Adrian Card is a historically-based decorative painter, who applies his talents to furniture, murals and interiors, harpsichords and other musical instruments and a curious, delectible miscellany. Although his studio is in San Francisco, he has clients across the country.
His specialty is 17th and 18th century ornament and pigments, but he's adept at interpreting the ornament of just about any period in history, including the 21st century.
"After majoring in printmaking at the Philadelphia College of Art and the San Francisco Art Institute, where I also enjoyed a wide variety of art history courses, I turned my attention to historically-based decorative painting.
Each particular era has its own decorative language, with a corresponding grammar of curves and ornaments, a grammar that I freely adapt to suit the taste of the client and the decorative needs of the project.
For harpsichord soundboard paintings, I use only the pigments which were available at the time, that are authentic for the period. Since many of these are no longer available as ready-made paints, I make my own paints using period recipes.
Some of my pigments come from a working windmill in Holland which has been grinding artist's pigments since the 18th century."
For harpsichords, a full decorative treatment includes several elements:
- Soundboard paintings using historic pigments and handmade paints
- Original case painting that draws on period sources
- Original lid paintings ranging from simple patterns to elaborate landscapes
- Hand-printed Flemish papers with designs from antique harpsichords as well as other designs from the period
- Parchment roses
Clients and visitors are always welcome, and I'm always interested in discussing new and different ideas for projects. If you're going to be in the San Francisco Bay Area and would like to visit me and my studio, please drop me a line.
|