House of Faux

August Faux Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:15:00 +0000

Get ready for the rock concert of retreats!
Deb Drager and Sheri Zeman!

Next Faux Retreat August 22 - August 26, 2012
Come join us for 5 spectacular days of learning, sharing and fun!

Included in your retreat stay...

Deb Drager Deb will inspire you to channel your creativity onto the artist’s canvas. Each student will concept/design and create their own distinctly unique canvas(es) in a dimensional-collage-art format with a multitude of mixed media's.

Deb will share many of her unique findings from creating art for 5 Hotels and numerous Commercial spaces. With over 30 years as a graphic designer, she will share her tips to integrate the use of computers and projectors as tools to allow artist’s to mass-produce their own ideas.

Students will be challenged with:

Creativity exercises to stir imaginations

Discovering a genuine style of expression

Designing within smaller boundaries

How to market and sell your art

Deb’s emphasis as an instructor is to encourage CREATIVITY with using materials &products you have in your studio...learn to use up “leftovers”, mix & match and make do!!

“It’s not so much at this point on WHAT products we use, it’s trusting your instincts, enjoying the process, opening yourselves up for experimentation in HOWto use up what you have already.”....Purge...Merge... & SPLURGE in creativity!

www.artformsbyd2.com

Sheri Zeman, Sheri is a legend in the decorative painting world, known for her cutting edge and unique finishes, you are sure to impress potential clients with her creations. Sheri is also one of the largest Faux Effects distributors, has her own stencil line and owns Faux Design Studio and store in Chicago.

Sheri makes strides in the field by respecting traditional finishes while defining a road map to faux’s future. She continues to challenge her skills by combining her product and design knowledge.

For this retreat Sheri has put together her "Best of the Best". These are her most popular and top selling finishes from her most requested classes. Sheri will teach a variety of techniques and effects using Faux Effects line of professional products. Two of the finishes are currently being installed in the RitzCarlton Showcase event in Chicago!

www.fauxdesignstudio.com

Also included in the retreat price.
*Lodging
*Meals
*Product demos
*Product samples to take home.
*Play with product.
*Working with reactives
*Free blog set up.
*Cutting Edge Stencil
*Business and marketing
*Portfolio making - WOW potential clients!
*Flirty Girl Dance
*Massage (extra charge)

All the retreats are as unique as the classes and the people who attend. After your daily classes you will enjoy sumptuous meals, s'mores around the campfire, Zumba or Salsa dancing, massage or sip wine by the fireplace. . If you prefer some alone time you can go fishing or go for a hike around the lake. Canoeing, boating, fishing, hot tub, sauna, Wii are also available.

Watch for our upcoming contest May 1 on Pinterest!

www.fauxretreat.com
218-940-3095

Some samples of Deb and Shari's finishes. Photos shown may not necessarily be finishes taught at retreat.

Just some of the things said about these instructors....

Just wanted to say thank you, again. You are such a joy to be around and a real inspiration. My mind is so full with thoughts and ideas since your class. Which has only been one, whole day. I can hardly sleep.

Deb, thank you so much for coming to Cinci to do your class. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of it. I really feel like this is the direction I want to go with my creativity. This is going to give me such an outlet to create. Like I said my head is "so full", it's spinning. You really are like an energy tab...WOW!

-Kathy

thank you so much for everything...I feel like I've had new life breathed into me.

- Shelby

First of all, I feel as though it was a great privilege to be able to take a class from you. I feel you are truly inspirational both as an artist and as a person.

Like most people, life has dealt me many unexpected blows as well. When I would fall down as a child, my mother always said "pick yourself up and clean yourself off, you will be fine!" I find those words echoing through my head and they motivate me to do just that! I can honestly say that you put your heart

and soul into your work and I feel that is also reflected in your teaching style.

-Leanne

Can't say enough about your class,... and of course I am taking Class 2. I feel you are a true kindred spirit... your work is what I have been wanting to do for soooo long.... now I know what to do with all my CANDY I have stored up for years. Thank you for the motivation I needed to move forward to what I truly have been seeing for years and have never had time or motivation to do by myself!

-Laura

Deb,

It was such a pleasure meeting you and working with you in the classroom. I feel as though I will use the info learned for a lifetime of canvas projects. I seriously would like to step up my canvas painting game and start making money doing it! I will definitely try to take the class in October.

-Sheri

Hello Deb,

What a nice slide show you put together to summarize the class! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the class!!!! I haven't taken a class in about 1 1/2 years and it was a much needed jump start! Your are so creative and talented, and your energy is so contagious and inspiring! -Kelly

Deb, from the bottom of my heart THANKYOU. Thank you for sharing your art. Thank you for wearing your heart on your sleeve. And thank you for inspiring this 24 year old to want to touch peoples lives like you have touched mine. I hope I can make part 2 of the class.. And I Am excited to start working on my dreams of creating a better world. Hope to keep in touch. And thank you again. -Tedi

Deb,you have given me SUCH a gift! Thank you so much. Your talent, your creativity, your LOVE for what you are doing - it all just pours out of you. I feel like a new door has truly been placed in front of me. -Lee

ONE

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:49:00 +0000

This is a special dream project for Elena Makievsky, her family and her extended families and all the artists in the universe. ...

Elena along with her dear friend and partner in this vision Diane Corso, are inviting all artists of every type and creative level to be part of a fabulous experience using your talents to help celebrate SPECIAL OLYMPICS through a global canvas, created by pieces sent in from all of you who will participate!!!!

The theme for this project is: "A Painting of One."

Elena's desire for artists involved in this project, is to create a painting that is of their own interpretation expressing...

"ONENESS"

of any particular scenario, idea, emotion, thought, dream, vision, etc...

Painting on canvas can take a multitude of different forms, but more often than not, it is the work of an individual artist.

Elena says "The project that I have decided to embark upon is one that will bring artists, regardless of skill level, together to manifest a piece of artwork in a collective effort."

Very little requirements:

1. The minimum required size the canvas is 12 x 16 and beyond that there is no limit the size.

2. All paintings will be sent to an address, and as forementioned at the end of the year these paintings will be pieced into a single painting.

3 .I understand that we all have different financial circumstances and that there might be those who would like to participate but are not able to supply funds to ship nationally or internationally; to combat this obstacle:

I have created a sponsorship program. This program will allow artists involved in the project to donate necessary shipping costs to other artists who may not be able to afford the costs via paypal.

At the end of 2012, Elena will be assembling all artwork that has been submitted and creating a collage to auction off at a fundraiser for the Special Olympics.

Please send submissions to: 5019 Gunnersun,Roswell.Ga.30075
c/o "ONE"

*** If you are interested in sponsoring an artist please contact for more details. Elena and sister Diane Corso will have a spreadsheet periodically for new entries as it will be updated daily.

If you have any questions and or ideas in ways that this project can be expanded or improved :

please email me at paintingofone@gmail.com .

Thank you for your interest in this project and look forward to the creativity that this will inspire as well as the end benefit for those with special need. .

To be a part of this ongoing process, please join the ONE Facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/206067802826054/

Darrell Morrison

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 01:57:00 +0000

About Darrell	I love to plaster and be with family. I am a massive movie buff and love video games. My credo is determination and success

The above "About Darrell" is what you will find under info on Darrell's Facebook page. What Darrell is about, is really so much more.

Turning Ordinary Walls into Masterpieces

Master Finisher, Darrell Morrison was first introduced to plaster finishing’s in 2000 during a painting and plastering apprenticeship for Decorative Visual Effects in Phoenix, Arizona. He was immediately taken with plaster’s artful quality and endless creative potential. In that moment, he found his passion.

Fast-forward ten years and over 250 masterpieces later. From luxury, multi-million dollar penthouses to retail outlets and doctor’s offices, Morrison’s artistry can be seen throughout the Lower Mainland. Certified in Italian stucco application, he guarantees that he and his team of highly skilled artisans will always “do it right the first time.”

“Italian Villa Charm” – Intonachino

Each of Morrison’s exquisite Venetian plaster treatments are applied by hand and are one of a kind. He thrives on collaborating with his clients and considers himself the creative catalyst to their design vision.

