Latest news with #handpainted
CBC
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Hand-painted interiors are making homes feel more human again
Design for You is a column by journalist and interior decorator Eva Voinigescu that spotlights today's most popular decorating and design trends, plus inspired ways to bring them home. One of my favourite pieces of artwork in my home is a lampshade hand-painted by Dorset, England–based artist Elizabeth Rose. The design is bright, full of movement and undeniably made by a human. It was an investment, but it elevates a simple object and makes me happy every day. Painting household items and rooms to add beauty and character is nothing new — but suddenly, it's everywhere. "People are looking for their homes to have character in a way that represents who they are, and brings joy to those who live there," said Sussex-based decorative painter Tess Newall, one of the artists at the forefront of the recent surge of hand-painted interiors. "Decorative painting gives soul to a space. Seeing brush strokes — the hand of a painter — adds narrative to a room." The decorative painting trending today isn't the kitschy fare of the '80s and '90s. "There [were] a lot of, like, teddy bears and cottage scenes and loons," said Ontario-based designer Kate Crothers. "It's like they all bought the same 'how-to' folk art book and followed the directions word for word, whereas previous movements have more sort of creativity and organic energy and flow." Newall's style is reminiscent of the work of early 20th-century artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, members of the influential Bloomsbury Group of artists, writers and thinkers known for their radical ideas. Charleston, their farmhouse in the British countryside, was the epicentre of their creative expression. "Charleston brings art into domestic spaces, with every surface being decorated — walls and lampshades, book covers and candlesticks," Newall said. Grant and Bell also painted geometric shapes, florals, animals and human figures onto bathtubs, wardrobes, fireplaces, headboards, chests, tables, ceramics and more. The muted colours and visible brush strokes give Charleston an ethereal quality that's both magical and deeply tangible. "I love how it's so imperfect," said Crothers. She points to the way social media and tools of mass production have shaped our expectations around perfection. "We have this idea that we can't put anything into the world unless it's perfection, and this style of painting is really a lesson in imperfection." Jane McCall, a Sussex-based painter and co-founder of Bloomsbury Revisited — a company that sells hand-painted, Bloomsbury-inspired lampshades — has noticed a renewed appreciation of handmade items since the pandemic. "The whole Bloomsbury ethos has absolutely taken off again," she said. Hand-painting from medieval Europe to Bloomsbury The Charleston style is part of a long tradition of decorative painting in Western art and interiors, though the practice itself spans cultures around the world. "Decorative painting is an age-old tradition, stretching back to over 40,000 years ago," said Newall, referencing depictions of animals and rituals on prehistoric cave walls. From ancient Egyptian tombs to Roman villas and Byzantine churches, decorative painting has long been used to bring meaning and beauty to interior spaces. In medieval Europe, it was often used to mark personal events like marriages and births, said McCall. In a blog post for online marketplace Styylish, antique dealer Silke Berlinghof-Nielsen wrote that painting wood furniture also served the practical purpose of protecting it from wear, weather and insects. Designs from this era featured geometric patterns, florals and religious iconography, reflecting both the natural world and the values of the time, she added. According to Berlinghof-Nielsen, this tradition evolved during the Renaissance. "Wealthy patrons commissioned master artisans to decorate cabinets, chests and tables with intricate scenes drawn from mythology, literature and landscapes," she wrote. While the wealthy were commissioning artists to paint grand interiors, Berlinghof-Nielsen noted, distinct regional folk art traditions were developing across Europe, featuring variations on botanical, animal and geometric motifs. These continued to be popular well into the 20th century with artists like Bell and Grant, whose travels would have exposed them to a range of folk art along with Greek paintings, Italian frescoes and French neoclassical painted furniture, according to McCall. "They mixed all of that up, and then they brought it back to their little farmhouse in the U.K.," she said. "It truly is a classical design element," said Crothers. "Whenever I'm looking at a design idea or something that feels trendy, I always look at the history behind it — and if it's something that has been in practice for centuries, it's always a sure bet for me that it's not something that will fall out of trend or get tired or boring." How to achieve the look yourself "Paint is the number one tool to transform a space on a budget," said Crothers, who's known for her signature checkerboard floors. "If you have a crummy floor, just paint it and do a fun design, and then you have an amazing floor." She's painted hardwood, laminate and ceramic — and while it won't stay perfect, she