Grant-Noren Faux Finishing In Scandinavia, craftsmen imitated exotic stones and wood on furniture and in building interiors. Over the centuries perfect representation became less important. Craft merged with art, showing through the artist's emotion and hand. There are three parts to a finish. First an underlayer of sealing stain or paint is applied. Second, a casein (an emulsion in which milk, usually buttermilk, is used as a binder) and pigment are mixed and used as a glaze. This is applied and manipulated in myriad ways. There are several-headed brushes for styling marble veins. Metal and rubber combs may be used for graining or styling. Rags, sponges, stippling brushes, fists and fingers clearly leave their imprint. The hand of the artist? No question! Third, a final varnish is applied to protect the work, and give it the desired final sheen.
About the Artists
Ingela Noren studied arts and crafts for four years in Sweden, her native country. She studied faux finishing techniques with an old master in Stockholm.
Daniel Grant is a skilled and professional sculptor and has run his own furniture and cabinet shop, Their 'faux finish frames' are a sophisticated and enduring hand-painted craft made in the USA.