Creating businesses since he was 14, Morrison attributes his entrepreneurial success to good old-fashioned customer service. Quality, communication and relationship are his credo – no job is complete until both he and his client are 100% happy with the finished product.

Darrell has an infectious personality that makes his jobs look fun. You can't wait to see what he creates next.

Darrell resides with his wife Janelle and daughter Temprance in Vancouver, British Columbia.

WHAT MAKES A BEAUTIFUL PLASTER COME TO LIFE ISN'T JUST THE SHEEN OR THE COLOUR, IT'S THE ABILITY TO INCORPORATE A CLIENTS VISION INTO A PIECE OF ART THAT WILL LAST A LIFE TIME AND BEYOND - DARRELL MORRISON

http://darrellmorrison.com

Stunning Interiors

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 12:56:00 +0000

Stunning interiors that leave you speechless.

The Byzantine golden decorations, mosaics, and frescoes embellish the interior of the historical St. Michael's Monastery in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Built in the 11th century by Sviatopolk II, the supreme ruler of the Kievan Rus, the complex comprises the Cathedral itself, the refectory and the monastery's bell tower. Despite the fact that the exterior of the church has been rebuilt several times, the interior has kept its original Byzantine style.

The Vatican Museums originated as a group of sculptures collected by Pope Julius II (1503-1513) and placed in what today is the Cortile Ottagono within the museum complex. The popes were among the first sovereigns who opened the art collections of their palaces to the public thus promoting knowledge of art history and culture. As seen today, the Vatican Museums are a complex of different pontifical museums and galleries that began under the patronage of the popes Clement XIV (1769-1774) and Pius VI (1775-1799).

Grand and colourful is the interior of the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Canada. The first parish church was built on the site in 1672 and then rebuilt in mid-19th century. Today, the glittering interior of the basilica is one of the most unusual examples of the ecclesiastical architecture. The stain glass windows do not depict biblical scenes, but rather describe the history of Christianity in the city. The basilica is filled with hundreds of intricate wooden carvings, statues, and golden stars decorating the deep blue ceiling of the church.

The Sultanahmet Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque, is the central element of the complex built by Ahmed I (1603-1617) and was completed after the sultan's death in 1617. Its architect is Mehmed Aga (d.1622), whose epithet "Sedefkar" refers to his mastery in mother-of-pearl. The mosque is considered to be the last example of Ottoman classical architecture; Mehmed Aga was an apprentice under Sinan (1450?-1588) and Davud Aga (d.1598), two architects whose works have defined the style of this period.

Chip it

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:02:00 +0000

chip it by sherwin williams & a giveaway winner

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY, 4, 2012 By Shaunna at http://www.perfectlyimperfectblog.com

You know my everlasting addiction to paint, right?

When I found the new Chip It tool by Sherwin Williams, I could hardly wait to show it to you!

It’s a Pinterest based idea of sorts–you add a Chip It! button to your bookmarks, and BAM.

Chip any photo you come across in the www.

I am hopelessly in love.

Sherwin Williams paints are some of my favorites (I love their ProClassic line), and I absolutely love working with my local store…so this extension is pretty fabulous.

I’m noticing the tool mostly picks up base colors in the palette, but if a pop of color is prominent, it will chip that too.

I could spend days & days doing this–plus, like so many great sites out there, it’s going to chip away (get it?!?) at the paint color selecting.

I just had to try a room from my friend, Kate’s, house.

All of your Chip It’s will be saved at the site, like you see right here. You can create boards & your image source will be saved, too. (P.S. that’s where you can find all of my images sources, too–there and on Pinterest.)

Pretty spectacular, right?

Give it a try–my bet is you’ll be completely addicted.

Speaking of spectacular addictions, the Cottage Coastal giveaway winner is #106, Jennyroo, who said, “What a gorgeous website! I love the Sugarboo designs so much, especially the Pink elephant and the ‘My Heart Has Become a Flower’. Just amazing…. thanks for sharing!”

Congratulations, Jenny! Email me at shaunna@harristire.com to claim your Sugarboo pillow!!

Hope you guys have an exceptional weekend–feel free to chip and pin your hearts away.

Shaunna has the delightful blog perfectlyimperfect

iPad 2 for Artists

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:10:00 +0000

I have always been a gadget person. My earliest recollections are as a kid visiting my aunt and uncle in California and being mesmerized by all the gadgety things my uncle had. My latest "gadget" and source of fascination is my iPad 2 and one of my first uses for it was on a recent trip. Shortly after the plane had taken off I promptly activated my fireplace app, propped the iPad on the tray in front of me and took a nap.

What started out as being a new gadget to play with has quickly evolved into "how am I going to implement this into my work". In the short time I have had an iPad I have almost completely transformed it to be used in my work. I would like to share with you how.

The first thing to consider is what type of iPad to buy. After talking with various Apple sales people, I decided that the 16G would be more than sufficient for my needs. Next was deciding between the white and black models. I really wanted a white one, but after some Googling I found out that the black model is actually more ideal for showcasing photos.. The white one will you give the impression that the screen is dimmer, and has less contrast and the content won’t stand out as much and will reflect more light outside.

Portfolio

The iPad makes a great portfolio for your artwork. There are several ways that you can show a potential client, gallery or...including a slideshow, video presentation or many other features that come installed on your iPad. This is a killer way to show your work without hauling along heavy sample boards.

iPads also come with two cameras which I love for taking pictures of a clients home. Or I can switch to video mode to film a tour of a home or business for recalling details later.

Scheduling
iPads come preinstalled with many useful apps and if that is not enough, thousands more are available through the iTunes Apps Store. Some of the more useful preinstalled apps are the Calendar which can be updated once through any of my Apple products and will show up on all my devices. Reminders is a great app for letting me know I better move my butt if I am going to be on time for my appointments.

Make that Sale!

After thoroughly impressing a potential client with your portfolio, you are now ready to write up a quick quote and present them with a proposal. Not only can you do this with your iPad, but you can actually have them sign it right on the screen! Want to take a deposit? One of the coolest apps I have found is Square. Square lets you take credit card payments right off your iPad. They will send you free a little card reader that fits right into your iPad (or iPhone) and you can easily swipe credit cards for payment, wirelessly print out or email receipts.

I mentioned before that there are thousands of apps available for iPads. Here are some of my favorites to incorporate into my business.

Pages Pages is a wonderful word pro processor app that can be used to create, edit and view documents. It also has a cool dictation feature.

Keynote Makes beautiful presentations right on your iPad.

Evernote Capture notes, ideas, screenshots, and voice recordings and even tag

your notes with geo-location information.

Houzz Interior Design Ideas This app allows you to store idea photos locally on the device, making it simple to take the iPad onsite where a connection might not yet be present.

Flipboard Flipboard creates a personalized magazine out of everything being shared with you.

I know there are a lot of other great apps out there. Let me know which ones you use.

Faux Retreat, spring 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:19:00 +0000

2012 Spring Retreat with headliners Bonnie Wakeman and Ron Hansen!

Due to the nature of Bonnie's class, retreat size is limited.

5 day all inclusive retreat May 2 – May 6

Included in your retreat stay...
*Bonnie Wakeman’s spectacular Bas Relief class.
*Ron Hansen, Amazing techniques class
*Canvas Fusion
*Play with product.
*Reactives on canvas class
All retreat students will get their own blog set up.

Food
Lodging
Product samples
Faux challenge – Win awesome prizes.
Goodie bags
ZUMBA!
Massage (extra charge)
Everyone will get a stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils! www.cuttingedgestencils.com
Victoria Larsen stencil for everyone! www.victorialarsen.com

Everyone truly has a wonderful time at the retreats. There is nothing else like them and they are all unique. After your daily classes you will enjoy sumptuous meals, s'mores around the campfire, Zumba or Salsa dancing, massage or sip wine by the fireplace. . If you prefer some alone time you can go fishing or go for a hike around the lake. Canoeing, boating, fishing, hot tub, sauna, Wii are also available.

For more information visit www.FauxRetreat.com

If you are an instructor and are interested in teaching at a future retreat, please fill out the submission form on www.fauxretreat.com

UPDATE

We had an incredible retreat! Such talented instructors and students, it was a very special time.

