Brush Monkey Design

10/02/2023

Working on the fleur de lis at the Ellis Theater.

10/02/2023

10/02/2023

These are some of the progress photos from the gold design on the balcony front at the Ellis. I learned a LOT on this one. It seems tedious but I LOVE that part of it.

Thank you to everyone that shared their photos with me from the opening and the Dolly show. It has been such a blessing to have all these photos of the project , the people and everything that is happening now. THANK YOU!!

10/01/2023

Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music reclaims, redefines, and reintroduces the true heart and soul of country music.

As country music’s most notable ambassador and culture’s main archetypal crusader, Marty Stuart’s mission is to preserve and propel the authenticity of the culture of country music to future generations.

Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music is the home to the largest private collection of country music artifacts in the world.

Come visit us and be a part of history!

https://www.congressofcountrymusic.org/the-congress/the-story-of-the-congress/

09/29/2023

This beautiful distressed finish on a fireplace surround was in a home that I worked in doing various projects, for about four months. It was a remodel, beautifully designed by Kurt McKeithan at McKeithan Design Studio. The family wisely stayed out of state while the work was being done. About two hours before they were to return home, I was checking the underside of a bookshelf to see which layer (of 6!) I was on. I was standing but bent at the waist with my head upside down and at knee level and looking up at the underside of the shelf. I have very long hair and it was in a ponytail that day. When I bent down and then looked up, my ponytail dipped down about four inches into the can of stain. When I stood back up, my ponytail flipped up and a spray of stain went flying across the room, coming absolute MILLIMETERS from the just-installed-the-day-before-probably-cost-more-than-my-car custom white limestone mantel. I stood there with stain streaming down my back from my ponytail, waiting to see if my heart is going to actually just STOP, realizing the disaster that has just been very narrowly avoided. Remember, I have not seen these clients in months, they have not seen their home in months, and they are going to walk in to it looking like some kind of carpentry shop slasher movie. There were seriously some Dexter vibes. Fortunately, the floor was covered and not one tiny drop hit that fireplace. I bet I got a lot on the angel that was standing in front of it though!

09/27/2023

This stunning dining room space in North Nashville features polished beige Venetian plaster and a custom, layered metallic plaster finish in the coffered ceiling. It really shows how beautiful polished Venetian plaster can be when featured in rooms with great natural light. The combination of light through the windows and polished plaster is a total game changer in adding elegance to a home.

09/22/2023

"The Eternal Love of a Queen Bee" oil on canvas triptych

This set was commissioned by a dear lady as a memorial piece dedicated to her son who passed away way too early. She is now raising his son, her grandson, and looks to be doing a fabulous job and loving every minute of it. It was an honor to be able to do this custom piece for her.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cxf1O8Xu104/?igshid=M2MyMzgzODVlNw==

09/15/2023

Here is a little more information about the center stage piece that was created for the Ellis stage. If you are a fan of country music and it's history, please read through and see how special this piece is. I asked Marty Stuart, who graciously entrusted me with it, to give me the details on the different inlays of wood. This description is exactly as Marty wrote it to me. All emphasis was his, which I thought was especially cool!⁠
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"Left cross....from Herzog studio Cincinnati, Ohio. Hank Williams recorded LOVESICK BLUES, I'M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY, MY BUCKETS GOT A HOLE IN IT among others there. Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs recorded FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREAKDOWN there. Herzog was an early outpost for country recordings well before Nashville became The Country Music Capital of THE WORLD.⁠
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Middle cross...The Ryman Auditorium stage. The Mother Church of Country Music.⁠
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Right cross...From Taylor Hat Works Bristol, Virginia. The site of the 1927 Bristol Sessions. An event known as "THE BIG BANG OF COUNTRY MUSIC." Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family along with others unknowingly started the Country Music industry at these now mythic sessions. This wood was a gift to me from Johnny Cash.⁠
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All other pieces are from Sunset Park "King of all of the Country Music show parks in West Grove, Pennsylvania. Every notable Country Music star from the Twentieth Century has stood on these boards. A gift from Eddie Stubbs."⁠
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I was so honored to be able to work on this piece but so relieved to get it safely out of my hands! It was awesome getting to see it installed in the Ellis stage for many more generations of musicians to stand on.

09/11/2023

One of the biggest reasons I was so honored and excited to be able to work on the Ellis Theater was knowing of the ongoing thrill of seeing such wonderful music made in that space. This one is going to be hard to top. Two weeks ago, the Queen of country music, Dolly Parton did her only concert this year standing with her cute little feet on the center stage piece that I painted. The entire town was turned upside down in the happiest of ways to see her come out to help with the fundraising for the Phase 2 of the Congress of Country Music. She helped raise over $1 million! Covid kept me home for this one and I was sooooo bummed but very thankful to see so many wonderful images captured by so many people in Philadelphia. My friend, Richard, sings backup for her and I was grateful that someone managed to get a shot of all the best elements for me....Dolly, Marty, Richard and the center stage piece, all in one shot! I'm sure the town is STILL buzzing. Thank you, Dolly!!

09/10/2023

Dolly Parton performs a concert at the Ellis Theater to raise funds for Marty Stuart's Congress of Country Music & unveils a mural in Philadelphia, Mississippi.

09/10/2023

ON SALE NOW!!

Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives LIVE at the Ellis Theater Philly in Marty Stuart's Congress of Country Music in beautiful downtown Philadelphia, MS!!

Join us as we welcome home 5-time Grammy winner, Country Music Hall of Fame member and AMA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Marty Stuart and his fabulous band to the Ellis Theater!

Get your tickets NOW!! You don't want to miss out on the party!!
https://www.congressofcountrymusic.org/events/marty-stuart-his-fabulous-superlatives/