Name:Curtis
Location: Upper West Side of Manhattan
Why I use color:
"Since buying my first apartment, I've enjoyed being able to use my Art degree in my own home and paint it exactly like I've wanted to.
When I hit upon the idea of enlarging vintage paint-by-number paintings onto walls, I fell in love with the blocks of color and the beauty of this kind of much-maligned mass-produced mid-20th-Century folk art.
By turning this particular democratically accessible kind of image on its ear on an epic scale, though most of its individual colors are rather neutral, together they breathe life into the room."
Color Tips:
"*Embrace the colors within the "neutrals" (like the woods and metals) in the architecture and work them into your color scheme.
*Counter-intuitive gestures like searching for a rug that complements a paint-by-number can pay off, if you're determined.
*Maintain a balance in the appearance of "weight" of the furnishings with the color masses in your wall art."
Color Resources:
"*Your existing surroundings - the materials that are already there, within the walls, or just outside its windows; listen to those first, before thinking about adding colors.
I just love it! I love it so much I wish I could do it in my place. I'm just not that talented but it's really great. I would love to see some more pix.
Yay, Curtis! I've been waiting for a long time to see this, and it's absolutely wonderful.
This is way cool.. Reminds of a recent trip to Quebec City Old Town. They have some wonderful giant murals.
So how did you enlarge the paint-by-numbers and get them onto the wall?
And please take this as a compliment, because it is--it reminds me of some of the best backgrounds in the old Disney movies.
Wow, Curtis, you should find a way to market this. (A slide you can project or something?) I can see people using these inside AND outside. Very cool!
Just speculating, but you could scan the blank paint by numbers and use a projector to project the image onto the wall and trace it.
This is how photorealistic painting is acheived.
I am taken with that mural to the point of speechlessness! Forget everything I've said about big wall designs being Not Me: the dramatic masses and use of neutrals as colors have me sold on this one.
There's an old way to enlarge designs that's very flexible in changing sizes and even in putting a flat design on a cylindrical surface. Put a grid over the original. Put a grid in a different scale on the surface to be painted. Then, drawing freehand, copy the design onto the new surface one square at a time. If you treat the stuff in each square as just lines and masses, this is surprisingly easy over a small area. (A wall is just a heck of a project, however you do it.)
As amazing as these pics are, they do not do the end result justice (I've had the pleasure of seeing the mural in person).
This room is such an incredible example of how color (albeit in image form) can create a mood. The mural, and the way he has it uplit, puts you inside and out, watching a Paris rainstorm while being cozily tucked away from it.
Curtis has an amazing, sophisticated, rich, witty and unique way with color... all of which make him, and his room, the perfect candidate for this contest.
And TALK about "not having it look like it all came from one can of paint". I think it came from about 23!!!
Congrats, Curtis! Thanks for sharing this (and your equally colorful bathroom from a contest past!)
All I can say is FABULOUS.
Oh Curtis! I didn't quite get this when you explained it to me - a picture is worth a thousand words. A sample of those thousand words would include:
beautiful. warm. witty. expansive. unique.
I'm dying to know how long the wall took from start to finish. Kudos for your patience.
This is just extraordinary.
This may have been raised before, but Curtis, what do you do???
You're so gifted.... and you've shown AT'ers over and over what a genuine and generous person you are that I can't even get jealous. ;)
Joan's compliment is spot-on. Those Disney backgrounds - back in the day when Disney did REAL animation - were fascinatingly detailed.
Oh my goodness Curtis, your apartment it beautiful!!! I love it!!!
Jackie
Dean's Office
Like others, I am having some difficulty finding the correct words to say how wonderful your place looks. Simply put - I am in awe!
Stunning. It visually expands your space in such a delightful way and creates such a sumptuous look in a small space.
Damn! That's an idea worth stealing. Renters can simply buy a huge canvase and tack it to the walls. One more time, Damn!
Todd, I was thinking a large sheet of some sort of lightweight board, as I contemplate a perfectly useless bedroom wall. If it's light enough, it could go up with a couple of picture hangers. Frame the edges with molding as if it were a window.
I was also wondering how it would work to do a scene in off-whites and very light beiges and grays, so it's just a sort of ghost on the wall and easy to paint out upon moving. The effect would be quite different from Curtis' rainy day in Paris, but it might be interesting.
(It's so easy to find creativity when others have already done the heavy lifting.)
Just curious, is the color palate and design from an original old paint-by-number kit or is this one of your own design done in the manner of an old kit?
Curtis here!
Thank you all for your lovely comments and compliments; but the following are answers to some of the actual questions you've asked.