Concrete Art by Tiffany Klein

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 01:32:00 +0000

When I think of decorative concrete, I think of counter tops and floors with really cool designs on them. Tiffany Klein has made me think of decorative concrete in a brand new way!

Tiffany is the owner of Klein Artistic Finishes located in Lansing, Michigan. She has been mixing products and slapping them on the wall since she was a little girl and first discovered crayons. Tiffany says she used to get in trouble with her mom when she would empty out the ink pens and "stain" a picture with her fingers behind the couch. She has dabbled into every bit of "crafty" venues you can think of from stained glass work, to jewelry making, ceramics, serging clothing and stitching cool designs on things, ink plotting reverse and relief work to experimenting with fiberglass and resins. You name it she has probably tried it!

So what got Tiffany started in the business? Tiffany says, "My mind never shuts off, if I have an idea to do something I figure out how what and why and then I try things until I finally accomplish it.

When I asked Tiffany how she got started with her concrete art pieces, she said; One experiment led to another and my Jezebel was born. Someone made me realize that everyone is so individualized that I wanted to bring that out into an art form, showing how beauty is in the eye of the beholder and in this case, it happens to be women. I think the 20's was such a beautiful era and it seems to get lost in the shuffle of "now a days" that I wanted to bring some of the hat wearing, full gown clothing back, but with a modern twist to it, and I always wanted to dabble in Dress Design... :)"

Tiffany got into working with concrete last year after taking an ICoat decorative concrete counter top class in Chicago. After working on several counter jobs Tiffany started playing around with the ICoat products and using them for decorative art pieces and kitchen accessories, including back splashes and range hoods. Tiffany says her inspiration/creativeness came mostly from a friend who sent her lots of colors in the glass for ICoat. Tiffany says she knew she couldn't use the beautiful red color anywhere particular so she started with the hats for her Painted Ladies collection.

For her Kitchen Creations, hoods and tile art pieces, Tiffany used all the same inspirations, plus she learned some great techniques from some instructors and she then expanded on them using stone for durability and perfected the "carving" technique for the hoods. Tiffany works with a local Kitchen shop to make the wood hood and then she finishes them with her artistic flair. She then adds accent tiles or custom splash pieces to match for behind the stove, which adds to her counter top resurfacing. Tiffany says "All in all I make sure there is "something" I can do in that house so by the time I leave I have the entire project! If you can do anything, then you will do something!"

So how long does it take to complete a work of art? "Depends on what I am doing, usually I spend a good week on any piece... I change things a lot and I rework things I don't like. So being fussy by nature, I allow myself time to do so."

Tiffany is passionate about what she does and says that you have one life here (at least one you can remember) so you are meant to do something special, if art is your passion, then art is what you are made to do. You have to find your nitch in life and once you are comfortable in your own skin doing what you love, then your passion will find you and one day you will wake up and actually WANT to create whatever pops up in your head, and amazingly it will turn out to be something beautiful.

Tiffany's Painted Ladies are currently being displayed and sold at DeRubies Gallery in Key West, Florida.

Updated September 2011

The type of art Tiffany focuses on is Multi-media relief sculptures, that actually is carved concrete stone, in many forms. Tiffany carves what she is thinking then she embellishes with recycled stones, crystals and glass, until she is happy with it. Each piece has a story and each piece is original to its design. She can do custom pieces i.e. a daughter in her wedding gown, a new baby, women from generations, golfing series, jazz pieces, etc… any subject that she can make out an image, she can carve it.

Tiffany's latest project involved creating an art piece to be submitted to Art Prize, an art competition in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tiffany was unsure of what she was going to make until she saw some Civil War paintings, immediately she thought of ”Gone With the Wind”. Still unsure of how she was going to accomplish that, she decided to “wing it” and just do whatever she was thinking at the time, she found a few images of Clark Gable as Rhett Butler and Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara and she went from there. Tiffany has several videos to show the progress made by David Such and his team from Such Video (old town, Lansing)

http://www.kleinsartisticfinishes.com Follow Tiffany on her blog. http://tiffanysfineart.wordpress.com

Bonnie Wakeman

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:27:00 +0000

Add caption

Bonnie Norling Wakeman is a Fine Artist, Illustrator, Muralist and Sculptor. She and her husband Joe, (Joe’s Fauxs), established their business “Norling Wakeman Studios” in the mid 90’s, producing hundreds of murals, bas relief murals, faux finishes and decorative painting in local homes and businesses. They have since expanded across the Rocky Mnt region, and nationally as far as Florida and California. She was chosen to show 6 Portrait murals at a Peace conference in Pari, Italy, has won local print competitions and has received “best artist” awards, along with numerous newspaper and magazine articles.

Bonnie has not only become known for her beautiful Mural Painting and unique Sculptural relief murals, she also receives Fine Art Commissions in Oil, Acrylic, and Bas Relief.

Bas Relief

Her desire to “pass it on” is her main motivation for starting her Bas Relief & Cover Plate Painting Workshops in 2011: “I want artists to know they can expand their creativity and businesses with these fun and rewarding art forms!”

Bonnie has also produced an instructional bas relief video as well as an instructional cover plate painting video. She has also instructed Artists over the years, in Portraiture, Pastel Painting, and Mural Painting.

Bonnie will be teaching at the May 2012 Faux Retreat.

And on her web site:
http://www.transformingwalls.com/

Feel free to contact her with questions or comments at:

studio 970-468-8392
cell 970-470-2370
e-mail address nwstudios@comcast.net

Debbie Hayes

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:41:00 +0000

Debbie Hayes decided at age eight, while sitting in an art class, that she had to be a better artist than Jenny Berg who sat in front of her. The decision stuck, though Debbie never was sure if she was ever better than Jenny!

Debbie attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and graduated with a BA in fine art with a painting concentration. After spending some time as an illustrator for an education company, she discovered the graphics department was more fun so she worked as a graphic artist, art director, creative director for ad agencies, magazines and the local newspaper for many years.

In 2001 Debbie saw a Speigel catalog cover that fascinated her with its color, texture, and lighting. Debbie then tried her hand on her own walls at home While still working fulltime Debbie was hired afterhours and on weekends at the High Point Furniture Market to faux a gigantic showroom, then connected with an interior designer in town and did a huge showhouse. Debbie still had no classes at that point - But if you were to ask popular instructor Barb Skivington, she thought Debbie was nuts but she thought she had guts and potential and Debbie started taking classes from her.

Currently, Debbie is doing work on floors, walls, ceilings, countertops, etc. but her newest adventure is teaching Annie Sloan as a mini-stockist through Barb Skivington, plus new classes for painting and glass.

Debbie has a line of glass art with a custom-designed wall mount at the Furniture Market - check it out on facebook at Dion Hayes Design Studio for P. Chrisley Intl.

Faux Design Studio, Inc.
Blog
Online store

Faux Boot Camp aka Faux Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 23:39:00 +0000

I thought I would take the name that one of the recent Faux Retreat students called the retreat after going home. Faux Boot Camp! Sorry gals and guy! I love finding new instructors, techniques and things that I think would make a good class. Because of this it is hard for me not to want to try to fit everything in. None of the classes are mandatory at the retreat, but who wants to miss out on something?

After several months of planning, setting up, implementing (think camp councilor) and then going home after the retreats end, there is always, for me a sense of sadness. Then comes a few days catching up on sleep, unpacking and figuring out what to do next.

Every retreat is unique and this one was no exception...

The retreat started out with a welcome champagne and canvas class with Lori Franklin. Lori guided students in a French themed class which also included some handmade chocolates from 185Chocolat.

Day two kicked off Donna Phelps 2 day class. Donna taught students some beautiful and original finishes, some using foils and stencils from her personal lines. Many students commented on and appreciated Donna's attention to detail and her vast knowledge of the Faux Effects products she sells and uses.

Donna commented several times on how nice it was for her just to be able to relax and enjoy the setting. She also proved to be an avid fisherman.

Donna also led an evening foil canvas class. It was fun to see what the students came up with using a variety of products, stencils and foils. Lots of talent in this group!

