Studio Visit: Atelier de la petite écurie, Château de Versailles

Cherub from the chamber of the queen, carved by Fanchelli and gilt à la grecque by Daniel Sievert.  photo: Lynne Rutter 

A fascinating and integral part of my work is the restoration of historic buildings, surfaces, furniture, and antiques.  It's not my primary business these days, but it inspires and informs my work and the techniques I employ every day.  When I travel I am excited to see the work of other restoration artisans, so I am especially thrilled to share with you my visit to the Château de Versailles, more specifically,  this glimpse inside the atelier of the gilder-restorers. 

Laurent Hissier and Daniel Sievert. photo by Jerôme Hissier

I met gilder and decorative painter Laurent Hissier via the internet, and in 2007 made a visit to Versailles to meet him and see his work at the palace. My friends and I were given a warm welcome by Laurent and his mentors, master gilder Daniel Sievert and renowned decorative painter Pierre Lefumat, and treated to a stunning backstage tour of some of the non-public parts of the palace.  I felt an immediate and strong affinity for these kindred spirits; their commitment to their work is so inspiring.  They are but a few of the nearly one thousand people working in relative anonymity to care for this spectacular palace.
Standing in a small bedroom, in what might be called the attic, crammed with broken gilt chairs and other odd bits of furniture that are more or less priceless, Laurent remarked that this a life’s work that is never finished. This is why it is so important to pass on the knowledge. 

restoration in progress of a gilt wood bench. photo: Lynne Rutter

Laurent and I kept up a correspondence via email, while I anxiously anticipated the book he and Daniel were writing -  the book - detailing everything they know about gilding. 

In October I visited Versailles again and called on my friends in the gilding atelier, where I was presented with a beautifully inscribed copy of  Art et Techniques de la Dorure à Versailles - Gilding at Versailles!

buy this book!

The gilding and restoration workshop is an airy, beautiful studio housed in the petite écurie, the former stables of the King.  Restoration is a ceaseless effort here; restorers have access to the best materials, the support of the state, and a seemingly endless stream of thrilling projects working on priceless items of national importance.  The sense of purpose and responsibility one feels there is truly awesome.  

The gilder-restorers’ work is traditional in nature, with techniques passed down from teacher to student, from master to apprentice, forming an unbroken link from the creation of a piece to its renewal, and then on to the next generation of restorers to come.   Gilding at Versailles  documents this work and continues this tradition. The book represents generations of accumulated knowledge from work done in the palace over the years.

excerpt from Gilding at Versailles - step by step restoration of a gilt console

excerpt from Gilding at Versailles; phot0: Adrien Brotons: Laurent water gilding a frame.  The gilders tip (brush) is being held with a hampe, or gilder's pole.  The book includes instructions for how to carve your own. 

Ziska, Daniel, and Lynne in the studio

limestone stairway to the atelier

My colleague Ziska Childs and I had a nice visit with Daniel.  Ziska is an accomplished scenic artist and designer, and having lived in Paris, she fortunately speaks French rather well. Artisans from other areas of the atelier came in to meet the visiting artists from America.  We told them all how famous Daniel is. 
Laurent was unfortunately away that  day. Where?  Oh, he was in Italy restoring something in the Vatican Palace. Yes I know how that sounds.  It is exactly how it sounds... what a life! 

a vivid assortment of pigments photo: Lynne Rutter

a carved and gilt sample in the atelier  photo: Lynne Rutter

Master gilder and wood carver Daniel Sievert came to Versailles at the age of 14 as apprentice to Maître Grandvoinet, a master craftsman well known across France, the titular gilder of the castle.  After many years working alongside his mentor, Daniel joined the CTFDU Compagnons du Tour de France des Devoirs Unis, a French guild of craftsmen with the highest standards of training, and earned the honorable title Ile de France au cœur d’or, a true master gilder.  He returned to the Versailles atelier as sculptor and restorer of bois doré  (gilded wood), and in 1977 succeeded M. Granvoinet as head gilder.      

a collection of moulds of classical ornament for decorating frames  photo: Lynne Rutter

