Creating Painted Beauty

I am so excited to share with you the work of my friend Edward Schaefer, a very talented decorative painter who lives in the New York City area. I have long been fascinated with the art of decorative painting. In fact, I have checked out the late Isabel O'Neil's book The Art of the Painted Finish for Furniture & Decoration: Antiquing, Lacquering, Gilding & The Great Impersonators from my local library at least three times. Seeing that I have absolutely no experience in this type of painting, I read the book not so much for the instruction but rather to look at photos of all types of marvelous finishes.

When Edward first told me about his profession and his training, I was really intrigued. How many decorative painters do you know who received their education at the famed Isabel O'Neil Studio? After attending classes there, Edward now teaches at the Studio as a way to both impart his knowledge to others and further hone his skills. I asked Edward to share his thoughts on his profession:

"This year marks my thirtieth year since I started taking courses at the Studio. In college I majored in Applied Arts and minored in Secondary Education. This required taking just about every art related course, everything from painting and drawing to commercial illustration and fabric design. This was perfect for me since I was always creative and loved making things. Since then, I have even taught myself bookbinding, silkscreening and sewing.

Then one day I wanted to learn how to paint tortoiseshell. I bought Isabel O'Neil's book, which by the way, was probably the only book on painted finishes available at that time. Little did I know that this was a rather difficult finish. I completed my project but was eager to learn more. That's when I decided to start taking classes at the Studio. Isabel was still alive at the time, so I was fortunate in that I began under her guidance.

She developed a system that was based on the guild system of training. Everyone, regardless of training, begins with taking Furniture Painting 101. This sets the foundation for everything to come in order to achieve the finest results. The next course was Gilding and I was hooked.

Almost immediately, you are encouraged to assist in classes in order to further your knowledge and training and eventually to start teaching others and thereby passing on your skills. I still teach there and have taught Glazing and Marble and continue to take classes and even assist in classes. There are always new techniques and tips and things to learn. Since various environmental requirements have changed many paint formulations, we have had to make some adjustments in our techniques. So, we use a lot more water based media rather than oil, for instance. Something that would have been anathema in Isabel's time. Some products have just been discontinued.

After reaching Journeyman status and further training I eventually became a Master. A requirement for becoming a Master is to develop a new finish. Mine was Russian Karelian Birch.

Over the years one starts to gravitate toward the finishes that you really enjoy doing. Some of my favorites are Shagreen, Breche Marble and Malachite and I execute these quite often. My latest fascination has been for Straw Marquetry which I am still trying to perfect my technique.

From the beginning I often incorporated stencilling and decoupage in my work which hadn't been taught before and is now fully accepted along with murals, vinegar and icon painting, to name a few new additions to the curriculum."

Edward has painted everything from floors to flooring cloths to boxes and walls. In addition, he has sold his painted accessories to stores across the country. In fact, his painted place mats are available for purchase at Leta Austin Foster in Palm Beach. (You can see a photo of them at the bottom of the post.) And of course, he does many private commissions. What I'm especially excited about is Edward's upcoming line of fabrics and wallpapers that are set to debut next year.

Below are photos that show the range of Edward's work. And if you really want to see the difference a decorative finish makes, just look at the images at top. They are before and after shots of chest that Edward painted.

To inquire about Edward's work, you can email him directly at icreatebeauty@yahoo.com. And indeed, Edward does create beauty.




































These are the place mats that are available at Leta Austin Foster. These are the three most popular colors, though they can be custom colored.

No. 9 Thompson Dynasty Collection

I always look forward to No. 9 Thompson's new fabric collections. Yes, part of my excitement is due to my love of Asian prints, but I also find it interesting to learn what inspired Richard Smith, the line's design director. The fall collection is called Dynasty, and the various prints represent a fusion of the energy and glamour of modern China and the country's rich artistic history. I'm especially taken with Enter the Dragons and Qinglong.

All of these designs are printed on either linen or a linen/cotton/modal blend fabric. For more information, visit the Jim Thompson Fabrics website or your local fabric showroom.



Enter the Dragons. Inspired by a hand-knotted 17th c. silk carpet from the Ningxia region in China.



Qinglong. Smith reworked the scale and colors of Enter the Dragons and created the tonal version seen here. The tones were taken from an antique blue and white ceramic piece found at the Jim Thompson House in Bangkok.




Eastern Seas. Based on the traditional water pattern found often on textile borders and ceramics.





Imperial China. An updated take on the classic porcelain print. The designs of the vases, bowls, and plates were inspired by a traditional crane print and a cloud print that decorated an Imperial silk robe.




Chinese Steps. This fretwork pattern refers to that seen in Enter the Dragons and Qinglong.

All images courtesy of No. 9 Thompson

Tania Vartan

One thing that I have noticed about suffering from information overload is that it really takes something unique and clever to catch my eye. That was certainly the case a few days ago when I first learned of the talented decorative painter Tania Vartan. I'm sure that for many of you, Tania is not a new name. I'm only just learning of her work, but, as they say, better late than never.