Mave Alft kicked off day 3 and 4 with her fun Vertical Finishes class. Using products donated by Ed Mattingly of Sherwin Williams, Faux by Kathy and Proceed, Mave taught students some easy to execute but stunning finishes.

This class also showed students a nice variety of products that can be obtained through a distributor or through your local paint store.

When I first saw a canvas created by Joyce Nelson using composition ornaments earlier this year, I knew I had to have her teach a class using them. My feeling has always been, the more we as finishers have to offer in techniques and applications, the more sellable we are.

Joyce guided students on how to use the ornaments on a canvas and also brought examples of what she had done using them on a pvc pipe and curtain rod.

Everyone left with beautiful and sellable canvas.

The last day Cindy Feddersen taught a cool range hood and back splash finish using iCoat concrete products. Cindy also led students in using the Metal Illusion product for floors and art pieces.

Cindy spent her non-teaching days assisting all the instructors with their classes.

Evenings were spent playing games, talking, sitting around the campfire and an evening out to What the Heck. A few of the brave participated in morning Zumba dancing and most relaxed one of the evenings with a massage in the art barn.

Feedback after the retreat from students has been wonderful, with even our one very brave guy saying he would do it all again next year.

I am happy to announce that two of our 2012 retreat instructors will be Deb Drager and Bonnie Wakeman. If you have any interest in being a main retreat instructor in 2012 or giving a mini class, please go to http://www.fauxretreat.com/instructor-application

A very special thank you to the generous people who donated and/or discounted product, and prizes and goodies for the retreat.

Faux Effects * Proceed * Bomar Designs * Ed
Mattingly * Victoria Larsen Stencils * Cutting Edge Stencils * Wood Icing * ICoat Decorative Concrete * EmbellaBiz * Faux Assured Studio * Altova Plasters * Safra Plasters * Giani Granite * Earth Pigments * School of Faux & Architectural Finishing * Tobias Stucco * Faux by Kathy * Perfetto * Joyce Nelson (for our aprons)

www.FauxRetreat.com

The Dazzling Deb Drager

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 11:00:00 +0000

The hard part of doing a featured artist spot on Deb Drager, is trying to pick just a handful of pictures from hundreds of photos of her extraordinary work. I have been a huge fan of Deb and her art since the late 90's when I first saw her work in the Faux Finisher Magazine. Deb has always brought a new spark and imagination to her finishes that I have long admired.

Deb says; “I am proud to create unique, quality finishes with the most comprehensive and sophisticated product lines available that are especially selected for low or NO voc’s for long-lasting, earth-friendly results.”

Since 1986, Deborah Drager has had her hands in creative projects from designing on computers to flinging paint... Choreographing artistic details, from award-winning graphic design to interior theme development, D2 specializes in creative environmental decor for commercial spaces to homes.

Deb has a PASSION for sharing her creative talents and goes to great detail to transform surfaces with color, pattern, plaster & pizazz!

Deb has a bfa in graphic design, is a veteran Creative Director, and owner of artFORMS by D2, LLC, providing art services in many scopes of function, fashion and faux. And when needed, Deb will hand select her team of artisans to accomplish distinctly designed architectural coatings for large spaces, tight deadlines and fits each talent with each special theme & motif.

You can see more of Deb's work at http://www.welovedoors.com/

I am happy to announce that Deb will be an instructor at a 2012 Faux Retreat!!!!!

The Artist Unique

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Tue, 31 May 2011 12:17:00 +0000

Being a visual person, what attracted me first to this book was the colorful cover. The second thing was this first line of the books description.

"So many of us struggle with finding our own voice and with knowing which skills and artistic direction to focus on in order to create a look that doesn't mirror everyone else's, but a look that we can feel good about as being uniquely our own."

This book should get your creative juices going, no matter what kind of an artist you are!

I like to describe signature style as, “You, on canvas.” A few years ago, I taught an online workshop called Spill It. The class description was as follows:

Emotion.

Ink.

Thoughts.

Paint.

Words.

Sketches.

Poetry.

Writing.

Photography.

Intuition.

All the little things that makes you unique

will make your creative endeavors unique.

And in this workshop,

you will put all of those little things

that make you, you

on your palette

and Spill It onto canvas.

We will explore Mixed Media technique combinations to help you

discover and project personal creative style.

As I was developing the workshop, I kept getting a nagging feeling that there was more to it than what I was offering. I began to feel that this workshop was really something bigger and it soon evolved into my new book, The Artist Unique, Inspiration and Techniques to Discover Your Creative Signature.

The book is really all about encouraging you to make your mark your way.

I believe we all have a style of our own. In my workshop, I encouraged my students to take all of the little things that make them unique and use them in their artwork. In the book, I share a inspiration and techniques from 15 of my favorite artists - who have whose signatures styles speak volumes about who they are. They share their struggles and their stories and how they developed their unique styles.

When art was new to me, I often followed projects in magazines and books. I always ended up with really great artwork that looked just like the artwork in the project, but it never felt like it was mine. When I decided to write a book, I knew it had to be filled with tools and ideas to inspire and encourage readers to try new things, explore techniques and find ways to make them their own.

Whether you’ve been an artist for years or are new to art and you’re struggling to discover your own style, my book will guide you to experiment with different mediums, techniques and possibilities to make a mark that is exclusively yours. Inside you'll find:

17 mixed-media techniques shown step by step, with suggestions for how to make them your own
Beautiful finished art illustrating how individual artists use and combine these techniques in their own work
Easy worksheets to help reveal your artistic skills, strengths and preferences
A quick-start guide to various mediums, mark makers and creative paraphernalia
Lots of tips and advice for putting yourself into your art

Embrace who you are and find out what defines you as an artist. Make art that is exclusively you.

Author bio: Carmen Torbus is a self-taught mixed media artist and workshop leader from Port St. Lucie, FL. She refers to herself as a bliss follower, big dreamer and lover of the words, “I’m so inspired right now!” Her workshops focus on combining mixed-media techniques with enthusiams, mpassion and participant perspective. Her blog and artwork can be seen in the winter 2010 issue of Stamptinton’s Artful Blogging and the May/June issue of Somerset Studios.

You can connect with Carmen on her website: www.carmentorbus.com Purchase signed books here.

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carmen-Torbus-Mixed-Media-Artist/98742839425

And Twitter: http://twitter.com/carmentorbus

Copies of her book can also be purchased on Amazon.

There are 15 contributing artists in this book including...
Karin Bartimole, Shari Beaubien, Aimee Dalich, Manon Doyle, Bridgette Mills, Lynne Hoppe, Mystele Kirkeeng, Leah Kolidas, Jenn McGlon, Christine Miller, Rowena Murillo, Julie Prichard,

Faux Retreat 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:34:00 +0000

Join us for an all inclusive class/retreat

Each retreat has its own unique and talented instructors, activities and events. We are happy to announce...

Next Faux Retreat August 24-29, 2011

Included in your retreat stay...

Donna Phelps 2 day class
+ an evening wine and cheese Foiling around class with Donna
Mave Alft 1 day class stunning vertical finishes
French Canvas Art and Champagne class (evening class) with Lori Franklin
Composition Ornaments class with Joyce Nelson
Metal Illusions with Cindy Feddersen
Kitchen Creations with ICoat andTiffany Klein
Canvas Fusion with Kathy
Getting and Maintaining an Online Presence with Kathy Boyd

All retreat students will get their own domain name and blog set up!

Food
Lodging
Product kits
Tapestry creation
Tool making!
Samuri faux challenge
Play with product
Goodie bags
ZUMBA!
Massage (extra charge)

Everyone truly has a wonderful time at the retreats. There is nothing else like them and they are all unique. After your daily classes you will enjoy sumptuous meals, s'mores around the campfire, Zumba or Salsa dancing, massage or sip wine by the fireplace. . If you prefer some alone time you can jump in the lake for a refreshing swim, or go hiking around the 170 acres. Canoe, boating, fishing, hot tub, sauna, Wii are also available.

Price is just $1895 for classes, food and lodging. (Compare that to what you would pay individually for a 5 day class +hotel, +food) We have a flexible payment plan for those wanting to pay monthly payments up until 1 month prior to retreat. .

