One of the four shelves home to the painting samples in the Artist Studio. When you purchase a chalkware Santa or chalkware rabbit, you expect that each piece be painted to the highest level of detail and be accurate to the others. Because every Vaillancourt chalkware piece is hand painted, it is important for the artists to mimic Judi’s design with careful attention to the details. This is why after Judi first designs a piece the artists will create several samples for them to work from as a guide to her original. These samples are timed (to see how much time it takes the artists to duplicate) and then will be used every time Vaillancourt Folk Art will produce the style. The samples are not put through the aging process so that the artists can accurately match the colors (Judi also creates a recipe card to ensure the correct colors are mixed to match the originals) and because the samples are used year after year they often get worn. As Judi’s design catalog is quickly approaching the 2,500 unique design mark it is awe-inspiring to see the Artist’s Studio where the samples sit dormant until they are needed.
