I’ve talked about the Faux Retreat before. It’s a whole new take on a European idea — the artisans live together in one house and share the costs of both the instructors and the living expenses. To get more of an idea on this beautiful week of workshops held in the Spring and Fall, please visit their comprehensive site. The next course, the Spring Faux Retreat, will be held the week of May 1 – 5, 2010 in Spooner, Wisconsin. The class instructors will be Dean Sickler and Laine Discepoli, with special mini-classes on Aurastone and business upselling techniques.
(Here’s the artisans from the Fall 2009 Faux Retreat. I heard the bear just kinda showed up but fit right in — even made some great boards!)
The reason for my post? The Faux Retreat founders are searching for a class monitor for the Spring workshop– a “not for monetary position awarded to an artist who has been chosen by a group of instructors and others in the decorative finishing community.” Although not compensated, the artisan will receive the following; lodging, food, class notes and techniques, fellowship with other students and bonus mini classes. I’m on the Retreat Monitor Selection Committee and I think it’s an amazing opportunity for the right person. Think it’s something for you? Click here to read more about the program, duties and fill out the application. The deadline for submission is February 28th. Much luck! :)
Garay Artisans, through our Fauxology blog, would like to wish you and yours a wonderful Holiday Season! Thank you to our clients for an amazingly creative year and to our readers for your continued return and lovely comments.
Enjoy…and we’ll see you soon!
I enjoy working with designers and have a great relationship with those I currently collaborate with. It seems they always have a clear vision of the grand design scheme and usually provide me with strong guidance on finishes and colors. I’m not afraid to admit that our firm has been pushed creatively by designers and we have produced some of our best work because of it. Amazing what happens when you expand and step out of your comfort zone!
As much as I love the classic design greats (i.e., Tony Duquette, Albert Hadley) and the mega-wattage powerhouses of today (i.e., Kelly Wearstler, Michael Smith), I always like to keep abreast of who are the new up-and-coming designers — I so love fresh designs, new takes and emerging talent.
To wit, House Beautiful had an annual tradition called Next Wave, where they profile the (ahem) “next wave” of designers to watch. The last one was in 2004-2005 (so maybe, not so annual) and they’ve put together a fantastic list yet again! Check out the designers here…and maybe one is near your area? Oh, the possibilities…
Just a recap — Nibblers are bits of info all rolled up inside one crunchy candy post. [Long-time readers, that info is for the Newbies. Sorta like the "Previously on The Good Wife" and then they go into last week's montage? That was my montage. OK, onward and clearly not upward...] At the time of this posting, we will probably be en route to Tallahassee, FL for a few weeks to work on a beautiful restaurant set to open soon. I will try to blog as much as I can. In the meantime, we’ll always have this post, won’t we? Let’s hit the ground running…
1) Kass Wilson, author and fellow TalkFaux moderator is holding a free webinar for decorative painters entitled “Creating Visual Marketing Tools”. Here’s her description: “The webinar will show you innovative ways to create your own visual marketing tools to help your business. We will also be discussing interesting ways you can use your new tools to capture the attention of your potential clients.” Kass always has great ideas for artists to market themselves. The live webinar is free and it happens Wednesday, November 4th from 9 pm – 10:30 pm, EST. To register, click on this link — you’ll be sent a confirmation via e-mail and you are ready to go. BTW, Kass also has a blog, Design Visions, that you can check out.
2) Speaking of blogs, Yours Truly wrote an article on them for the Fall issue of The Faux Finisher. You can check out the article PDF here: So You’d Like to Start a Blog or if you’d prefer to see the entire issue, you can e-mail me at Regina@GarayArtisans.com and I’ll make sure to get one to you. [But remember I'm going to be out of town for a few weeks, k?] Rebecca Parsons also wrote a great article on blogging in the same issue but, unfortunately, I don’t have that PDF. Hope you get a chance to read both of them!
3) Laser Excel is having a contest revolving around the free stencils they give out at tradeshows, that are found at Stencil Cafe or that come with each issue of Artisphere, IDAL’s magazine. They are looking for the most outstanding projects done with these stencils and the submission deadline is November 23rd. For more info and to upload your pics, you’ll need to to to their Stencils at Laser Excel Facebook page…and note that they will be judged solely on Creativity and Overall Design, so slipping them a twenty won’t work. Good Luck!
