What is decorative painting or “faux finishing”?
Even in
prehistoric times cavemen were decorating the walls of
their caves with painted images of the hunt, of animals
and of their gods. The
Egyptians not only painted the walls of their tombs but
also decorated furniture and sarcophagi.
Decorative painting was an important art form in both Greek
and Roman society. The town of Pompeii has superb
examples of Roman wall decoration that we can still see
today in all the beauty of the original colors. By this
point in time, artisans were already doing marbleizing
and trompe l’oeil architectural designs.
Asian artisans had their own even older techniques and
have been producing sophisticated examples of lacquer,
eggshell inlays and other artistic styles for many
centuries.
From then on decorative painting has been used at every
period and in every country in Europe. European “faux”
finishes were inspired by the decorative styles of
Greece, Rome, Japan, China and India, each popular at
different times.
When Europeans populated the Americas they brought with them
their traditions of decorative finishes which were then
adapted to the new environment. In time, finishes used
here diverged from their origins and became distinctly
American in character.
American folk art and country
finishes are now a rich and fascinating part of the
decorative arts.
Today decorative painting and “faux” finishes have become
extremely popular, possibly as a reaction to the
sterility of the minimalist school of décor. This
interest has lead manufacturers to develop better and
safer paints and varnishes which allow these techniques
to be much less labor intensive.
How does The New Studio teach decorative painting?
The New Studio provides a course of study that allows the
student to gain expertise in an extensive variety of
painted finishes. Students are welcome at any level and
no drawing talent or previous experience is required to
enroll in the introductory painting courses.
As students progress the flexibility of the
curriculum allows them to focus on the areas of decorative painting
that most interest them, with course prerequisites held to an
absolute minimum. Alternatively students may follow a
specific curriculum to work
towards a specialization.
Decorative/”faux” finishes taught at The New Studio include
Gilding, Marbles, stone such as Lapis Lazuli, country
finishes, milk paint, penwork on Ivory , tortoise shell, Ivory,
Asian finishes, special workshops in jewelry and fabric
painting and many other techniques.
Each decorative/faux finish that we teach is placed within
the relevant historical context with an explanation of
where and when it was used, what materials were
originally part of the finish, and the style and way of
life of the era.
Why are we different from other “faux” finishing schools?
We focus on the creation of exquisite objects rather than
the decoration of walls. Since the term “faux” finish
usually refers to techniques used on walls we prefer to
call ourselves a decorative painting school. Of course
the student who learns the sophisticated painting
techniques that we teach will be able to adapt them to
larger surfaces in a practical and cost effective way.
Indeed many of our teachers are professionals who
execute large projects on commission. They are always
available to advise our students. Our goal is to equip
students with the knowledge and confidence to go out on
their own and practice the profession of decorative
painting.
Click on the About
link below to learn more about The New Studio for The Art of
Painted Finishes. |
