Blog - Leichsenring Studios

My project at the Masonic Lodge

by Sharon Leichsenring· September 28, 2023· in Artwork, Ceiling, Clouds, Trompe L'oeil· 0 comments

It’s been a while since my last newsletter. I wanted to have enough progress to share, and I certainly do. To recap, I started this project on site in August. I am painting a very large space in a Masonic Lodge in northern New Jersey. Using trompe l’oeil ( French term meaning “fool the eye” using light and shadow to make a two-dimensional space look three dimensional) , I am creating the Temple of Solomon. The space is 36’ by 62’ with 16’ high ceilings. I am just about done with the tray in the ceiling. Here’s what my sample looked like. I agonized for a bit, trying to figure out how I would get this tray laid out on the ceiling by myself. I had to avoid the light fixtures as well. Luckily, I discovered what might be one of the most remarkable tools in my arsenal, a Bosch 3-plane laser. It allowed me to measure easily on the floor and the laser sends out a line that travels around the space in two directions. Crazy. The line can be up to 200’ long so it shoots out straight, up the wall, across the ceiling and back to […]
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Be Careful What You Wish For

by Sharon Leichsenring· July 06, 2023· in Artwork, Birds, Ceiling, Clouds, Columns, Trompe L'oeil· 0 comments

I am at a loss for words. Well, almost. I am excited to share the beginning of a new project with you. It’s huge in scope for me. I was contacted recently about the possibility of painting a ceiling in a Masonic Lodge in north New Jersey, a little over an hour from home. So, distance-wise, doable. And not just the ceiling. There are four shallow projections on two sides of the space. Make those into columns. Ermmmm…..Ok. So how big is the space? Wait for it. It measures 33’4” wide by 61’6”. That’s 2200 square feet. It’s 16’ tall. We’d like you to come up with a concept to make the space look like a temple, open to the sky. The sky, by the way, will travel from dawn to night. Let’s take a look. The picture you are seeing shows about half of the room. I’m not one to say no to a challenge and this one is not going to scare me away. In fact, less than ten minutes into the discussion, I could see the design in my mind’s eye. And you might be asking, how do I share that with a client. I’m a huge […]
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Paint My Guitar

by Sharon Leichsenring· May 31, 2023· in Artwork, Historic· 0 comments

Music, I tell you! Music to my ears. “I have a little project for you, and you don’t need to come to Texas to do it. I think you can have fun with this one,” says one of my favorite people in the world. We will call her Miss Jan, who started as a student when I was teaching mural workshops in Houston, became a client, and most rewardingly, has become a dear friend. And for the record, I have no problem going to Texas-or anywhere in the country for that matter -to paint, but Texas is an easy call. I’m happy to paint there anytime. But I digress. The small project is a small guitar that Miss Jan would like painted. It will serve as the inspiration piece for the Gruene (pronounced Green) Room in her family’s Airbnb in New Braunfels, Texas. I’ve had the pleasure of staying there, and spending time in the area, including the little town of Gruene, now a part of New Braunfels. Here’s a look of the River Road Retreat Jan was specific in wanting the Gruene Hall included. I visited there last fall and fell in love with its history. Built in 1878, […]
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In the words of Dr. Seuss “Oh! The Places You’ll Go!”

by Sharon Leichsenring· April 27, 2023· in Artisan Finish, Artwork, Bas Relief, Brick Treatments, Ceiling, Clouds, Dome, Murals· 0 comments

Was he speaking directly to me, the esteemed Dr. Seuss? Would the poem provide answers to the absolute gut-wrenching reaction I used to have when contemplating a project where I’d spend days on ladders? And the bad reaction only began with ladders. There were scaffolds to climb and scissor lifts to navigate. Seems the love of painting was and continues to be greater than the fear. If you shudder at the idea of heights, tag along with me through a few of my challenges. First check out this barrel ceiling. Here is the space during construction. It’s good you can’t see my face as you’re reading. I really had to work hard keeping the panic in place. However, and it still amazes me every time, once I have that stern talk with myself and start painting, the fear truly dissipates. Got my backer’s scaffold in place and commenced painting this ceiling, grid method, square by square. This next project was a cloud dome that was over an inside pool. Look at the support structure to hold the dance floor that would span over the approximately 28’ wide pool. Once I climbed through the trap door onto the dance floor, I was […]
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Mixing a custom color of the lusterstone

Be Still My Heart!

by Sharon Leichsenring· March 31, 2023· in Artisan Finish, Bathrooms/Powder Room, Ceiling, Mica, Textured Finishes· 0 comments

There are some days when I believe the universe is more than ready to co-operate and send a project my way where I know that I will enjoy every single minute from concept to execution. And make a client’s dream come true? Probably mixing metaphors here, but that’s the frosting on the cake. So, the starting place. A spacious master bath, with great bones, beautiful fixtures, a floor that sends my imagination spinning and a client looking to get rid of her boring blue walls and she says the words. The key to my heart in secret code: I want you to make magic. Make it wow! Well, ok then. Let’s go. Here’s what the view looks like. I’ve reduced the color to black and white. Color will distract. We discussed ornament and the design is simply just pouring off my pencil. Drawing on the room’s photo makes it easy to visualize. We both agree Lusterstone, a luscious plaster infused with mica, will make the most of the light fixtures. I played with several color mixtures, dabbing my floor sample to see what color would sing out and keeping in mind it is studded with silvery blue glass inserts. Here are […]
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The Best Medicine for the Worst Patient

by Sharon Leichsenring· February 28, 2023· in Artwork, Murals, Scrollwork· 0 comments