Joan - how? I enlarged it by scaling it with a grid technique -- oldest trick in the world. Wende is exactly right; I used that way she describes.
Josh - perhaps in some rooms you could do that with a projecter; I don't have a projector, but I also think that in this room you couldn't get back far enough from it to have done that.
Patrick (the other one) - Thank you so much and ... you're close! It's 24 colors in the mural, and the one of those colors that appears to be white is actually the pale sage green putty color that I decided to use on the non-muralized walls of that room, because I didn't want them to be jarringly out of sync, but I wanted to make them as light as I could, considering how dark the mural would be.
rr - It took me less than 2 weeks of evenings and weekends to put the turquoise lines and numbers on it, but since it's paint-by-number, I went ahead and had some of my friends help me fill in the numbered spaces with paint, in tiny little gatherings of 1 or 2 at a time, playing some music from a little CD of calliope-accompanied French songs that I bought off the guy singing them when I was listening while sitting outside the Cafe Bauborg when I went with my best friend for my 40th birthday. Anyway, how long did it take? Before I even let anyone help fill it in, I had as many people as could come see it NOT filled in first (a few months like that), and then slowly had the friends trickle in over another couple of months. Whenever I paint something like this for someone else, I basically make it like a kit for them, too. And then they take their time filling it in whenever they feel like it.
Anne - I would like to do even more of this kind of thing; let me put it that way.
jimkk - In one of these pictures you see the actual pair of 12"x16" paint-by-number paintings that I bought at an online auction. I chose this from the over 200 different ones that I've bought, specifically for the purpose of doing these. This treatment could probably be done with other images, but part of the fun for me is that by using these particular images, it has a "found art" element to it. I basically matched up the colors in the paintings to Benjamin Moore colors and had quarts made up and numbered them. So, since, in this case, the paintings came to me already painted, the numbering was my own, but I stayed as true as possible to the palette of the existing paintings. Also, as you see, I had to make a few adjustments to make the image work for me. I joined the two images together to create that big building in the middle of the wall.
Thanks again.
I think it's really cool. It makes my head hurt but I think it's cool. ...Do you ever get bored of it? And, do you have another room (or wall) with your paint by numbers collection on it?
...I am awed by this room. My potential entry has no honor.
d'oh, curtis! this is a beautiful entry. talk about expanding the space of a room...wait for it...i just sat down from giving my standing ovation. thanks for sharing this with us, it shows a world of possible solutions for a blank white wall. i love it.
It reminds me of Gustave Caillebotte's painting "Paris Street, Rainy Day" http://www.rasiel.com/haggis/640/caillebotte2.jpg
Oh man. I love love love that wall! My jaw just dropped when I saw it. I also like the TV and the globe and the mirror... not the bookcase though, it doesn't seem to fit.
This is so lovely. I adore paint by numbers. Even the table an lamp in front of the painting look good.
Outstanding! What an inviting room. The idea is so original and the look is quite stylish and elegant.
Wow! I feel honored to have met Curtis.
When he and I talked about this and his possibly entering the contest I had no idea how amazing it would look.
Librarian--
Funny you object to a bookcase!
In person, the size of it, and how Curtis has worked the mural's perspective lines relative to the piece of furniture, makes it seem like a building that's a dimensional part of the scene. And in person the wood tones relate better to the mural than they do in the pics.
And that bookcase conceals a Murphy bed!!
patrick
I guess it's the colour that jarred for me, but maybe it IS better in person. (That's probably true for lots of pics actually.)
Certainly I do not object to bookcases in principle! I love the sight of books lining the walls. When I am in someone's home for the first time, my eyes are always drawn to the books and I find myself nosily inspecting their collection.
But now I am wondering... what happens to the books when you want to use the bed?
The 2 middle sections are on tracks and roll off to each side, and the bed comes down from behind that.
What an utterly unique and fantastic idea! I love the palette - the muted colors are perfect. It does indeed echo the wonderful Disney background art of yesteryear (which reminds me: with all the books about Disney art out there, why has no one put together a book about the background art yet?)
Anyway, bravo Curtis! From an appreciative comic book colorist.
I love love love it, and I third or fourth or whatever the Disney comment - that's what I was thinking myself. Well, I'm distantly related to the impressionist painter Childe Hassam, and it kind of reminded me of some of his NYC scenes, so I was actually thinking, "This looks like Hassam filtered through Mary Blair."
