Marvelous books from Editions Vial

I seem to have amassed a considerable library, the majority (by volume) of which are design and architectural books. A large number of the most amazing and useful décor books in my library come from the French publisher, Editions H. Vial.

These books are, with rare exception, inexplicably unavailable via the "usual" US outlets, but I have had the good fortune of acquiring a number of them in person, at the fabulous bookstore of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and at the recent Chicago gathering of the International Salon of Decorative Painters, where Vial premiered the new (bilingual) book of decorative painting techniques by master trompe l'oeil artist and revered Salon member Michel Nadaï.


Michel was good enough to inscribe a copy of his book for me.

I have purchased a number of well priced volumes via Chapitre in Paris (who ship quickly and without gouging you about handling) and you may buy the books directly through the Editions Vial website.

Michel Nadai's book is also available through several decorative painting schools in the US, like Pierre Finklestein's on-line shop.







some my current favorites are:

Identifying Marble
Decoration de Bois et Marbres
Chefs d'OEvre des Marqueteurs
Modeles de Peinture Polychrome sur Meubles
Art et techniques de la peinture décorative
Meubles et Décors Peints

In a few months, Vial will also release the much-anticipated book Imitations et décors à l'école Van der kelen from the prestigious Van der Kelen Institut supérieur de peinture.


I understand Editions Vial have a booth at the annual SALI exposition this week, and anyone near Charlotte, NC would do well to visit this exposition if only to buy books.
But also be on the lookout for decorative painting DVDs, wonderful stencils from Helen Morris and Sheri Hoeger, as well as all the latest goo being used in the "faux" business these days.

Lynne Rutter Murals & Decorative Painting

A Spandrel Ornament

Here are some work in progress pictures of an ornament I used as a demonstration panel at Salon earlier this month.

This is version of a spandrel element I designed for a huge ceiling in the Paris Casino Resort in Las Vegas. That design was inspired by the ceiling ornament in the St Francis of Assisi Church in Sacramento, which I got to study closely while working on its restoration.

<--ornament in its base form

I still have my master drawings from the Paris ceiling, so I used one of the pounces to transfer part of the design onto some primed canvas.
The basic shapes are blocked in with two colors: pale green and salmon pink.

My ceiling in the Paris Casino Resort

Next the foliate shapes are shaded with several colors, and accented with yellow ochre. I use a dry brush technique to do this, so that the base color still shows through a bit.
All this makes for a pretty wild palette, but it's very effective especially from some distance.


The ornament is further defined by lining it with burnt sienna.

This panel found a home in nearby Elgin. Enjoy it, Sigi!


More about this year's Salon
Photos of the wonderful work exhibited at Salon at Flickr
Spandrel is in the glossary!

Lynne Rutter Murals & Decorative Painting