Recently, Jason Lucas and Anthony Pinkston teamed up to bring professional artisans a complete resource website, Method Finishing. Their motto is “The Nuts and Bolts of Decorative Finishing”. It is a subscription-based website but even if you do not sign up, there are many complimentary resources available. As you enter each of their site’s areas, there is someone telling you exactly what that page contains. I’m not one to like hearing music when I enter a website, but that is a pretty cool feature.
If you go to their Video section, they have 30 second ads and hi-res pictures for each of their Methods (Recipes), which you can choose to purchase individually. An area that is quickly becoming a fave of mine is their Resources. It lists product manufacturers, colors and a resource glossary. (That colors link is a sample page and is an area for subscribers only.) I love how they list all the organizations, forums and online sites available for professional finishers. (I once thought to write a blog post about that but there it is all in one page. Nice!) I do have to say that it warms my heart to see the Fauxology blog listed as a resource under Blogs and Online Publications. (Thanks, fellas!) They also have cool Galleries to gain inspiration from.
The subscription runs $35/month and they have a Professional subscription which runs $105/quarter — namely, $26.25 per month. During the year, there will be roughly 56 finishes sent to each subscriber, so it averages out to about $7.50 per video recipe. The professional subscription actually receives more — about 64 new finishes per year. (Side note: I’m not ashamed to say I needed a calculator for that one. I’m an artist not a mathematician, folks. Ironically, I married a past state champion for Math. How’d that happen?!?) I hope you get a chance to review their site and access further information about the program. They even have a Facebook page. Let me know what you think!
Chances are you are familiar with the book, The House that Faux Built by author and activist Adrienne Van Dooren. It’s one of the must-have books to own in your design library since it showcases the transformation of a 1940’s home with over 500 pictures of beautiful finishes by some of the best artisans of today. However, this is no ordinary decorative painting book – true to it’s title, the proceeds of its sale were going towards raising enough money to build a home in New Orleans, post-Katrina. The beauty of it all? After four years, it has proven a success and the funds to build the home have been raised! Here are some pics from the project, now under construction:
The home will be a sanctuary for a young family with two children and is being built from scratch from the proceeds. During the first week in November, the house will be worked on by various artists who have volunteered their time and resources for this second “House That Faux Built” project. The second phase of this project will be included in a re-printing of the original book and this round will benefit both Habitat for Humanity as well as the SPCA. There are also other good works coming in to play. Rebecca Parsons will be on hand during the two weeks to video the project, the dedication ceremony and the artisans who selflessly are donating their time for a mini-documentary of the process. The entire project will also be professionally photographed and will receive a well-deserved amount of press.
I spoke with Asheville artisan Lyna Dawn, the Chairperson of the project, to get a little more information on this worthy endeavor. There is more information to be had at the Faux House website but here’s some good ways to get involved in this second phase:
1) SPCA (Birdhouse Auction) – The SPCA will have their annual fundraising event on Saturday, November 14th, with a Hooray for Howlywood theme. During the event, there will be a charity auction involving gorgeous birdhouses handpainted by artisans – but hurry, the deadline to send one in is Thursday, October 29th. Send the birdhouses to:
Attention: Dean Howard
Howling for Success Auction
1700 Mardi Gras Boulevard
New Orleans, LA 70114
2) Artisan Volunteers – The second phase will run the first two weeks of November. The first week is geared towards working on the actual Habitat home and both faux finishes and murals will take center stage here. The mural work will be geared towards helping the SPCA and its headquarters. Please note that great rates have been worked out to help with food and lodging costs (including the beautiful Degas House) and most materials will be donated. Jane Drew is the Project Coordinator in New Orleans and you can reach her by e-mailing Jane1478@aol.com or calling her directly at (504) 666-2609.
3) SPCA (Doghouse Challenge) – During the first week of November, doghouses will be built by an artist couple in Monroe, LA and will be painted by the volunteer artisans. These will also be auctioned off at the SPCA shindig, Hooray for Howlywood, and will be spotlighted by their special celebrity host.
4) Sponsorship – Some of the sponsors include Golden Paints, Royal Design Studio, Modern Masters and Jeff Raum Stencils. (Note to Readers: I’ll plug in more sponsors as I find out more about them.) If you’d like information on becoming a sponsor, please contact the Sponsorship Chair for the program, Laine Discepoli via e-mail Laine@misselaineous.net or via phone (513) 533-FAUX.
