Upcycling and my Grandad
"Is it finished?" he asked.
" Well...it doesn't look it."
My wonderful grandad.
An inspiration behind Arundel Eccentrics decoupage style that has evolved over the past 25 years.
William Matthews was a well known antique furniture restorer in Brighton Sussex, where I was brought up.
He started as a coach builder...in the days when the sides of buses were handpainted with advertisements.....and went on to become a well respected antique restorer.
As children we often used to visit his workshop in Kemp Town, Brighton, after school.
Much of Grandad's work went to London's high end antique shops and a lot to the US.
His chinoiserie work was second to none.
He used to paint canvases in the style of the old masters....
... in his spare time
.......as one does...
The summer I was going through divorce and sent him a postcard from Annecy in France saying I had met someone...
he and Nan gave me a large canvas that Christmas....he had painted the postcard.
Grandad didn't retire until well in his 80s.
When I started teaching myself to paint and decorate furniture he was thrilled.
He thought it wonderful I had come into a similar business .... through the
" back door," as he called it.
But...he really couldn't get to grips with the heavily distressed look I was doing in those early days.
Shabby chic?
The term was wasted on him
Used to ask...
"When will it be finished then?"
So I started working in a way that would emulate his work and passion for chinoiserie..
....ah Grandad..... I have a lot to thank you for....
#arundel #arundelwestsussex #paintedfurniture #brightonchildhood #decorative #upcycled #decoupage #chinoserie #furniturerestorer. #brighton #kemptownbrighton
" Well...it doesn't look it."
My wonderful grandad.
An inspiration behind Arundel Eccentrics decoupage style that has evolved over the past 25 years.
William Matthews was a well known antique furniture restorer in Brighton Sussex, where I was brought up.
He started as a coach builder...in the days when the sides of buses were handpainted with advertisements.....and went on to become a well respected antique restorer.
As children we often used to visit his workshop in Kemp Town, Brighton, after school.
Much of Grandad's work went to London's high end antique shops and a lot to the US.
His chinoiserie work was second to none.
He used to paint canvases in the style of the old masters....
... in his spare time
.......as one does...
The summer I was going through divorce and sent him a postcard from Annecy in France saying I had met someone...
he and Nan gave me a large canvas that Christmas....he had painted the postcard.
Grandad didn't retire until well in his 80s.
When I started teaching myself to paint and decorate furniture he was thrilled.
He thought it wonderful I had come into a similar business .... through the
" back door," as he called it.
But...he really couldn't get to grips with the heavily distressed look I was doing in those early days.
Shabby chic?
The term was wasted on him
Used to ask...
"When will it be finished then?"
So I started working in a way that would emulate his work and passion for chinoiserie..
....ah Grandad..... I have a lot to thank you for....
#arundel #arundelwestsussex #paintedfurniture #brightonchildhood #decorative #upcycled #decoupage #chinoserie #furniturerestorer. #brighton #kemptownbrighton
