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!
As promised, here are more pics of Melanie Royals’ studio and shots of some of the samples produced. Can’t wait to go back!
The one on the left is my FAVE room (see the geisha on the door?) and the one on the right has such nice tones.
A work in progress…love the finished border on the left panel.
What a great idea for stairs: a pretty design to see when you go up and soothing alternating colors on the way down. When you get to the bottom, you are greeted by the gorgeous flooring on the right.
Additional mirror images…the last one I made when I got home. Sorry about our studio’s ceiling beams you can see reflected on some of the samples…
I hope you’ve enjoyed the pics and the info. Check Melanie’s website for more info on this workshop and others. Have a great day!
My very favorite studio in my home state of Florida is the Sarasota School of Faux & Architectural Finishing. The school is run by Donna Phelps and she is a fellow Global Moderator on Talk Faux. I can’t say enough good things about Donna — she’s funny, a fantastic teacher and a super genius at producing the most awesome sample boards. Every year brings new and exciting techniques — sooooo glad to have her only 2 hours away. :)
Which brings me to the Fall Faux Fling. Donna is having an Open House at her studio this Saturday (October 11th) from Noon – 5:30 pm. (For address, phone or RSVP info, click here.) She is previewing new classes, new products and new stencils. She’s also having hourly drawings (last time I won some cool products…love that!) and having an inventory sale to make room for all the new materials (see…this is where I get in trouble…). Here’s a peek at some of her new finishes:
Can you say Yummy & Delicious?!? These boards plus many more will be on display and there will be some cool presentations as well. I heard that she also has William Cochran coming in to teach a class…
I’ve been going to Donna’s studio since 2000. I still faithfully try to go at least once per year because I can always count on her to add to my bag of tricks. She’s also a popular teacher at the IDAL conventions and at other faux schools nationwide. I hope you get a chance to check out her studio!
10/18 UPDATE: Another of my faves, Dundean Studios, is having their second Open House of the year next Saturday, October 25th from 9 am – 5:30 pm. Their studio (where I’ve taken many courses, most recently Advanced Woodgraining) is located in Chatham, NJ. Dean is a Salon member and a true master in our field — if you get a chance, don’t miss going to his studio.
Walking into Melanie Royals’ studio is like walking into the faux version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. There is so much eye candy in the two-story space — floors, walls, ceilings, panels, artwork, staircases, furniture, doors…it all flows together and as she gave our group a personal tour, it was mindboggling to note the creativity that flows from her mind. I am a frequent reader of the Design Amour blog and it was cool to see, in person, the pictures I have drooled over in the past year. The studio is still a work-in-progress and it was great to hear her plans for filling up the remaining spaces. I’m so glad she’s in our industry!
Here’s some pics of the studio. (More to come in Part Two.)
Elegant Reflections is a two-day class that focuses on using mirrors and glass as substrates. It covers etching, patination, various forms of gilding and reverse painting. The two days were jam packed – there was a lot of ground to cover. On the first day, we learned about proper preparation and she advised us that the techniques would be a new way of thinking for us: working in the reverse. In fact, she let us know when she first started working with glass & mirrors that she basically threw out all her initial samples. Through her guidance, we started to see what the products do and how they react.
Here’s peeks into the various processes and samples both around the studio and created for the class. Pictured is my classmate, Kersteen Anders, who coincidentally was also with me in the Safra course given in Italy for advanced Venetian Plaster techniques.
I can totally understand the controlled process and how different techniques I use will affect the end result. I love this new direction! Once I receive my samples, I’ll post up Part Two with more pics of the studio and some of the created works so you can see the end results. For years I’ve planned to take a workshop by Melanie Royals — I’m so glad I took this particular one and invested into my business. It’s wonderful to learn many new things (flash gilding, anyone?) AND have found new substrates to add to my services. Please note that if you are interested, the next Elegant Reflections class is February 9 – 10, 2009. I can’t wait to receive my samples and other yummy stuff!
