Scrollwork Archives - Leichsenring Studios

A New Take on Scrolls

by Sharon Leichsenring· March 01, 2021· in Bathrooms/Powder Room, Scrollwork·

Years ago, when I was Sharon the sign painter, my favorite thing to letter were the boat names on transoms. Often, a prospective client would say ” I just saw what you did on so-and-so’s boat. I’d like the same”. It’s a compliment. But not something I would do. There is pride in the ancient art of hand-lettering and the ability to take the same font, tweak it, change the type of outline or perhaps add swashes to the capitals. It’s true fun to play with the letters that is the realm of the hand letterer. Something not easily done with vinyl letters generated by a computer. So no two transoms I lettered looked exactly the same. Move fast forward to the present and the subject of scrolls. If you’ve been following this newsletter, you know just how much I adore incorporating them into a mural or letting them take center stage on their own merit. The challenge, to keep the character of a scroll, but adapting them so that they have their own unique personality. This project was brought to me by Dyane Prezioso (Dyane Prezioso Interiors 203-913-0082), who loves drama and color as much as I do. Here’s […]
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Thanksgiving 2020 – Wall Worthy Words

by Sharon Leichsenring· November 22, 2020· in Artwork, Gifts, Lettering, Scrollwork·

Pick a word. Any word Ok, pick a dozen, maybe two. Give them to Sharon, and… Wait a minute, let me back up a moment to the beginning of the story. I was working with a client that was trying to find a way to have a design that showed all the words that were important to her and her family. She told me she also had a photograph she maybe wanted to use. (secretly, this is when I panic cringe. What if it is a picture that is boring or badly taken? How can I avoid hurting someone’s feelings?). However, I was more than pleasantly surprised when she showed me the picture. It was a candid black and white that captured her and her husband while on a cruise vacation. It was just perfect, but too small and we had no negative. I’d had a lot of success enlarging photos of photos I had taken. Steady hand, I snapped a photo, used the filter Warm dramatic and suddenly, the black and white came to life, not exactly sepia, but warm, dark grays and beige tones that were perfect for the room. I envisioned a simple frame with a scroll […]
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Sometimes Less is More

by Sharon Leichsenring· November 01, 2020· in Brick White Wash, Fireplace, Murals, Scrollwork·

As wonderful as it is to have a glorious, detailed mural on the work docket, there are many occasions where the solution is the more direct and simple. When done correctly, it is elegant. Being a decorative painter, there are just so many paint paths besides mural painting. Two such occasions presented themselves recently. In the first, interior designer Dyane Pjura ( Shadee Lady Interior Design and Custom Window treatments in Shelton) wanted to discuss her vision for a new look for her client’s foyer. She showed me the carpet sample that would be used as the runner on the stairs. She said: “I see scrolls. Big scrolls”. “Ok”, I replied. “Just how big?”. Pencil to paper shows the results. The largest scroll is almost 8 ½’ in diameter. The design was streamlined, one color only so the graphic had to carry the entire focus. No shadows to distract. Just scrolls. Big, glorious scrolls. Take a look. I could look at these for a long, long time. The second occasion had a completely different set of requirements. Though there is no average or typical client, when your client is an interior designer, you are looking at a project through an […]
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A Little Goes A Long Way!

by Sharon Leichsenring· November 01, 2018· in Artisan Finish, Artwork, Brick White Wash, Budget Conscious, Ceiling, Childrens, Fireplace, Headboards, Scrollwork, Trompe L'oeil·

One of the biggest misconceptions that people make about decorative painting is that it’s only something for mansions. That artists like myself are only interested in big, lengthy (read expensive) projects in high end properties. I’d like to use this newsletter to illustrate just how wrong that notion is. Many of these are smaller scaled design solutions that took only a day or two to complete. This first example is a simple, glazed finish for this kitchen in Darien, Connecticut. I didn’t want to compete with the gorgeous jaw-dropping countertops, so the glaze served as a perfect transition from the intricate patterning found in the stone. The grey has just a hint of plum that matches the same overtone in the cabinetry. Next, the windows flanking the fireplace in scenic Seymour, CT framed a view too pretty to block with window treatments. Instead, I used the lovely flowered branches and bird motifs found in the sofa fabric to marry the walls to the rest of the room. And when it comes to window treatments, simple panels soar to the next level with the addition of a painted border. Both of these designs were driven from the fabric patterns. The focal […]
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Fit for a Queen, a Royal Powder Room Indeed!

by Sharon Leichsenring· April 04, 2018· in Bathrooms/Powder Room, Dogs, Floral, Murals, Scrollwork, Trees, Video·

Sometimes, I simply need to pinch myself. A project is presented and I know how fortunate I am as an artist that the path has brought it to me. And what a challenge this would be. A small powder room, 58″ wide, 84″ long and 7 ½’ in height. Fill this space with images of one my client’s favorite places, the Gardens of Versailles. Challenge accepted. Here’s the white walls that I first saw. I drew scaled drawings suggesting different vistas, knowing I would have to seam them together. I started on the wall with the sink and toilet because it also had the one small window in the space. A stained glass window is being created to continue my vision and so as to keep the stained glass artist on schedule, this was the best place to start. I saved my palettes from the that area so that not only would he have the acrylic colors I was using but he could see the blending that took place for the best color accuracy. When it’s installed, I’ll share pictures. A few tricky areas getting behind the mirror and the sides of the toilet, but my world was […]
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Captured on canvas

by Sharon Leichsenring· February 01, 2018· in Artwork, Gifts, People, Scrollwork·

