All About Walnut

As we have seen with the other faux bois studied in class, the étude or the study of each species of wood includes an in-depth approach, covering techniques that will help students understand the structure of the wood, and thus properly imitate its recognizable features, such as its straight grains and heart grain.

Another characteristic of wood, which students saw in class, is the loupe or burl. 
Michel selected the loupe de noyer, or walnut burl, to show the techniques used to imitate the burl.

The walnut panel that Michel prepared for class contains the three main elements: the burl, the straight grains, and the heart grain.  As they worked on this panel, students were not only able to practice each element separately (before doing their final panel for their portfolio), they were also able to practice graining various parts of the walnut in a specific design layout.

Another fabulous panel added to each student's gorgeous portfolio!

Michel doing a demo on walnut

Michel Nadai's walnut panel
comprising the burl, the straight grains and the heart grain

Close up of the straight grains by Michel

Close up of the walnut burl by Michel

And here's a bonus photo
taken on our studio's patio in Le Passage...
a beautiful rainbow after a morning rain shower

Yellow Sienna, Mahogany and Sea Green

Before continuing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who are following this blog, and also welcome those who are connecting with us for the very first time.

We will try to update this blog on a weekly basis, to give you an idea on the type of classes and work we do here at Atelier Nadaï.

One word of caution, however - although we try our best to take good photos, please note that the colors don't always correspond to the reality.  Photos may at times make the works look more 'orange', so please be patient with us until we figure how to use our camera! 

Now, back to our Wood Graining and Imitation Marble course - we've only got two weeks and a half left for this class.  It's unbelievable how time flies!  One thing is certain, I am very pleased with the way my students have progressed since the beginning of the course.

Here are photos showing some of the subjects covered in class:

Yellow Sienna, Mahogany and Sea Green with Griotte.
Enjoy!

Michel doing a demo on Yellow Sienna

Yellow Sienna panel by Michel Nadaï

Students taking down notes during Michel's demo

   

Michel doing a demo on Mahogany

Michel with Pascale

Mahogany by Michel Nadaï

Michel doing a demo on Sea Green marble

Michel with Veronica, from Finland

Michel doing a demo on the Sea Green marble

Michel's Sea Green and Red Griotte panel

Oak and Portor

This week we're back with more photos from our Wood Graining and Imitation Marble class.  The heart grain, the silver grain and straight grain of oak as well as the portor marble were among the subjects covered in class. 

Students' panels

Graining Olympix in Blackburn

This week we're going to post some photos taken during the Graining Olympix, which was held in Blackburn on October 17th and 18th.  My wife, Kyoko, and I flew into Manchester on Friday night to attend this event.  Then, as we had class on Monday morning, we flew back on Sunday evening.

It was a wonderful event, during which I was very happy to meet my decorative painter friends and colleagues, as well as make new friends.  A big hand to John Flemming and Terry Taylor for organizing this successful event.  At the exhibition I was very impressed and inspired by the outstanding works that were displayed.

Thank you John Flemming and Terry Taylor for organizing this wonderful and inspiring event!  We look forward to attending next year's event!

Close up of panel by Michel Nadai

Trompe-l'oeil molding over Rouge Languedoc

John Flemming showing examples of graining to Michel

John Flemming, Michel Nadai and Marina Hughes

John Flemming, Steve Flemming, Michel Nadai, Marina Hughes, and Jason

Michel answering to a question on moldings

Michel painting a trompe-l'oeil molding over Rouge Languedoc
while people were looking at his other works

Photo time!

Terry Taylor and Michel Nadai

With John Flemming

Close up of trompe-l'oeil by Michel Nadai

The collaboration piece for Salon of Bergamo
by the Dream Team (Benji, Michel and Gert-Jan)

Our friend from Holland, Gert-Jan Njisse

Our friend Benjamin Craig

Michel with our friends Jan and Chantal Lhermytte of Ideefiks,
of Belgium

Graining doors

Graining doors

The fabulous works of Tommy Valentine

;

The famous grained door with violin by Tommy Valentine

People watching Michel doing a demo

Michel during the event

Opening of event

Opening speech by Peter Banks

The organizers, John Flemming and Terry Taylor

 

Rouge Languedoc marble

Here are some more photos taken during the Wood graining and Imitation marble course at Atelier Nadaï.

Students watching Michel add the final touches to the Rouge Languedoc marble

Rouge Languedoc by Michel

Close up the Rouge Languedoc by Michel

WOOD GRAINING AND IMITATION MARBLE

Here are some photos taken during the wood graining and faux marble course . This class is Module I of the Decorative Painter's Complete course, and can be taken individually or as part of the complete course package.

Michel doing a demo on the 'groundwork of white veined marble'

Michel showing how to do the overglaze of the white veined marble

The finished white veined marble

Start of a new 'season' at Atelier Nadaï

The month of September is known as 'la rentrée' in France, when kids go back to school, and people go back to work after the summer break. It's basically the start of a new season.

At Atelier Nadaï, we also have 'la rentrée' at the end of September, when our school 'reopens' with its annual fall/winter curriculum, 'The Decorative Painter's Complete Course'.

This comprehensive course comprises an in-depth and intensive training in the European techniques of decorative painting - a real must for all serious decorative painters.

To begin with, this program is composed of 3 Modules, which can be taken individually or as a complete course package.

The first Module is the Wood Graining and Faux marble class. 8 weeks of class, with a total of 280 hours (35 per week). Like all the other modules, this is a full-time class, packed with information, training and techniques.

More photos taken during the Master Classes

Here are few more photos taken during the Master Class I and Master Class II.

We're still trying to figure out how to include photos in our posts, without having them go all over the place.  Mmm...not so easy!

Voila ('here you go' in French)!

Master Class I

Students watching as Michel does demo

Welcome to our blog!

Welcome to Atelier Nadaï's blog!

It is our pleasure to communicate with you through this blog! We are still 'new' to this tool so please be patient with us as we learn how to use it, hopefully without making too many embarrassing mistakes! I'm actually saying 'we' because this blog was created by my wife Kyoko, in English, as another means of communicating and informing the world about what we do. So, even if the posts are in my name, Kyoko is writing on my behalf.

We will inaugurate this very first post, by writing about the two wonderful master classes that took place in July, in our studio here in the southwest of France.

The first, Master Class I - Advanced Trompe-l'oeil, was a 2-week intensive and in-depth class on trompe-l'oeil. For this class, I had students work on beautiful moldings and ornaments of style over a background of grained wood, which incidentally was root of oak. So, this class was not only on trompe-l'oeil, but also on how to grain this complex root of oak. A wonderful challenge for all the participants who did a great job. This group was composed of American, Dutch and French students all of whom were professionals with many years of experience. Not only were they serious at what they did, they were also lots of fun to teach to. A big thank you to all of you!

The second, Master Class II - Advanced Marble, was a 2-week intensive and in-depth class on imitation marble. For this class, we had the great honor of receiving our dear friend and world renown Master, Pierre Lefumat. Sarrancolin, Green Onyx of Mexico and Breche Medicis were on the agenda for this great class. Pierre Lefumat, as always, amazed us all with his skills and his patience in teaching. We were again blessed by a wonderful group, which this time consisted of American, Danish, Dutch, French and Japanese students. A real international set of students, who like the first group were very serious but also lots of fun. A big thank you to you too!