Seven years ago, at age 53, former sales and communications
consultant
Jesse
Lance left the pencil-pushing world behind him and launched
himself into a business that was more satisfying to his soul.
Lance spun his passion for wood into a business called A. Marreed &
D. Prestman Distressed Pine Flooring Inc. (the "a married and
depressed man" names are a whimsical reference to the woes of domestic
life). His one-man operation (pineflooring.ca) specializes in
installing handcrafted wide red-pine planks, which can withstand the
scuffs and scratches from kids and dogs better than typical hardwood.
Now, the 60-year-old resident of rural Ottawa has taken the idea up
a creative notch with a new initiative that combines art with decor,
and takes it down to the floor.
Trademarked as Canadiana ArtFloor (artfloor.ca), Lance's
proprietary process isn't about taking existing artwork off walls.
Currently working with six Ontario artists, he has created what
function as "art rugs" but show as visually stunning modern works set
onto a 1.5-metre-by-3-metre standard-sized solid board.
Lance's system goes something like this. He gives a visual artist
the solid wood panel covered with 16-ounce duck canvas used on canoes
and two coats of gesso, a hard and fast-drying primer, which creates a
sturdy surface for the brush strokes of paint. Once the finished
painting is returned to him, Lance adds his craftsman's signature to
it. He applies seven coats of aluminium-oxide resin to it, which is
"four times harder" than what's used on hardwood floors - and happens
to be waterproof too. The "transformation" can also include sanding,
to remove any blemishes, and glazing and tinting to tone down any loud
colours, give the piece an "antique" feel and make it look "more like
a da Vinci painting," says Lance. When attached to a solid-wood
backer-board and frame, the ArtFloor is "virtually indestructible."
Sure you can walk on it. But it's more something to gaze upon and
serve as a conversation piece wherever it's situated.
"When people come into a room and see this on the floor, they can't
help but say something about it," says Lance.
ArtFloor can be inlaid within an existing or new floor. However,
its intended purpose is to be placed onto an existing floor, ideally
under a glass-top coffee table. Since it's portable and at 135 pounds
(61 kilograms) relatively easy to move, the ArtFloor can follow you
wherever you go - whether it's to the cottage in the summer or, for a
change in scenery, between two client chairs in front of a desk at the
office.
"You also don't have to worry about whether it will fit on a wall,"
explains Lance.
To date, he has created a collection of 15 unique ArtFloors, which
include colour-burst abstracts and outdoor scenes.
He's also designed three Canadiana ArtTables for ceremonial,
meeting or dining purposes which follow the same technique and essentially gives the ArtFloor
legs in the form of a table.
He offers a RICH (Residential, Institutional, Corporate,
Hospitality) Lease Program, starting at $ 29.00 a month, which is tax
deductible if you run a business, home-based or otherwise. If you
lease-to-purchase, you can deduct the capital cost and depreciation as
office furnishings as well.
* Pricing updated as of today's date.