4) Finally, I actually came upon the only picture I have of my first project ever, 1998. It was a guest bath whose walls were painted light blue and I used the existing paint to add the same light blue to the ceiling. Then, I added a picket fence and birds, via stencils, all along the walls. [BTW, I do recall saying a few choice words at getting that stencil behind the toilet perfectly. That was the first time I thought "Well, this isn't as glamorous as I thought it would be!"] I painted clouds on the ceiling but you can’t see those, thankfully. I remember that I was so excited that someone wanted me to paint their home that I asked her if I could keep the stencils as payment after she bought them. (shaking head, smiling) Ah, young lunacy love!
You know, it just hit me that I created an indoor outhouse. Hmmm. Let’s never speak of this again…
While we were down in Miami, my brother wanted to take his first-time visit to Vizcaya. He had read my post, heard the stories, perused the book and he was ready. (A true artisan to the core.) So off we went with the team the day after HD Boutique ended.
As you may or may not know, my brother is an avid photographer. Of course, I literally lost him within the first five (5) minutes and I came upon him hours later in a strange position trying to catch the gardens and the light perfectly. (I was like “Dude. Please don’t tell anyone you know me. We never had this conversation. I’m backing up now.”)
Although the interiors cannot be photographed, I did manage to take some more pics of the exterior and gardens. But I have a surprise for you later in the post…
So, at this point, my husband and I have wandered into areas we’ve never had the time to explore and we came upon this structure (below).
We walked in and…I stopped in my tracks. An exterior garden structure with this ceiling. (The right from beneath pic is here.)
I know the floor had a beautiful pattern (could have been a mosaic) but I was too enthralled by the mural’s discovery. Oh, I wish you could have been there. The structure had two rooms on either side and the (below) left pic was one of them, with carved plaster walls. On the right is my last pic of the day…so peaceful and wonderful. Looove Vizcaya — I do hope you get a chance to visit.
P.S. True Story: After I saw that ceiling, I literally ran to where my brother was and just stood there with my jaw open, making pointing gestures, unable to speak. He said “Dude. Please don’t tell anyone you know me. We never had this conversation. I’m backing up now.” Sigh…
Chances are, you loved the first Volume of Modello by Design. OK, OK — so I can’t make assumptions about the Fauxology readers just ’cause I loved the first volume — never mind that a couple of our pics were in it. But I’m definitely not on the crazysauce: it was a gorgeous book.
Anyhoo. If the first one rolled around and you thought to yourself “I’m definitely submitting pics for the second one!” — then you better get cracking ’cause the deadline is next Saturday, October 31st. Thankfully, I’m here to light a fire under you. See what I do for you? (LOL – as of the writing of this post, I haven’t gotten around to it either. I once heard that quote “If it wasn’t for the last minute, nothing would get done.” That’ll sum it up for me most of the time.)
You can read all the details in the Modello site on the Call for Entries page. The next edition will be published in early 2010. There will be three outstanding decorative artisans who will be prominently featured and if you are chosen, you will receive a $1,000 Modello credit. If one of your pics is chosen to be a full-page stunner, you will receive a $100 credit. Plus, all the artisans whose work appears in the book will receive a complimentary copy. Everybody wins, just the way I like it.
Click on that link above to get more info but also check out the outlined Book Details and download the Photo Submission Form. I hope to see your work in there! :)
Well, so much for “the goal is this week” (see previous post)! Thankfully, I can now get back to Fauxology and start writing again. :) I thought I would ease back into the posts by sharing something fun my sister, Suzanne, sent to me. Actually, this is what she said:
“I saw this video online and couldn’t resist sending it to you. It’s all about painting and it is FRIGGIN’ AMAZING!!! Holy cow. It’s long but worth the time to see it. Let me know your thoughts. I know you and J could appreciate the HARD work and time and commitment to this project. I personally would have been crying every step of the way.”
(Let me let you in on a little secret about our sibling-operated business. I have to say that our sister is a genius at the behind-the-scenes but definitely NOT the happiest of campers at a working jobsite. That’s more the domain of our brother, Jason, and I. So, her last sentence is most probably true, LOL!) The video is amazing and I’m so happy she sent it — thank you, Suzy! It’s a collaboration between BLU and David Ellis. It was produced by Studio Cromie with music by Roberto Carlos Lange. I do hope you enjoy it — the sheer creativity and (I think) superhuman effort is well worth it. Check out their sites for more cool artistry.
