Artist Sheri Hoeger
Many years ago I heard of The Mad Stencilist and thought that was such a joyful name for a business. I had to look into the company and discovered that it was headed by the wonderfully talented Sheri Hoeger — and to this day, I admire her amazing creativity, professionalism and warm personality. Sheri has been working in the decorative painting industry for over 22 years. Her main focus has been residential interiors and she’s worked on nearly every imaginable surface from walls to floors, fabric, furniture and accessories.
In 1993, she began teaching and launched her pre-cut stencil line as The Mad Stencilist at IDAL. Her husband, Hugh, joined her full-time to run the management and marketing segments of the business in 1998. Shortly thereafter, Say What? Lettering, the first custom self-adhesive stencil masking system available to the decorative painting community, was launched and it now encompasses the Beyond Words Decorative Designs. Sheri has also been an advisor for The Faux Forum since its inception, made numerous television appearances and has also created instructional DVDs for our industry. I’m so happy that we were able to e-chat about her art, hobbies and a bit more about her studio and businesses.
The drapery was painted with an airbrush. The stencil was cut from acetate and used a paint and pull process on the wall.
SH: As my artistic skills evolved, I learned to use many different materials and techniques and have branched out into fine art, painting in acrylic and pastel. I especially love trompe l’oeil murals and capturing the essence of personalities in my animal portraits.
RG: You’re also very well known for your airbrushing…
SH: It’s not something I could have planned. I was introduced to the airbrush when I worked as a manicurist in the early 80’s. A friend showed me the traditional dry brush method of stenciling at about the time that multiple overlay stencils first became available. I loved the soft look of the airbrushing combined with the crisp edge of the stencil and it fascinates me to this day. In 1988, I began making my own stencils to match my clients’ décor and this, combined with airbrushing, became my ‘signature style’. Of course, I still use stencils and airbrush frequently, and enjoy developing new ways of using them.T'loose is Sheri's standard poodle and the dog love of her life. (Pastel)
RG: Do you have other go-to materials you use?
SH: Whenever possible I like to work from my own photographs. I take hundreds of photographs of whatever I happen to come across and file them by subject in my computer. I also love Dover Publications because they publish archives of historic ornament, illustration, old catalogs and other art resources that are copyright free and reasonably priced.
Handpainted using a wet T-shirt. I think this would be the best kind of entry in a Wet T-Shirt contest.
RG: Professionally, who are some of your inspirations?
SH: So many artists have influenced my development! Jan Dressler and Dee Keller were very inspiring, and both were very helpful when I was starting out. Pascal Amblard, Sean Crosby and Jennifer Carrasco are fantastic. William Cochran is incredibly inspiring, both as an artist and a human being. I’ve studied with William and had the chance to work with him on his project The Dreaming in Frederick, MD. It was a double pleasure to work on it along side my son, Ryan.
The landscape was painted with an airbrush using natural foliage as a mask. When grouped together, your eye makes it into a positive. The column was marbled and gilded.
RG: Are there any art books or artist biographies that you recommend for us to read?
SH: Like many artists, I have an addiction to art books. One of the first artists I was really inspired by is Lyn le Grice. Her books The Stenciled House and The Art of Stencilling were instrumental in my falling in love with stenciling, and that was where I first heard about SALI (now IDAL). I love all of books by Graham Rust and they have inspired quite a few of my murals. The Stencilled Home by Helen Morris is really great, and The Art of Faux by Pierre Finklestein. One of the most useful ones I have come across is Perspective Without Pain by Phil Metzger. Carolina D’Ayala Valva’s book on Grottesca is fantastic, and I can’t wait for the release of Pascal Amblard’s upcoming book.
RG: What are some misconceptions about art that you encounter?
SH: The idea that many people have that they “can’t” draw or paint. I think most of those people have been unfortunately convinced of that by insensitive comments, resulting in a fear of trying. I don’t discount that there is a degree of “talent” that gives a person some pre-disposition for success in art, but the most talented artists I know work incredibly hard, devoting countless hours with a persistence that is mind-boggling. I believe that art is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Skills can be learned and perfected with practice and I’ve seen many determined beginners produce incredible work that surprised themselves and their teachers. I believe that being creative is a basic human need, whether it’s in art or math or science or cooking. That’s one of the reasons our business is so satisfying. We help give people the tools and opportunity to be creative beyond their expectations.
Airbrushed using the Renaissance Border from The Mad Stencilist Collection.
RG: Speaking of being “creative beyond expectations”, I’ve heard that you are a musician as well! What are your preferences? Do you play in an actual band?