To nitpick a little, I'm not sure I would necessarily describe this as a fantastic "use of color" so much as a use of... art? visual interest? imagination? To me it's more about that than about color per se. And my other minor nitpick is that in these pics, the wall and the carpet don't quite go together. But they don't quite clash, either, and my perception of the colors in each could be thrown off a little if, say, the flash from the camera is making the carpet look lighter than it is, or something like that.
I think it's wonderful to see the creativity in every entry in this contest so far.
This rocks. Please do explain how this came together step by step. The wall gives your place so much life, energy. Really fabulous.
Oh C'est Tres Magnifique!
There's a place in the French Quarter of New Orleans called "Cafe Maspero". Dark rich wood, low lit, ancient looking place. On one of the back walls of the dining room is a mural of a trio or so of folks. Drinking, smoking, contemplating. Not alot of color, but they exude something european. I always wanted to recreate that mural. While I may have to compromise for something a little brighter, your entry is inspiring and a winner! Thank you for sharing your techniques. I love it!
C.C.
Miranda - if you notice, the rug looks like it is different colors in some of these pictures, and part of that IS the flash, and part of that is the nap of the rug. It's a silk one, and from one end it looks much lighter than when looked at from the other direction.
Yes, I did notice! That's why I said that I suspected it might be the flash more than any serious mismatch. :)
Woo-hoo, Curtis! Once again, you humble us with your artistry! Not only is the mural stunning on its own, but it relates well with the rest of the room. This room--much like your bathroom--evokes another era in a whimsical (but not necessarily literal) sense. And it seems to speak volumes about you. The verve, the wit, the genteel charm of an old world soul. No other entry so far has made such a bold personal statement. You are a true visionary, my friend. Congratulations! In my mind, no matter how your entry ranks in the final tally, you've already won. Thanks (again) for sharing a piece of your world with us.
Amazing. I'm DEFINITELY NOT sending in any pics of my place.
Dear Curtis -
You have achieved what I have been "planning" in my head for years. In fact, as a stained glass designer, I have, in effect, done this for commissions to a smaller degree (as large as doors and large bathroom windows). However, the thought of doing it on a wall or ceiling for myself - well, I just didn't believe I could pull it off.
You have given me the courage to try it. I have always wanted to live inside a "castle" with a dragon flying outside the window (a la Disney) - I am finally going to try. Thank you so much Curtis. If you do make kits however, I sure would purchase one.....
WOW!! Incredible! Inspiring! My jaw dropped, I couldn't help it! I wish I could hire Curtis to do this to my apartment, he is completely AMAZING!
How does one get in touch with this overwhelmingly talented man? We need to hire him immediately. He is a genious beyond description.
I keep coming back to look at this several times a day. (Not because I have no life.)
Thanks for the inspiration, Curtis. You have some big cajones to try this, and actually have it pay off.
I have always wanted to do some true painting on my walls. This really gave me some ideas. Maybe I could do my kitchen as if it were a view from a cafe. :) Could you tell us a little more about finding old paint by numbers? Do you get them all from eBay? I'll have to look there, as google didn't turn up much at all.
I do agree with Miranda that this is more a use of art, than color, though.
Curtis,
You should also market your talent to different schools throughtout the area. Schools would love to have art work like this in their buildings - especially if you could teach their students how to do it.
Absolutely awesome! I have always like the idea of painted walls. Did you do some special wall prep? I assume this wasn't regular sheetrock--or it was but with smooooth surface? Love it--may have to try it!
It's already amazing to take a paint-by-numbers idea and scale it up to cover a whole wall of a living room. Even more pleasing is that it works so well with everything else in the room. It didn't necessarily have to turn out that way. In someone else's hands (and imagination) the result could have been disastrous. In Curtis' masterful hands, the results are obviously wonderful!
FANTASTIC. LOVE IT. NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. INCREDIBLY ORIGINAL IDEA.
it's so pretty. i normally hate murals, but this is so sophisticated and perfect with the rest of the interior. I love it, love it, love it.
FANTASTIC---great---Hope I get to see it some time soon. Go man go.
Dale
i thought this was a very nice colaboration of art and fine selection of furniutre. the accent of quality over quality will win everytime, and i do believe the quality in this project was and should be considered quality of space!
Curtis,
I'm in NC visting Domenica and Martin and saw your wonderful mural. It really looks beauatiful and enhances the room. I thank Lisa for forwarding this to me.
Coolest room I've ever seen. WOW!!!!! Why am I picturing glasses of brandy and conversations with Barbara Streisand's character from On a Clear Day?
Dee, that's perfect!
"Before I even let anyone help fill it in, I had as many people as could come see it NOT filled in first (a few months like that), and then slowly had the friends trickle in over another couple of months."