5) Donations – If you are not able to participate in any of the above but would love to help, please consider donating to the cause. All efforts are truly appreciated.
It’s amazing that such an incredible endeavor has come to fruition. It really is quite heartwarming that faux truly has built a home for a deserving family – and every one of us who owns the book helped make it happen. The original artisans must be so proud – as well as founder, Adrienne Van Dooren! Please tour the Faux House website, consider getting involved and by all means, purchase the book if you have not done so already. There is tons of eye candy, ideas and all for a wonderful cause! There is also a Facebook Fan Page for the originating non-for-profit organization, Artists4Others. Until next time!
Today we continue with our Blog Beat series, wherein we profile bloggers around the World Wide Web. I’m very excited about our special guest today: Ann McGuire of the Color Buzz blog. Actually, Ann founded her company, Beehive Studios, in 1994 and she has since been joined by three other artisans, Michele Coppin, Megan Leblond and Veronique Habermann. Together they have worked with some of the best interior designers, traveled the world and had their work appear in Architectural Digest, Vogue, House Beautiful and Elle Decor, among others. On top of these amazing and deserved accomplishments, Beehive Studios is also color consultant for Valspar and its through their sponsorship that I found their blog, Color Buzz. I thoroughly enjoy Color Buzz since all four designers give amazing color guidance, beautifully researched design subjects plus a unique take on the decorative painting world. Another great feature is their expert color advice available to anyone with a design dilemma via their Ask the Experts. What’s not to love? Ann was gracious enough to answer a few questions for us — so sit back with a nice cup of coffee and let’s visit for a bit…
Q: Tell us a little about you and your blog.
A: Color is a huge part of our work. Sometimes the right color just falls into place; other times it takes hours of study and focus to get them right. But in the end, they have to harmonize. Color is important to so many aspects of life and it makes a huge difference when you get it right. Color Buzz explores various color palettes, color inspiration and painting techniques, and anything else we might be interested in when it comes to home décor and color! Personally, I have two amazing children and a great husband. We live in an old farmhouse in northeast Pennsylvania. I’ve painted since I was very young. I love what I do and having the opportunity to share this with others is absolutely wonderful.
Q: Who are some of your inspirations?
A: We work with some amazing designers like Victoria Hagan and William Sofield. They each bring both elegance and depth to all they do. I also really admire the work of Marietta Gomez because of the way she finds beauty in pairing things together, and also Rose Tarlow who reveals the essential beauty of a space by letting it be. I also really love the work of Dorothy Draper who’s daring imagination brought us iconoclastic designs from the thrilling dining room at the Metropolitan Museum to the sets of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire movies.
Q: What sound would you miss if suddenly unable to hear it?
A: My children’s laughter.
Q: What photo or picture really moves you?
A: Vermeer’s painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring”. It’s beautiful, elegant and a great use of color. I could paint a whole house in the colors from that painting.
Nina Campbell is a London-based designer — and one of the busiest in the world, with celebrities and royals as clients. In addition to her design firm, she also has a collection of home luxuries that include wallpapers, fabrics and even home fragrances. In a Veranda article, she describes her style as “voluptuous minimalism”. I actually said “Uhm…voluptuous minimalism?” but after acquiring her Decorating Notebook: Insider Secrets and Decorating Ideas for Your Home (published in 2004) I think I have it. It’s elegant yet simple interiors that have an incredible attention to custom and decorative details. A hand-carved piece of furniture, wall friezes, gilded leather and cornices, beautiful table decorations, striking mirrors…so, a voluptuous hand in the artisan aspects all maintained within a classic, comfortable setting. At least, that’s my take. I’m here all week, folks.
The book is Ms. Campbell’s way, through text by Alexandra Campbell, of sharing her methods and personal process for designing a commissioned space. She delves into color schemes, fabrics and lighting in addition to creating a stunning focal point in every foom. I like that she includes questionnaires and floorplans as well as insights into creating the board sketches (with visuals and swatches) with which designers use to communicate their vision for a room. Here are some of the images in the book, photographed by Jan Baldwin. I did zoom in onto the rooms that had some favorite patterns or decorative painting involved (or could inspire decorative painting, like the marbled columns) but there are plenty of other visuals to enjoy.
