A HIGHLY INFORMATIVE ONLINE MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE ARTIST AND THE ART LOVER
If you like this site then Recommend It!
A HIGHLY INFORMATIVE ONLINE MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE ARTIST AND THE ART LOVERIf you like this site then Recommend It!
ART TALKS
SUSAN KILLIANY: She has restored everything from classic comic books to 18th century scrolls. Today, she is at the top of her form creating lasting works of beauty in a medium once reserved to kings – decoupage.
The Spirit of Flowers: the Killiany Collection is the result of painstaking effort and weeks, and sometimes months, of preparation to blend nature’s gift – dried, pressed flowers – with crystal or hand blown glass, to form original works of art that are luminescent and alluring.
form, once a rich man’s collectable, became a poor man’s corner piece and fell into disfavor with collectors.
Susan C. KillianyDecoupage, the art of gluing or varnishing a paper cut out image to a glass or porcelain vase or jar, or similarly securing it under layers of varnish on a table or bureau top was so popular and so expensive in the late 1600’s that the art form and the art itself, carried by European merchant ships from China, was collected and enjoyed almost exclusively by kings and nobility. By the mid-1700’s the art form was the craze in Europe, and almost anyone with scissors and a copy of a famous, or not so famous, work of art or cut image, decorated everything from jewelry boxes to lamp shades. The proliferation of knock offs soon devalued the real work, and the art
In the mid to late 1800’s decoupage had run its course. It was still available, but due to its overproduction and dubious workmanship and artistic originality, it value and desirability plummeted.
We are now in the quickening stage of a new century and the art form that was once a rich man’s, then a poor man’s, then nobody’s choice of art is experiencing a remarkable revival both among artists interested in bringing their own originality to new creations, and collectors, intrigued by something new and, when done properly, truly lasting and beautiful.
"Chapeau", decoupage art glass, © by Susan C. KillianyEnter Susan Ciccone Killiany and her body of work: The Spirit of Flowers, the Killiany Collection. Killiany, who happened upon the art form by happy coincidence fifteen months ago and whose enthusiasm for what she does and professional training has earned her a reputation as a premier artist and decoupeur, defines her palette not in terms of paint or pastel, but by a variety of colorful flowers; her canvas is a crystal bowl or glass vase. How it all began:
A graduate of Manhattanville College in 1978, Susan, who majored in art history and French, decided that Paris would be a good
"Green Lantern", decoupage art glass, © by Susan C. Killianyplace to continue her art education. It was while attending the Ecole du Louvre that Susan met up with Dianne O’Neal, an American working at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. O’Neal the museum’s chief paper conservator was looking for an apprentice to assist in restoring original works of art, and Killiany, who describes herself as a woman with “a perfectionist, detail-oriented nature,” says she “knew I could do it.” Four weeks of intensive training after accepting the offer to work with O’Neal and Killiany was assisting in the restoration of 36 original drawings by Pablo Picasso. Ten years later, after returning to the United States as an accomplished restorer and paper conservator, Killiany would again have an opportunity to work with O’Neal, this time restoring an 18th Century scroll for the government of France. The scroll had been folded into a 2 foot long by 4 inch box. The the enterprise. Putting her reservations aside, however, Killiany made the decision to work with Sarill and learn as much as she could about the medium. Adding to her considerable skill as a paper conservator and fine art restorer, she soon became expert at working with comic book paper fibers, mending, filling holes and color inpainting. In 1986 she bought The Restoration Lab from Sarill, and began a lucrative career as an internationally recognized restorer of collectable comic books. She was so good, in fact, that by 1991 she was chosen as Sotheby’s restorer of choice for their historic collectible auctions.
"Bowl of Pansies", decoupage art glass, © by Susan C. Killianychallenge to restore this priceless original was too strong to turn down. When the work was completed, the fully restored scroll measured 8 feet long. It hangs today in the office of the Mayor of Bordeaux, France. As fate would have it, although a talented and sought after restorer of art, restoring paintings was not what would define her future. In 1981 the Fogg Art Museum, recognizing her enormous talent, recommended her to William Sarill, owner of The Restoration Lab and a pioneer in comic book restoration. Sarill was looking for someone to work with him restoring, of all things, classic comic books. Not interested, at first, Killiany viewed the work as mere newsprint and saw little value in
A decoupeur emerges:
Killiany says her reputation nationally and internationally has kept her busy as a restorer of historic collectable comic books. One of her restorations fetched over $60,000 at auction. Then, about fifteen months ago, she was
"Tulip Votives", decoupage art glass, © by Susan C. Killianyintroduced to the beauty of decoupage while watching television. Her fascination with the possibilities of creating lasting works of art on glass and crystal was piqued. Her knowledge, gained though two decades of restoration of everything from Picasso originals to Superman comic books, as well as her acquired talent as a paper conservator, coupled with her natural artistic abilities blended perfectly, resulting in the emergence of a form of art decoupage that is both stunning and enduring. The Spirit of Flowers: the Killiany Collection is the result of painstaking effort and weeks, and sometimes months, of preparation to blend nature’s gift – dried, pressed flowers – with crystal or hand blown glass, to form original works of art that are luminescent and alluring. To give the creations permanence, each flower is carefully pressed into place using archival adhesive and multi-colored acid free and lignin Japanese rice papers, sometimes with a dash of watercolor to enhance appearance.
"Summer Bouquet", decoupage glass, © by Susan C. KillianyOnce dried, she says, “edges are carefully scalped so as not to chip the paper of glass.” Each piece is completed only after she applies protective non-yellowing sealant and gentle sandpapering to achieve a proper smooth-ness and gloss.
Of her creations she says, “I would like, first, for art buyers to be captured by the beauty of the piece, but I also want them to understand the skill and workmanship involved. I believe they will then fully appreciate it as un vrai object d’art.”
Killiany’s work is carried exclusively by Winstanley-Roark Fine Arts in Dennis, Massachusetts.
Read Article About the Process of Decoupage Art Glass by Susan C. Killiany
Previous ART TALKS Current ART TALKS
LINKS
Site Map What's New Search
Please visit our Sponsors who help support the fine arts by supporting The Artistic Forum!
Copyrighted @ January 1, 1999 The Artistic Forum. All rights reserved. Reproductions in whole or part in any form or medium without express written permission of The Artistic Forum and or its parent Winstanley-Roark Fine Arts is prohibited. Winstanley-Roark Fine Arts, Winstanley-Roark Fine Arts logo, The Artistic Forum and The Artistic Forum logo, The Artistic Forum Web site, Masterfulart Digital Postcards, Masterfulart Digital Postcards logo, and all related titles are copyrighted & owned by the Artistic Forum and WRFAWeb Designs. User Agreement, Disclaimers, Submission, Copyright Information, Privacy Policy. This page is updated monthly and is created by WRFA Web Designs
courtesy of Winstanley-Roark Fine Arts.
