Its a simple joy, a simple change. The studio is just slightly off a busy road at The Brownstone Mill Center and it feels nice that is is not in the “limelight” of Bergen County.  A tucked away feeling like a haven or a sanctuary,  inviting change and creativity.

I am being joined by my very good friend of many years, Martha Lovett who will be showcasing her skills as an artist and a jewelry designer. I will be offering decorative painting and handcrafted goods. We will both begin teaching in April.

So stay tuned for the changes that are good as we all venture into the invigorating season of Spring!

My favorite paint brush these days for quality as well as price point, hands down, is PRO FORM. ( and no, I do not work for them)  They have some real quality with enough bristles so that you can hold a lot of paint in the brush, as well as the right amount of stiffness, so that you can hold  the”edge” or the ” line” tightly, and they are priced better than the more expensive brushes.

It is worth it to pay more for a brush, because really, it is your most important tool. The cheap brushes will only frustrate you , not give you as good of a job and who needs that? There are enough frustrating things that we have to deal with these days, so why add more ?

So, if you are brush shopping, look for PRO FORM, and paint like a pro!

There are a few simple rules to follow. The first step is all about proper storage.

• First, make sure you are using the right paint. You should have stored all your paint and “named” it on the top of the lid as well as on the side of the can, with the room and the surface it was used on.  Such as “living room-walls” or “dining room-trim” You should ask your painter to do the same, and to leave all unused paint, so that you have it available as needed. The can should also already have a formula or a code from the paint store. ( if it hasn’t been covered up with paint). Make sure this code is visible . If it isn’t , try to re write it at the time of storage, so that you can order more if you end up needing  more for your touch up. If there isn’t a code, or if it has been covered up, paint a small square on  the outside of the can with the paint, so that the paint store will have a reference that they can match if need be.
• Second, store your paint in your basement, your home or in a heated garage-if you live in an area where you get freezing temperatures. Any paint stored in a garage or a shed where you will have consistent freezing temperatures will not survive the winter.
• Third, make sure your lid has been closed tightly. If you have only a small amount of paint left (under 1/2 an inch) , you can add a small amount of water, to keep it from drying out.

The next step is proper application.

• I recommend buying a few inexpensive foam brushes from the paint store and touching up with these. It is less likely to leave a brush mark and will blend in better than a bristle brush. Most home owners do not have the same quality brushes that a professional painter has, but even if you do, I still like to use the foam brushes for touch up. You can buy a few of them and do a few different surfaces at the same time without having to wash your brush in between applications, saving you time! ( my favorite thing)
• After you have thoroughly stirred your paint, dip your dry foam brush into the paint and spread onto the area that needs touch up. It may not be possible to cover it in one coat. (If the chip or touch up has gone through to a wood surface, it is best to use a quality primer first)
• If a second coat is needed, let the surface dry or use a hair dryer to expedite the process. If you are going to leave your foam brush aside for an extended period of time, wrap  it is a plastic bag or a damp paper towel, so it does not dry out.
• It is not recommended to wash your brush and then use it again for a second color, unless it has had time for the excess paint to be removed. You can remove the excess paint by placing your brush handle in the palm of your hands, and spinning the brush handle in a back and forth direction, until the excess paint spins out. If you try to paint with a brush that has too much water in the bristles or the foam, eventually, the water will start to seep out and make your touch up a mess!
• Continue to apply layers until the coverage is the same. If your paint is properly stirred, this should not take more than 3 coats. You should spread the surface outward from the touch up, and work quick enough so that you are not working into a” drying ” paint surface.
• Latex paint can dry fairly quickly, but this should not be a problem for small areas. If you are working outdoors, in the sun, however, you might want to touch up early or late in the day, to avoid a hot sun.
• Please post any comments or questions, and a video of the process will be uploaded shortly.