It was the night before surgery And all through the house, Not a creature was stirring… Nor anyone wanting to ask Sharon What ARE YOU DOING!!!! So let me give you the back story first. I had three hernia repairs on February 1st. Surgery was a great success. Uneventful. Just like you hope for. THAT was not the problem. What was the problem was what was I going to do for the next three weeks to keep me, and everyone living in this house with me, from going crazy? So, I kept looking at this wall that my bed is against. It’s a huge headboard, and bigger than the windows, and it’s always bugged me. Need I say more? I finished up my last project early afternoon the day before surgery. The idea had been floating around in my head. After dinner, I moved the bed (while I still had the ability to move something more than 10 lbs. The next day, that restriction would be in place.). Started sketching, then blocking in with paint directly on the wall. I’m running out of time because sooner or later, the closed door behind me is going to open… And it does. It’s my […]
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Yep, I have a digital hoarding problem

by Sharon Leichsenring· January 31, 2023· in Artwork, Ceiling, Childrens, Clouds, Furniture, Trees· 0 comments

I’ve been writing my monthly newsletters for almost 14 years now. You can find most of them if you’re so inclined under the PROJECTS tab on my website. A thank you here to Pat Marlin of Business Technology Solutions. I write the copy, choose the photos, and she -with great patience and my dancing close to deadlines-makes the technical magic happen. I admit, I find the digital tasks daunting and I make things difficult because I have way too many pictures, and they are filed in a most abominably illogical pattern, most of which I try to keep organized in my head. So, it’s time to write February’s newsletter, and though I’ve been busy, there’s no one interesting project to share. There’s been a great deal of sketching, sample making, and frankly, some just plain boring work. What to write about? I decided to start cleaning through this huge file called “ mystuff” (can’t make this up) and found pictures of a really early project that predated my newsletters. Just the thing to share with you. It’s important to me for a number of reasons. Here’s the first. Check out my hands. What you might notice is that my right thumb […]
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Odds and Ends

by Sharon Leichsenring· December 31, 2022· in Artisan Finish, Floor, Trompe L'oeil· 0 comments

I did title this email Odds and Ends. The “Odd” portion is not so much odd as it is simply a technique I don’t use often. And what is the rarely (for me) used technique? Its French name is Faux Bois , translating as fake wood, or woodgraining. It falls into the category of trompe l’oeil, French for fooling the eye. So, the new challenges presents itself and it’s one I’m ready to take. A portion of the floor in my client’s library was damaged when the adjoining foyer floor was replaced. Staining the damaged area and trying to restain the existing floor which was decades old would never be a good match. So gather up all the little tools of faux bois that so seldom see the light of day on my watch and let’s tackle this floor. I thought I’d share the steps so that perhaps if you ever have the opportunity to see some faux bois work, you can appreciate the many steps needed to achieve it. First, choosing a basecoat like what the color peaking through the grain that the eye sees. If only all the steps were this simple. I primed the area first, and […]
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When a Mural Makes You Smile

by Sharon Leichsenring· November 30, 2022· in Artwork, Birds, Ceiling, Murals· 0 comments

If I could wish for a perfect mural client, it would be someone who gets me. Seriously, gets me. The talent part sure, but also that slightly crazed part of my spirit that says, “Oh no worries. That’s not too crazy. I can figure it out. I CAN make it happen.” That person would also have to be good at communicating what she is looking for in a mural, clear in her style and tastes, and trusts me. When this is present, magic happens. Like this ceiling project. I’ve done several projects for Mrs. H, arguably one of my favorite people to paint for. The ceiling in her foyer and the hallway leading from it was sadly lacking, painted in ceiling white, when you could see the gorgeous collection of artwork, hung gallery style on the walls. Lively, bright and full of color, she was looking for a ceiling design to compliment the color on the walls and we would use her passion for Native American art and spirituality as the impetus for the design. Specifically, I needed to include the sun and the moon, running water, canoes, tipis, deer, and several birds that had a personal connection to her. Knowing […]
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Once Upon A Time in Bristol, CT

by Sharon Leichsenring· October 31, 2022· in Artwork, Clouds, Historic, Trees, Trompe L'oeil· 0 comments

What a ride (taxi cab!) this painting commission has been. I was contacted by the owners of a magnificent building in the somewhat sleepy town of Bristol in Connecticut. I would soon see that what is a town that has escaped the noise of big cities by being located away from major interstates, was in fact, a bustling commercial city in the early 1900s. At that time, it was considered one of the premier clock-making cities in the United States. I’ll try to keep the background brief. If you get curious, google New Departure Mfg. Co. Bristol CT. A business started by the Rockwell Brothers (the Rockwell Company) would become known as New Departure Manufacturing Company. Not content with their successful cycling venture, they drew up plans for an automobile. The first was produced in 1904. The Roxwell Taxi rolled out of the Bristol plant. Check out this ad So the current owners of the building, my client, had an image of a hand colored photo from about the same time. There was no way to enlarge much bigger than a sheet of paper without the image pixelating. And, that dear readers, is my cue to enter the picture. We arrived at a […]
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