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Current Projects

  Fall 2011 Restoration at Canada's National Historic Site - Dundurn Castle
One of Hamilton's most-recognized landmarks, Dundurn Castle is a National Historic Site that illustrates the life and times of Sir Allan Napier MacNab (1798 - 1862), one of Canada's first premiers.

Dundurn Castle was constructed over a three-year period, and completed by 1835. Designed by a young English Architect, Robert Wetherall, Dundurn was built around the brick shell of Colonel Richard Beasley's colonial home. Designed as a fashionable Regency style villa, Dundurn (Gaelic for "strong fort") was nicknamed "Castle" by the citizens of Hamilton. The Castle, with its gardens, grounds and many unusual outbuildings, was one of the finest estates in the province.

Today, Dundurn Castle has been restored to the year 1855 when MacNab was at the height of his career as a lawyer, landowner, railway magnate and Premier of the United Canadas (1854-56). The painted marble blocks were executed around 1850 but in 1967, when the Castle was restored, the finish was wallpapered over. Conservationists have removed the wallpaper and revealed areas of the original finish locating the the structure of the painted blocks.

We have carefully kept to the original blocking structure, colour and style of the original painted finish as well as using the same mediums originally used. Boiled Linseed Oil, Turpentine, Driers and Guinness Beer
  San Andrea di Compito, Italy - May 2010
I had the privilege of traveling to Italy in May 2010 and working on a site project for 4 weeks.  The site was a 4000 sq. ft. restored farmhouse located in a small Tuscan hamlet called San Andrea di Compito.  I led a team of amateur and professional decorative painters who volunteered 1 or 2 weeks of their time and travelled from Canada, USA, Spain and Portugal to work with me decorating most of the area of this house including a floor and part of the exterior.

The finishes on all the surfaces were designed by myself and executed under my direction and supervision.  In exchange for the hard work donated by my crew, they received accommodation and meals on a beautiful vineyard and olive oil producer in the hills of Tuscany called Fattoria di Fubbiano.  We drank many bottles of wine and shared meals in our lovely restored farmhouses with a few excursions and pizza parties around the area.