Lenehan Studios goes to NYC

Lenehan Studios, decorative painting, faux painting, murals, trompe l’oeil, ceiling mural, children’s mural, wall art, custom art, faux, faux finishing, Baltimore, Ellicott city, woodgraining, marbling, plaster, painting, artist, local, Dee Lenehan, cabinetry painting, furniture painting

Well, my art did. Not necessarily me. My wonderful friend and extremely talented designer, Barbara Brown of Barbara Brown Interiors was invited to design a table for the prestigious Lenox Hill Gala in Manhattan this past April.

http://www.lenoxhill.org/fundraisingandspecialevents/

The theme was "Make a Splash" and boy did she. She asked me to hand paint a 126" diameter table cloth in bold florals and gemstones and 9 fantastical animals to parade around the table.

Lenehan Studios, decorative painting, faux painting, murals, trompe l’oeil, ceiling mural, children’s mural, wall art, custom art, faux, faux finishing, Baltimore, Ellicott city, woodgraining, marbling, plaster, painting, artist, local, Dee Lenehan, cabinetry painting, furniture painting

Summerhill Cabinets created the cut out menagerie from my sketches.

Lenehan Studios, decorative painting, faux painting, murals, trompe l’oeil, ceiling mural, children’s mural, wall art, custom art, faux, faux finishing, Baltimore, Ellicott city, woodgraining, marbling, plaster, painting, artist, local, Dee Lenehan, cabinetry painting, furniture painting

A shot for scale:

Lenehan Studios, decorative painting, faux painting, murals, trompe l’oeil, ceiling mural, children’s mural, wall art, custom art, faux, faux finishing, Baltimore, Ellicott city, woodgraining, marbling, plaster, painting, artist, local, Dee Lenehan, cabinetry painting, furniture painting

Of course Miss Rosabella could not be left behind so she received a prime seat upon one of the five elephants.

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House began as a Settlement House in 1894.  Community workers lived in Settlement Houses established in poor, crowded urban neighborhoods and worked with local residents to provide educational and recreational services including English language and job training, arts programing, health care, youth programs and much more. Today, Lenox Hill provides a multitude services to all ages. Click Here to learn more.

So grateful for the opportunity!

Click here to learn more about the gala.

Walking Through a Dream

Coming home is bittersweet. Sleeping in my own bed, drinking water out of the tap, cats cuddling, - these things that I take for granted become what I long for when I'm in a foreign place. But once the reality of being home sinks in, the food, people, and places that were right at my doorstep quickly dissolve into memories and photographs as I am thrown back into my "real" life and I wish I could close my eyes and be back there.

Getting out of one's comfort zone can be terrifying or exhilarating. Or both. I've wanted to go to Morocco for a very long time. I'd read about the architecture, art, and culture there, and knew that it would be significantly different from other places I've traveled.  I hoped that one day I'd visit but was intimidated by the cultural crevasse that I would have to navigate. I even put it on my vision board not knowing that things would change so drastically in my life and somehow open a way for me to go. Thankfully a stencil and surface artisan by the name of Melanie Royals, who owns a riad and retreat company - Maison 28, whom I know through her stencil company Royal Design Studio - organizes trips for people like me. Melanie had been taking artisans to Marrakech for about 10 years before purchasing and renovating her own riad. Myself along with 8 other artists signed up for the retreat. I knew about half of the ladies and the others quickly became friends. Melanie curated a wonderful 10 day tour of Marrakech and its many facets. Some of our activities included painting, shopping, camel riding, site seeing, cooking, teaching, and eating. Lots of eating.

Since I've been home my friends have asked me what my favorite part was and its such a hard question to answer. I was mesmerized by the maze of the Medina and how the people that live there still carry on cultural traditions hundreds of years old, like taking their home made bread dough to the local bakery where it is baked for them in old wood fired ovens. I'm amazed at how whole families can ride a scooter while navigating the narrow streets filled with buses, donkeys, cars, and bicycles squeezing by one another with barely an inch to spare. Or perhaps its the culture of humbleness, living side by side, young and old, conservative and liberal, all in chaotic harmony, much like the pattern upon pattern and color upon color.

Upon our arrival we were given a tour of the Medina where we visited palaces, souks, and a pharmacy. We learned about the succession of rulers, native Berbers, and daily Marrakechian life. Of course the shopping goes without saying. The souks were such an experience. Colorful, vibrant, bustling. I loved seeing the people making their wares, from blacksmiths to cobblers. Even a man carving wood on a lathe spun with his foot!

We took a day trip to visit the coastal town of Essouira, an ancient port at one time controlled by the Portuguese, where the first slaves were brought, bound for the Americas .  I learned later that this is the birthplace of the North African music called Gnawa. A camel ride at sunset on the beach was simply magical.