I do hope you like this month’s recommendation. (Speaking of the month, where did August go?!?) I hope to see you around these parts again as we welcome September — have a wonderful day!
So, I’ve been going to the library a lot. In one of my jaunts, I found the Fauxology Book-of-the-Month: Paint Alchemy by Annie Sloan. As much as I love how easily we can find paint materials nowadays, I do like the idea of traditional artisans creating their own materials in their studios. They would use the pigments and secret ingredients available to them to make durable paints and gorgeous colors. This book helps artists understand how paints are made — and provides 30 recipes (with visuals) for creating some of the materials we easily take for granted today.
The simplest of recipes: Pigment + Binder = Paint
Annie Sloan, the author, has over 20 books to her credit. She lives and works in Oxford, England. She trained as a painter and headed her own design firm. She also taught decorative painting for a time at London’s Inchbald School of Design. She now works with Chalk Paint, a handmade artisan paint. In this particular book, she goes into the history of pigments, binders (the glue that sticks the pigment to the surface), mixing your own colors and choosing the best materials for your purposes. The recipe section is divided into two sections: small quantities and large quantities. They include interesting formulas for coloured waxes and concrete, textured paint, distemper, limewashes, egg yolk & egg white paint (very interesting), fabric paints and gesso. There’s even more to discover.
The book was published in 2001 and although some of the finished surfaces have become more sophisticated, it seems like the recipes themselves would stand the test of time. I can’t wait to get around to putting some together! I hope you get a chance to view the book — whether by purchase or through your local library. Until tomorrow!
The 24th Annual IDAL Convention is just around the corner! Although I’m not going to be there this year, I am really interested in hearing about the classes, the samples and the camarederie enjoyed by the group — many of my friends are going!
The convention is from July 20 – 25th and this year it is being held in beautiful Memphis, Tennessee. The theme this year is Artistic Rhythms and it usually starts off with a nice Reception and ends with a bang during the Annual Awards Banquet. In between there are loads of classes, demonstrations and an Expo, which is open to the public. Hundreds of artists and vendors travel each year to this important convention. Helen Morris is this year’s Opening Meeting speaker (can’t believe I’m missing that) and the philanthropic mural project benefits the Wings Cancer Foundation. The beautiful and emotional winning design was a triptych submitted by artisan Pam Cobb, who has a heart-tugging relationship with the Wings Foundation.
Due to popular request, this year IDAL has extended late registration to end tomorrow, Wednesday July 8th. So, if you’ve been thinking about it — now’s the time to enroll and book your hotel room. Just in case you can’t make it, a few of the online forums usually hold an online IDAL convention for those who want to follow the goings-on at home. As I find out who is hosting those, I’ll post them here. The first one I was privvy to was started by Karibeth Miller, the IDAL mini Home-Convention page on Facebook. There’s now a little something for everyone!
JULY 9TH UPDATE: OK, I found a few more online sites covering the IDAL convention. The Art Fusion now has a group entitled IDAL Convention 2009 — it’s free to register for Art Fusion and to join the group. Also, my friend Lulu will be attending the convention and covering it in her lovely blog, LULU Painting. Please be sure to check in and read her adventures and all the scuttlebutt. She is such a joyful person so I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading her blog (heck, I do!). If you know of any other blogs and/or online sites covering the event, shoot me a note. Thanks!
I first met Nina Zubkova, Owner of Dimensions International, when my siblings and I took a Faux Event class from Barth White on managing hotel commissions. Since then, we have kept up a nice correspondence. Dimensions International is a lime plaster company whose headquarters are in West Palm Beach, FL. They import plasters from Italy that are naturally VOC-free and their limestone quarries have been selected by UNESCO to supply plasters to be used for restoration purposed worlwide. All of their products, with the exception of their “Venetian”, can be used for interiors and exteriors. Lime products expel moisture while drying, thus eliminating mold and mildew. Nina took the time to answer a few questions and provide some beautiful visuals.
How did Dimensions International come to be?