Laurent Hissier started working at the Château de Versailles as a night watchman, and spent many long hours studying the decorative work in the palace interior while checking for security issues.  He took it upon himself to learn and practice the techniques used in the  décor of the palace.  He was taught casting and molding by Yvon Bailleul in the sculpture workshop, and in 2003 was accepted into the gilder-restorer workshop, to train with Maître Sievert.  Laurent also studied with  Pierre Lefumat, a world-famous master of faux finishes,  who taught him the techniques of faux marbre and painted finishes while working in the  palace. 

faux limestone finish painted by Laurent Hissier

Maître Lefumat passed in 2010, a loss felt keenly by everyone at Versailles, and indeed the entire decorative painting community.
Daniel Sievert retired at the end of 2011 after 52 years of dedicated service and splendid work.
The torch has been passed to Laurent, restaurateur en bois doré et peintre en décors.

Laurent also teaches traditional gilding at the Ecole d'Art Murals de Versailles, and he has a blog where he posts inspiring pictures of the work he is doing:   dorure-versailles.blogspot.com 

apprentices working in the studio   photo: Lynne Rutter

Laurent's beautifully rendered faux bois doors and faux marbre supports

After our studio visit Ziska and I toured the Palace to see some of the work of Daniel and Laurent, and  Maîtres Lefumat and Grandvoinet,  and all those that came before them. 

 

Detail of one of 24 carved limewood and gilt frames, circa  1687 (recently restored)  in the Cotelle Gallery of the Grand Trianon, Versailles.  

further reading:

Art et Techniques de la Dorure à Versailles - Gilding at Versailles 
by Laurent Hissier and Daniel Sievert  

L'Art du Faux Marbre
by Pierre Lefumat
published by Editions Vial with both French and English text
available from Pierre Finkelstein at fauxbrushes.com



Excerpts from Gilding at Versailles use with permission. 
photos by Lynne Rutter unless otherwise noted

Lynne Rutter Studio

Top 5 Policies to Make Your Blog Better

I read somewhere  on a list of top 10 blog tips, that people like numbers and lists.  Post titles such as  "12 tips for faster sewing" or "The top 7 Color Mistakes and How to Avoid Them" will attract more attention and appeal to people needing guidance on your subject. Hence the title of this post.

Self-portrait, Lower Belvedere Palace, Vienna

I have been a bit slow with my blog lately.   In addition to just being very busy with other work, I have to admit a large reason why I have not been posting more often,  is that I am feeling inhibited, after finding a staggering number of my images being used without credit or permission, in many cases being passed off as the work of another.  I found one blog using 15 of my images and claiming the work as their own (it has since been taken down you can be assured). I recently saw some of my work on a blog where the titles of the image files were something like "blogger/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-shot-2010-11-07.png"    The poster rather obviously did a screen grab of the image via an image search, and left the date of the offense right there in the image title for all to see.

It's depressing for a visual artist such as myself, that there are now so many bloggers and Pinterest pinners and Facebook sharers (and splogs!)  out there with really bad manners.  Seems like every time I talk to a photographer they are complaining about blogs and Pinterest and the users of the world wide web's lack of respect for copyright and original content. 

So in a concerted effort not to rant (too much), here is a post on simple policies on sharing content you can enact for your blog, to make it better, more relevant, and ultimately more interesting.

1. Use original content.
What is the purpose of your blog?  Assuming you want people to read  what you are publishing, think about why.   The blogosphere is too full of compiler blogs that just re-post other articles or images or entire blog posts from elsewhere without any comment or editing.  They are boring.  They make their authors look boring. Obvious gimmicks trying to drum up traffic using other people's images or writing is boring.  Please, don't be boring.  Have something to say, put your own mark on what you are doing, reveal a new insight,  say what you think!    Original content will make your blog a valued resource and garner its own, unique  following. Use your blog to express something of yourself.  Otherwise, really, what's the point? 

2. When you post your own images,  mark them.
 Whenever possible if you can add your name or blog address to your image prior to posting it, then it will be clear, wherever else it ends up, where it came from. This can take a little time to do nicely but it's worth it.  I don't think it needs to be stamped across the front obscuring the images, but just noticeable enough.  If you are concerned about not being given proper credit, insist on it, by marking your images.

3. State your sharing policy
A Creative Commons License makes it easy for you to state your policy on sharing and use of your work.  If you are publishing under a Creative Commons License, as I generally am, (see my side bar) your readers will have access to a detailed policy on sharing your work.  

