Blog - Page 9 of 11 - Leichsenring Studios

My Love Affair with Ornament

by Sharon Leichsenring· May 10, 2013· in Mica, Murals, Powder Room, Scrollwork·

I recently finished some detailed, painted ornament on a project. It may be my favorite thing to paint. I love the planning stages, sketching out the designs, playing with the colors. I appreciate the mathematical precision necessary to get the repeats correct, the arcs just curved so. My book shelves are brimming with source materials; Auguste Racinet’s polychrome series mingles with the lush pages of William Morris. There are torn out sections from discontinued wallpapers mixed with a seemingly endless collection of Dover catalogs from every historical period. Though the scroll patterns are certainly traditional, the choice of a mica-infused plaster as a backgrounds brings a contemporary edge to my this foyer. Here is a classical scroll, painted on a champagne gold base. The ornament has been painted on a layered, mica plaster. Graceful tracery adorns the front door here. Italian Renaissance Grottesca fills the loggia entrance to the living room in this living room. Grottesca is an ornamental art design combining scrollwork and foliage with humans and animals. A scene reminiscent of an 18th century French tapestry is framed with a simple trompe l’oeil (French, meaning “to fool the eye”) border. The rich chocolate brown walls of this master […]
Read More

Headboard Redux

by Sharon Leichsenring· April 10, 2013· in Headboards, Scrollwork, Trompe L'oeil·

It started as the simplest discussion one could imagine. What could be done to dress up this simple brass headboard? The linens chosen were elegant, providing an equally sophisticated palette of gray and taupe. Take a look at the headboard to be considered. The queen size bed is situated in a well proportioned room measuring approximately 24′ x 26′. Take a peek at what else provides design elements in the rest of the room. I decided to use the graphic design the headboard provided. My client was quite clear in describing what she saw as the gap needing filling. The design would need to encompass more than just around the perimeter of the headboard. Pictures had been tried above the headboard and just didn’t fill the proportions properly. The solution I came up with is certainly grand in scale. The area behind the swirl work is a strie that I created for just this space. Usually a strie treatment describes pulling, or dragging a brush through wet glaze to get a linear effect. Here, the process involved a similar dragging but through many colors and layers of mica-infused plaster. I have to tell you that I always give fair warning […]
Read More

Birds and Blossoms… Some of my favorite things

by Sharon Leichsenring· March 10, 2013· in Artwork, Bas Relief, Birds, Floral, Murals, Trees·

Both of these kitchen wall solutions started the same way, with a discussion. Both clients were looking for “something” for the wall, but had absolutely no idea of what that something could be. Sitting in kitchen number one, our talk began. We talked about the interests of each member of the family. We took a walk through the home, and two things became apparent. The window treatments were minimal because everyone loved the view the yard afforded. It was full of trees, nested, as it were, in their very own forest. In almost all the artwork and accessories I saw, there were more trees, branches, leaves…you name it, more trees. So trees it would be. But a little stylized, and make sure I included a special interest in barred owls. The palette needed to be a subtle mix of blue greens, grays and warm browns. Here are two pictures to give you an idea of the results. Here is a close up of the barred owl. The second kitchen wall started with almost an identical discussion. The colors had to be soft; the design, appealing, but comfortable. It’s a small kitchen, and the owner spends a great deal of time […]
Read More

Playing with color

by Sharon Leichsenring· February 10, 2013· in Artwork, Ceiling, Childrens, Floral·

Some months when I have to choose what projects to talk about, it’s these little ones that get left undiscovered; small in scope but adding so much to the outcome of the room. This first example started in my head as a simple silhouette of the child with some nice areas of color, taken from the fabrics in the room. However, it seemed as though it demanded a little dimension and the silhouette became a duotone, with the fun twist of the vibrant palette. Got to love that vibrant cobalt blue on a lemon yellow field! The young man is just about life size on this 30″x40″ canvas and to my pleasure, recognized himself immediately. Here is the canvas hung on the wall in his new room. This second example is much more subtle in its approach. Originally this master bedroom had been treated to a soft ochre/yellow sponge treatment by its owner. The tray ceiling which has so much area in the room had been simply painted ceiling white. My part in this project was first to establish a palette, which was derived from the bedding. The tray was then painted in several shades of the chosen blue; the […]
Read More

Just a spoonful of sugar

by Sharon Leichsenring· January 05, 2013· in Ceiling, Dining Room, Headboards, Scrollwork·

If just a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down, wouldn’t it be nice to see how easily a few spoonfuls of paint improve a situation? My client could not find the perfect size headboard for this bed. See below the bare space available to work with. Here’s the resulting headboard, with the exact design, size and colors. Beautiful custom window treatments are enhanced with painted borders. The beautiful inspirations are taken directly from the fabrics with a bonus of highlighting the Palladian window. Window treatments design by Dyane Prezioso Interiors. White ceilings are becoming a thing of the past. Think of that ceiling as the fifth wall. Designers do. Doesn’t it deserve a little more than a coat of ceiling flat white? In this example, a lightened tone of the wall color was used to create a large rectangle with ensign corners. An additional border, a little lighter yet, defines the detail and the ¼” hand-painted pinstripe seals the composition. A little plate of “eye candy” served up to start out an inspirational New Year. Ready for a taste, give me a call. …and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year to you!
Read More