For more information visit http://www.fauxretreat.com/

Note: This retreat sold out in less than 3 weeks, however we may open the retreat up to one, possibly two more. To be put on the list, email info@fauxretreat.com and put waiting list in subject line. We will notify people in the order we receive request.

Diary of a Home Show

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:59:00 +0000

One of the canvas pieces I did at show to pass the time.

I just got home from doing a local home show and my feet are numb! The first thing everyone is asking is, was it worth it? Well that depends...Let's start from the beginning.

The second week of March I am approached about having a booth at the area Home and Builders Show scheduled for the first week of April. I have thought about doing this in the past, but just never thought it was the right fit for my business. However, after hearing about some friends having a lot of success at their shows, I decided to give it a try. The booth itself is $789.00 for a 10 x 10 space. The show runs for 5 days 10am - 10pm all but the first day which starts at 5pm. Ok, so I am thinking this is a decent price for 5 days so I sign on the dotted line and get to planning my space.

I have decided that the best use of my space would be to buy three sets of bi-fold doors and add a door to each set. I will have one set on each side of my space and have a 6ft table in the back with my business cards, molding and counter top samples and some 8 x 11 table top displays for showing articles my business has been in. I got a 6ft banner to hang from Vista Prints for $10 with their coupon. Surprisingly it rivaled the quality of a friend's banner which cost him $80.

Deciding on the type of finishes to do on my panels was the hardest part of all of this. I have to remember that I live in a very conservative area so I can't go crazy doing really elaborate finishes. On the other hand, I want to show people the wonderful possibilities they have. I finally choose some of each and realize during the show that I primarily did the finishes I LIKE doing. Yes, I probably should have done a simple glaze for one, but personally I would rather use a trowel.

My bi-fold doors primed and painted.

One of the things I don't know beforehand is if both sides of my door panels will show. I know I am between a home and garden store and a outdoor spa retailer, so I just plan on doing all sides and hope for the best. The finishes for the first set of panels will be Stucco Veneziano from Safra Plasters, an elegant Lusterstone finish custom mixed by Sheri Zeman, Faux Design Studio and incorporating a Modello and the third TBD. One side will all be in shades of eggplant and lavender and the opposite side in lighter colors.

Note to self, make sure the door panels are stable before applying your Modello! So here I am in my happy world thinking how wonderful everything is going when the panels start to tip as I am applying the Modello. As I am frantically trying to right the panels, my fingers get stuck between the doors and I am left with the choice, save the Modello or save my fingers. I chose the Modello, but alas it was too late, it had folded over like a pancake and was now stuck together. After the tears, brush throwing and #^&@!& I set about salvaging what I could and hence one of my more popular finishes was born.

After the Modello oops

For the lighter side I chose to do a strie pearl finish with a raised design in glass beads, an eco-friendly finish courtesy of Tobias Stucco and a light Old World finish with an embedded design. My next set of door panels I did in a light color Stucco Lux and Victoria Larsen's tree stencil (using same color) since the wall trees have been so popular for me. I did the other side again in an all over tree design, this time in an eggplant color Metallic Plaster by Proceed (the Faux Shop) and white trees. It was very oriental looking and I am kicking myself for not doing the bamboo tree for this side instead.

Ok, so what to do with the last door in my first set of doors? Well I decided since I had a lot of product samples that I would just tape off squares and try them all there on the door. My first one was an acrylic plaster from Atova, Paint and Plasters. The second and third respectively were Marmorino Carrara and Marmorino Classic from Stucco Italiano, the fourth Calcenova Arredo and the last was Veneziano Metallo, both by Safra plasters.

So looking back on my purchases, I think it is fair to say that the most expense was in getting ready for the show, not the booth space itself. Products, business cards, brochures, signs, carpet rental (next time spring for padded), parking tickets for myself and relief people, meals at show, and on and on. As much as I was conscious of not wanting to have too much clutter up my table, I think I would still not have had half as much as I did. Mostly, because a lot of people were confused as to what exactly it is I do. More on that later!

I now have to focus on things to do to draw people to my space. I decide to have a small 4ft table in the front where I can have my table top easel and keep busy doing samples to draw attention to my space. One of the guidelines of these shows is you must have a skirt around your tables and I did a decorative finish on the tops. Just another way of showing what can be done to your surfaces. I had a small flower pot with a patina finish and had it full of Dum Dum's so it looked like a bouquet. I think a lot of people came to my booth just for the Dum Dums! I bought 4 bags of outlet covers for under $3 and thought that a good way to pass the time would be to do different finishes on the covers and then give them to people who visit. I stuck a business card sticker to the backs of them. I also brought along canvas and pvc pipe to do some finishes on them as well.

Day before show start.
The day before I have everything in a pile at a friend's store waiting for the guys to come and haul everything to the convention center. We get everything down there, set up and everything fits perfectly and looks great. All within a couple of hours.

First day of show
11am and I have gone to the convention center to take a final look around and make any adjustments. During this I get a call from a florist asking if she can make a delivery to my home. Crap who died? All the way home I am wracking my brain trying to think what it's all about. I get home and there awaiting me is a beautiful flower arrangement from a dear lady by the name of Joyce Nelson whom I met in Ohio. The card reads in part, thank you for my website and good luck at your show. What a wonderful way to start the show today!

5pm and here I am waiting for all these excited people to come crashing through my booth to see the wonders of my finishes....6pm still waiting...6:30 still waiting...7pm and interested prospect at last! Oh, the bathroom is down the hall on the right. One thing I am noticing my first day is that I am in a bad location. The room itself is great and in fact probably the best one. But my space is being dwarfed and missed because of the spa guy on one side and the home and garden place on the other. They both have multiple spaces for their business and I just have the one space. From the direction of the main entrance particularly I have noticed (mind you I have now been here for 4 hours) that people enter this room and look directly at the home and garden corner and take in some of the riding equipment then they look to their right at the other side of the hall and they continue to follow to the right until after they have passed me, they then turn to the right and see the spas.

I have pointed this out to visiting friends and other vendors who at first eye me with skepticism until they to notice this as well. I have also watched with both irritation and amusement as friends who have come to visit me saunter right past my booth without even looking in my direction. Of the ones who do eyeball me as they are walking past they do a little swerve over for a "feel a finish" before going on their way.

Day 2
This was the slowest day for me. Not much traffic and of the ones I get, half of them thought the tree finishes were painted wallpaper and the other half thought I was selling "fox" painting kits. Is it 10 yet?

It has also been brought to my attention that there are not one, but two spelling errors in my business name that was used for all promotions by the production company putting on the show. And...have to explain numerous times that my counter top samples are not tiles that go on your counter top.

Day 3
I have already figured out I should not have brought so many canvas art with me. Most are confused enough by what it is I do and the half dozen canvas that is there is not helping matters. Not to mention that this just isn't the right type of place to be selling canvas art. But oh to be selling mops! Holy cow I cannot believe the amount of people walking by carrying these banana colored mops. The mop guy must be making a fortune!

Today is also the day that most of faux experts are here. For instance the lady with the pink hair and orthopedic shoes was kind enough to give her unsolicited advice on how "that guy from HGTV said you should use lots of water when mixing up that paint for your wall." Several have also commented "I can do that" when looking at one of my Rs Crete samples.

Day 4
My feet are killing me and I break down and pay $30 for gel insoles by one of the other vendors, who then keeps coming by asking how I like them. A little hard to judge when your feet are already numb! This is the day that I get asked "how did you do that" the most. One determined lady even had pen and paper in hand and was not going to be deterred. Oh alright then if you insist!

Today I also bring a chair and I am sitting doing some tree demos on pvc pipe. This more than anything is a huge hit. People just love to see someone with their hands full of plaster slopping the stuff on a pipe. Our UMD hockey team is in the midst of winning the national finals tonight so it is really slow here. Nuff said

Day 5
My feet hurt so much they don't hurt anymore! Ok, I figured out another goof. I should have taken down the names of prospective clients. I know better and I didn't do it and now it is too late. I also know something else. Although it was a good idea to do finishes on bi-panel doors, many people think I am selling decorative screens. Duh! Why didn't I?

5pm
Time to get the bleep out of here! My help has arrived and I can pack up and go home.

