Amy A. Miller says people cringe when she tells them she owns a stenciling company.
But Miller isn’t referring to the kitschy stencils of country cottage lore. Ducks with bows, ivy over the windows and “granny apples” painted on aprons aren’t her bag.
Instead, Miller emphasizes that the true art of stenciling, which grew out of the Arts and Crafts movement, “has nothing to do with Popsicle sticks and pompoms.” Room recently spoke to Miller to find out more.
Q: What characterizes stenciling of the Arts and Crafts era?
A: It has a more stylized appearance instead of a cutesy one. The stencil has a natural motif, usually of flora, leaves, flowers, birds and other aspects found in nature. But the style of the stencil is much more masculine and geometric in shape. There will still be roses, but the roses will be a square form.
Q: Stenciling has been around since ancient Egypt. How was it elevated during the early 1900s?
A: It was a nice way for homeowners to put a part of themselves into their house. The practice was encouraged by some of the bigwigs of the time, including architect and furniture maker Gustav Stickley. The Arts and Crafts movement itself was a rebellion against mass production and the excess of the Victorian age. Stickley wanted people to simplify their lives, to bring the soothing colors and feeling of nature into their environments. He wanted homeowners to participate in the decorative arts in their home instead of going out and buying something.
Q: How did stencils make the home more personal?
A: The stencil was like the frosting on the cake. You could put in a lot of other accessories into a room, such as a rug or furniture. But the stencil was a finishing touch that brought in some color and accented the room. It wasn’t just used on walls, either. It was used on everything from pillows to table linens.
Q: Is stenciling difficult?
A: I joke that if you get a piece of plastic with holes in it, you’ve got a stencil. All you’ve got to do next is fill those holes in with paint. One of the misconceptions people have is thinking they can use a water-based paint. But that kind of paint is runny. I prefer working with an oil-based paint in a solid form called a Paintstik.
Q: Can the owners of houses built in the early 1900s still find period stencils?
A: Yes. I get contacted all the time by people who say they just found this stencil in their dining room under five layers of wall paper. The stencils do survive, but it’s hard to try to restore the actual stencil …
What I do is document the stencil and create a new one. All I need to recreate it is to figure out where the repeat is inside the stencil. It won’t be the original 1905 stencil, but it will be the same design.
Amy A. Miller recreates period stencils from the Arts and Crafts era. For more information, e-mail her at amy@trimbelleriver.com.
Staff writer Sheba R. Wheeler can be reached at 303-954-1283 or swheeler@denverpost.com.
