The Isabel O'Neil Studio Workshop

The school is founded in 1955 by Isabel O'Neil, renowned authority on the art of the painted finish and author of "The Art of the Painted Finish for Furniture and Decoration". The studio workshop specializes in teaching traditional techniques to create painted finishes that imitate exotic and luxurious materials such as lapis lazuli, malachite, shagreen, tortoiseshell, Asian & European lacquers and marble. The curriculum guides the student through a sequence of courses designed to progressively develop skills and techniques. The student is able to accomplish increasingly more complex finishes through the careful tutelage of skilled artisan-teachers.

The Basic Furniture Painting course lays the foundation for the rest of the curriculum which is followed by Gilding.

We have an extensive Reference Library on design and decoration which includes current and out-of-print books and materials.

We offer day and evening classes as needed.

Occasionally, guest instructors and lecturers will offer short classes on paper marbling, stenciling and botanical illustration to name a few.

We cordially invite any prospective students to visit our facility, library and extensive samples of the finishes we teach.

No prior experience required but a desire to learn. Teachers and assistants will guide you each step of the way. You will take home at the end of the course a finished product, sample boards, and thorough instructions. All our teachers and assistants have studied at the Studio and those students who have a desire to teach are encouraged to do so from the start.