Paint Chips

S'mee is happy! Yesterday I put the final step on the painting and as we chat it rests above the family room sofa. I am still disappointed in parts of it, but all in all it's nice to see my own art work up on the wall instead of someone else's.

On another note: I am an Interior Artist. I'm the gal you call when you want ivy, flowers, murals, and other such stuff on your walls. I do faux (that's French for fake) finishes like parchment and brick, sponging drives me crazy, but most people still like it. I really enjoy painting faux windows.

This morning I went to a consult with a new client who saw my work in a model home. She contacted me via the seller as I do not advertise and make it rather difficult for clients to hunt me down. This bugs the heck out of the model home folks, but in reality I am lazy and don't want to work. Anyway, Dani is the perfect client. She is confident in what she wants but also in my ability to give her what I think she would want more. It's a tricky thing.

When I read that I think, "Oh my heck! I'm the hair lady of doom!" You know who I am talking about. The gal you tell to just take off 2 inches in the back and she ends up feathering your hair because she just knows you'll like it better. I guess it's like that, but with a twist.

I never do anything without prior consent and always - with one huge exception- have given the client what they asked for which makes them HAPPY! (I must interject that there have been plenty of jobs where happy clients reign, but unhappy artist leaves knowing it could have been better if only...) The huge exception was "Lori" who insisted we do things her way and long story short - it came out exactly how she wanted it until she saw it and then it was too late to fix or change. Try as I did she would not yield and the results were disastrous and in the long run she blamed me. Now I have had others do the same - STAND FIRM! - but when it turns out horrid they accept responsibility and either ask me to change it to my idea or accept it and move on.

Dani will be fun to work with. We talked about several rooms in her brand new house. We will start with some palm trees and a monkey in the nursery. She wanted me to paint the boys' bathroom, but really I think she and her sister can do that project without me just fine. She just needs some confidence and frankly, I think her sister will do fine. The big boy room is another idea. She wants wall paper. Wall paper is cheap and really cool and easy to deal with - until you get tired of it. Then you rue the day you ever thought about putting it up. Sister is again trying to talk Dani out of putting it up and I agree. Paint is more expensive (if you have someone like me doing it); but in the long run, when you hate it all you do is paint over it and it's done. No scrapping for a day just to get started. I told Dani I think we can get the same effect with paint as she wants from the paper, so she's getting samples and we'll talk again. I think what she wants she and her sister can do.

The same for the master bedroom and her kitchen/dining/family room. So many of the faux finishes are EASY to do and it's nuts to pay someone like me to paint them if you have an ounce of talent and the gumption to do it. For some folks it's just not worth the effort and that's when I get paid. Like the gal who INSISTED I fold her towels like they did in the models. You know, the typical 3-way fold with a ribbon around it and a flower, etc., shoved in the knot. I argued with this gal for about 15 minutes trying to convince her that she could do it herself and that it wasn't anything she hadn't already done. She ended up paying me $40.00 to fold 2 towels and hang them up. Some people are nuts.

So that's my day. I am off now to do some mock ups for Dani to preview later this week. See you tamale!