Deborah Mends/Atelier Mends - Art

Painted inlaid table design

This is a sample of false wood and marble: bird's eye maple, ebony, mahogony, and several types marble.

Painted sample of oak

This was painted on paper using glazes and special "combs".

Painted sample of Yellow Sienna marble

This sample shown in my profile as well was done using layered glazes and special brushes.

Painted sample of Red Royal marble

Painted with layered glazes on paper.

Painted sample of pine

Painted with glazes on paper.

Painted sample of Sea Green marble and lemonwood

Painted with glazes on paper.

Painted sample of burl

Painted with layered glazes on paper.

Painted sample of picked oak

Glazes on paper.

Kitchen counter decorated with Portor false marble

Created for Italian kitchen designer.

Italiante trompe l'oeil

Trompe l'oeil landscape

To add luminosity to a client's windowless study.

Trompe l'oeil sky

For the apartment ceiling of a client in Paris.

Copy of Dutch 17th century drawings

This was for a client in Florida who sold these copies in her decorative arts shop.

Copy of Dutch 17th century drawings II

This was also for the client in Florida who sold these copies in her decorative arts shop.

Copy of Italian 17th century drawing

This was also for the client in Florida who sold these copies in her decorative arts shop.

18th century styled dish

Painted decor on ceramic.

Table decor

Eighteenth-century devices for a small nightstand.

Desk drawer decor

Festoons for a desk.

Trompe l'oeil table decor

Created for a London decorator.

Trompe l'oeil table decor II

Created for a London decorator.

Fresco design for the American Cathedral I

I was commissioned to design a fresco to illustrate a hymn in the Anglican prayer book, called The Song of Creation. This fresco was to decorate the walls leading to the crypt of this Historic Monument; the project and its budget had to be set aside when a crack was discovered in the Cathedral's belltower. This Song was supposedly sung by three young Jews thrown into a furnace by Nebuchadnezzar for refusing to worship his golden image. To his astonishment the three young men were seen standing in the flames speaking with a fourth man of godlike appearance. When they emerged unharmed from the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar was converted to worship of their god. This photo represents the overall project. The roughness of the rendering is due to this being a model for a proposal and not a finished work.

Fresco design for the American Cathedral II

This first "window" represents the literal reading of the story. "Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be brought in; so they brought those men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar said to them, 'Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my Gods and you do not worship the golden statue that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, and who is the God that will deliver you out of my hands?' Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego answered the king. 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter. If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up."

Daniel 3.13-18

Fresco design for the American Cathedral III

This second "window" continues the literal reading of the story. "Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace heated up seven times more than was customary, and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats and their other garments, and they were thrown in the furnace of blazing fire. Because the king's command was so urgent and the furnace was so overheated, the raging flames killed the men who lifted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. But the three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, fell down, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire."

Daniel 3.19-23

Fresco design for the American Cathedral IV

This third and largest panel illustrates the allegorical continuation of the story. "Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his counselors, 'Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire?' They answered the king, 'True, O king.' He replied, 'But I see four men unbound, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the fourth has the appearance of a god.' "

Daniel 3.24-25

Fresco design for the American Cathedral V

Detail.

Fresco design for the American Cathedral VI

Detail.

Fresco design for the American Cathedral VII

The three sections of the Song that the young men sang while in the furnace are written in gold at the top of each set of three superposed windows. This first window in the set of three depicts the seraphim, "red-winged angels closest to the throne of Our Father, in praise and exaltation".

I. The Cosmic Order

Glorify the Lord, you angels and all powers of the Lord,
O heavens and all waters above the heavens.
Sun and moon and stars of the sky, glorify the Lord,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, every shower of rain and fall of dew,
All winds and fire and heat.
Winter and summer, glorify the Lord,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold,
Drops of dew and flakes of snow.
Frost and cold, ice and sleet, glorify the Lord,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O nights and days,
O shining light and enfolding dark,
Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.

Fresco design for the American Cathedral VIII

Here are depicted the cherubim, "blue-winged angels next in rank, glorifying the Lord". They bear emblems of Light and of Dark; of the Sun and of the Moon.

Fresco design for the American Cathedral IX

The thrones, the "green-winged angels last in the highest rank of angels", praise the Lord while bearing emblems representing showers of Rain and Falls of Dew (blue); Fire, Heat and the warmth of Summer (red); Frost, Snow, Ice and the chill of Winter (white).

Fresco design for the American Cathedral X

II. The Earth and its Creatures

Let the earth glorify the Lord,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills,
And all that grows upon the earth,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams,
O whales and all that move in the waters.
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild,
And all you flocks and herds,
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.

The birds, the fishes and the beasts of the earth are represented in this middle section. Here God the Father creates birds on the fourth day of Creation.

"...and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky."

Genesis 1.20

Fresco design for the American Cathedral XI

Next, to represent the fishes of the earth, here Jonah and the whale are depicted at Ninevah, with Tarshish in the distance. This story is also an allegory for the Resurrection, an underlying theme of this fresco overall.

"Then the Lord spoke to the fish, and it spewed Jonah out upon the dry land."

Jonah 2.10

Fresco design for the American Cathedral XII

After the birds and the fishes, this window represents the beasts, with wild and domestic animals at peace in the Garden of Eden.

"God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good."

Genesis 1.25

Fresco design for the American Cathedral XIII

III. The People of God

Let the people of God glorify the Lord,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever,
Glorify the Lord, O priests and servants of the Lord,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O spirits and souls of the righteous,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.
You that are holy and humble of heart, glorify the Lord,
Praise Him and highly exalt Him for ever.

Here Moses, prist and servant of the Lord, removes his sandals as commanded at the Burning Bush.

"But Moses said to the Lord, 'O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. Then the Lord said to him, 'Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.' "

Exodus 4.10-12

Fresco design for the American Cathedral XIV

Spirits and souls of the righteous arising in joy.

"And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

Matthew 29.31

Fresco design for the American Cathedral XV

A man holy and humble of heart offers succour, turning his back to earthly glory.

"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

John 13.34-35