Design Inspiration. Planet Stencil Library.

Victoria Geller - Colour Dancers

I've said it before, but I will say it again...we are thrilled when customers - professional or private - send us photos of the work they have done.  Victoria Geller of Colour Dancers sent us this photo of a door she decorated using our FS4 Tree of Life stencil.

What makes this project slightly different from others is that it was created as part of an auction to raise funds for the Mental Health Association in Indian River County called the Turtle Trax Door Auction.  Victoria chose the Tree of Life stencil because the Tree of Life has recently been coined as a new symbol for peace.  She has painted and glazed the door and used different coloured gilding leaf, acrylics and glitter for extra sparkle on the stencilling.  Victoria offers services such as woodgraining, gilding, paint effects and stencilling.  She also creates works of art using recycled, reused, post consumer and discarded products along with organic materials in producing mixed media and mosaic concrete garden art.  Good luck with the auction, Victoria!  Rachel.

**PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR WEB-HOSTING COMPANY IS MOVING FACILITIES THIS WEEKEND SO THE STENCIL LIBRARY WEB-SITE IS DOWN UNTIL SUNDAY, MARCH 30 8:00AM EST (if not before).  WE APOLOGISE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED**

Alissa Murnane of Average to Art Inc.

Alissa Murnane started her company Average to Art in 2003.  She is based in Huntsville, Alabama and undertakes both residential and commercial projects mainly in the southeast of the US, but will travel anywhere.  She stencils, paints, creates all sorts of decorative finishes, consults and will provide hourly assistance (become your faux coach) which is a great idea if you fancy doing work yourself, but would like a professional on hand to advise and help.  Finishes can be created on anything from walls, to furniture and floors.  She has been both a Young Professional of the Year finalist and Small Business of the Year finalist in Madison County amongst other accomplishments.  She likes using our stencils because she likes to get her clients "thinking outside the box".

Here are a couple of examples of her work using our stencils.  In this photo, she has used our MD14 Pulsate stencil behind a sofa to add graphic pattern that compliments the modern furniture:

We are thrilled that Alissa chose to use our MD18 Rattan stencil as a backdrop to her booth at the 2007 Huntsville/Madison Country Builder's Association-Building, Home and Remodeling show.  I love the combination of the chocolate brown stencilling on an off-white background for a thoroughly contemporary and clean look.  Simple, but so glamorous and effective:

If you would like to see more of Average to Art's work, then please visit their web-site www.averagetoart.com or blog.  You can also contact them via their web-site.  We shall look forward to seeing more of Alissa and her team's work in the future. R.

Jeff Raum of Muracles

Jeff Raum creates murals and trompe l'oeil.  He also does wonderful stenciling and faux finishes for residential and commerical clients including Gucci, Macy's and the Las Vegas Hilton.  He works mainly in the Canejo Valley, California area, but his murals on canvas have been installed all over the world.  Jeff is a master at combining different finishes in a scheme.  For example, he quite often uses stencils as part of his murals and embellishes with handpainting - something a skilled artist can do successfully.  He has two websites: www.jeffraumart.com which shows examples of his decorative painting work and www.jeffraumstencils.com which features his own range of stencils.  He can be contacted via either web-site.  Here are some examples of his work either using or incorporating our stencil designs.

In this photo, Jeff has used OTT46 Quadrant as a ceiling medallion:

Here, Jeff has used AR52 Pierced Wall in the foreground of his mural.  He has highlighted the stencilled wall to give it a 3-dimensional effect:

This is another example where Jeff has used a wall stencil, in this case IN30 Railings, in the foreground of a painted mural.  This was created to disguise an ugly privacy wall:

In this photo, we custom sized OTT48 Panel to specifically fit Jeff's client's alcove:

Jeff used our CH28 Mandarin Repeat in this powder room.  On certain repeats, he had left out the mandarin figures in the centre.  We loved this effect so much, we recreated it in our own kitchen (in almost the exact same colours):

This is one of Jeff's favourite stencils.  We custom sized IN29 Pheasant Plate which he used as a ceiling medallion in silver and gold.  He plans to make a canvas floorcloth with this stencil as well and reckons it would also look brilliant on the top of a round table:

Here, Jeff has used our Indian border, IN9, for a Chippendale effect around the top of his kitchen:

In this photo, our stencil BW17 Picture Tile has been used in the panels of the door.  The picture tile comes with a circular space so that motifs can be added.  He used BW20, BW23 and BW22 motifs and designed his own phoenix stencil to complete the set.  I remember making these stencils for Jeff as they had to be custom sized to within a 16th of an inch (thanks, Jeff) with no room for error:

