May 29th, 2008
A Tale of Ten Painters
We arrived in Marrakech with a song in our hearts and brushes in our suitcases.

We were on a mission to make magical patterns appear at Peacock Pavilions under the watchful eyes of this special woman.

We planned our strategy

to paint from here

to there.

We put up large patterns

and promptly pulled them down (with some painting in between, of course).

We painted stripes

and worked on top secret projects.

We made Maryam very, very happy.

And we clean up nicely too!

The Peacock Painters from left to right: Jackie Wiggens, Melanie Royals (me), Kari Caldwell, Debbie Hayes, Sandra Barron, Barbara Skivington, Todd Oberndorfer, April Long, Heather Mueller and Becky Roth (kneeling). Thanks for the hard work and wonderful memories guys!!
PS Check this post on decor8-simply the best design blog in cyberspace. Woohoo!
May 29th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Wow, cool… looks like we have are own private jet too!!! Good shots….can’t stop thinking about Marrakech!!!
Baraka
Kari
May 30th, 2008 at 12:14 am
What an amazing experience that was! I can’t thank enough every fabulous painter for all their hard work and creativity. And many, many thanks mother Peacock Painter, Melanie:)
The spirit of each and every one of you is wafting around Peacock Pavilions!!!!
Baraka, baraka!
May 30th, 2008 at 5:51 am
Seems now like I dreamed Peacock Pavilions – but a dream that will never fade.
The stiff neck and sore knees are forgotten.
Missing the wondrous wafting smells of the magical feasts in the kitchen while we worked,
the stunningly beautiful sights of the luncheon table set to perfection,
and Maryam and Chris, such gracious hosts, always finding ways to make us comfortable.
And of course, the opportunity to leave our mark on Peacock Pavilions for many to enjoy for years to come is a warm fuzzy feeling.
Spending “faux money” in the souks and seeing the sights and enjoying all of the artists was a blast. My henna is still there!
I arrived home to find my new studio under construction and can’t wait to receive my rugs from Marrakech to coordinate new finishes. And to incorporate my new-old tea service into my daily routine.
Looking forward to seeing all the photos – of course will have to wait for several to arrive home after moving on to Paris and Madrid!
May 30th, 2008 at 9:36 am
This is incredible! You women are so talented! I am sure that Maryam and all her guests will love looking up at those beautiful works of art!
Is there any way you could recommend a source (or even better, an online tutorial) for people looking to paint their ceilings in their own home in a similar way? I have painted many murals before, but I’m not really familiar with stencilling…and certainly not in such an intricate repetitive pattern.
May 30th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
This is really a beautiful post, I like seeing the work in process so thank you for sharing it. I know Maryam is excited about it too. Wonderful job!
xo
Holly
May 31st, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Thanks!! There are some online tutorials here on my Royal Design Studio website.
http://www.royaldesignstudio.com/howto.php?name=Basic%20Stencil%20Techniques
Also some good DVDs (I hear) on stenciling. I would go with Stencilng Foundations or Wall to Wall
http://www.royaldesignstudio.com/booksvideos.php?name=DVDs
Stenciling a whole ceiling can be physically challenging and time consuming-but oh so worth it in the end!
December 11th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I’m blown away! How gorgeous every finish is from top to bottom. Looks like you gals had quite a bit of fun and accomplished so very much on your journey!!!! I wanna be a Peacock Painter… Looks like they have the most fun of all.
Cheers Ladies!