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! :)
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.
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!
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.
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
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?
