Mary Ann Fraser's Decorative Painting Blog

Garage Door Makeover

maryannfraser — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:23:42 +0000

Carriage house-styled garage doors are very popular right now but can be very costly to install. Recently I had a client who wanted to have the look of wood without having to replace her existing metal-paneled doors. Fortunately, I was able to use the existing color as the base. The next step was to glaze the doors with a warm wood tone. While the panels already had some wood-like texture, it was not well defined, so for the third step I used a dark eggplant and black glaze and a woodgraining tool to add interest and really bring out the texture. The results were amazing.

Before

After

Under-painting for aTuscan Landscape Mural

maryannfraser — Tue, 31 May 2011 14:00:47 +0000

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to add some Tuscan details to a game room. My clients initially asked if I would need to under-paint the area for the mural white. But I have found that keeping the original wall color helps set the tone for the artwork. In this case the warm wall tone added depth and warmth to the landscape. The result is that the art blends in well with the room.

Making a Room’s Odd Dimensions Work

maryannfraser — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:29:56 +0000

Sometimes rooms can present challenges that can turn out to be blessings in disguise. Take a recent job of mine. The project was to paint a roller coaster in a young man’s room, but the ceiling rose three feet higher on one side of the room. The solution was to use the difference in wall height to my advantage to give the illusion of steep tracks and to make the cars appear to be rolling toward you. From there the roller coaster looped and corkscrewed around the remaining walls, behind windows and doors while allowing space for other things to later be hung on the walls. In the end, the varying wall height turned out to be a huge advantage for the subject. I love that when it happens!

Integrating an Outdoor Painting

maryannfraser — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 21:44:00 +0000

Recently I had a client who was looking for a way to better integrate an outdoor painting into the area behind their bar. Using colors pulled from the upholstery on their patio furniture, I first glazed the wall. I then added a few areas that looked like breakaways which matched adjacent brick work. The canvas painting was secured with screws into the stucco so that it wouldn’t blow away. Careful to match the colors, I extended select details from the painting onto the wall.

I thought it turned out to be a great yet simple way to maximize a small purchased painting for minimal cost and effort. Best of all, it wasn’t something you’d see everyday.

I would love to hear what you think?

Old Brick

maryannfraser — Tue, 25 May 2010 13:34:33 +0000

I once had a client who had old brick throughout her house except for on her living room fireplace. With the help of some crumpled plastic and some dabs of black, white and light brick red paint. It was a quick transformation.

Parchment Finish

maryannfraser — Mon, 10 May 2010 22:20:25 +0000

Looking for a soft glow or an aged look for your walls ? Consider a parchment finish. It is hands down my most popular finish, and I have used it in a wide variety of situations. It’s as simple as a finish gets, but the effect is always warm and subtle whether it is done with one glaze or multiple glazes. It involves the application of glaze over a basecoat that is then blended using a neon leon brush. I feel it is most successful when a darker glaze is applied over a lighter base since light can bounce off the basecoat for a more luminous effect.

What is a glaze?

maryannfraser — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 02:32:00 +0000

A glaze is a thin layer of transparent medium. It can be tinted to any desired hue. When applied over an opaque base, it lends depth and translucence because it permits the light to pass through it to the layer below and then reflect back. Depending on the method used for application, a variety of patterns and textures can be used to achieve a variety of results. The more layers, the more depth.

Trompe l’eoil

maryannfraser — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:45:02 +0000

The term “trompe l’eoil” in french means literally “to fool the eye.” It is a concept that has been around since before the Middle Ages. Trompe l’eoil has been used on rotunda’s, staircases, the side’s of buildings–nearly any architectural surface. The result is always surprising and if you ask me a bit tongue-in cheek. To pull it off successfully requires an expert’s understanding of perspective, light effects, and materials. The example posted here was painted for the St. James Elementary School Library in Los Angelels. The door is actually closed, but painted to look as if it is opened onto a literary wonderland. Click Here are a few more of examples from my own work.

Hiding Outlets and Switchplates with Paint

maryannfraser — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 05:40:24 +0000

Often people spend a significant portion of their budget on a beautiful stone or tile backsplash only to have an assortment of outlets and switchplates ruin the effect. But with the right materials and an experienced artist these eyesores can magically disappear. Proper preparation and suitable sealants help to insure that the finish will last for years. Here are some examples.

Bath: A switchplate painted to blend in with a stone tile backsplash.

Bar: A tumbled stonebacksplash with outlet.

Kitchen: There are three plates on this beautiful glass backsplash.

Can you find them?

Dining Room Glam

maryannfraser — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:57:37 +0000

A dining room ceiling is a wonderful opportunity to add drama to a room. Since there is often a central light fixture which casts light upwards, metallic finishes can really be effective. Warm metallics like gold or copper bounce a more flattering light on the meal and diners. Here is a wonderful red lusterstone finish for room with an asian influence. Combined with a faux grasscloth finish on the walls, this room was a knock-out.