If you want to retain full copyright,  and not have anything pinned or shared or copied, there is a license for that, too, or you can simply say so.  At the wonderful blog  Art and Alfalfa, the copyright notice is posted directly under the header.  I respect Gina's copyright and if I want to share her beautiful and original work with you I can ask her myself, or I can simply repeatedly link to her lovely site so you can go there and see it.

I admit I was pretty flattered to see so much of my work from both my portfolio and my blog being shared at Pinterest.  Note that all of my images are marked and that Pinterest does link back to me.  so we're cool.

4.  Please, give credit where it's due!
I  understand the enthusiastic sharing of beautiful images, but it's just bad manners not to respect a posted policy and in many cases it's also illegal.
Cite sources for images you are posting, and wherever possible the name of the designer, photographer, artist, etc. in the caption or elsewhere in the post.  Do not just swipe images, or do screen captures, to illustrate your blog.   Make some effort to give credit. Your readers might really want to know where those leopard print loafers came from, or who did that beautiful painting.   The original creator of that image was nice enough to share it;  don't be rude by not acknowledging their contribution.
Citing "via Pinterest" is not really giving credit, it's a cop-out that translates to "co-opted from someone else's research."  If you did get an image from Pinterest (or Google or Bing or Wikipedia, etc) you should at least link back to it, or better yet, go to that image and click on it and it will take you to its original site. You won't have to drill down far to find its original source.  Make the small effort to give credit and you appear knowledgeable, trustworthy, and connected.

Before posting this image on Pinterest, I researched its origin using src-img

If you cannot figure out where an image came from, try searching for it using the outstanding reverse image lookup tool called Source Image:   src-img
This is a marvelous free bookmarklet:  put it in your browser toolbar, and when you click on it, it will ask you which image you are looking for-click on the question marks (see above) and it will deliver a Google search of the image or ones similar to it to assist you in finding the original source of it. I have been able to track down the origin of an image in 10 seconds or less. Surely you can spare 10 seconds to find the author or source of an image. Don't you want to know where that wonderful image came from? The above image I traced back to Bruxelles Antiques,  a wonderful site full of gorgeous, original images,  well worth a visit. 

5.  There is no # 5. I just though 5 in the title sounded better than 4. The only no 5 that matters is Chanel No 5.

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Inspiring Powder Rooms

Whistler: Symphony in Flesh Colour and Pink

This week at the wonderful blog, Fauxology, written by the always effervescent Regina Garay, it's all about Powder Rooms.
I am honored to be featured in the first post in the series, all about designing for these special, small spaces.

Read how a formerly white on white bath was transformed with decorative painting and just a bit of gold leaf, and how  this painting by James McNeill Whistler inspired the design of the entire room.

Japonesque bathroom mural, faux marble floor, and 12k white gold accents by Lynne Rutter

Thanks again to Regina for featuring my work in her lovely blog! 

Interior Design: Ashley Roi Jenkins
photo by Lynne Rutter

Lynne Rutter Murals and Decorative Painting

Fauxology

Fauxology, the marvelous blog written by  the effervescent Regina Garay,  is today featuring an exposé of yours truly,  with big, color pictures.

And while you are there have a good look around her blog, it's full of great useful information and inspiration from Regina's work, her library, and the other artists she has gathered there.

Thanks Regina, for this flattering entrée into the world of Fauxology!

image:  self-portrait in the Unteres Belvedere: Goldenes Zimmer   Vienna, Austria

Lynne Rutter Murals and Decorative Painting

awakening from that Blogger nightmare

For months now blogger has not been working properly on my site. They recently announced they will no longer be supporting FTP sites (blogs hosted by people like me on their own websites).
So I have "migrated" it now and with the help of Dr Wold it seems to be working.

It may take some time to repair busted links, etc. Search feature isn't working at all. rats.