Here is something I bought at Jerry's Artarama for displaying my sample boards. This also works very well for canvas art.

Ok, so again, was it worth it? My business used to be very busy. I had people working with me, I was booked consistently and I could be really choosey about the jobs I took. Then I spent almost 5 years marketing and promoting other decorative painting businesses and schools, to the extent that my own business was badly neglected and calls were less frequent. So for me, I was looking to promote my business and make those much needed connections to other people and businesses. Plus, sometimes I think it is just good to connect with some that you normally wouldn't. It can bring new opportunities that you wouldn't normally have.

Day after show end. In pj's all day, wiped out from the 5 day marathon! Feeling coming back to my feet.

Kathy Boyd

Cool apps for artists

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 22:39:00 +0000

Here is a collection of useful apps I have found for your phone and computer. Apps change all the time, so let me know if something is out of date or I am happy to add something you have found. I will also update this list as I find other useful apps.

I have not personally used all of these, but they all have high ratings and reviews. As always, use caution when downloading anything to your computer and phone.

Square Footage Master - Android app
The app comes with a camera ruler (as the one in the Advanced Ruler Pro app) and a body ruler that are very easy to use. It will also save the sq ft result to the memory card or you can send it to yourself or someone else by email.

Benjamin Moore Color Capture - Android and iPhone
Snap a picture of a color inspiration that catches your eye and instantly find its match from Benjamin Moore's more than 3,300 paint colors.

Builder Pro - iPad
If you’re a professional contractor or you simply like playing Bob the Builder during the weekend, Builder Pro is a great app to add to your iPad. Builder Pro provides users with building reference material, formulas and an integral contractor calculator to help you get the job done right and to code.

Credit Card Terminal - iPhone, iPad
A little pricey, but maybe worth it if you want the convenience of taking credit card payments from your phone. Watch for specials they offer for free set up.

Lapicida Design-in-Stone - Android, iPhone, iPad
Tool for designers and architects, or anyone wanting to redesign their interior. Explore over 200 stone swatch samples from the world’s finest collection of luxury natural stone flooring and wall tiles.

Interior Design - Android
Interior Design displays a slideshow of the most stunning examples of interior design from around the world.

Doors! - Android
Displays a slideshow of the most stunning examples of hand crafted doors from around the world.

Color RGB - iPad, iPhone, blog
Simple app that’s designed to help you find hex color values and hue levels.

Masque - iPad
Import images from your iPad, your Facebook albums or Flickr. You can easily edit your photos and add effects, create layers, use brushes and the very interesting multi-touch gradient tool.

ColorSnap - Blackberry, iPhone
Match real-world colors with paint colors and bring all your ideas to life. Get coordinating colors or create custom palettes.

Units by the TheMacBox - iPhone, iPod
Units can convert Area, Currency, Energy, Temperature, Time, Length, Weight, Speed, Pressure, Power, and Volume.

Push2Talk - Blackberry, iPhone, Android
This turns your phone into a walkie talkie. Great for communicating with your crew on the job.

Flashlight - Link to Android, but available for all.
This app turns your phone into a flashlight. I have used this one many times on jobs and even when trying to find the key hole coming home.

Houzz -
The app has everything you love about Houzz, including more than 80,000 original photographs from 13,000 architects, interior designers, photographers, contractors, and other design pros.

Contemporary tapestry

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 01:06:00 +0000

I wanted to do a contemporary tapestry and wanted to use the following stencil from Melanie Royals collection one last time. I have used it so much that I need to retire it for a while. Famous last words I know!

First step was rolling on Modern Masters Reactive Metallic Paint in Bronze. After it dried I randomly sprayed MM Patina on the canvas.

Stenciled the design with various coppers and turquoise. Then used mica powders in various areas and fine copper glitter for the big flower designs.

Added some dangle beads to the bottom. To hang the canvas I spray painted a dowel copper and then used some turquoise to give it a patina look. The finished canvas below.

This tapestry was very fast and fun to do.

Since I am going to put this stencil away for a while, I need to replace it. Give me a suggestion for a stencil at least 20' and I will use it for 4 different finishes. Canvas, tapestry, wall and either a floor or counter top.

Tapestry project

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:12:00 +0000

House of Faux has always been about the promotion of other artists, products and schools, but recently someone commented that they would like to see more of a personal touch, so the following is for YOU. YOU know who you are!

Ok, so in an effort to motivate myself to actually do a tapestry, I have decided to "Tweet" and "Blog" about it. This way the pressure is on for me to create something if not spectacular, than at least appealing to some. So let me back up and give you some history behind this endevour...

On a recent trip to Laine Discepoli's charming Misselaineous Studios in Ohio, I commented on a beautiful tapestry hanging on the wall of her studio and remarked how I had always wanted to try one. Laine said this was going to be part of her class, that all of us would get to create their very own. Yipee!

On the day of our tapestry creation I was a little in brain freeze mode not knowing exactly what to do with this blank canvas. I finally chose a stencil that was very elegant and ornamental. A design that I rarely use. Not only because I rarely get requests for this type of design in my decorative wall finishing, but also because I tend to gravitate towards the more modern and contemporary designs. However, after taping down the stencil and picking out some colors I started the task of stenciling the design. The stenciling part itself I found a little tedious and boring, but loved throwing some glitter down and adding some glaze to the overall piece. I was just hitting my stride and really getting into doing this when the clock struck 4 and I had to get ready to head to the airport. Unfortunately, the half done, still wet canvas couldn't make the trip back with me, but I await its return via some postal service of Laines choosing.

Fast forward to two weeks later and here I again stare at a white canvas wondering what in the sam hill I am going to do with it. Soooo, here we go....Canvas #1 1/2.

Day 1

(do you hear the crickets chirping?)

Day 2

The beginning

Ok, seriously! I am going through my sorry excuse for a stencil collection and put some things together. Note to self: Self, buy new stencils this year!

So, I finally chose some stencils and after taping down I am using some spray paint over the design. I do this for a couple of reasons. For one thing it is easier for me to see how all the designs will be laid out and the second reason, if I ever mess up and the stencil moves then I know where it goes. I know the pro stencilers are shuddering!

For colors I am going through my stash of little paint bottles and picking the ones that are getting old just so I can use them up. I don't care if the colors are not perfect because this will only add to the design.

Step 2, stencil colors

After removing stencil

I am off to the store to get some fabric for sides and bottom and also need a rod to hang the tapestry. I will also be applying glaze to the design. Stay tuned....

After the designs dried I rolled a glaze on and made some "age spots", to give it an old look.

2 hours later...Didn't like where this canvas was going so I started over! Here we go...

Taa da

So an hour later and I have done the above canvas. I wanted to use some brighter colors and added some sparkle.

Rolling on a light green metallic mixed in Proceed's Glazing Texture.

After applying the glaze, I rolled on Proceed's glass beads slightly tinted. I then glued some tassel fabric on the bottom of the tapestry and some ribbon on the sides to hide my bad cutting job and let it all dry.

The last steps were to apply some of Proceed's plaster randomly on the canvas. I also highlighted some of the designs with some glitter. I bought a dowel and spray painted. Here is the result.

Grahame Menage

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 00:56:00 +0000

A DECORATIVE ARTIST WHO "INTERPRETS CLIENT'S DESIRES".

Grahame Menage is a British-born specialist decorative artist and muralist who describes his wide-ranging portfolio as "interpreting client's desires and imagination".

With 20 years of experience behind him, the work of Grahame Ménage ranges from large-scale murals to single pieces of furniture, decorated using paint, gold-leaf and brushes especially selected for the purpose. His portfolio covers the full spectrum of trompe l'oeil decorative painting, from classic marbling and faux stone, to the restoration of 19th century furniture, panoramic murals and recreations of frescoes from the Italian Renaissance.

For materials, Grahame employs the highest quality tints, varnishes, paints and glazes at all times. Each type of decoration dictates precisely the method and which especially- mixed material is to be used. His brush selection ranges from an 8inch patina brush, down to the smallest sable.