When I first experienced the ease of lime plaster application, I was hooked. I loved the history, the natural process of the plaster reverting back to a limestone state once dry and the fact that these products are used for restoration of historic sites. I knew right away that I wanted to bring these products to the U.S. market. I showed some sample boards to a stucco company, and they placed an order for plaster for the exterior of a 50,000 sf residence! I realized it was time to get a warehouse, office/studio space and be in business – this was in 2004. Within the first 18 months of being in business, we were shipping product to 40 states and the Caribbean, as well as Moscow. We are now in our 5th year of business and growing strong.
Tell us about your workshops.
I have been fortunate to have been personally taught advanced techniques by European masters which have become the basis for our curriculum. Ours was also the first studio to introduce Tadelakt (Moroccan plaster) and we offer a workshop at our Florida studio once a year as a “specialty advanced” class to its certified artisans. All classes are limited to 7 students, allowing for personal, hands-on training. A few of our students have even landed lucrative projects from showing the sample boards made at our studio. Dimensions offers a complete curriculum of European artistic techniques that will enhance any portfolio.
Here are some samples pics and interior & exterior project photographs.
I’m not exactly sure when I met Jennifer Ferguson online, but I do know that I greatly enjoy our correspondences. I first knew of her years ago when she was a frequent guest of The Carol Duvall Show — she taught how to do these pretty filing cabinets. I’ve since been a fan of her work and thought that I would profile her studio and stencil lines. She also has a few books out with clever titles such as Trashformations: Painted Treasures from Salvaged Stuff and Painted Whimsies.
The Artistic Painting Studio is located in Fresno, CA. Jennifer teaches her workshops using the Faux Effects product line and limits her classes to six students to make sure she has quality time with each student. About her school she says, “I teach everything from basic beginner to advanced techniques in all areas of decorative finishing. Classes include faux finishing and plaster techniques for any surface — some finishes incorporate the art of stenciling but not all.” She has two stencil lines: The Stencilled Garden and The Black & White Collection. Here are a few pictures from her gallery:
Q: Do you have a favorite class?
A: My favorite new classes are the cabinetry and modern/contemporary finishes. We have online samples for each class offered.
Q: How do you go about creating a new stencil line?
A: I’m always drawing down my own ideas or if I see something that inspires me. From this collection of ideas, I start creating line drawings of different designs and sometimes even hand cut stencils to make sure I like the results before sending them to the laser cutter. The last collection I created was called the “Black & White†collection which are all single overlay designs cut in 10mil mylar for the purpose of plasters and heavier based materials. I have many more ideas in my files – I’m hoping to introduce new designs by the end of 2009. (pics following are from the Black & White Collection)
Q: Do you have any favorite websites, blogs and/or message forums?
A: I don’t spend too much time on the Internet – just not enough hours in the day! When I have a moment, I always check out Muralsplus and The Atrium Online. Anyone can go to Muralsplus but you do have to be an IDAL member to belong to Atrium Online – both sites are very informative and comfortable for me. I know many of the community on both sites. I also love to surf for blog sites – I usually start with your site and then just wonder from there, going from one to another.
The above are some of the class sample boards. I do hope you take a moment to look over the Artistic Painting Studio. This month she is also having specials with different stencil designs, so I hope you can take advantage of the offers – savings are savings!
BONUS: Mention “Fauxology” when you purchase a stencil or a studio class and receive an additional 5% off your purchase.
Cool, huh? Thank you, Jennifer! Jennifer also writes a cool newsletter with how-to’s and faux industry updates — sign up on the home page but feel free to check out the newsletter archives. Please be sure to click here to see her class offerings and schedule. She will also be teaching Urban Loft and Artistic Cabinetry at the IDAL Convention in Memphis, TN – it’s her 15th year teaching at the convention. I’m glad we had the opportunity to interview her — hope you enjoyed our brief talk and that you take advantage of the extra savings offered this month! We’ll talk soon!
I think there are few products that can transcend design styles like Venetian Plaster – they can either be distressed, adobe-like or even smooth and sleek for contemporary styles. One of the best suppliers in the country for lime-based products is located in Seattle: Stucco Italiano. I thought I would take a moment to speak to owner Aaron Cohen and get his thoughts on this most versatile of materials.
