Faux Artist Wins with Olympic Gold
In 2019, she was called upon to recreate the feel of a Sicilian church for a client that had recently moved from that island to New York. He had a ceiling designed specifically for the project. It was huge – 50’ by 20’, so there would be some extensive planning involved.
Much of the “wow” of the finished project came courtesy of Modern Masters Metallic in Olympic Gold. “The client wanted to add a pop factor in the ceiling and the best place seemed to be the rosettes that were in the inspiration picture,” said McLoughlin. “I suggested using plaster rosettes and finishing them with the gold paint. I decided on Modern Masters because it’s very brilliant and at that height we wanted something that would show up nicely. That’s why we picked Olympic Gold.”
Prior experience told her it would be a great choice, and a little went a long way. “We did 25 8-inch rosettes in two coats, and we went through a couple quarts” she said. “From a distance it comes across like each one was hand gilded; they look that brilliant.”
The product’s ease of use and time saving features factored into the choice as well. “Working over your head for that extended period is taxing on the body,” she said. “You don’t want to take a lot of time, so choosing the right products makes a big difference.
“Choose the paints that are more opaque if you want a really bright metallic look,” she advises, “and if you want a soft glaze, their sheer products are fantastic. For furniture I’d go with the opaque.”
For her efforts, she received a 2020 TOB JOB award from American Painting Contractor (a trade magazine for pro painters). This job took three people 10 days to complete. How did it come out? “I consider it my greatest creative achievement,” she said.
Pro painters: if you'd like to find out more about TOP JOB or enter next year's contest, please click here.