SH: I love an eclectic array of acoustic music. Hugh and I have had the joy of playing music together for fun and semi-professionally for many years. We play a lot of Bluegrass, Americana and Soft Rock/Folksy stuff. We enjoy harmony singing and Hugh plays guitar, mandolin, bass and a little banjo. I play bass. Favorites are Alison Krauss and Union Station, Chris Thile (now in the Punch Brothers), Chris Stuart and Backcountry, Dan Crary, Laurie Lewis, Nanci Griffith and Tim O’Brien.
RG: That sounds amazing — I love the fact that both you and your husband enjoy performing together. Can’t get any better than that!
In 2002, Sheri and Hugh moved to a two-acre property near Placerville, CA in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, just East of Sacramento. They wanted to keep their business home-based and also have a studio that combined both in a beautiful, spacious setting. Their studio, Big Oak Arts, offers workshops in fine and decorative arts. In addition to Sheri’s classes, they will have Pascal Amblard teaching 3 workshops in September (his first visit to the West Coast) and William Cochran will return to teach his Trompe l’oeil Mastery Series in March 2011. Check out their schedule here. Sheri is also presenting a recent project at the upcoming PDPA Education Summit in Golden, CO. So many great things going on and coming up, no? Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed this interview — and I’d like to thank Sheri for taking the time to e-chat. I do look forward to seeing her studio AND hearing her play. Please be sure to click into all the sites — there’s so much good stuff to see and read about. Have a great weekend!
Linda Banning, the owner of a new Orlando, FL workshop studio, La Murabella, recently introduced me to a few products in the market. One of these was Perfetto Wood Gels. Now, I’ve been using another water-based woodstain system to color and use within glazes to great success. However, that product is not exterior-rated (ask me how I know) and although we love the wood color options, we’ve been searching for another product that would allow us to use them outside with no fear. Enter Perfetto Wood Gels.
The stains are water-based, can be combined with other products such as glazes, are exterior-rated and are comparably priced at about $20 per quart, give or take. We took a leap of faith and used them recently to woodgrain a set of garage doors — a technique we do a lot here in Florida. The color held and although not as strongly tinted as other products on the market (you will use a bit more), they are much more liquid and therefore easier to stir and blend than other products. So for us, it was a great result.
(above) Before ~~~ (below) After
They have an array of 20 colors in addition to 3 metallics (Gold, Silver & Copper) which can be added to the stains as well as a Black Concentrate to deepen the available colors at will. One of my fave colors is Gilded Walnut, which gives a subtle rich sheen to the stain — very nice. You can check out the other colors available here. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Linda at La Murabella. She’ll lead you down the right path. :) Let me know if you’ve used this product and what your results were, if so. Have a wonderful day!
I heard rumblings of the introduction of new Faux Effects products, particularly ones called Luna and Sharkskin Metallics. I read that Luna is a textural product that sparkles and Faux Effects instructor, Caridad Schaeffer, explained to me that Sharkskin Metallics are so named because after application, it’s exactly what the finish feels like. Curiouser and curiouser.
I then received an invitation to attend the Summer In-Faux Update and New Product Launch Party held at one of my fave local studios. The Sarasota School of Faux and Architectural Finishing is run by Donna Phelps, who produces some of the most creative finishes using Faux Effects products. Here’s the deets and to RSVP:
Friday, July 16th – 2:30 pm through 7:30 pm
Sarasota School of Faux and Architectural Finishing
5376 Catalyst Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34233
(888) 454-3289
www.SarasotaFauxFX.com
Although I cannot make the event (’cause you know I would have given you play-by-play coverage), Donna sent over images to share with the Fauxology readers of the materials in action along with the introduction of new metallic foil colors.
Walls and Ceilings
Some moldings too…
…countertops
New Foil Colors (the two-toned Iridium looks very interesting)…
…and finally, one of the display areas. (Does that turquoise cabinet door speak to you? Looks delicious.)
At the party, there will be demos, new technique boards, workshop sample displays and of course, the necessary wine, cheese and chocolate offerings. Hope you can attend and if you do, keep me posted! Be sure you keep checking their studio website for more info on upcoming workshops and information. Hope you enjoyed the images!
The Faux Finish School is a studio I’ve always wanted to travel to and take a class. It is run by Martin Alan Hirsch and one of my fave artisans, Florida-based Krista Vind, has taught at the school for the last five years. A founding member of Sisters Hands, she’s currently teaching the RS-Crete and Rock-Kote course with co-instructor Cindy Everett, featuring finishes for two of the hottest surfaces for finishers today: countertops and floors. Of these products she says, “What is so cool about them is that they have expanded my business so much. In a difficult economy the more types of surfaces you can offer finishes for, the better your chances of making a sale or for upselling.” I thought we’d have a chat with Krista and see what she thinks is coming up in our industry, a bit about her classes and experiences.
