As a boy, Victor DeLor always loved art class. When family
and friends who noticed his artistic talents urged him to develop his knack for
the brush and easel, little did they know that DeLor's creative skills would go
far beyond a framed canvas. Growing up in the shadows of the world's most famous
and largest motion picture studios, DeLor was fascinated by the movie business.
In 1962, DeLor headed for 20th Century Fox Studios and began his career as an
apprentice painter. In addition to learning the basics of interior and exterior
painting, DeLor had the opportunity to work with many well-known European
craftsmen in the business. Under the direction of these artisans, DeLor tried
his hand at creating painted special effects like aging, weathering, wood
graining and marblizing. The studios hired the very best artists in the
industry to work on their sets and props,says DeLor, who got the chance to
work on everything from huge backdrops and props like World War II bombers to
creating lifelike outdoor scenery from foam rubber and plastic. Realism is the
key in designing movie sets that truly look like a New York City street scene, a
barren dessert, or a Western ghost town,DeLor explains. After several years
working at 20th Century Fox, Paramount Studios, and virtually every other major
studio, DeLor joined the painting professionals at Walt Disney. From that
company's Burbank location, DeLor worked on the famed Cinderella Carousel that
is crafted to look like an antique with hand-painted murals, gilding and
intricate detailing on each horse. That project alone took two years to
complete,DeLor recalls. DeLor also had a hand in many of Disney's best-known
attractions, including Pirates of the Caribbean and the Swiss Family Robinson
Tree House. Most of the materials used on these attractions are not what they
appear to be,says DeLor. For example, specially molded plastics are coated
using various painting techniques to simulate wood or stone. The humid weather
conditions at the Walt Disney property in Orlando is brutal to wood, DeLor
notes. Using these simulated materials greatly minimized repairs and
touch-ups.Special Effects in the Real World In addition to his experience in
the entertainment business, DeLor also had an ongoing interest in doing
residential work for high-profile clients in Beverly Hills, Bel Air and
Brentwood. Between jobs at the studios and before his position at Disney, DeLor
took on some of these special residential projects. I've always loved the
opportunity to work on these kinds of homes, which are among the most
beautifully designed in the country, says DeLor. Today, DeLor spends all of his
time on new construction and renovation in the choice neighborhoods. According
to DeLor, homes there receive many of the same artistic techniques he used at
the movie studios. Most of my clients are in the entertainment industry, so
they tend to be well traveled and have sophisticated tastes,DeLor explains.
My clients have very definite ideas of the kind of mood and look they want for
interior and exterior spaces.
