"La Paisible" for Jolie

inspired by jolie and the colors in her home....lovely and peaceful, 24x24 oil on canvas, dec.2010

risa and noah's bedroom

my first job with risa finkel (late eighties huntington, long island,new york) this is the high part of the bedroom over the walk in closet, risa wanted first blue /green tones but then grew into warm tones based on tulips(she brought some into the room for me to get inspired by)in time she was bringing in more colors,the tones are dramatic but blended almost as if the colors of the outside were coming in.it was a wonderful backdrop for the large beams and furniture in the room and i loved the way people looked in front of it.from this i started doing many homes and restaurants like this in the future(not always the same colors)i did campo de fiori restaurant in aspen like this  and when risa went to aspen with her family on vacation she walked into the restaurant and said"this is like my bedroom" risa did not know i had done it at first and we reconnected(the owners had told her my name)i have learned alot by painting and experimenting with her....you never know who your teacher will be,people come into our lives for a reason.

ANDREW and ABBEY(and the huntington lighthouse long island ,new york)

I spoke to christina and paul about painting their kids..wanted to paint the huntington lighthouse and andrew and abbey were both born in huntington,i was playing with the colors i found that day...the blue of the water was as deep as andrews jeans,his shirt picked up the white of the sailboat and abbeys shirt picked up the colors in the sky, they were both patient sitters for the photos i took of them.I left it on their doorstep christmas morning 2009. oil on canvas

childrens loft bed

in aspen co. was hired to paint these human like animals  for a childs loft,the background was painted first on the wall. then some of the characters were painted on wood attached to the stairs as if they were walking up,some were playing instruments ,dancing,even driving cars.all the other characters were painted on canvas then attached to the wall like wallpaper(so they could keep them in the future)it was based on antique fabric that the client had found and this room was for her grandchildren.

ELLE

elle rosenberg ....age three, i remember when i took her photo she was watching something out her window,it is painted in oil on panal ,on wood .

hand painted serving tray/angels

lynn wanted a gift with angels for a friend,so we came up with this hand painted serving tray based on a old tapestry.

hand painted table/book,key,postcard

was hired to paint this table to have a old green,black weathered backgound with a faux postcard,key and tom sawyer book,sold in watermill new york.

hand painted staircase

cicular staircase from a kitchen,i was like a snake painting this,alot of detail...painted every surface,all different kind of fruit would be shown as you would walk up,long island new york.

kitchen/sun room

it is right off the kitchen painted doors to look like weathered wood,colowashed walls and ceiling in a warm gold and umber tone,a border of hand painted fruit and darker tone below....loved having my coffee in that room,aspen co.

entrance to catherine's room

trees,castle then antiqued over....fun invite to a childs room.

faux bookcase on a elevator door

was hired to paint a faux bookcase on a metal elevator door (aspen co.),i had about a week to do it....something like this could go on for days.we went for a general feel of a bookcase,the metal door stood out to much with their warm decor,nice folks.

irish pine blanket chest

the owner of a antique store in easthamton new york wanted this blanket chest painted...it ended up selling to a gentleman who just went through a divorce(something about the birds flying in different directions he said)a new start, he didnt seem bitter though which i would think is a good way to get divorced.

faux cover light switch plates/outlet cover plates

faux painted these cover plates for designer todd heimel in aspen to blend in with fabric wall covering,granite and tile....it can make a difference when the plastic really stands out and takes away from the feel of room also for a artist matching the colors and design are excellent practice(i found small jobs like this made me a better painter),i use good primer and top coat for protection.

gail's bath

gail was away at work when i did this...i have painted for gail and john before so i gave them some ideas and a sample.painted walls,ceiling and panals on all doors including the bath panals.

CATHERINE

I painted Catherine in 2003 (she is in middle school now which blows me away) first it was just her and i showed her just to make sure she liked it...a little smile came to her sweet face .then i started adding flowers and birds, wanted to keep it soft almost like pastel and like something you would see in a childrens book.it is acrylic and oil on canvas around 20x40 in size.