said it can be effective on any surface. "I would rather [have] an imperfect, fun painted floor than an ugly laminate floor." McCall shares the same belief: "If it's wood or it's fabric and the paint stays on it, you can kind of paint whatever you want," she said. When Crothers wanted to transform a brick fireplace she couldn't afford to re-cover, she turned to a decorative paint technique. "That has made it, in my mind, have more value than it would if it was covered with a marble slab, just because of the creative energy put into it," she said. Even if you doubt your artistic abilities, "it's still fully possible to do something really cool that's maybe geometric, such as taping off lines," she said. "In my previous home, I painted stripes on the wall of a bedroom, and it was so fun. It totally transformed the space and was such a simple project." For McCall, who runs lampshade-painting workshops, the whole idea behind hand-painting is to get away from machines and get connected with your creativity again. She allows for inspiration from books and other images, but discourages copying existing patterns and instead drawing from your imagination. "It's all about confidence," she says, "and the only way to get confidence is just doing the same thing and gradually building up familiarity." She also suggests thinking twice before throwing out an old wardrobe or lampshade and having a go at painting it instead. "It's such a mindful occupation." Crothers has worked with a muralist to paint the interior of a hutch and create a custom wallpaper for clients. She recommends searching for someone who is familiar with creating decorative patterns for walls and furniture. Or if there's an artist you're fond of, you can always reach out to see if they would consider doing a custom mural. "Having somebody's creative energy being put into your home is such a beautiful thing," said Crothers. Here's more inspiration for your own hand-painted interiors: Martha, the hallowed queen of DIY, painting a mural in her Turkey Hill home in Westport, Conn. Blue painted trim adds playfulness in this colourful kitchen by Reath Design. Print designer Daniel Matthews disguised his TV with a hand-painted fish. A neoclassical dining room mural painted by artist Elise Troister. A wallpaper designed for Schumacher by painter and muralist Abel Macias. Painted lampshades by artist Alvaro Picardo.
CBC
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Nova Scotian lighthouse lamp found in B.C. thrift store ignites cross-country friendship
Julia Ghersini found a lighthouse lamp in a Maple Ridge, B.C., thrift store and realized it was a unique, hand-painted item by Nova Scotia's John and Sheila Jordan. When she posted about it on Facebook, her post went viral, and she ended up meeting Amanda Farnsworth-Thibodeau, a great-niece of the Jordans, who has her own version of the lighthouse.
NHK
06-06-2025
- General
- NHK
Banner painter keeps father's eye-popping legacy alive
Iwaki Enobori banners are big, bold and bursting with color — perfect for marking Children's Day each May. They're hand-painted in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, where a fourth-generation artisan is picking up exactly where his father left off.
Asharq Al-Awsat
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Götz Valien: The Last Dinosaur in the Movie Poster Industry
In a digital age, Götz Valien is Berlin's last movie poster artist, producing giant hand-painted film adverts. For more than three decades, Austrian-born Valien, 65, earns a modest living producing film posters to hang at the city's most beloved historic cinemas, a craft he says will probably die with him, at least in western Europe. He adds a distinctive pop art flourish to each image coupled with the beauty of imperfection, part of the reason he has managed to extend his career well into the 21st century, according to an article published by The Guardian. 'Advertising is about drawing attention and I add the human touch, which is why it works,' he told the newspaper. Valien's work plays up the image's essence: the imposing bow of a ship, the haunting eyes of a screen siren, a mysterious smile. He jokingly calls himself a Kinosaurier – a play on the German words for cinema and dinosaur. His nearly-7x9-meter canvases long-graced the 'film palaces' of the German capital, including the majestic Delphi in the west and the socialist modernist masterpiece Kino International on Karl Marx Allee in the east. But the former's adverts finally went digital in 2024, while the latter is closed for a years-long, top-to-bottom revamp. Dozens of independent cinemas among his clients have simply gone out of business. The century-old Filmtheater am Friedrichshain (FaF) is the last movie theater in Berlin still employing Valien to tout its new releases, with his large-format posters covering its facade and interior walls around the ticket-and-popcorn counter. Movie posters have existed as long as the nearly 130-year-old film industry. But these days, few releases stay long enough in cinemas to justify bespoke art to advertise them, communications studies professor Patrick Rössler of the University of Erfurt, who has studied the history of film posters, told local media. And most independent cinemas don't have the profit margins to afford them, even at what Valien calls his bargain-basement prices.
