This 3'
x 5' floorcloth was created to sit on a hardwood floor
in front of the kitchen sink. (For
more about this rug.) I based my design on information
I elicited about my client's favorite colors, a sense
of her style based on my observations of her home, a sample
of the wallpaper used in the adjoining (and visible) dining
room, and a sample tile used in the sink backsplash area.
I was told that the tile contained all of her favorite
colors that she wanted represented in the floorcloth,
especially the green and the red.
I
was going for the look of a vintage textile that might
have come from the 40's. I chose the dominant red and
green from my client's requests. The cream in the border
echoes the cream in the wallpaper. The vintage dish motif
is also inspired by the wallpaper. The center design which
is "combed" was my attempt to to capture the
vintage fabric look while echoing the subtle striping
in the wallpaper.
I
made a sketch using Adobe PhotoShop, showed it to my client
and, with her approval, began to paint. I made certain
that she knew the sketch was a jumping off point, and
not engraved in granite. I made her aware that I would
stay with the "feeling" and colorway captured
in the sketch, but might deviate from some of its details
in the final rendering. It was understood that I would
consult her about any major departures from the original
design sketch.
Another
example ->