Aaron: “About 25 years ago, before I moved to Seattle, I remember seeing this really shiny stuff a couple of guys were applying in the entry of a brownstone in Brooklyn. I was on a paint job and that was my first exposure to Venetian Plaster. I think these guys were getting something like $35 per square foot – they were flown in from Italy – and it was very exotic. Everyone was oohing and aahing.” He continues, “Jump forward 25 years. Now, you can buy a reasonable rendition of that shiny stuff at Home Depot. We, however, import lime plasters, shiny and otherwise, from a manufacturer in Italy. You should see the manufacturer’s face when he sees all the distressed finishes we do with his materials – he really can’t believe all the crazy stuff we Americans do with their materials. He’s somewhat horrified I think. It must have something to do with the fact there is so much old world look in their part of the world already. It doesn’t look fancy there, it just looks old and in disrepair.”
Q: What’s hot in plasters?
A: For us, Lime exteriors. Tadelakt showers. Low-sheen interior “Intonachino” lime finishes throughout homes and businesses as an alternative to gypsum and clay based materials. From a design perspective it seems that simpler contemporary finishes are becoming more in demand. I think the distressed look may have peaked a few years ago, though we still teach it and produce it when it’s desired.
Q: Intonachino? Is that a new product?
A: Intonachino is a uniformly rough lime plaster with slight variations in color. It is intended for either interior or exterior surfaces. It is highly breathable, naturally mildew resistant and has an excellent drying capacity.
Q: Why do you prefer lime plasters?
A: Lime plasters are naturally green. Their manufacture is carbon neutral and they contribute to a healthy interior environment. We’ve really been reaching out to the more traditional installers to show them the benefits of working with a lime-based material instead of acrylic or cementitious ones.
Here are some more pics, all courtesy of Stucco Italiano:
Mmmm, that tangerine plaster sample is definitely one of my faves. Aaron shared that they used to do installations but now focus solely on supply and training. Their core customers tend to be paint, plaster and stucco contractors, as well as decorative finishers. However, if you are a DIYer – they do have a one-day course called PIY: Plaster-It-Yourself. I regularly read their blog and follow their exploits on Twitter. One of my very favorite posts on their blog was Fact of Fiction: Five Things You’ve Probably Heard About Venetian Plaster. I hope you get a chance to peruse their informative and recently updated website, Stucco Italiano. Maybe you might even stumble onto their plastering videos. It’s a good site to get lost in. Below, you’ll find a wall in progress and a company pic. I hope you’ve enjoyed our latest Faux-cus on the Pros!
Full Link: www.stuccoitalianoinc.com
There I was reading up on my blogs and I discovered something brand new from the Victoria Larsen stencil company. What do I do? I gotta blog about it!
Ms. Larsen has created new layout patterns so that both decorative artisans and hobbyists can create those gorgeous raised plaster molding ceilings most of us love. It’s the type of detail found in stately mansions — ornate framework around the ceiling, intricate panels or beautiful medallions around a ceiling light fixture. This type of work (from the Thomas Gannon book, Newport Mansions – The Gilded Age):
OK, so some most of us don’t have homes like that, but let’s say you come upon a blah rectangular ceiling. Could be that you’d like to do something akin to that but simpler and still Wow! Maybe this:
Here’s what you do: take the above layout and use the three molds it takes: Wall Frame, Floral Arch and the Delicate Flower. Then using the instructions on how to cast the plaster, take the finished cast plaster designs and attach them to the ceiling. The materials (she estimates the cast material, Plaster of Paris, to cost about $15) comes out to approximately $73 + s&h. Elbow grease not included.
She is going to be adding more free layout patterns soon (keep checking Victoria’s blog, Decorating with Class) so that you can use to spruce up any ceiling or wall. You can, of course, do your preffered type of decorative painting on the cast plaster before or after the installation — or just leave it white. (Though I would prime and paint it white for longetivity.) Here are some of her client’s finished projects.
BTW, if you want a look at some of the country’s most detailed and traditional surfaces done, you need to see the work of The Master of Plaster (as my local hometown paper, The Orlando Sentinel, called him). Joshua & Co. offers sublime work and can create designs from any time period. The company also helps restore the gorgeous plaster works of some the houses (castles, really) for the Newport Historical Society, including Rosecliff — which is the home first pictured at the top. I hope you’ve enjoyed this!
