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San Antonio Express-News
 

Creating illusions with paint Is what has taken 44-year-old artist Nicola Vigini to the top of the faux finishing explosion.

Born in Rome in 1959 as the son of an architect, Vigini learned about drawing from his father, Lino Vigini.  "I use what my father taught me in a lot of my work, helping him with model drawings and learning about passion for art as a young boy,” Vigini said.

At age 24, I didn’t know how to make a living with my art.”  Vigini, who decided to move to Paris in his early 20s to further his education, was chosen to attend a trade school for decorative painting.

“It’s a one-year course, but it is very intense – 12-hour days,” Vigini said.  After a move to Seattle in 1986, Vigini started working for a cabinet making company doing faux finishing.

“After six months of working there, I had people calling me at night for jobs,” he said.

With his faux finishing business starting to take off, Vigini and a partner started Vandalaea Studio, a decorative painting school in Seattle in 1996.

During that time, Vigini met his wife, Leslie a native of San Antonio.  "I fell in love with San Antonio right away,” Vigini said.

After a short stay in Houston, the Viginis decided to move to San Antonio and open Vigini Studios in 1998. The studio on Avenue B offers hands-on classes on faux finishing and Trompe l’oeil, a European- style finish focusing on the principles of “fool the eye.”

“The No. 1 thing you most have (to paint) is passion.  Passion to me goes a long way.” Vigini said. “Art is a technique.”

Most of Vigini’s work is in homes and he currently is working on one with a four-panel reproduction of an 18^th-century Francois Boucher painting.  The job is expected to take about a month to complete.

“People want to give character to their homes,” Vigini said. “People are interested in their roots. Faux allows us to do that – fake old,” Vigini says.

Vigini Studios teaches a class in Rome once a year, the only American faux finishing program in the country.  “Rome has such a rich past,” Vigini said.

After 20 years of the rebirth of decorative painting, Vigini is considered a master to faux painting.

“I never would have thought I would have a school and a business.” Vigini said.  It’s fun to have all these things growing, and it is going to get better.”

For more information on Vigini Studios, contact (210) 212-6177 or go to www.viginistudios.com on the web.

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