Tania started her career in the 1970s as a New York based fashion designer, later moving into the field of decorative painting in the 1980s. As a painter, Tania has executed stunning murals and trompe l'oeil paintings for the likes of Mark Hampton, Mario Buatta, and Lee Radziwill. In addition to mural work, Tania's other mediums include reverse glass painting, small oil paintings, and fabrics. Her fabric collection, available through John Rosselli in New York and George Spencer Designs in the UK, includes many prints that Tania first designed decades ago for her fashion collection. Now, though, they're available as furnishing fabric.

I've included a sampling of Tania's work below, but really, this is just the tip of the iceberg. I encourage you to visit her website to see more photos of her beautiful work. Tania recently wrote a book chronicling her work as a painter. Tania Vartan, A Memoir of the Decorative Arts 1970 to 2011 is available for purchase through her website as well.



A Robert Adam style ceiling in a private dining room.



Acrylic on canvas panels for a music room in a private house.



Rain Forest, a trompe l'oeil painting by Tania



Baroccoco, another trompe l'oeil painting




Radishes, gold leaf and oil on panel




Study in Brown and Green, oil on canvas



After Leon Bakst, reverse glass painting



Another reverse glass painting




A reverse glass painted mirror




A hand-painted pillow





Tania's fabric collection

All images from Tania Vartan's website.

Give a Dog or Cat a New Leash on Life

On Thursday, November 10, a group of design-minded dog and cat lovers will be hosting a very special luncheon to benefit New Leash on Life, an Atlanta based charity whose mission is to save the lives of homeless dogs and cats. The event, to be held from 11am to 1pm, will take place at the beautiful Buckhead home of designer Alison Womack Jowers. The big news is that renowned designer Suzanne Rheinstein will be our guest speaker; a booksigning and lunch will follow her talk.

The other hosts and I have been hard at work to make sure that this will be a most memorable event. I do hope that you'll consider buying a ticket to attend the luncheon. Not only does it benefit a worthy charity, but it promises to be a fun event too.

Tickets for the event are $100 per person with proceeds going to New Leash on Life. If you are interested in purchasing a ticket, please email me at jennifer@thepeakofchic.com. For more information on New Leash on Life, please visit their website.

San Francisco Antiques Show

Attending the San Francisco Antiques Show has become an annual tradition for me. It's an opportunity for me to see my San Francisco friends (including Diane Dorrans Saeks, Grant Gibson, and Scot Meacham Wood), to salivate over beautiful antiques, and to party. Let's face it- the show's organizers sure know how to throw one fun Preview Party!

This year's show did not disappoint. The show's theme, Hidden Treasures, served to highlight pieces that, in the organizers' words, "have something to hide." At the front of the exhibition hall, curated vignettes were displayed that featured hidden treasures owned by San Francisco collectors. These treasures included pieces with trompe l'oeil decoration or hidden compartments. Many of the exhibiting dealers also included a hidden treasure or two in their booths.

There was so much to see that, quite frankly, I could write a week's worth of show-related posts. I tried to winnow down my photos to those pieces that really caught my eye. Below is a sampling of show highlights.

So, San Francisco Antiques Show, until next year...



I always look forward to visiting the Therien & Co. booth. In addition to being one of the most attractive booths, the mix of antiques and 20th century furniture is always intriguing. You can see a few of the Therien vignettes both above and at the top of the post.




This c. 1920 Constructivist Polychrome Painted Tabouret at Therien & Co. caught my eye, as did:




this c. 1935 cabinet by the Hungarian artist, Andrew Szoeke. Trained at the Weiner Werkstatte, Szoeke's pieces "exhibit a unique combination of Mittel European iconography executed in exotic wood inlay and Moderne form."





Also at Therien, a c. 18th century Spanish Mudejar Giltwood Drop Front Arca.






One of the most decorated booths at the show has to be that of Galerie Steinitz, based in Paris. Walking through it, you feel as though you're in someone's very elegant Parisian drawing room.







In keeping with the show's theme of hidden treasures, Engs-Dimitri showed this 18th c. Mexican painted marriage chest. Opening the chest's lid reveals a charming painted scene of a betrothed couple. On the front of the chest is nail head decoration.





This English naive painting of a coaching horse and dog is what drew me to the booth of Earle Vandekar of Knightsbridge Inc. I always find naive art so interesting because oftentimes, a painting can look slightly contemporary despite its old age. This painting dates to the 19th c.



Vandekar sells all kinds of wonderful antiques including porcelain, one of my weaknesses!









Another specialty of Vandekar is Sailors' Woolworks, needlework that was done by British sailors while at sea. I'm fascinated at how they depicted the water, especially the chevron-print sea in the first example. If you look at the detail shot (the photo immediately above this text), you can see that the stitches were quite long. The examples seen here date to the late 19th century.






And finally, Vandekar had the most amazing set of Chinese watercolors of insects. Look closely, and you'll see that the insects were painted on lacquered leafs. These date to around 1850.





Not everything at the show is old. This Alexander Gorliziki miniature painting, The Hero Departs (2010), was displayed at the John Berggruen Gallery booth.





Being a dog lover, I couldn't resist photographing this 19th c. English engraving titled "The First Lesson"; available through the Daniel Stein Antiques.







The Lucy Johnson booth boasted this 19th c. Italian or Spanish scagliola tabletop, one that is decorated with trompe l'oeil maps of the Persian Empire circa 500 B.C. I don't know if the bronze table base is of recent vintage or not.

All photos copyright of The Peak of Chic