Hi Curtis!
I love the NOT filled in version very much as well, and love that you kept it that way for a long while.
You are a marvel.
Curtis--yours is still the one that makes me smile, every time.
little TOO much for me. i think it would feel like a waiting room after a few months.
but it seems i'm the only one that feels this way.
Although I usually do not like so much happening in my apartment, I absolutely love this idea.
I have a small wall which has an oil of an outside stairway overlooking Montmarte and I have often thought how beautiful that would look covering the whole wall. The colors are basically different shades of green so it is very peaceful to look at and it changes as the light changes throughout the day.
Curtis,
You have given hope to me that if I ever own my own place, something similar could be done.
O.K., you guys! I've known Curtis since college, and had the privilege of visiting him in his "home" last April. I know it's hard to believe, but the rest of the place is as incredible as this, though this is the only "by numbers" room. Curtis, YOU SHOULD SELL TICKETS!
Libby D.
Curtis,
This is the most amazing entry. I have been freehand painting my infant daughter's room with some difficulty. (Some engineers are just not meant to be freehand artists.)
Perhaps this technique can be used on the halfwall in the children's playloft. I can't wait to find a paint-by-number book that will work!
Thanks for submitting this and sharing with all of us.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great Inspirations for all of us (lazy) out there.
While it isn't my favorite color 'story,' this kind of talent, and the scale of the owner's commitment to the work, has to be acknowledged.
I've never seen anything like it. I think it's beautiful!
Well, just in case this is the end of the road, I'd like to thank everyone now for their comments and compliments.
More answers to your questions:
Katherine - If you click on my name, you'll see my little flickr site thing, and I think I gave kind of a step-by-step breakdown there.
George - it was a pretty smooth wall, but I didn't have it skim-coated, the years of having paint rolled on it gave the wall a slightly pebbled texture that made it kind of like a canvas.
CR - Actually, if you're brave, you could probably do this even if you're renting. It's just latex paint. I did something like this for a friend who WAS renting. He's still never painted filled it in, though, because he likes the blue lines. And if you wanted to contact me to have me get it to the point where you could fill it in, dorp me a line. My e-mail address (and more photos) is in that flickr thing.
Julie - This wasn't done from a book, it was copied, literally from a pair of already-completed vintage paint-by-number paintings. I basically photocopied them, taped the copies together, and drew a grid over them, and a grid on the wall. I'll bore you with more details if you care. Or, we can figure out how I can do it for you. There are SOOO many different kinds of images out there in P-B-N land.
Thanks again everyone for your votes and your comments. I've really enjoyed this portion of the contest. It's really been fun to see how everyone else works with and lives with color in their homes.
WOW! Looking at your art work has given me incentive to sign up for an art class. I will never be as good as you are, but at least I'll have fun trying.
- Renee
Paint by numbers? Absolutely!
What a witty play on scale!
Suddenly I'm dissatisfied with my walls. Wish you were here to inspire me.
Dennis
Great work! Very cool.
Al
Bravo - I am so impressed by what you've done. You are an incredibly talented and creative person. If I ever get around to opening a business i'm calling you!
Clearly, your work is the most labour intensive and show a real passion for art decor.
Best,
Kenneth R. Vick
Nice digs.
Love it!!!
Great!
Wonderful apartment!
Curtis.
I was so excited to stumble upon your photos. This is exactly what I was wanting to do to the expansive wall in our family room. I was trying to explain to my husband what I was envisioning but then I just showed him your pics and said, "that's what I'm talking about!" I have been serching sites to find just the right painting to do. You were fortunate to find the one that suited you perfectly. Thank you so much for doing this. I have always loved the old paint-by-numbers and snap them up at tag sales!
Cathy -
If you decide that you want me to get it to the blue-lines-and-numbers stage, so that YOU can fill in the spaces, let me know. I also have over 200 paint-by-numbers paintings myself if you aren't loving any of yours enough for a wall. My e-mail address is generalaesthetic@yahoo.com
I agree with you the way you view the issue. I remember Jack London once said everything positive has a negative side; everything negative has positive side. It is also interesting to see different viewpoints & learn useful things in the discussion.
With our concept making apparatus called "mind" we look at reality through the ideas-about-reality which our cultures give us. The ideas-about-reality are mistakenly labeled "reality" and unenlightened people are forever perplexed by the fact that other people, especially other cultures, see "reality" differently. It is only the ideas-about-reality which differ. Real (capital-T True) reality is a level deeper than is the level of concept.
do you have any paint by numbers with a western town pic ?