Q: Where do you see our industry heading?
A: Right now there is a movement toward online classes, which is great for the industry professional, but I still believe in the hands-on approach to training, especially for beginner to intermediate students. There is nothing like having an instructor give you one-on-one attention, help your technique and give you advice on color and procedure. I know many people are branching out, offering faux finishes for non-traditional surfaces as well as incorporating faux finish materials into canvas art and other things such as patina mirrors. I have been doing quite a bit of those things myself.
Q: What are some of your favorite design styles?
A: I love retro, contemporary, modern and transitional. I have found that designers often don’t visualize faux finishing in some of those types of interiors so it has been very fun and challenging to create finishes that will work with those styles.
Some of the finishes taught in the workshops (Contemporary – top row, RS Crete – 2nd row)
Be sure to click on the pics for a zoom close-up
Q: What inventions make your job easier?
A: The Keurig coffee maker (best invention EVER), my hot tub, the cabinet drying rack from Marti Carroll, U-line plastic bags for lining my paint trays (thanks to Melanie Royals for that trick). I also love my new Dodge truck. After 23 years of driving my beloved Bronco, having a new open bed truck with A/C is a dream! I also really want to purchase a Pro Easy drying cabinet from Steve Wallis. I’m sure this will save me time and stress when making customer samples.
While artisans handpainting murals and trompe l’oeil will never go out of style, digital murals have become quite the rage. One of its leaders is the wonderful Architexture company who introduced TattooWall, digital images transferred onto an interior or exterior space giving an “affresco effect”. Recently, Michael Ybarra, Director of Sales & Marketing, took the time to discuss years vs. days.
Q: There must be resistance by some artists. Is there a misconception about TattooWall?
A: One of the biggest misconceptions about Tattoowall is that it takes work away from muralists and traditional artists. It’s not the taking away of work, but a way of expanding their businesses. Artists can save time by creating their art small, and printing it large with Tattoowall. Generally, a client will hire an artist because they like the particular style of that artist. Since an artist [has] 24 hours in a day, he is limited to what he can physically handle in the time he devotes to his art. Tattoowall allows that artist to handle multiple, detailed projects in a short amount of time. The artist can even work with a chain of stores or restaurants across the country and execute original artwork simultaneously in various locations. They can spend more time on creativity and less time on the physical application, sometimes in awkward positions on ladders or scaffolding.Tattoowall also allows the artist to incorporate their faux finishing skills into and around the mural to create an overall balance of art and style throughout an entire business or residence. This also becomes more cost effective for the client. Another misconception in the market has been that commissioning a mural was not often financially achievable and now Tattoowall makes it more affordable.
Above: Imagery provided by Decorative Imaging
Q: What are some of the newest or innovative products you have in your products?
A: Besides Tattoowall, the Urbantattoo product lets us take the artist’s work many steps further by putting the artwork onto leather, mosaics, glass, aluminum, wood floors, and [other] surfaces. This opens so many opportunities for the artists and designers to get creative, knowing their work can be on virtually any surface.
Q: How do you go about creating new designs?
A: With Tattoowall and UrbanTattoo the creativity comes from the artists and designers. Plus, we have an extensive image library that is constantly growing, which allows new artists to gain more exposure for their work. This adds great diversity to the options that are available to the client.
Q: Where do you see your industry heading in the future?
A: Where many other industries have been assisted by technology, the field of Art often seems to lag behind. As artists and designers know, traditional murals can become very labor intensive. Tattoowall is now a tool that has been provided by technology to make the mural process easier. With Tattoowall, I see traditional artists sharing their creative vision and getting more exposure for their talent, all the while improving the efficiencies in their operations and growing their business.
Architexture offers workshops to teach artisans on the hows of this fascinating option. It’s a 2-day class ranging between $645 – $695 and Michael explains the course: “It includes hands-on application, gilding, glazing and troubleshooting. We cover the history of fresco and Tattoowall, technical explanations and how to work with clients throughout the process. We also discuss Urbantattoo and its many capabilities in the design world. For half of the second day, we coordinate with a local business for an on-site Tattoowall application, giving the students real, hands-on experience outside of the classroom setting. The certification courses are designed to help the artists learn how to take on large projects and grow their businesses.”