It’s that time again! Little shots of info all packed into one post. :)
1) Ah, I’m really late on this one but I’m playing catch up. I wasn’t able to make it to the IDAL convention this year but thanks to a few bloggers, I was able to at least read up on some good tidings. Lulu Danzig wrote The Hotness at the IDAL 2009 Convention over at LULU painting, Theresa Cheek wrote about her experience on her blog Art’s the Answer and Helen Morris wrote about her “speech outfit” in this great post on her Design Inspiration blog. Keep checking Helen’s blog because she’s writing more about the convention once she sorts out all the pics back in the UK. Next year’s convention will be held in Portland, Oregon. (Woohoo! I get to travel directly across the country.)
2) We have previously featured Nichole Blackburn of Celadon Studios in our Portrait of an Artist series. She is hosting an amazing Summer Fundraiser for her not-for-profit organization, Big Sky Countries. It’s this Saturday, August 8th, in Manhattan Beach, CA and it’s called the Moroccan World Market Benefit. There will be a Moroccan theme, music & wine, light food, art, palm & tarot readings and both a raffle and a silent auction. Does this sound like fun or what? Donations are accepted at the door and you can also mail/use PayPal to send a contribution. Please check out Big Sky Countries — the organization donates large scale murals to children’s facilities around the world.
3) Sherwin-Williams has released their 2010 Paint Trends. Can’t wait to see how everyone else weighs in! BTW, they’ve also added their own iPhone app.
4) We were so happy to attend the premiere party for Jason Champion, a designer featured in the current season of HGTV’s Design Star. While I still have to sit down and watch episodes 2 and 3 (doing so this weekend…nail biter), Jason has blogged about the experiences of taping those particular episodes after they air. Jason e-introduced me to Jen Guerin of JG Color and through spoilers, I see that she has left the show. I am bummed beyond belief — especially since she is a color expert and a champion for decorative painting. I may get mad after watching those episodes, me thinks. The show airs a fresh episode every Sunday at 10/9c.
5) I know a few designers read this blog, so I just wanted to say that Contract Magazine is looking for entries for the 2010 Interior Design Awards. I hope you are inspired to enter!
6) Finally (and I know I have shamelessly left this for last), the July/August issue of Tampa Bay Magazine ran an article on Asheville hotels and the Grand Bohemian was featured. In fact, a beautiful big picture of our ballroom is in there. Yay! Please check it out if you get a chance!
Well, that’s it! Have a wonderful day and I hope to see you around these parts again soon!
You see, it’s never the environment, never the events of our lives. It’s the meaning we attach to these events. How we interpret them shapes who we are today and who we’ll become tomorrow. (Tony Robbins)
Photography by Jason Rosales
In between all of the Garay Artisans commissions, we have been preparing for the official launch in various venues of a very special service we offer. This year, we’ve already been blessed with several amazing mirror projects and have been working countless hours to hone our craft extensively. Our team has been busy, busy, busy in the studio. Without further ado, today we present to you, our Mirror & Glass Services. (Here’s a few peeks.)
This is decorative painting done on real mirrors, with real patinas and textures. The mirrors can be cleaned just like any other surface. To date, the biggest mirrors we’ve done measured about 5′ x 10′. Although they were heavy (took 4 of us to move each of them, I recall) they were a lot of fun to patinate. A wonderful thing is that we have a nice studio to work in and can ship the commissions worldwide. I hope you take a moment to check out our website’s new area. BTW, our Glass Collection is coming soon!
We will also be in chic South Beach at Booth 2607 for the HD Boutique Show this September 14 – 15 to showcase our lovely mirrors and of course, our faux finishing work. Across the road from our booth (Booth 2611) will be the lovely Melanie Royals with both her Modello and Royal Design Studio lines. We use her designs exclusively for our mirrors — they offer an endless variety of pattern options and are perfect for us. Melanie and I have been gabbing for a bit on the show and we’ll each be blogging about preparing for the event. (Be sure to check out Design Amour for her progress — you know she’ll put something spectacular together!) We’ve come to the decision on using the themes of “Alice in Wonderland” and “Journey Through the Looking Glass” as the inspiration for the Garay Artisans booth. We’ll keep you posted on our progress!
