My Blog
05/02/12 01:04
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From Istanbul to Los Angeles via London
Lucky enough to beat the weather and escape the winter in Europe and settle into some mural work in California.
The restaurant Le Relais de Venise l’entrecote is once again expanding and have asked me to do the murals for the 2 new restaurants which will be opening the first in Manchester and the third one in London.
Machester murals
The third in the series performing commedia dell’arte troupe.
The second of the series is a market scene in Venice.
The first of the series is the view of the Grand Canal in Venice.
The finish version (this one is for Manchester hence the boys playing football in Man.United/City kits)
The work continues in Istanbul
It only gets better!
Work on the Dome entirely designed and executed by our Turkish/English team.
Gold leaf being applied to all the moulding on the ceiling.
Nearly finished needs the last of the gold leaf and the central antique brass piece.
Hand painted faux marble with trompe l’oeil.
Busy at work making tromp l’oeil wood carving over hand painted bleached oak next to faux finished marble.
Work in progress, the faux oak wood graining with carved trompe l’oeil pattern painted onto it.
Decorative trompe l’oeil treatment for master bedroom ceiling.
More to come...
JULY IN LONDON- ONE WEEK
Still working on my modern St.Luke,would like to have finished it but I am not going to rush the final detail on the book and hands which need plenty more work.
Back to Istanbul
May 2011 sees a return to Istanbul for the second of the two houses for what is probably my largest single commission,it resides side by side with the first a large wooden house on the Bosphorus.
My full team of artists,the basic team plus Jem Holmes and visiting artists Peter O’connor, Alessandra Tortone and Flor Troconis.
The entrance area is painted in subtle shades of stippled warm grey.
Gold leaf work in progress
Over 700 metres in 30ml wide 23.75 ct gold for the entrance ceiling alone.
Soft grey faux wood effect with dark blue highlights for cloakroom.
Work in progress several layers of softly dragged green on the walls,all the wood work dragged in warm off white and finally all the moulding to have gold with red base.
I am working on creating a domed trompe l’oeil stone ceiling.
Trompe l’oeil project
March finds me in Los Angeles enjoying the good weather and starting an enjoyable trompe l’oeil project for a private client.
The client, also a friend, owns a beautiful period egyptian themed bookcase which is free standing in front of french windows from which there are stunning views, unfortunately one passes behind the bookcase to get to the windows and the rear of this antique is not attractive.
We therefore came up with the idea to create an illusion of a mummy of a young man who had been secretly entombed in the back of the book case suddenly coming alive and trying to break out and gain his freedom.
Having measured the back of the bookcase which is in two sections I am going to paint onto canvas which will be stuck onto thin board will be attached lightly to the rear of the antique.
After finding a suitable model the work begins
Working sketch
The eye begins to look real and the rhino takes on character.
More or less finished.
The wood is made darker and the feet and hands stand out more.
Some of the completed work Istanbul
Finished ribbon mural
Honduras mahogany wood graining with antique gold.
Finished doors
Work continues on the Bosphorus
The team working with gold leaf on giant doors,the grand entry to the master sleeping quarters
Antiquing gold leaf,these folding doors hide a giant drinks cabinet.
The 100 foot ribbon we created on the floor starts from the cabinet and was given life by these animals.
The last night as complete unit with our turkish project team we were all treated to a lavish feast with music and belly dancers.
Winter commission - decamping to Istanbul
My artistic team myself muralist Mel Holmes, poet and artist SP Howarth, and decorative artist and graphic designer David Bird.
Location Bosphorus Istanbul.
The house is in Europe but you can see Asia on the other side of the Bosphorus.
The next door neighbour(Otterman Hotel).
Private harbour at the front
The boys in action on a faux stone finish.
Working on large template
The room is 17 metres long the ribbon runs for the full length twice and returns on itself 40 metres (130 ft)
PHOTOGRAPHER Jens Marott
www.jensmarott.com
One of my commissions, the front door has the lovely trompe l’oeil work which can be seen below under TROMPE L’OEIL MAGIC...
Having spent the last month in Los Angeles painting the final painting for my next exhibition of my private work at St.Luke’s Church ,Chelsea I am busy preparing for the show and at the same time doing the ground work for a large commission in Istanbul which will be commencing directly after the show.
Listing for the exhibition
I LOVE SUMMERTIME.
Breakfast al fresco
The studio moves out to the Garden.
I try and make the most of the garden in the few months of the year we can really use it.
TROMPE L’OEIL MAGIC...
So far in 2010 apart from my canvas work and of course London zoo I have mostly been doing renovations on my own work and was delighted to get a couple of months on site doing a variety of finishes trompe l’oeil and mural work.
Here is a great example of what trompe l’oeil can achieve.
THE BEAUTIFUL COLOURS OF LIMA -PERU
These photos were taken on a trip to Peru one of my favourite country’s
LONDON ZOO PROJECT
The official unveiling of the new murals in the big cat area of London zoo will be at easter and will be accompanied by a book/magazine giving relevant information on them.
The first structure is directly in front of the Tigers in the Big cats area of London Zoo at Regents park.
These structures were built in the 1970’s and were beginning to look dated so the idea was to enliven them by creating old asian murals that look liked they had been there forever and would stand the test of time.
The areas to be worked were scaffolded with plastic covering and as you can see it was snowing when we were working there.
This is what kept us from freezing on the job!
Lower level.
Assistant Alessandra working on the leaves.
The first set of murals finished, notice the snow, I am working in the longest cold spell for 30 years.
Mock up of the other three of the monoliths to be worked on.
Actual area
First one, up goes the scaffolding.
On goes a specialist coloured plaster rendering.
Applied over areas only where art work is.
First 12ft asian tiger up and looking more ancient by the minute.