Canvas painting of buggy driving up the lane

Down Christmas Tree Lane

by Sharon Leichsenring· December 05, 2012· in Artwork, Historic, Horses, Trees·

It’s beginning to look a lot like… Christmas Tree Lane! Though my work at the property known as Christmas Tree Lane in New Haven County in Connecticut is not quite completed, it seems the time of year made it inevitable that I would share this with you now. I thought you might enjoy the journey that takes place before any paint touches the canvas. I’ll share first. This is the completed canvas, which measure 36″ x 48″. You are looking at a vintage buggy driving up the entrance to the farm. Here is a picture of the actual buggy. Just a tease, but check out the painting on the ceiling. More about that will be coming when the room is ready. I spent some time with the pair of percheron horses, Barnum and Bailey. I wasn’t familiar with their bridles. Here’s a picture where Bailey is being coaxed into the correct position of his ears! “Forward, Bailey. Forward!” Now, the initial concept: a buggy, a pair of horses and a few Christmas trees. Here’s what that looked like on paper. After it was reviewed, the very graphic black and white approach was discarded. It had a rather dark, gothic […]
Read More

70 Cubic Feet of Magic

by Sharon Leichsenring· November 08, 2012· in Birds, Murals·

So, just how big, or small, is 70 cubic feet? In the four thousand square foot home where I was recently working , that amounts to a very small space that is 3 feet by 3 ½’ in floor space and not quite 7 feet tall. Admittedly, a very small part of this home, but what huge results! Let me tell you the story. The contemporary home, owned and designed by Dyane of Dyane Prezioso Interiors of Shelton, CT is a sophisticated study in beige, taupe and black, with subtle metallic accents. The small portion of her foyer had been occupied for some twenty-eight years by her beloved family companions, a pair of blue gold macaws. Their cage nestled in that space and they were the official greeters to visitors. They may be gone, but their memory holds a special place for the family. Once the cage had been removed, its emptiness served as a constant reminder. And then inspiration struck! Originally, Dyane requested the pair of macaws to be painted on one wall. The riotous colors found in the blue gold macaws dictated an equally vibrant palette. A decision was made to include painting a Scarlett macaw which had […]
Read More

Ahoy, Mr. Mole

by Sharon Leichsenring· October 02, 2012· in Clouds, Lettering, Murals, Ocean·

Little over a year ago, The Milford Fine Arts Council (in Milford, Connecticut) initiated the Murals of Milford Program. The commission for a mural on site #2 was a competition open to the public, and my mural proposal was chosen. Thanks right now, for a community so supportative of artists, their endeavors and the value of public art! The site is located at the Ship’s Store of Milford Boatworks at 2 High Street in Milford. Here’s a picture of my “canvas”. You can see the original surface was painted cinderblock, but concern with a little peeling and bubbling of the surface substrate led to a new surface of a material called di-bond ( a sandwich product of aluminum front and back with styrene in the middle). This was attached to the building, with a special little “bump-out” which hid wires and pipes. Let’s take a look at that same corner now. Here’s some pictures of the finished mural, which measured about 19’x5′ on the front, and 11’x5′ on the side, with the corner section rising to 7′ to accommodate the differences in height. Some interesting challenges maintaining the horizon line. I took a little artistic license adding a […]
Read More

My Best Friend’s Kitchen

by Sharon Leichsenring· July 13, 2012· in Kitchen, Murals·

Sometimes, it takes someone who knows you maybe a little better than you know yourself to find the magic. At least, that’s the way this kitchen backsplash makeover happened. It started when my friend Maggie fell in love with some plates. It’s as simple as that. And they are great plates, wonderfully colorful utilizing primitively drawn farm animals. They were the inspiration point. Maggie’s husband handled the prep for the formica backsplash, getting the slick surface ready for me to work on. Before I tell you any more, let’s start with a look of one section, a before and after shot. So a little more of the “before” story. I admit I was more than a little nervous when I started painting. Why? I wasn’t going to be able to sketch out the design, or transfer a pattern. I was going to be using acrylic paint much like watercolor to mimic the method used in painting the plates. Pencil lines, even done with watercolor pencils would hinder the loose, paint with abandon look Maggie had embraced. The polka dot borders that edged the plates were simple swirls of color. No measuring, just eyeballing along the way. Shudders swept through me […]
Read More

A House Touched by History

by Sharon Leichsenring· May 03, 2012· in Historic, Horses, Murals, Places, Staircase, Stairwell·

A Victorian house sits on a quiet street in Middletown, NY. The historic marker on the sidewalk in the only sign that hints to passersby of the rich history that is part of Middletown’s history. When I first met with the owners, it was clear to me right from the start how challenging a project this would be. The owners have a clear respect for the value of their home’s history. Care has been taken to protect the original stained glass work. The intricate workmanship hails from another era. How then to combine all the subject matter that Middletown had to offer? The Thrall Library was a treasure trove of information and old photographs. I also photographed some of the existing buildings and statues. I designed the mural in two sections. The work was done on wood panels and when completed, attached and framed to the wall. Here they are! If I’ve captured your curiosity, let’s take a look up close. The first two scenes reflect the owner’s interest in the Civil War. The tattered flag of the 124th Regiment honors the famous Orange Blossom Regiment formed in Middletown in 1862. The statue of a lone soldier salutes the honor […]
Read More