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Faux Painter Regina Garay

This is one of my favorites and it adds such character to the room. Regina describes it as a distressed wallpaper with light plaster distressing and an overall glaze.

This is one of my favorites and it adds such character to the room. Regina describes it as a distressed wallpaper with light plaster distressing and an overall glaze.

A couple of weeks ago in the post “What is Faux Painting”, you got a brief glimpse into the work of Garay Artisans.  Regina, the owner, is an immensely talented decorative painter, whose work graces the walls of homes, restaurants and hotels all long the eastern seaboard.  Based out of Orlando, Florida, Regina, along with her brother and sister, work their magic by transforming spaces from the so-so to the spectacular.  Just last week, when I touched base with her, she was wrapping up a project at the Hilton Hotel in Disney World and on her way to work in a new hotel in Asheville, NC.  So I grabbed her for a second and asked her a few quick questions and she was kind enough to share some fantastic photos.  So I hope you enjoy visiting with her.  :-)
~Lorrie
 
How did you get started?
Almost fourteen years ago, I became the roommate to a scenic artist working on films.  She offered to help decorate my room and asked me what paint finish I wanted.  I suggest undulating waves of color and as we painted together, it was as if I had just met my true love (the painting, not my roommate — though she’s a wonderful person!).  It wasn’t until years later that I decided to make the leap into this industry because I never forgot how blissfully happy I was that afternoon.  I often wonder what would have happened if I had never met her and the path to this perfect road for me had never been made apparent. 
This is the boring "before" in a restaurant that was looking for more warmth and class.

This is the boring "before" in a restaurant that was looking for more warmth and class.

  

White cabinetry is transformed into a rich cherry-mahogany finish without the mess and downtime that a renovation would have caused.

White cabinetry is transformed into a rich cherry-mahogany finish without the mess and downtime that a renovation would have caused.

What inspires you most?

Working with other creative people, especially interior designers.  It gets me excited to be privy to a “big picture” vision and see a design fully come together, whether our contribution was small or large.  I love seeing the works of current designers like Kelly Wearstler and iconic ones like Albert Hadley.  Their rooms inspire me to strive to be an ever-evolving chameleon of an artist…never afraid to think out of the box and reach greater levels of understanding design and art.

What do you do when you are not creating art?

Feeling woefully down, anti-social and out of sorts…no, I’m just kidding!  I try to fully enjoy the other great aspects of my life: spending time with my husband, family and friends.  For me, one enhances the other. 

 

Regina says this one is a nice "easy" glaze. Now she's showing off!

Regina says this one is a nice "easy" glaze. Now she's showing off!

What would you like people to know about you that they would not expect?

I really, truly dislike cooking although I LOVE watching the Food Network to no end.  Haven’t fully explored that conundrum.

How would you describe the decoration of your home? 

My husband and I have laughed about giving our home a fanciful name but it really should be “Work in Progress…Perhaps 2010″.  I’ve tried to schedule myself in but inevitably a client comes along with a tight schedule and out goes my home.  One day!

 

So be sure to check out the Garay Artisans Website, as well as Regina’s clever blog, Fauxology.  You will get a taste for her talent and sharp wit.  And don’t forget, she travels!

 

 

 

 

 

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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 6th, 2008 at 2:11 pm and is filed under My Favorite Things, artwork, guest blogger. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

6 Responses to “Faux Painter Regina Garay”

  1. Dawn Papandrea-Khan Says:
    November 6th, 2008 at 2:32 pm

    I love Regina! I am a faux finisher out of New York. I have been following Regina’s blog and work for quite some time now. I enjoyed reading more about her life. Good stuff. :)

    Dawn

  2. Fauxology: Studying the Visual Magic of Faux Finishing and Interior Design (brought to you by Garay Artisans) » Blog Archive » Interview with a Faux Painter Says:
    November 7th, 2008 at 7:48 am

    [...] Design Secrets ran an interview with yours truly on their blog yesterday.  Well, I’m used to interviewing people for Fauxology so this was a [...]

  3. Lucinda Says:
    November 7th, 2008 at 11:42 am

    Regina is fabulous! I’ve enjoyed becoming fast friends with a colleague in the industry. Her talent, her passion, her ideas and her team’s execution of beautiful finishes are inspiring.

  4. Corinne Says:
    November 7th, 2008 at 12:00 pm

    That’s my best friend!!!! I’m so proud!

  5. lorrie Says:
    November 7th, 2008 at 5:19 pm

    We are happy to see all of Regina’s friends and fans. Let us know how you like the site!
    ~Lorrie

  6. Monica Says:
    November 12th, 2008 at 2:07 am

    I have been honored to work with Regina on several projects and I can tell you first hand, she is as fun as she is talented. She amazes me with her inovative ideas and have the upmost respect for her creative solutions. I hope to work with her for years to come. She has become a very dear friend in the process.

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