Grahame has studied, and been inspired by the Dutch and Italian masters, as well as the anonymous artists who decorated the walls of Pompeii. Describing his work, he says: "In front of my paintings, I intend that the spectator will be deceived. I seek to convey an action or mood in my images; two-dimensional surfaces, which suggest a three-dimensional space. I like to create a dream from my clients."

He has recently completed an entire hall and stairway in faux stone, a trompe l'oeil panelled ceiling, as well as delicate hand-painted furniture in the Provençal style. Clients include the Emir of Qatar, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, the director Ridley Scott ("Gladiator"), "Bartholdy's" restaurant in Amsterdam, "Cafe Villa" and the "Liquid" Bar in Luxembourg.

"The trade of specialist decorator has been around for a long time in one form or another," explains Grahame. "The art develops historically with changes of style and emphasis, technique and detail. This continues to the present day. However, I do love to create the old beautifully-aged frescoed and painted trompe l'oeil room."

Find more photos like this on theArt Fusion

How to price a mural

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 16:18:00 +0000

I found this blog post and thought it would be helpful for some. Thank you Maria for letting me repost this.

How to Price a Wall Mural – Developing a Price Sheet and Proposal
by Maria Brophy

In this article I’m going to do something that some of my friends warn me not to because they are so darn practical:

I’m going to tell all. Oh My God, I’m sharing with the entire world our pricing structure for wall murals. (Subject to increase by 10% every year…)

Why would I do something so daring and crazy, you ask? Because that’s what this blog is all about – uniting artists and sharing information so that we all can be successful and live the dream life.

In a second follow-up article, I’m going to give you our “secrets” for making mural clients so happy that they scream from their rooftops “Use this artist for your next project. She’s/He’s the BEST!”

But first, I’ll go over the money part – because for me, money is important. I love to eat good food and travel. And for some strange reason, it costs money to do that.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP A STRUCTURED PRICE SHEET

You should have a detailed mural pricing structure in writing. And if you don’t have one already, you can use mine as a guide.

Determining what to charge for a wall mural can be tricky. But once you get a structure in place, pricing murals will be a smooth process.

This month we have two large murals that Drew has been commissioned to paint. One of the murals is for a new store called Yogurt Wave. We flew mural expert, Katie Staib, down from Spokane Washington to help make it look great.

The owners, Kerry and Tommy, contacted Drew because his fun style attracts young people that are into action sports, which is their target market.

Their first question was “what will it cost to have Drew paint a 46’ foot mural?” In just a few short minutes, I was able to give them a quote thanks to my nicely organized price sheet.

One of the most common challenges for artists is determining what to charge for a project. Developing a structure & system will make it so much easier for you.

Our current system is working well for us and our clients understand it. But there may be alternative ways to do it, so if you know of a better system, please share in the comments! I’m constantly improving upon how I do things.

HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR PRICE SHEET
Photo: Wall Mural by Drew Brophy

Your price sheet should be structured in a way that makes sense and that enables you to easily determine what you will charge based on size of the mural.

We charge approx. $35.00 per square foot with a minimum of 160 square feet. Knowing this makes it easy to establish pricing based on various sizes.

Below is a copy of the price sheet that we give to people prior to a written proposal, to let them know how we price it and what they can expect as well as what we expect from them.

Giving a potential client a price sheet helps to do two things:

1. It weeds out the people who can’t afford you (so you don’t waste your time or theirs); and

2. It demonstrates your professionalism. People tend to feel better about handing you a big check when they think you know what you’re doing.

Keep in mind, our pricing may be considered high by some standards and very low by others. We know of many artists that charge a lot more than we do. And then there are some that are charging half of what we do.

What you charge is relative to your experience, where you are located (some places are cheaper to live than others) and supply and demand of your art.

I hope that by sharing our methods I will save you time and confusion. You are welcome to copy and paste the form below and adjust it accordingly for your own use.

Minimum Price: Murals sized 0 to 160 Square Feet: Price is $5,600
Pricing starts at $35 per square foot and decreases with increased size of mural; at 290 sf price drops to $32/sf – at 500 sf drops to $30/sf – at 900 sf price drops to $28/sf.

(Square Foot is determined by multiplying the height x width of the painting surface)

*Price per square foot may increase if design requested is complex. This will be indicated in price quote and determined at the time that the final sketch is approved.

SAMPLE PRICING, per square foot:

Prices per Unit Size (sample sizes)

DIMENSIONS ²AREA PRICE

Up to 10ft. x 16ft. 160ft. $5,600.00

11ft. x 16ft. 176ft. $6,160.00

12ft. x 20ft. 240ft. $8,400.00

13ft. x 20ft. 260ft. $9,100.00

14ft. x 21ft. 294ft. $9,410.00

15ft. x 23ft. 345ft. $11,040.00

17ft. x 26ft. 442ft. $14,144.00

18ft. x 28ft. 504ft. $15,120.00

19ft. x 30ft. 570ft. $17,100.00

20ft. x 31ft. 620ft. $18,600.00

25ft. x 39ft. 975ft. $27,300.00

28ft. x 44ft. 1232ft. $34,500.00

Non-Refundable Design/Sketch Fee: $500.00 – Includes up to 2 sets of changes by client (Additional sketches charged at $100/sketch)
Pricing includes: Travel within South Orange County, all materials, rental equipment, assistant fees and work to completion.

Pricing does not include: Travel outside of South Orange County, liability insurance or Wall Preparation.

*Additional work due to adverse conditions on surface that requires extraneous labor will be charged extra, by the hour, at a rate of $95.00 / hour, and sometimes cannot be determined until after the job has begun.

PAYMENT TERMS: Design fee of $500 due prior to sketch process. A 50% non-refundable deposit is due two weeks prior to start date of painting (this allows ordering of supplies and scheduling.) Full balance is due on the final day of completion.
PRICE SHEET EXPLANATION

Every detail and *caveat on the price sheet is necessary and came from us learning the hard way. I want to explain each point:
Pricing Structure: I’ve talked to mural artists who charge $40 – $50 a square foot. For us, a starting price of $35 per square foot works, because Drew is extremely efficient and gets a project completed rather quickly.

* You might charge less if you’re new at it or if you live in a low cost-of-living area, or

* You might charge more if you are very experienced or in high demand, or live in a high cost-of-living area (like New York or LA).

Minimum Price: We charge a minimum for small murals under 160 square feet because it’s a lot of work and time to set up at a location. It’s not worth it for us to have Drew go out to paint a small mural and only be paid a couple thousand dollars. You may want to adjust this number up or down, depending upon where you are in your career.
Realistically, for murals smaller than 160 sf, an artist is better off painting an original painting in their studio. It’s easier and doesn’t require travel or set up someplace else.

Often we will suggest an original painting on canvas, instead, to clients who ask for a small mural. The upside for the client is a piece of art that they can remove from the wall if they move, or that they can resell if they want to later.
Non-Refundable Design (Sketch) Fee: Every mural we do is designed on paper first. We offer the client the ability to pay just for the sketches first, because sometimes a client isn’t sure if you can do what it is that they want.
If they don’t like your design or decide not to use your services after all, they only lose $500.00 and you are at least paid for your time to sketch it for them. We don’t sketch out anything without the design fee because it’s a lot of work. Just meeting with the person to discuss what they want can take a couple hours. You want to make sure that you are paid for that time.

Why You Should Limit the Number of Sketches: We have a limit of up to 3 sketches (2 sets of changes) and then charge for each additional sketch beyond that. When you do this, your client will be motivated to be very specific about what they want. If you don’t limit the number of sketches, they will just go on and on with changes. Trust me on this!

Wall Preparation: So far, we’ve never had to charge additional fees for wall prep. We’ve only had brand new walls to paint. But if Drew arrived at a location and the walls were in bad shape, we have this caveat in the price quote so that we can charge extra for getting the wall paint-ready.

Payment Terms: This is very Important! We require 50% of the total amount 2 weeks prior to the scheduled start date. This allows us to block out 5 or more days on the calendar (thus not accepting other projects for those days) and to purchase the necessary materials prior to the painting.

Paying a deposit is also a psychological thing with your client – you want to train them to view you as a professional who expects prompt payment, and they are fully committed when they pay half up front.

If you are just building your portfolio, you may want to only require 30% up front until you’ve become established and you have a good reputation for following through and doing top quality work.