These stencils are in Jeff's master bathroom.  On the wall, below the chair rail, he has used GMT106 Orange Tree surrounded by the border OTT18.  On the panels of the cabinet doors, he has used GMT61 Tile.  He plans to paint more panels with GMT61 above the chair rail to echo the effect on the cabinet doors when he has some spare time:

Here, Jeff has used stencil OTT14 Border to create a pelmet above curtains.  The pelmet has been cut to follow the shape of the stencil design.  On the next photo, the border has been continued along the walls:

Our OTT25 Repeat stencil has been done in pale colours within closet door panels in this photo:

This is a classic example of all that Jeff can do.  He has used our stencils JA115 Bird & Blossom and IN28 Pheasant Panel as part of this mural.  The stencilling has been embellished with handpainting so that the whole thing looks hand drawn and painted.  Very clever and exactly how some historical decorative painters created elaborate decoration:

Finally, I love this pagoda shaped CD rack.  To add to the oriental feel, Jeff has stencilled JA120 Peony Panel in metallic gold down the sides:

To see more of Jeff's work, please check out his site www.jeffraumart.com and if you are interested in commissioning work from him, his full contact details are on his site.  We shall look forward to seeing more of Jeff's endeavours in the future. R.

Featured Decorative Artist: Lisa Klofkorn of Fly on the Wall Design

Recently, a friend sent us a copy of Victorian Homes magazine.  We were delighted to see the home of one of our customers, Lisa Klofkorn, featured.  Lisa is a graphic designer by trade.  She owns a Victorian home in California which she has been redecorating in authentic Victorian style.  Her work has been such a success that she now undertakes decorating work professionally.  Her business is called Fly On The Wall Design.  Lisa researches historical style and uses a combination of stencils (her own and ours) and wallpapers.  Here are some photographs of her work:

These pictures show Lisa's front parlour (such a great Victorian word) which combines our GMT1 Border around the top of the walls with her own stencils and Bradbury & Bradbury wallpapers.  The hallway shows our DE77 Arts & Crafts repeat stencil in off-white on a beige background to look like wallpaper with her own stencil designs on the ceiling:

This photo shows another parlour featuring our OTT19 Peacock Border  above the picture rail with "Alhambra" wallpaper from Burt Wallpapers:

Pictured below is Lisa's daughter's room which features our GMT41 repeat pattern stencil over most of the walls combined with Lisa's own designs as a border and on the ceiling:

The victorian era took place between the 1830's - 1900 in Britain and between 1840 and 1910 in the US (obviously taking 10 years to filter "across the pond").  New industrial methods of the time meant more elaborate ornamentation.  The style was highly influenced by the work of A W Pugin who was largely responsible for the strong Gothic Revival look.  With the British Empire at is strongest during this time, there was a fascination of all things from all corners of the world.  If anything, the Victorian decor could be classed as a mixture of all sorts of decorative arts from other eras and countries.  The result was highly decorated walls, textiles, furniture and accessories (usually used together).  To do the look as successfully as Lisa has done, requires quite a bit of planning and coordination to stop it looking messy.  This is definitely not the style for someone who does not like pattern.  It is probably of no surprise that the angular, minimal style of Art Deco of the early 20th century was a direct rebellion against this look.

More of Lisa's work will feature in upcoming editions of Victorian Homes magazine.  She is also working on stencil designs inspired by the Wiener Werkstatte Vienna Workshop and the Art Deco era.  We shall look forward to seeing more of Lisa's creation in the future. R.

Featured Decorative Artist: Albert Sultan of Sultan Designs

This is the first of a new series of posts showcasing the work decorative artists do with our stencils.  It is always hugely inspiring to see what others do with our stencils because they often use them in different ways than we do.  Sultan Designs is owned and operated by Albert Sultan in New York and specialises in upscale dimensional wall finishes.  They incorporate a unique blend of textured plasters and other materials to create walls that exude personality and style.  Their aesthetic is also evident in their application of intricate stenciled patterns.  The combination of iridescent textured bases and pattern work produces and elegant finish that is a fusion of traditional and contemporary styles.  Look for their work in the coming months at Barneys in Beverly Hills.  Here are more examples of Albert's fabulous work featuring our stencils you can click on the pictures to make them larger. Go to his web-site www.sultandesigns.com to see more and contact him.

If you are a decorative artist and would like us to consider showcasing your skills with our stencils then please send us photos of your work. R.