Of course, you can also see their video presentation or their step-by-step guide to see if it’s for you. They also have quite a comprehensive FAQ page and you can even order a sample kit to play with. Coincidentally, I met owner Gaia Calcaterra when she was visiting the HD Boutique show. It was a true pleasure to meet her — she’s very charming. Well, I do thank Michael Ybarra for giving us such great information about the exciting Architexture offerings. It’s always great to think outside the box — and, of course, finding out about all the options we can offer our clients.
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!
In my search for new and unusual classes, I came across The Faux Retreat. The retreat was set up in the old European tradition where students live together while under the master’s tutelage. It is meant as both a class setting and a vacation all in one. There are two retreats: Spring and Fall 2009 and both are in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. The Spring Retreat runs from May 4th – 8th and the Fall Retreat starts on September 28th. The Spring instructors are Mindy Harrell and Kathy Carroll along with a nighttime firepit chat (!!!) about photography and maintaining a strong web presence. The Fall instructors are Kathy Wear and Anthony Pinkston — I’m sure they’ll be more to come on that. You can check out some of the class deets here. I like how it’s not limited to just one product line. Plus, there are activities such as afternoon yoga classes and the available use of the private lake. I kid you not, check it out.
Here are some pics I pulled from the Faux Retreat site — they mention that the location is on 170 acres with two lakes and that there is a gourmet kitchen, jacuzzi and cedar sauna on site. Their goal is for students to be recharged both creatively and physically.
What a unique and cool idea, no? I’m eyeing the Fall Retreat — even though I’m definitely not an outdoorsy-type of girl. (They do mention satellite TV, though I have to check on TiVo and of course, Wi-Fi…) The retreat package is $1,895 and it is an all-inclusive week. You can check more of the details here. I believe there are only two spots left for that Spring Retreat…
My brother and I have been talking about the classes we want to take this year. There is always the IDAL convention but as much as we want to learn new finishes, we also want to learn about the business end of this industry. One of the classes that offers this solution is “The Art of Making a Profit: Taking the Guesswork out of Pricing” by Susan Bickford. We already do have a formula for ourselves but it’s always good to remain open-minded about learning new business and finance techniques.
Ms. Bickford has an education in not only the Fine Arts, but in Finance and Economics as well. She took this background and developed an automated estimating system to make pricing easier and more efficient. She called the program The Client Workbook and during the 2-day class, you’ll not only receive a CD with the program — you also receive step-by-step guidance on using it. The program includes job costing, estimating, proposal & invoice forms and ways to estimate overhead and do a break even analysis. She also teaches about business accounting concepts in class. Well, that part doesn’t sound so exciting but you know what does? Consistenly showing a profit. Hard thing to wrap around when you are all about the right brain.
So, this is one of the classes my brother is looking to take — we’ll let you know what we decide. This year, the classes available are all top notch and it’s so hard to make a decision (especially when every class investment penny counts). Either way, you’ll be hearing about our exciting workshop experiences! If you are interested in taking the class or receiving more info, she will be teaching on February 13 & 14 at The Southern Institute of Faux Finishing in Jackson, MS, April 23 & 24 at Prismatic Painting Studio in Cincinnati, OH, June 15 & 16 at The Faux Finish School in Louisville, KY and August 3 & 4 at Faux Assured Studios in Heber City, Utah. The class averages between $525 – $625, depending on location. Maybe we’ll see you at one of them?
Here’s the thing. Every year, I make it a point to travel to different schools to take a few classes, refresh the portfolio and learn all about the Latest & Greatest. (Sometimes, it seems as if the new products are really just another version of an existing product with a very snazzy name. But there are always gems to discover, trust.) This year, I’ve decided to still go ahead and attend a class or two, plus a convention. Call it exercising my consumer confidence.
So, since I’m going to be scouring the nation for workshops to consider, I’ll be posting info on them. I really want to discover some great classes and amazing studios — no matter what the product line. So, I’ll do a bit of both — talk about a class I discovered and studios you may want to bookmark. I will post profiles on schools that also offer beginner courses as well as advanced. (Because — and I hope I don’t come across as presumptuous – even though a Faux 101 class may not be for me, it doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be perfect for a Fauxology reader or two. Alternately, I may talk about a class that would be a fantastic option for a reader who’s been around a few years in this industry.) I’ll also “cover” the class when I do attend it (a la the mirror & glass class I took with Melanie Royals – check out Part One and Part Two.)
If you have some suggestions, by all means leave a comment or e-mail me at Regina@GarayArtisans.com. I’m looking forward to the research (have ya’ll noticed I LOVE research?) and even more excited to attend the chosen classes. Until next time!