Having pondered the why’s and how’s of my feeling so challenged, I have come to realize that having faith; a true unshakable faith in myself has been my greatest chalange. (second is having to learn how to tweet)! I have spent the last 21 years making art for people’s homes based on what pleases them, what comes from their heart, and now as I hope to continue in that tradition , I am also bringing forth my vision of what pleases me. I am exposing my truth in a way that is new for me. As an artist I never thought this would shake me up , but it has.

And yet, on a larger scale, I know we are all going through many types of challenges and I see them everyday. I believe we are all redefining what it means to bring forth our truest self. Weather we are making art, baking bread, studying to be a nurse, selling space on tv, or watching our babies shift and grow, everything about today feels very different from “before”. I see it when working with clients. I see their needs have shifted. I see them paying attention less to detail and perfection and more to finding a connection to peace, to joy and to each other.

These moments of connections with my clients, my family and my friends helps strengthen my faith that we are/I am- moving in the right direction.

So, with a sense of excitement, a little but of trepidation and a growing faith I make my website public. It is so much a beginning for much more to come. I hope that it is a space where art and beauty can bring forth the many visions of our truest self and selves.

Enjoy!

This can be applied on a solid color for a truly clean and modern look!

As a somewhat traditional decorative artist, who also loves a modern look, I strive to find ways to blend the 2, and this approach and design concept is perfect. I would love to hear your thoughts.

The walls are a hand applied texture plaster, with an oversize map of Maine handpainted on the aged walls. The client has a love for Maine, and she asked me to do a map room in her bath, I thought it would be a great opportunity to personalize the design comcept to something that reflected a love and a passion they, as a family all share, making this room more unique, more fabulous and more meaningful at the same time.

This is one of the aspects that makes decorative painting an option that wallpaper cannot offer. Not that wallpaper isn’t  great and exactly what some rooms need,  but when you want to add a truley personal touch ( maine) , an unusual design element ( the oversize of the map) or the perfect colors, ( we matched the floor tile) Nothing beats decorative painting.

I want to do something unique in my bath.  I uncovered a map of the New York City street and subway routes recently, and I’d like to bring that concept in. I think it will be fun, reflective of my locale, and my love for New York. I have a 14 year old son so I want to make sure it works for him too. I dont want to spend the time handpainting all of those routes, and I want it somewhat realistic, sylized and true to the design of the map.

Inspiration comes in a flash, but may takes years for fruition. I have carried this postcard around for years, waiting for the moment when the right person and the right job would collide and create enough momentum so that even if there were no plans in the works for a project, it suddenly simply has to happen.

I have shown this postcard to a number of clients , and all with a “hmmm, thats nice” , but nothing more. I almost gave up hope, but never put it out of my mind entirely.

A few weeks ago, a song from my son’s mixed cd not only caught my attention, but also sparked the beginning of an entirely overlooked potential painting venture.

“I’m coming home…I’m coming home…tell the world ..I’m coming home. “

This P Diddy song  became unshakable to me as I drove around for days from clients house to clients house.  As I was leaving a clients home one late afternoon,  I gave her home a quick backward glance, as she had requested,  to look at the bricks and ascertain my feelings towards applying a weathered white wash to the somewhat stiff brick. With the song ringly loudly in my ears, I not only saw the brick with the white wash, but I also saw the shutters with a beautiful french blue antique glaze, and the front door painted as if from a 17 th century castle. And there it was. Front doors!

Front doors……an abandoned surface waiting to be reawakened at last! With sounds of redemption and homecoming still ringing in my ears, I suddenly saw all my clients doors painted, and i knew exactly how I would do each of them.  The dragonfly that I have loved for so long would find a home at last!

“I’m waiting for the rain ..to wash away ….all the pain ……of yesterday”

is sung in the song,  but I am quite literally waiting for the rain to cease so I can get my happy little hands on the front door of the client who said yes. Yes to the dragonfly. Yes to a new color scheme for her front porch, and yes to more than just a welcome mat to greet her from her day.  Or to send her on our way.

and check out the song while you are on the way : Im Coming Home