Faux Painting Design Trends

It appears that the traditionally sought after styles of faux painting have changed. It seems that "sponging", "ragging", are no longer desirable techniques. The trend is toward textures, stenciling, metallic finishes, antiqued painted finishes, worn wood finishes, and other in-depth techniques. We are currently doing a worn, painted wood effect on some kitchen trim that takes seven steps to complete. It should be interesting when it is done.

Faux Painting

I am running into so many requests for faux painting, both new, and restoration of existing work, that I am off today to take a week-long refresher course in faux painting techniques. See you in a week!

Years With Frank Lloyd Wright

"Years With Frank Lloyd Wright: Apprentice to Genius"
This book is written by Edgar Tafel, one of Wright's most well-known apprentices. Tafel borrows from his deep knowledge and experience of Wright's design processes and finished works. I highly recommend this book for any fan of Wright's work. This book, with many other hand-selected books about Wright is available in our Art and Architectural Design Bookstore.

A Fondness for Art Books

Art books, about great artists, lavishly illustrated, are one of my weaknesses. I decided to spend an hour last Sunday re-organizing the library, and over four and a half hours later, it still was not finished. Trying to make some space by getting rid of some art books was in the plan, but there were none that could be disposed of, in fact, I need more.
Good art books are sure to be on many Christmas lists this year, and you can find some great ones at out Art Books Store.

Paint and Color

Did another historic color consulting job today, and here are my conclusions.

• The sky is blue because of the amount of water vapor in the air. Water vapor appears blue because it absorbs all visible colors in the spectrum except blue.
• White is the result of the presence of all colors reflected from an object.
• Black is the result of all colors absorbed by an object.

Paint can be:

• Opaque
• Transparent
• Translucent
• Irridescent
• Reflective
• Refractive
• Prismatic
• Metallic
• Fluroscent

When do the Ideas Stop Arriving?

When does it stop, When do creative ideas stop showing themselves to us? When will I just go to bed and fall asleep without having to get up to do a quick idea sketch that has just arrived in my brain. Not that I'm unthankful that it keeps happening, I'm just starting to wonder if it will ever stop or even slow down.

A New Usonian Home

I just spent the last 2 days designing a new type of "Usonian" home. Frank Lloyd Wright first used the term "Usonian" as a way to describe a new type of home than any man could build using simple tools and techniques. We are throwing out the term "simple" and applying updated techniques to save energy, such as site positioning, and other newer advances in building. Really nothing that Wright hadn't already done, I'm just experimenting.