The finished area looking much like the original mock up.
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From Istanbul to Los Angeles via London
Lucky enough to beat the weather and escape the winter in Europe and settle into some mural work in California.
The restaurant Le Relais de Venise l’entrecote is once again expanding and have asked me to do the murals for the 2 new restaurants which will be opening the first in Manchester and the third one in London.
Machester murals
The third in the series performing commedia dell’arte troupe.
The second of the series is a market scene in Venice.
The first of the series is the view of the Grand Canal in Venice.
The finish version (this one is for Manchester hence the boys playing football in Man.United/City kits)
The work continues in Istanbul
It only gets better!
Work on the Dome entirely designed and executed by our Turkish/English team.
Gold leaf being applied to all the moulding on the ceiling.
Nearly finished needs the last of the gold leaf and the central antique brass piece.
Hand painted faux marble with trompe l’oeil.
Busy at work making tromp l’oeil wood carving over hand painted bleached oak next to faux finished marble.
Work in progress, the faux oak wood graining with carved trompe l’oeil pattern painted onto it.
Decorative trompe l’oeil treatment for master bedroom ceiling.
More to come...
JULY IN LONDON- ONE WEEK
Still working on my modern St.Luke,would like to have finished it but I am not going to rush the final detail on the book and hands which need plenty more work.
Back to Istanbul
May 2011 sees a return to Istanbul for the second of the two houses for what is probably my largest single commission,it resides side by side with the first a large wooden house on the Bosphorus.
My full team of artists,the basic team plus Jem Holmes and visiting artists Peter O’connor, Alessandra Tortone and Flor Troconis.
The entrance area is painted in subtle shades of stippled warm grey.
Gold leaf work in progress
Over 700 metres in 30ml wide 23.75 ct gold for the entrance ceiling alone.
Soft grey faux wood effect with dark blue highlights for cloakroom.
Work in progress several layers of softly dragged green on the walls,all the wood work dragged in warm off white and finally all the moulding to have gold with red base.
I am working on creating a domed trompe l’oeil stone ceiling.
Trompe l’oeil project
March finds me in Los Angeles enjoying the good weather and starting an enjoyable trompe l’oeil project for a private client.
The client, also a friend, owns a beautiful period egyptian themed bookcase which is free standing in front of french windows from which there are stunning views, unfortunately one passes behind the bookcase to get to the windows and the rear of this antique is not attractive.
We therefore came up with the idea to create an illusion of a mummy of a young man who had been secretly entombed in the back of the book case suddenly coming alive and trying to break out and gain his freedom.
Having measured the back of the bookcase which is in two sections I am going to paint onto canvas which will be stuck onto thin board will be attached lightly to the rear of the antique.
After finding a suitable model the work begins
Working sketch
The eye begins to look real and the rhino takes on character.
More or less finished.
The wood is made darker and the feet and hands stand out more.
Some of the completed work Istanbul
Finished ribbon mural
Honduras mahogany wood graining with antique gold.
Finished doors
Work continues on the Bosphorus
The team working with gold leaf on giant doors,the grand entry to the master sleeping quarters
Antiquing gold leaf,these folding doors hide a giant drinks cabinet.
The 100 foot ribbon we created on the floor starts from the cabinet and was given life by these animals.
The last night as complete unit with our turkish project team we were all treated to a lavish feast with music and belly dancers.
Winter commission - decamping to Istanbul
My artistic team myself muralist Mel Holmes, poet and artist SP Howarth, and decorative artist and graphic designer David Bird.
Location Bosphorus Istanbul.
The house is in Europe but you can see Asia on the other side of the Bosphorus.
The next door neighbour(Otterman Hotel).
Private harbour at the front
The boys in action on a faux stone finish.
Working on large template
The room is 17 metres long the ribbon runs for the full length twice and returns on itself 40 metres (130 ft)
PHOTOGRAPHER Jens Marott
www.jensmarott.com
One of my commissions, the front door has the lovely trompe l’oeil work which can be seen below under TROMPE L’OEIL MAGIC...
Having spent the last month in Los Angeles painting the final painting for my next exhibition of my private work at St.Luke’s Church ,Chelsea I am busy preparing for the show and at the same time doing the ground work for a large commission in Istanbul which will be commencing directly after the show.
Listing for the exhibition
I LOVE SUMMERTIME.
Breakfast al fresco
The studio moves out to the Garden.
I try and make the most of the garden in the few months of the year we can really use it.
TROMPE L’OEIL MAGIC...
So far in 2010 apart from my canvas work and of course London zoo I have mostly been doing renovations on my own work and was delighted to get a couple of months on site doing a variety of finishes trompe l’oeil and mural work.
Here is a great example of what trompe l’oeil can achieve.
THE BEAUTIFUL COLOURS OF LIMA -PERU
These photos were taken on a trip to Peru one of my favourite country’s
LONDON ZOO PROJECT
The official unveiling of the new murals in the big cat area of London zoo will be at easter and will be accompanied by a book/magazine giving relevant information on them.
The first structure is directly in front of the Tigers in the Big cats area of London Zoo at Regents park.
These structures were built in the 1970’s and were beginning to look dated so the idea was to enliven them by creating old asian murals that look liked they had been there forever and would stand the test of time.
The areas to be worked were scaffolded with plastic covering and as you can see it was snowing when we were working there.
This is what kept us from freezing on the job!
Lower level.
Assistant Alessandra working on the leaves.
The first set of murals finished, notice the snow, I am working in the longest cold spell for 30 years.
Mock up of the other three of the monoliths to be worked on.
Actual area
First one, up goes the scaffolding.
On goes a specialist coloured plaster rendering.
Applied over areas only where art work is.
First 12ft asian tiger up and looking more ancient by the minute.
The finished area looking much like the original mock up.
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