A visit to the Yves Saint Laurent museum brought up emotions I wasn't expecting. The exhibit detailed YSL's life and career, showcasing his works but also his sketches and fabric swatches from collections. Seeing these reminded me of how my mom loved designing and sewing and made me wish she could have seen this, and Morocco, with me. (Sorry, no pictures of the museum allowed, but some of the Majorelle Gardens!)

The one day that I wasn't too sure about turned out to be unforgettable. Melanie has a relationship with a women's educational center called the Amal Center. They provide training and support for women who have come from difficult situations. In the morning they taught us how to cook the traditional tajine and in the afternoon we taught the trainees how to stencil. The language barrier was of little significance and we were able to convey our thoughts through gestures, smiles, and a few Arabic words we learned like "shweea" which means "little."

At the end of the trip we had a free day so we made reservations for high tea at the Royal Mansour hotel. My friend Cathy had seen a documentary by the BBC about it and decided we had to go. And I am so glad I did. It was the perfect marriage of traditional Moroccan architecture with modern European aesthetics.

It absolutely was a trip of a lifetime and I am so grateful that I was able to experience such a beautiful place. I think the best thing about the trip was the people. From our host Melanie who curated an incredible experience; the fellow artists on the retreat who shared a love of color, pattern, and culture; Zuber, Melanie's right hand man, who even got me medication when I came down with a cold, our drivers, effortlessly navigating the crazy traffic, the souk owners who so theatrically did the negotiation dance with us; the Medina guide - Abdel Wahad;  the camel ranch and owner, who treats his animals with love and care, to the locals- that's what made it truly amazing.

Our last night we enjoyed the traditional music of a Gnawa band and some of us (no names ;)) really had fun. If you have ever been you certainly know what I am talking about, and if you are thinking of going, do it! You will not regret a second.

And if you'd like to see some videos and more photos, follow me on instagram. Shukran!

Excited About Patterns

Over the holiday break I took some time to dig into some creative projects I had been wanting to try for a while. Setting aside time can be exciting and at times overwhelming because I get so amped I don't know where to start first. I don't know about you, but when I get an idea I want to drop what I'm doing and dive head first into it but this whole "adulting" thing has me on a pretty tight leash so I have to wait until I have completed my prior obligations before I can begin. And by that time I've got so many ideas its like I have ADD! One thing I did manage to accomplish is design a stencil for myself. One of my goals this year is to learn how to create a repeat pattern on the computer. This one I did by hand and then had Hugh Hoeger at The Mad Stencilist create the design in Adobe and cut it for me. With the mathematical accuracy of a computer I knew that it would be the best way to make the design line up and repeat as cleanly as possible.

Lenehan Studios, decorative painting, faux painting, murals, trompe l’oeil, ceiling mural, children’s mural, wall art, custom art, faux, faux finishing, Baltimore, Ellicott city, woodgraining, marbling, plaster, painting, artist, local, Dee Lenehan, cabinetry painting, furniture painting

My design came from a textile I found while internet surfing for inspiration. I took the general idea and had to work it into a design that would allow for stenciling. Creating the "bridges" to keep the design together was tricky at first but once I "saw" the positive and negative spaces in my mind I was able to draw it out.

Lenehan Studios, decorative painting, faux painting, murals, trompe l’oeil, ceiling mural, children’s mural, wall art, custom art, faux, faux finishing, Baltimore, Ellicott city, woodgraining, marbling, plaster, painting, artist, local, Dee Lenehan, cabinetry painting, furniture painting

I was so excited to receive my package from California that I immediately got to work trying out two different looks. I love this design and want to try more. I'm calling it "Imogen." I have a ton of ideas piling up so looks like I'll have to set aside more time to "play!"

More Sugarbugs!

Chesapeake Pediatric Dental Group asked me to paint 8 more murals for their new office in Abingdon. CPDG has superkid heroes that teach children the importance of healthy teeth. They are always on the lookout for the destructive Sugarbugs. Here are a few images of the rooms I completed with the help of my friend and artist Mary Landavere. As before, we painted the murals on canvas and installed them on site. Shelly Wilkins of Walls, Etc. always does an impeccable job.

The finished rooms:

Art Howard County 2017 - Juried Exhibition

UPDATE: My piece "Wood and Lace" received "Honorable Mention!"

I'm so excited!! I was accepted into my first juried art show, "Art Howard County 2017" juried by Thomas Engleman, Gallery Director and Professor of Visual Arts, Howard Community College. All three of my submissions were accepted and are for sale. Contact me for more information: dee@lenehanstudios.com or 410-707-9246

The show takes place at the Howard County Center for the Arts and is put on by the Howard County Arts Council. The show runs from November 3-December 15th, 2017. The reception (which I will sadly miss) is November 10th, 6-8pm. (8510 High Ridge Rd, Ellicott City, MD 21043, 410-313-ARTS)

Be sure to take some time and check out the incredible works on display and support your local art scene!