This year’s Salon was held in St. Louis, Missouri and was much smaller due to the Covid-19 pandemic which limited international travel. You may remember, I have attended Salon before in 2019 when it was held in Chamonix, France. Many of our American members and mural painters elected to attend to support this year’s host as well as carry on the tradition of Salon. Last year’s Salon was supposed to be held in Shanghai but was canceled at the onset of the pandemic. 

In case you’re unfamiliar with Salon:

“[Salon is] recognized as the most significant gathering of decorative painters in the world. It is an exciting and unique Art show of masters from across the globe who exhibit and demonstrate their work, discuss old and new techniques and products in the field of the decorative arts. The Salon is a non-profit organization, which began in 1992 in Belgium, reconvened in 1996 and has been coming together in growing numbers every year since.

Salon is also a way for interior designers, architects, historical restoration and the public to experience the high quality of work available, and to meet the real masters of this craft. It is a very unique event and a great opportunity to discover the International world of artists and master-craftsmen at its best.”

-Salon Saint Louis 2021’s host Margaret Von Kaenel

A Gathering of Decorative Artists & Mural Painters from Around the Globe

Salon is a unique organization in that decorative artists have to submit a portfolio in order to be accepted into the group. Once a member, you can attend each Salon as it is hosted by a different member in their home country. Salon is structured as an open demonstration with lectures and the public is welcome to attend.

There is also a community mural that is designed by the hosting member and usually donated to a local charity organization. Participants can elect to help paint the mural as well as work on their own demonstration panel during the event. 

This year’s theme was “Storytelling — American Regionalism” and I completed a joint panel with my boyfriend who is a long time member of Salon. We elected to reinterpret Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” with ourselves as the couple. We thought it would be a great way to announce to our friends and colleagues our relationship!

There were several local decorative artists and mural painters that attended as first year members and it was exciting to meet them and get to know them and their work. Opening dinner was held at the Racquet Club in Saint Louis and we were introduced to the local charity that would be receiving the completed community mural. Throughout the four days we painted, shared stories and ideas, and enjoyed the simple pleasure of being able to gather. One evening we toured the City Museum which was incredibly cool. It is a cacophony of art, architecture, food, history, games, and more. It reminded me a bit of the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. Post Salon included a tour of the Basilica and a trip to the top of the Arch. 

Fellow members lead lectures and demonstrations that are open to the public. We had a few members do virtual workshops through Zoom and some members elected to attend the in-person lectures virtually. I attended several because there is always something new to learn from our colleagues. Some of the members taught demonstrations while others discussed business strategies or lectured on the various aspects of decorative painting. 

I was able to listen and watch several demonstrations including Pascal Amblard’s (host of Salon Chamonix) lecture on Aerial Perspective in Mural Landscapes, Arlene McLoughlin’s (co-host of Salon New York) “Go with the flow; Changing the direction of your business during downtimes,” Sean Crosby’s Mahogany Crotch woodgraining, Pierre Finkelstein’s lecture on Technology of Trompe L’oeil, and Erik Schlake’s lecture on the history of anamorphic perspective and its use in street chalk art. Erik’s discussion was very informative and I learned a lot about the connection between renaissance artists’ development of anamorphic perspective and how to create a mural using that technique.

The theme of this year’s salon was perfectly aligned with my own art and so I chose to display three of my personal pieces. Each depicts imagery of my personal American region and ties to my family’s heritage in Michigan. I even sold my painting “Stoddard Road” to my friend Mark Tillman! He identified with the Port Austin, Michigan landscape because it reminded him of trips up to Wisconsin and Minnesota to visit family. I was so excited that he connected with my work.

Evan and I planned for me to drive out to Saint Louis while he flew from LA, and after Salon take a road trip together back to Baltimore. Being from the west coast, Evan hadn’t seen very much of the midwest or the east coast so we took the opportunity and tripped through southern Illinois, Kentucky, and stopped in Nashville, TN, and then Asheville, NC. We had a blast listening to live music in Nashville and then seeing artist studios along the French Broad River in Asheville. We also took a tour of the Biltmore Estate before heading back home where Evan flew home to LA. The time in the car allowed for lots of conversation and reflection on Salon as well as our work. We discussed the possibilities of teaching classes and working together in the future. 

Evan owns his own decorative painting company LeGrande Studios, Inc in Los Angeles, and has been painting for over 30 years. We originally met at Salon Atlanta in 2011 and stayed updated about each other’s work through Facebook. We reconnected when we attended Salon Chamonix and because I am terrible at planning travel, I had to go back to Geneva a day early to catch my flight home. Call it fate or just serendipity, we ran into each other in an old church while wandering around the city! Apparently, Evan had made the same scheduling blunder. We grabbed lunch and had a great conversation and then we went our separate ways. It wasn’t until last summer when we both realized that there was potentially something more there. And as they say, the rest is history!

For a while now I’ve really been wanting to get more mural projects and as luck would have it, I was contacted by a company that decorates builders’ model homes. So, if you are looking for mural painters in your area, please contact me! I recently completed two rooms in a home in Delaware and will be working on another set very soon. I recently completed a fun feature wall for the brand new Aura Medspa located in Tysons Corner Virginia. I’ve also received an exciting commission for a fun and quirky chinoiserie mural in a powder room and am working with a client to create two custom works of art depicting a subdued landscape and seascape. 2021 is looking a lot more promising than 2020!

I have been working with the talented Lindsay Clark on reorganizing my website and have made several updates. I now have included a dedicated page for Liturgical work. I would love to obtain more projects for worship spaces as I feel that these places create a unique opportunity to create meaningful decoration on a larger scale that can inspire patrons. I’ve also updated prices on items in my shop and have added a few new pieces. I dropped off a few new pairs of earrings at Domain on Frederick Road in Catonsville, too.  And finally, I’ve submitted a piece for Creative Alliance’s annual member show “The BIG Show” which will be available to view virtually as well as in person.

Looking for mural painters in your area?

If you or someone you know is interested in working with us we would love for you to drop us a line! You may call or text us at 410-707-9246 or email us at dee@lenehanstudios.com.

Wishing you a continued healthy and safe 2021!