A Master Of Plaster

By B.C. MANION The Tampa Tribune Published: Jun 24, 2006 APOLLO BEACH - Enchanted by the Venetian plaster walls of the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Jo Ann Phillips wanted the same look in her 5,900-square-foot home on Symphony Beach Lane. She hired someone, but the result was less than enchanting. That's when she called Dr. Doodle, aka Ron Hutchinson. Phillips wanted authentic Venetian plaster, Hutchinson says, and that's what he and his crew applied. "You couldn't ask for any better," Phillips says. "It looks just like Vegas. I'm thrilled." Throughout much of the house, Hutchinson coated the walls in caramel; one room upstairs is done in purplish-pink. "He matched the color to a bedspread that I had bought for my granddaughter in Miami," Phillips says. She's pleased by Hutchinson's attention to detail and creative ideas. Next, she plans to have him do some stenciling and murals.

- JIM REED / Tribune This wall has been decorated with Venetian plaster, an old-world wall finishing technique.

Venetian plaster, also known as stucco Italico, is imported from Italy, Hutchinson says. The plaster he uses contains marble from the Carrero mines of Italy. Venetian plaster dries hard and can have a marblelike finish or can be left raw to look like adobe. It can be applied to nearly any surface.

Skills Polished In Venice

Hutchinson, a former commercial artist who paints murals, fell in love with Venetian plaster 15 years ago, when he saw a church being renovated in Germany. He rubbed the wall and it felt like marble. He asked what it was, and the workman told him it was plaster.

When he started Dr. Doodle, Hutchinson decided he wanted to do that kind of plaster work, but it took him more than a year of trying plaster products to find one that would give him the same effect. Meanwhile, he kept learning more about the technique - even traveling to a Venice plaster factory to hone his craft.

Kingfisher Development, a custom builder in south Tampa, uses Hutchinson's company for all kinds of jobs.

"We've had him do everything from marbleizing columns to faux-finishing entertainment centers," says Liz Hoffmeister, one of the company's owners.

"We have so many customers who are sick of wood garage doors," she says.

Her company installs metal doors and has Hutchinson's company faux paint them to look like wood. The metal doors are more durable, she says.

"Our clients are a lot happier."

Hoffmeister was so satisfied with Hutchinson's work that she hired him to do Venetian plaster work in her family's master bathroom.

"It really came out neat," she says. "It's a very rich look. It's a shade between yellow and cream. It's elegant and rustic, together."

Venetian plaster is paper-thin, comes in virtually any color and can be smooth or coarse. After it's applied, it's cool to the touch, Hutchinson says.

Craftsmanship Makes A Difference

Getting good results requires quality materials, proper preparation and competent craftsmanship, Hutchinson says.

"The authentic Venetian plaster, Marmorino, is lime putty, minerals and a minimum of 43 percent marble powder," says Hutchinson, who uses only plaster products made in Italy. He says he doesn't use synthetic materials, like those sold at home-improvement centers, because they don't achieve the same results.

There's no substitute for thoroughly prepping the surface, Hutchinson adds.

"If it's concrete, you check the pH balance. If it's stucco, you want to ask about the cure time. If it's paint, is it oil- or water-based?"

Proper application is essential, too.

"You always start in the upper left-hand corner,"' says Hutchinson as he works on a wall in Phillips' home. "You always work into your plaster. You can never let a line dry. It's not very forgiving once it begins to lock up."

Hutchinson has been working with Venetian plaster for about eight years, honing his craft through classes locally and abroad.

"People are asking for Venetian plaster now. No one was asking for Venetian plaster eight years ago," Hutchinson says.

Most customers want it in their dining rooms, grand entries, master bathrooms and stairways, he says.

Besides doing residential work, Hutchinson has commercial clients, including the Tampa restaurants Maggiano's Little Italy and Timpano Chophouse & Martini Bar.

Hutchinson's charges are based on the square footage of the project and the complexity. Larger projects get a price break, he says. Customized projects, which include embossing, stenciling or metallic treatments, cost more.

Hutchinson has built his resume in the area doing wall murals. One themed around the history of flight decorates Tampa International Airport's Airside E. Smaller murals can be ordered from his Web site; they are done on canvas for installation by the homeowner.

For information on Hutchinson's work, call (813) 886-6684 or go to www.drdoodle.com.

Contact B.C. Manion at bmanion@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7150.