The Guardian
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘I add the human touch': the beautiful, bespoke work of Berlin's last cinema poster artist
Götz Valien is Berlin's last movie poster artist, for more than three decades earning a modest living producing giant hand-painted film adverts to hang at the city's most beloved historic cinemas – a craft he says will probably die with him, at least in western Europe. The studios' own promotional posters serve as a template, but Austrian-born Valien, 65, adds a distinctive pop art flourish to each image coupled with the beauty of imperfection – part of the reason he has managed to extend his career well into the 21st century. 'Advertising is about drawing attention and I add the human touch, which is why it works,' he said. Valien's work plays up the image's essence: the imposing bow of a ship, the haunting eyes of a screen siren, a mysterious smile. He jokingly calls himself a Kinosaurier – a play on the German words for cinema and dinosaur. His nearly-7x9-metre canvases long-graced the 'film palaces' of the German capital, including the majestic Delphi in the west and the socialist modernist masterpiece Kino International on Karl Marx Allee in the east. But the former's adverts finally went digital in 2024, while the latter is closed for a years-long, top-to-bottom revamp. Dozens of independent cinemas among his clients have simply gone out of business. The century-old Filmtheater am Friedrichshain (FaF) is the last movie theatre in Berlin still employing Valien to tout its new releases, with his large-format posters covering its facade and interior walls around the ticket-and-popcorn counter. Gazing up at his rendering of the kohl-eyed, flower-rimmed visage of Penélope Cruz from Pedro Almodóvar's 2006 melodrama Volver, a classic still hanging in the lobby, Valien sighed: 'Isn't she magnificent?' Beyond vestiges of a proud tradition in countries such as Ghana, Nepal and India, Valien said only a vanishing number of movie theatres worldwide still used hand-painted posters. He knows of only two colleagues in Germany: in Munich and Bremen. 'Paris, Portugal – they all say sure, we had them, but those days are over.' The FaF manager, Andreas Tölle, said the posters had become a cherished part of the neighbourhood. 'People now come by when the new ones are up and take pictures,' he said. 'And that fascination also brings people into the cinema.' Movie posters have existed as long as the nearly 130-year-old film industry. But these days, few releases stay long enough in cinemas to justify bespoke art to advertise them, communications studies professor Patrick Rössler of the University of Erfurt, who has studied the history of film posters, told local media. And most independent cinemas don't have the profit margins to afford them, even at what Valien calls his bargain-basement prices. Back at the home studio that he and his wife, Silke, bought decades ago in the heart of the Schöneberg neighbourhood's historic queer red-light district, Valien recounted his arrival in West Berlin in the 1980s. When the Wall finally fell, he was unimpressed with what he found in the east. 'It just seemed sad and colourless, and then one day I realised what was missing – the billboards,' he said. After failing to gain admission to film school – 'in my opinion, the avant garde had lost its way – it got too philosophical,' he said – Valien returned to his first love, painting, which he had learned in Vienna using 'old master techniques'. In the early 1990s, he found work with an advertising firm – one of two Berlin studios producing painted movie billboards. His first poster was for Steven Spielberg's Hook, and Valien quickly gained a city-wide reputation as he churned out photorealistic posters in just two days, in time for the movies' releases on Thursdays. 'Not to brag, but I was a Ferrari among horse-drawn carriages,' he said of his competition. After the death of two elderly colleagues, Valien found himself the last man standing. In his heyday he could ride down the elegant Kurfürstendamm, once home to dozens of cinemas, and all the film billboards up and down the boulevard were his handiwork. 'Now they're H&Ms, Zara, Tommy Hilfiger …,' he said. The spectacular success of the 1997 blockbuster Titanic nearly broke his business as it stayed in the cinemas for months, blocking new releases in need of fresh posters. Last year, Valien finally had to give up a much larger dedicated studio and an assistant as the orders dwindled. There he had used a mechanical lifting platform to cover the floor-to-ceiling canvases. 'Painting almost every day in that huge format is like running up Mount Everest barefoot,' he said. 'Exhausting.' Valien estimated he has created more than 3,000 posters over the years using the acrylic paints that lie scattered among the brushes and spray guns around his sunlight-flooded workshop. He declined to say how much he earns per poster, but says his film work is essentially 'non-profit' and a 'labour of love' while he pursues other art projects. He remains unsentimental about the posters themselves, noting that he used to simply paint over previous works to save money on canvases. FaF has a small archive while Valien maintains an active Instagram account showing himself in ironic, hammy poses in front of his work. In honour of its 100th anniversary and Valien's decades of service, FaF is running a Movies on Canvas homage series of screenings paired with an exhibition of some of his best-loved posters: Walk the Line, Frances Ha, Brokeback Mountain, Little Miss Sunshine and, not least, The Artist.
