mostly in pieces with absolutely no finish, but I could still see the graceful lines of its past, and wanted to do something about it.  Someone was talking to me when the chair went up for bid, and as I turned around I noticed that someone had placed "my" broken bits of yesterdays grace in a box of junk to sell them together, and a gentleman with the winning bid was walking away with it...The nerve!

I walked up to ask the man the fate of my little chair...only to learn it was headed for the kindling pile. I nearly fainted. The man then kindly offered it to me for six times what he had paid for it...so yes, as I was retrieving the thirty dollars from my pocket he had a good laugh.  I still feel as though I am the one that won that crisp fall day.  Such a big story for such a tiny chair...

New Studio...New Project!

I am working on a new project for the up-coming St. Margaret's Hospital Guild Decorator's Show House.  The buttery strips of canvas you see on the wall are going to become a hand painted wall covering for my area at the Show house.  This year the home that will be featured is the Booth Tarkington Home.  I am working on the design for the canvas, and will show you more on this as it comes together.

Love the roomy new studio...will love it even more when I find everything!

Vintage Buffet

I painted this buffet for a client that I have done quite a bit of work for. The buffet is a vintage piece from the 1920's era, and was in need of some serious help. There it was...the finish was very worn...the chipping veneer ...it was just daring me to approach it with a paintbrush.  The nerve!  You can see here who won that battle.  In this fuzzy photo from the archives, is also a glimpse of the corner of a vintage farm table that I finished to go with the buffet.  The soft finish on the walls in this dining room...also done by me.

Baby Bomb'e Chest

This Baby Bomb'e Chest is one of the pieces that a friend found for me in Belgium while hunting for fine antiques.  This one was not so fine...so it went into my shipment...I always love finding a piece that needs me for something that I love to do.  The combination of red, green and a tiny bit of gold on a small piece for a big statement. The detail photo shows the crazing that I created to keep a vintage look.  I think that this would look oh so nice flanked with a pair of Gothic Chairs...what do you think?

Gothic Dining Chair...A Pair!

I found the vintage Gothic chairs together, In a favorite shop.  The finish was all but gone, and they were upholstered in a purple red vinyl {GASP!!!} After allot of sanding, painting and glazing, this is where we landed.  I would love to see them with a big old gateleg table...did I ever mention that I love gateleg tables too?  I do.  I found the fabric in Chicago, and got enough to cover all of the other Gothic chairs I hope to someday find, filling out the rest of a set for dining...unless they find another path on their own. Different Gothic chairs surrounding a big old gateleg table.  I can just see it now, can you?

Pear study

Today I got to take a painting lesson from Rita Spalding, an Artist that I have admired and wanted to study with for a long time.  I had allot of fun, and Rita says there is some hope for me yet!  To see Rita's paintings, or inquire about painting lessons please  click here

Ship To Shore Jewelry Designs

                                 

A little bit of a change for today.  I worked on this design in the Spring of last year, along with several other designs befitting a vintage look using new and vintage findings. Pearls, Aquamarine, vintage glass shells, vintage carnival glass, mother of pearl, opalite with new and vintage brass ox charms and findings.  Sailing anyone?

A Rose And Yellow Heart

This little heart has yellow and pink roses together. Kind of a cranberry amber thing that I sometimes do with painting, pique assiette, jewelry, walls...it is a combination that makes me happy every time I put them together, no matter what it is on.  Sometimes we just have colors that make us happy on some level.  I love it when this happens...

And Another...

More vintage china, crystals and rhinestones on this little heart, but this time some of my favorite candy pink antique beads.  I love the cranberry pink and white swirly stripes on these beads, and I use them ever so sparingly...yum...

Another Little Piece Of My Heart

Vintage china, Swarovski crystals on a little heart. A long strand of silvery seed beads and crystals to wear long, doubled or as a lariat. I have one of these in another pattern draped around a lampshade. I find that almost anywhere there is still more room for a little more heart.  Made from one of my yellow rose plates...

You can vote for my portfolio

This year I have set goals to do some things that are more than a little outside of my comfort zone.  One of them is to answer calls to artists for showing my work in exhibitions.  I did just that tonight, and it really felt great...really great.  The goal was just to enter...and I did it!  YAY for me!  I then got an email asking me to see if my friends may want to vote for my portfolio, for a peoples choice award.  What you are seeing now, is me getting WAY outside of my comfort zone by giving you all the opportunity to vote, if you are so inclined.  Either way, I want to thank you all for coming along for the ride so far...the best is yet to come!   mini portfolio  just click on the stars if you would like to vote.

Hand Painted Floor

This is a floor that I painted a while ago.  The floor was sanded first, and I drew the design directly on the raw wood.  I then painted it with a 1/2"dagger brush and 1"sash with glazing compounds, one board at a time.  The floor was then sealed, and it wears quite nicely. I have done several floors using this method, and like the vintage detail it can give to an old hardwood floor.

