A Grotesque Ornament

Lynne's demonstration panel recreating a detail from a large ceiling mural

ornament in progress

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 large 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.

 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.

Lynne Rutter's ceiling in the Paris Casino Resort

work in progress

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