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Having been commissioned to paint custom wall murals for the dining area of a residence in Bedford, NY, I began evaluating the space and existing décor to find the appropriate style and method of approach to fulfill the client's needs. Though it was new construction, the residence was superbly built with old-fashioned attention to detail. The proportions were grand, and evoked the presence of history, a sense that the home had been around for many years and had been the center of many lives.
To further develop this historical sensibility, I chose to base the stylistic approach on the Unicorn Tapestries (located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's medieval extension, The Cloisters), long a favorite work. Though tapestries are always woven of cloth, I decided to create the old, worn appearance of cloth by painting over a frescoed surface. Aged plaster walls provide a depth and sense of solidity I felt was appropriate to achieve my goal. A special recipe of plaster compounds was troweled over the surface in a somewhat irregular fashion. This surface was then hand painted, which stains and permeates the plaster surface. Upon completion of the painted mural, sand paper and other distressing tools were used to 'antique' the surface. This resulted in faded areas and created a subtle surface texture that could mimic the appearance of ancient, worn fabric.
The highly stylized painting-with mythological animals, fruit trees and textured background-made a perfect synergy between the dark oak paneled room and its large, heavy furniture. The unique environment that was created embodies the spirit of artistic creativity, and offers the uplifting aura of living amidst the products of the imagination.