WYATT

I painted wyatt with his favorite baseball glove(a talented player from birth)and his t'shirt that said mustard on it (he had two other shirts that said relish and ketchup) his mom said "you really captured a moment in time" oil on canvas 30x36

architectural digest/Natalie's chair

lynn palmer called me to paint some furniture for her client .the chair was natalie's when she was a child and lynn came up with the idea to personalize it with her name,it made it into the photo shoot, a small detail but a sweet one. this was '93 i believe.I remember a wonderful black and white photo of nat king cole in the home (that is in this issue)and i have loved both natalie's and her fathers singing ....how can you not.

GENNA and STEPHANIE faerie's /bedroom

julia called and wanted her girls rooms painted,for stephanie she asked for faerie's,which i painted around the room on all the upper moldings(in various poses and dressed differently each one having their own personality) then i suggested we paint the girls as faeries...i had fun with the girls taking photos and talking with them(they are both funny and smart)then i painted them on deep edge panel's which julia hung as you walk into the room,their was also small roses with vines drapping around the corners of the room.julia wanted the room to be her's,another fun job...nice family.

Lisa's table

Lisa wanted her table painted(it is actually glass)she wanted it to be a happy,fun table for her living area where she hangs out with her son's.i painted the legs to look like rust,gave the top a leather look i used a good primer that bonds to glass so it will hold up with no problems.

julia's jewelry box

Julia's husband jimmy gave her a jewelry box...it was made well but no longer went with their bedroom,she hired me to paint it.

wyatt and catherine's bathroom

Gail and john wanted the kids to have a fun bathroom...painted all the walls and the ceiling including above the shower,really does feel you are under water,painted it in 2003

dominick's bedroom/new york subway theme

In dominick's bedroom i did a subway theme...i painted his skateboard on the stairs that leads out of subway,looking intio a subway window with his mother and sister sitting in the window,painted the floor and also a subway door opening with dominick his friend and father entering into.....fun job

Risa's hydrangeas

Hydrangeas inspired from risa's garden,oil on panel with faux wood frame painted on gold wash,changes dramatically in light and shadow.

Risa's details in guest house

Risa had me paint the floor boards at bottom of stairs,green and brown stripes then light umber wash over them then clear coated with oil,small detail but added a nice feel when entering.it picked up the colors she was working with and also the ribbon on one of the hats hanging on a hook as you walk up the stairs(accident maybe or maybe not)then risa had me faux the floor vents(you can see before and after)so they would not stand out.

Risa's kitchen...chair/floor/ceiling and wood beams

Risa had a white ikea chair for her grandson she liked the style but not finish so she asked me to paint it to look like a old antique maple wood stain,the floor we painted white and weathered a little and then more in certain places(at first the floor looked a little to new but in time the floor boards opened up from people walking on them)the ceiling was a blond pine we antiqued it which gave it a old farm house look(which risa's home is and the house is across from a old mill)then the beams needed some work though not all.Risa had found these beams with the old worm holes and all,great look.

Risa and Noah's sun room

One of my favorite ...painted this in the late eighties, Risa... this was all her idea, she had me paint the window frames like tree' bark in her garden, then we stenciled leaves from her trees ,Risa liked the way the leaves outside made imprints on the ground when they were wet so she had me kind of mimick that feel,i have touched it up two or three times,still there. kind of understated and really calm. the chairs are from Africa.

Risa's kitchen

Risa....learned alot from her,this was her kitchen(it has changed since)think this was late eighties.we did a kind od wood grain /colorwash of wood tones that picked up the different tones in her rough natural pine ceilings as wellas the barn doors she turned into pantry doors,very warm.

Angels/bedroom

Rose hired me to paint her children as angels inside a ceiling dome,also worked with gold leaf colorwashed entire bedroom,vines around windows with gold window moldings.Painted this in 2005

aspen tree mural

Living in aspen at this time...was hired to paint this soft autumn aspen tree mural in a private home in the clients master bathroom.

campo de fiori aspen/vail colorado

I met elizabeth and luigi in california....i was living in west hampton long island they called me to ask if they could get me to aspen to paint  restaurant they want to open,long story short it worked out( this was 1994)they are still going strong i also painted the second campo de fiori in vail.