All posts by Sue Banks

Wisteria and Frogs Bathroom

This bathroom evolved over time with multiple projects.   Purple Wisteria hangs over a custom cut mirror.  Later on, the stone arch was added so as to merge the mural into the  wall when the bathroom was repainted a pale yellow.  A Trompe L’oeil Wisteria blossom ‘sits’ on a bench which was painted the same lavender as  the vanity.  Tiles were painted with a special paint that bakes in an ordinary oven.  Since this type of paint is more limiting I chose to do the Water Lilies, frogs and dragonflies in a style inspired by Japanese brushwork.

“Gone Fishing” Memorial Stone

This stone was commissioned as a memorial to a loved one. I painted the motorboat at its regular mooring with “Johnny’s” hat painted in Trompe L’oeil style. I worked from photoes of his boat and the lake where he moored it, but I had Johnny’s real hat sitting on my work table as I painted it. I tried to capture the feel of the canvas fabric and the stitching. It was such a big hat that I could not make it life size or it would have covered the whole surface! A simple message on the side says it all. The stone is about 16 ” in diameter and 2 inches thick. The shape of the stone suggested a heart to me; It was all I needed for inspiration. My first step in starting the piece was to block it in with chalk.

Roses on a Mini-Mural of 16 Slate Tiles

A profusion of pink roses!  I painted these roses on sixteen 4″X4″ stone tiles in all stages of bloom from tight bud to seed pod.  They link one to the other in a continuous six foot long composition, with a slanted faux brick background.  The client  shipped me the fine slate tiles, fifteen of which were installed across the front of a vanity in his home .   I requested that he include an extra ‘just in case’ tile that I could also use to test my sealants and paints on.  In the end I painted the 16th tile anyway.   I added a signature honey bee and a little lady bug.  Can you find them both?

Clematis Rocking Chair

This sturdy old wooden rocking chair was painted a pale, pale green and then transformed into a  canvas for charming, delicate Cosmos.   There are flowers in all stages of life, and a variety of insects scattered throughout the flora! I gently speckled the surface and chose a cool palette of greens, purples and blues.   Details are painted even in the hard to see places!