I see murals, all the time. Even when they are not there. I see walls that could just be so stellar transformed by a mural. It creates a mood, an environment. But sometimes, there’s a different way of looking at the wall. And that’s finding the perfect piece of canvas art to do the same job as a mural. Which brings me to a recent commission. The inspiration photo for the piece captured so many things perfectly. The stance of the two sisters, intent on their hike; the feeling of independence, holding no adult hands! And for me, the protective gesture of the older sister guiding her little sister. I knew where this piece would be hanging, in a room filled with gray and bunny pink. So I chose to paint the picture in grisaille ( French for tones of gray ) letting the details come alive in light and dark shades of gray. I chose a 36″ x 36″ stretched canvas with a profile of 1 ½”. A circle within a square is a format that always appeals to me, and in this case, it gave me the perfect area to add the four scroll cornerpieces. At this point, […]
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Dreaming About Dragonflies

by Sharon Leichsenring· March 03, 2017· in Dining Room, Murals, Scrollwork, Trompe L'oeil·

This month’s project was literally a dream commission. My client, the fabulous Ms.M, was a person I’d done work for many years ago. A move to a new home precipitated a call to come fix these blah walls and make it look as beautiful as my old home. So I ask, so what do you see happening here, pointing to this huge blank wall measuring 14 feet in width, and ten feet high. “Oh,” says she , “I’m leaving that up to you. You know what I like.” And yes I did know. A long perusal of fabrics in window treatments, throws and furniture kept turning up a recurring element of scrolls. Throughout the home, I also spied dragonflies. Could it be? Truly two of my favorites themes combined? I drew my proposal on top of a photo of the wall, the dining room table marking the visual bottom of the design. She loved it! I love it! We are calling this work? I am in love. The idea to use scrollwork as a frame surrounding a field of blue had been floating in my wish list for a long time and here I was, with the entire room dictating […]
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Be Not Afraid

by Sharon Leichsenring· December 13, 2014· in Bathrooms/Powder Room, Ceiling, Mica, Scrollwork·

I think you know by now that I am bored silly by beige. I know it has its place, but it just freezes the creativity out of me when color is called for but the client is just afraid to indulge. Indulge? Yes, because that is exactly what it can become. An indulgence. Big, bold use of color is probably not good if you’re only thinking of resale value. Color makes a statement. It says you have a personality maybe bigger than life, and that’s what YOU want to surround yourself with. My latest client came with just such a request. Her condominium had been doused with mind-numbing neutrals. And the lady loves Red! I’ve got to work backwards because I just have to show you how a pop of red inspired the bathroom redo. Here’s the before picture and now, with a huge splash of red. So, now in order of what I did here. First, the ceiling of the long narrow hallway and foyer was filled with soft billowy clouds. I created a sample of peakaboo plaster, multi-layered mica-infused with the tantalizing peaks of red and merlot peaking through. You also see the red I chose for the […]
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Take Me To Venice

by Sharon Leichsenring· August 05, 2014· in Furniture, Places, Scrollwork·

Mr. John Hennessey might be one of the most romantic husbands I know. I’ve known John for, well, decades really. We go back to my earlier life when I was Sharon the Signpainter and I lettered many a panel for John in his bustling real estate enterprise. We’ve crossed paths over the years, so I was not surprised when John called for my help in creating a surprise for the lovely Marianne for their upcoming 38th anniversary. John delivered a chest to my studio. Funny thing about it; I had monogrammed it some thirtysomething years ago and it was going to be redone as a surprise anniversary gift. He was leaving everything in my hands. The metal straps could stay, or not. It could remain cedar, or perhaps not. The subject matter was Venice, and John emailed me some great photos from a recent trip there. Beyond that, all he said was “surprise me, Sharon.” He didn’t want to see sketches, concepts, progress pics. He’d be as surprised as his wife at the unveiling. I’ve got to do this in order. Here’s how it started out. My husband took off the straps and brass tacks and sanded it smooth. I […]
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Oops, I did it again

by Sharon Leichsenring· May 04, 2014· in Bathrooms/Powder Room, Gifts, Scrollwork·

I promise myself over and over, not to get too attached to the things I paint. I’ll confess, I know the work is in your house, but in my head, they’re still my walls. That’s exactly what happened after I finished the walls and ceiling in this guest bathroom that doubles as a powder room for company. I simply didn’t want to leave. Humility aside, these walls rock! Here’s a before shot. The owner shared he just kept the door shut. Agreed , it was boring. So, the walls got painted a great shade of grey (Ben Moore’s Pewter). My photos don’t do the colors justice. There’s quite a bit of grey in the tile. The design would be done in monochromatic shades of the pewter. Here is how it began… And, now the finished walls—a quick 2 days of work, with one additional day for the ceiling’s matching medallion. I loved the play the mirror gave the design. Here’s another view showing the tub area. Here is a closeup of the wall connecting to the bedroom. Contemporary scrolls, not too frilly. I want them in my house, somewhere. Soon. I’d love to know what you think.
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