Copyright, 2005, Dallas Morning News. All Rights Reserved.
| March 8, 1992
Joyce Saenz Harris THE |
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To show a client how he plans to redesign a room, Mr. Giles uses computerized image processing -- the same sort of microchip wizardry routinely employed by plastic surgeons to show a patient exactly what that new nose will look like. With a penlike "mouse,' Mr. Giles can create and change the color, perspective and texture of any proposed room. Then he can put the new designs on videotape, complete with detail shots, for the client to consider. "We use all this high-tech equipment,' Mr. Giles says. "But all the real work is done with the brush.' When it comes right down to it, he's more Michelangelo than Macintosh: Every room he decorates is painted by hand. Mr. Giles, 43, got his start as a theatrical set designer. For years, the Alabama native and University of Texas graduate was a scenic artist with Dallas Stage Scenery, which paints the Dallas Opera's backdrops. But in 1982 he and his wife, Patricia Siegfreid-Giles -- who also has a background in theater -- were asked to do a faux-marbleizing job in a home. The project grew to include most of the home, and the Gileses eventually spent two years redoing the place. By 1986, Jer Giles Artworks had become a full-time business for the couple, and they now have done scores of rooms. Most of their new business comes from friends and associates of previous clients, but they also donate projects for the Dallas Symphony Showhouses. Though a few of their clients own more modest homes, most are in the range of $2 million and higher. One of their favorite projects was for a major DSO patron. For this client, the Gileses created a "mini-Mort,' like a private box at the symphony hall, in which to enjoy music. It features faux limestone, stained glass and a stunning Dallas skyline. Another client, described as "a Doctor Who freak,' got a pool cabana designed to look like a "Tardis.' (It may resemble a phone booth, but as all Whovians know, the Tardis is a cosmic travel device.) Mr. Giles makes all his own paints, as depth of color is one of his hallmarks. He estimates it takes two weeks to paint an average room -- and he welcomes input from his clients. As for their own house, located in Lancaster's historic district, it's on the way to becoming a Jer Giles showpiece -- but slowly. Says the artist's wife: "You've heard of the cobbler's children?' |
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Copyright, 2005, Dallas Morning News. All Rights Reserved. |