Big Chair study

Last year several of us got together to do a small chair exhibition for Care For Kids Camp.  Our group of six Artists did a total of about 24 different chairs. Did I ever mention that I love chairs? Some of them were real chairs...some paintings with chairs in them, some chair motif jewelry and this painting of a big chair. This was something a little different for me, though I really did enjoy working with the bright colors and using some glazing techniques.  Click Care For Kids Camp to learn more about how they help kids.

Charmed Heart

A Pique Assiette heart made from vintage china, stained glass vintage rhinestone and antique candy striped bead.  This one also has several sterling charms including a cupid, small skeleton key and heart lock.  Some of these hearts will be available at the "Art From The Fourth Chakra" exhibition and reception at StutzArtSpace on February 5th-25th.  A portion of proceeds will benefit the American Heart Association.  To learn more about this exhibition, click here.

Little Piece Of My Heart Brooch

Yellow roses on this heart, along with crystals.  It is said the the yellow rose is an ideal symbol for joy and friendship.  It was my Mother's favorite rose of all, and I think that it is for my Daughter and myself as well.  Probably because they remind us so much of her...especially the yellow roses with rosey edges...

Silver And Gold Bench

This is a newer bench on which I did a gold and silver leaf technique, with a clear crackle finish.  I also had some flumpy pillows and a loose cushion made for the seat. Here, it is in a setting for a photo shoot that was being done at the time.

A Belgium GrandFather Clock

A very dear friend of mine used to go to Belgium for fine antiques for her quaint antique shop in Broad Ripple. She would also look for long past fine antiques in desperate need of someone like me...for me. Upon every return from France, she would show me what she had found for me with a sparkle in her eyes.  It was indeed like Christmas in July.  This clock had about five layers of gooey runny white paint on it, and she looked at me with a big grin saying "I can't wait to see what you do with this one!" I had the clockworks repaired, sanded through the layers and painted the clock to go in a storytellers room I was working on that time. I will always remember my friend, and her encouraging and graceful spirit.  Sometime in the future I will show you the storytellers room, and what I did with many of the other pieces she found for me.

And so it begins...

Whew!  I have been loading up the shelves with as much as they will hold...and rolling them down the corridor.  Some of them are very heavy... Thanks Karen and Brandie, it took 3 of us to move two of them. I am using the shelves for walls right now, and really like the open feeling so much. I already feel inspired by the new space, and hope to be finished with the move by the end of the weekend. Yes those are bunny slippers by the easel...

Got Snow?

We finally do, and I love it!  Too bad I am packing my studio instead of playing in it...oh well, there is the drive home...

Pear-n-Cherries

Oil on canvas board 6"x 8"

This is a little study in oil transparency I was working on for Brooks Place. I will continue to work on this technique, because I do like some of the effects of this style of painting.  Paint...learn...paint...learn.  Isn't this fun? Brooks Place helps children to work through the grieving process, and is a great place to lend a hand if the opportunity arrises...to learn more about Brooks Place click here

French Desk and Chair

This was a set from the beginning, in very bad shape when I found them.  They needed me, I wanted them...it was a good match I guess you could say.  I owned the set for a long time before I decided what I wanted to do with them, though I did know from the beginning that I wanted a black ground to work with. I love the primitive checks, I love the swarovski crystal knobs. I still want to paint some flowers on the back of the desk, pulled from the fabric that I have had the chair upholstered with...unless someone stops me...small photo shows green on green tiny stripes...sweet! 

A Painting.....A Challenge...

Oil on canvas board 6' X8"
This was one of the challenges thrown down by Different Strokes From Different Folks.  A very cool blog by Karin Jurick.  I have been silently doing some of the challenges for a while now, but never posting them...  Well, I guess that ship has now sailed so to speak, so I chose to post one that might warm you up on this wintery day. By the way did I ever mention that I love snow?   Click DSFDF to see the photo this was done from, as well as so many great paintings done by so many different folks. Several artists from the Stutz enjoy following DSFDF Check out the blog, it is really pretty cool! Thank you Karin, for keeping us inspired, and on our toes!

Vintage Black Toile Chair

Vintage oak farm chair rescued by a hand painted distressed black finish and a comfy seat upholstered in a black and cream toile.  I found two of this chair, so I made a matched pair.

Out Of The Blue...too!

As promised, the Pique Assiette  Mirror that was done along with the Bomb'e Chest.  I found the two pieces separately and brought them together with the design.  I love the way the stripes continue up the mirror.  Reflected is the gallery in my studio. Thanks for looking!

Out Of The Blue

Pique Assiette Bomb'e chest covered in vintage china, findings and shells. Once I decided upon the design, my quest began to find enough of the right color of each vintage pattern to complete the work.  The blue and white china is a newer pattern, but works nicely as a contrast to the cobalt in this piece. I choose china and findings for a work much in the same way I would choose colors of paint for a painting.  Stacks of china are arranged by color. It did take 15 teacups to make six drawer pulls...but I do now know the secret bwa ha ha!

Next:  The mirror!

ps...not to worry, any teacups harmed and not used in this piece will turn up in another just when you and I least expect it!