Master Decorative Painter and Creator of Siteunseen Studio in Los Angeles, California, Michael Foulkrod says,
"Paint is the only teacher."

At the simplest level what can the paint teach us? Some colors make you happy. Some colors make you sad. And, as Foulkrod says, "Some colors make you want to run." How certain colors make you feel is subjective. One person's happy color can elicit another person's anger. It's important to take into consideration how a color makes you, and everyone that shares your space with you, feel before you use it in your space. "You have to want to live in it," says Foulkrod, "you can't go wrong with soft, warm colors." He prefers deep, dark, rich colors that envelop you and make you feel cozy. But, remember, it's all subjective.

What else can paint teach us? It's all an illusion. Paint can create anything we need in our environment that isn't already there. Foulkrod's Tiepolo Fresco (upper right) enlarges an otherwise flat wall and connects heaven to earth. In a Telluride, Colorado, outhouse (left), Foulkrod creates a whimsical Trompe-l'oeil, or trick of the eye, that lifts the energy of the space.

Foulkrod follows the path of the Native American Indians. By walking with the ancestors and talking with the spirits he has discovered that "when we live in harmony with nature we are at peace." Paint can reconnect us to nature where it might otherwise be forgotten. Foulkrod's Skip Jack Mural (below) creates a water view at the Hyatt in Cambridge, Maryland.

There are many resources available to help us create what is lacking in our environments. Keep these lessons in mind and you will make the right choices to consciously design your space.

Sharon Sudol is a Certified Interior Redesign & Feng Shui Consultant, the Editor of Conscious Design Magazine and Editor of the International Feng Shui Guild's Grapevine newsletter. Ms. Sudol resides in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Siteunseen studio was created by Michael Foulkrod who has been creating fine interior art and finishes since 1985. Educated at Maryland Inst. of Art [bfa] and the Boston Museum school. Artist for RW Cowin, royal portrait painter FL, Evergreen Studios, Silver Cup studio NYC and Embroso Ecclesiastical studios NY. Lived in Europe and was greatly influenced by interiors and learned from the decorative painters I met there.

Siteunseen has been committed to cutting edge artistic excellence and craftsmanship working for top designs and clientele ever since. Our motto is "just show me the fabrics and don't worry you'll love it.

http://www.siteunseenstudio.com
P.O. Box 461974
Los Angeles, CA 90046
contact:siteunseen@mac.com
Tel:323.848.9615