If you wish to link to this blog or any part of it, please use http://www.ornamentalist.net

New York: Winter Windows

christmas on mars: extravagant macy's window

mixing business and pleasure, last week i made a short trip to new york, to work on a gilt ceiling with my friend bruce thalman.
my first night there i had a veritable holly golightly moment when bruce and john took me to herald square, to macy's at a somewhat late hour so we could get that midnight shopping experience. the windows currently have a splendid santa-in-space theme.

the following day, while waiting for some surface to cure, bruce and i spent an incredible afternoon at one of my favorite places - abc carpet and home.


their windows, as most of the inside of the store, are of an indian/world beat theme. thousands of crystals, and i mean the vingettes are packed with them, act as a snowy landscape.


i didn't have my camera on me for the fantastic tony duquette-inspired bergdorf windows, but fortunately racked.com posted some shots.

want to see more lovely window displays? check out the amazing vitrines of paris and london as reported at tara bradford's paris parfait.

Chinoiserie in Red

The Chinoiserie Powder Room I designed for the San Francisco Decorator Showcase House - David Papas Photography

Here's one of my favorite historic decorating trends: Chinoiserie.

For a number of years now I've been known for painting a certain style of flowering trees Chinoiserie mural using my own spin on the look that was all the rage in late 17th and 18th century French décor.
I adore the wallcoverings of deGournay and Gracie, which are still being produced today in much the same way as the hand-painted wallpapers found in the Royal Pavillion at Brighton, or Lustschloss Hellbrunn, Salzburg. These papers are lush, labor intensive, delicate, and worth every dime they cost.

For this room mural, rather than paint densely covered wallpaper-style panels, I used a light hand, and a more naturalistic approach, to keep this intimate-scaled space airy and uncluttered. Carnelian Red walls help make the room look larger as well as rich and fabulous. And we included California natives such as poppies and monarch butterflies, alongside the lilies, pomegranates, and peonies.

some mentions for this room:
Kafka blog
sfgate

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

SALI conventioneers invade local studios

A group of SALI members in Lynne Rutter's Studio, July 2007

Last week the Stencil Artisan's League held its annual convention in the San Francisco Airport Hyatt. I'd never attended such a convention before, and as it was local to me, I signed up for some classes being taught by Lucretia Moroni and Tania Seabock, and dragged my arse to Burlingame at 8 am every morning. I had a lot of fun, met a number of nice painters from all over the world, and got no sleep for 6 days straight.

Lisa Làzàr and I planned a progressive studio tour for some of the visitors for Friday night. Around 7 PM a boisterous group of artists showed up at my hastily cleaned up Dogpatch studio, where Vera greeted them with Salvadoran food and tequila.
Among the artists in attendance: Sheri Hoeger, Ryan Hoeger, Jeff Raum, Pat Ganino, Mike and Matt from Creative Evolution, Tom McPherson, Ian and Tania Seabock, Lisa Wolfin, Cleta Grant, Kathy vanGogh, Arlene Mcloughlin, Mimi, Margo, Sass Lassley, Bruce Thalman, Pamela Hernandez, Anne Halaby, Elena Ortega, Heather, Stacy Carney, Pat Strong, Kristen Lerner, Kristin McNeill...

We then carpooled over to West Oakland where Lisa runs the scenic studio for the Berkeley Repertory Theater : her amazing shop is housed in a 25 gazillion square foot zeppelin hangar, clean, well organized, stocked with every tool you could imagine.

Afterwards part of the group wound up at the DNA lounge for some after hours dancing. whew!

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Vera- Blogdom's popular party girl

Vera Has a Martini | acrylic and oil on canvas (detail)

Of course you notice her, the luscious dark-haired girl in the jazz club, cooling her brow with a martini glass and giving the guy right behind you a cold come-hither stare.

Yes, I mean you, bloggers, taking Vera's picture, and using your story to tell her story. Go ahead and project onto her all your bitterness, desires and dreams.

"Vera has a Martini" was commissioned as part of a group of paintings for the (gone but not forgotten) Cobalt Tavern in San Francisco's North Beach. Since then, she's been inspiring musings all over the internet with her icy mixed message, and, she has become something of an alter-ego for me as well, since I use her as my avatar in some places.
I've found her in many blogs and websites over the years. Vera sure gets around.
here are some of the more interesting entries:

"Stirred, Not Shaken" Mantis in a Teacup, February 2007
The Perfect Friday Night Pegasus News, January 2007
"Martini + Rossi" Yonja - Kuşadası , Turkey
Cleopa is Here! Cleopa - Pensieri Disordinati, Christmas, 2005
John Gilbert's Home Page