THE BALANCE is due on the last day of the painting. This is because I personally hate chasing money. I want to be paid and done with a job when it’s finished. Also, I have to pay our assistant on that last day as well. And if you know anything about me by reading my posts, you know that I got out of the Art Banking business years ago!
PROPOSAL PROCESS
When we get a call from someone interested in a mural painting, our process is:

1.) E-mail them the pricing sheet above. This is so that from the very beginning, your client knows your general pricing and they can determine if it’s in their price range.

2.) Gather details about the mural, such as: Height and Width of the proposed mural, physical location, the shape that the wall is in, and what design they want. (I ask the client for this – we rarely go out to see the mural space until after we know it’s a “go”.)

3.) Based on the information provided above, then I’ll write up and e-mail a written proposal. (See sample proposal at bottom of post)

Throughout the process I will verbally clarify, up front, how we work (meaning our payment policies). I’ll usually say: “We will begin the sketch process once you pay your $500 fee. The fee includes up to 3 sketches, so please be as specific as you can about what you want. A 50% deposit is due 2 weeks before the painting begins. The mural will take approximately 5 days (or however many). We plan to work from 9-5 daily. Your final payment is due on the day it’s finished.”

Being clear and direct helps to prevent misunderstandings later. I don’t like surprises, especially when it comes to money. That’s why I’m so specific in both my written agreements and my verbal discussions with clients. Everything goes better that way, and clients appreciate knowing what to expect.

GIVING A DEAL/PRICE BREAK

Your client may ask for a deal on price. Sometimes it’s reasonable to give a small discount or freebie to a returning client.

For new clients: If it seems like it’ll be a less complicated design, sometimes I’ll offer to deduct their $500 sketch fee from the total of the mural price. Basically I’m waiving the sketch fee, but I still require a payment of $500 prior to the sketch process. (Read How to Never Get Ripped off Again to see why I require this).

You could also offer to lower the per-square-foot fee if the mural is going to be very simple and easy, say, like a basic design. On the other hand, if the design they want is extremely detailed, you should consider increasing the per square foot fee.

ONCE THE SKETCH PROCESS IS COMPLETE

After we get the sketch drawn out, and the client is ready to move forward, we ask for 50% down and we schedule the dates that the painting will take place.

Typically Drew can get a mural completed in 5-7 days. Using a system of gridlines and efficiency, along with the help of an assistant, most murals, even very large ones, can be completed in that time frame.

In the end, the most important thing is to make sure that your client is extremely happy with your work. Stay tuned for my next article on how to make your client so pleased, that they are screaming your name from their rooftops!

SAMPLE WALL MURAL PROPOSAL:

Artist Wall Mural Painting Proposal – SHANTI’S COSTA MESA

Date: May 29, 2010 – Proposal valid for 30 days

FOR: Shanti’s (Client) Contact Name: _________________ Phone: _________________

Billing Address:______________________________________________

Description: Client wishes to enhance their space with original artwork in the form of a mural and enhancements by Drew Brophy (Artist)

Price Breakdown:

Designs by Artist in sketch form / includes up to 2 changes to sketch $500 (add’l sketches $100 each)

Wall Mural sized 323 Square Feet / Surface is Ready-to-Paint $10,330

Price Includes: Paint Materials and Scaffolding / Expense of an assistant required to help with the painting

Price does not include: Unforeseen Complex painting design / design changes, Liability insurance, Unforeseen additional work due to adverse conditions on surface that may require extraneous labor.

PRICE/TERMS: $10,830 Deposit of $5,418 required *DEPOSIT MUST BE PAID 14 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF SCHEDULED WORK*

Full balance of $5,418 due on the day of completion. Checks should be made out to Son of the Sea, Inc. PO Box 836 San Clemente, Ca 92674.

Copyright: All copyrights to the artwork remain in the ownership of Artist

By signing below, we state that we agree to the terms set forth in this document:

FOR ARTIST: FOR COMPANY:

AUTHORIZED BY: Artists Name Here AUTHORIZED BY:

SIGNATURE:______________ SIGNATURE:_________________

I hope this has been helpful to you. If it has been helpful, please let me know in the comments below. (Or share your suggestions on how to make the mural pricing process better). Because of my freakish nature of ruminating over every little detail, it takes me hours to write these articles, and if I know that I’m helping people, I will keep on doing it!

Luv, Maria xxoo

Maria Brophy, CEO

Son of the Sea, Inc.

949-678-8133

Want to add a new dimension to your business?

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 00:07:00 +0000

Then join Cindy Feddersen at Misselaineous Studio in Cincinnati for a two day I-Coat class. I-Coat is the maker of the HOT decorative overlay counter top and floor products. The products can be used on existing counter tops, such as Formica, granite, marble and other solid surfaces to replicate granite, marble, natural stone or completely customized tops. Compare the cost of I-Coat to other concrete products!

You will leave with 4 12 x 12 samples, 1 with a 1 1/2 edge to learn a chisel technique. You will also learn the floor and vertical stone technique with the floor products, as well as bring home a board from one.


This I-Coat finish was done by Mave and Doug Alft, owners of Alft Decorators in Hager City, Wisconsin. They call this finish creme brule or melted hot fudge, depending on which one you ask.

As an added bonus, day 3 there will be a special class by popular faux artist Laine Discepoli. Laine will teach some of her famous... quick finishes. Guaranteed to impress potential clients, these finishes are fast and easy to execute, and still have that WOW factor.

Both of these gals have some added surprises as well, so you won't want to miss these three days of learning and fun!

Already a few car pools heading from various parts of the country to this Ohio class. Jump on board!

Special price for these classes!
$499 I-Coat class
$200 Laine's class
$50 off if you take both classes!

Contact Laine to register at...

513-533-faux (3289)
laine@misselaineous.com If you don't hear back from her, she didn't get the message!

For more information on I-Coat, contact Cindy at 239-246-6900
Cindy has worked in the industry for many years and in that time has worked with several product lines including Aurastone and Granicrete.

Close up of I-Coat finish by Mave and Doug Alft.

Decorative Fireplaces

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 14:21:00 +0000

Since we are in the burr season, I thought is was appropriate to show some decorative fireplaces I found surfing the internet. Feel free to email one of your own.

Fireplaces by Redwitz

I love finishes like this. After applying the chemicals you never really know how it is going to turn out.

I wish I knew who did this decorative screen. I bet it is stunning with the lights from the fire shining through.

Tips for an Artist's Website

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 16:27:00 +0000

The rules for a successful website has always been to keep it simple, keep it fast, and keep it organized. Content should be straightforward and provide content that will keep visitors on the site once they are on there. With so many great website add-ons and gadgets it is easy to get carried away and break these rules. I know this from my own experience as well as from others.

You want to make sure that first time visitors to an artists website quickly knows who the artist is, what they are selling and what the art looks like. You also want to make sure that you have easy to find contact information. You should have both a contact form and also your email address available and the address should be available on every page. All too often in the world of cyber space the form malfunctions and if this happens you could go a long time without even knowing it.

Here are some things you can do and things you can avoid in an artists website to get yourself a great online presence.

Avoid free web hosting and sub domains. The majority of free web hosting and sites offer really ugly templates and plaster your site with obnoxious advertising that make your visitors retreat in horror. Remember you are selling your art. Putting photos of your beautiful art on an ugly site is like putting filet mignon in a Big Mac box.

Only use good (scratch that), great photos of your work. I am so guilty of using crappy photos! I was a great photographer with my old film camera, but have not yet mastered taking great photos with my digital camera. Nothing looks worse on an artists website than bad photos. Even if you only have a few good quality photos on your site, that is a lot better than a hundred bad ones. If you have to, hire a pro to take some photos for you. Heck offer them a barter!

Check your website on other browsers. This is something that is oftentimes overlooked. You spend a lot of time making a great looking site, but then hear from your buddy that when they visited the site it was all distorted. Be sure to check your site in Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer and any others out there. You should also check it out in different screen resolutions. All computers are not created equal!

Don’t use a bunch of fancy gadgets. Flash and other web site gadgets can look really cool (or can be very annoying), but not everyone can view them. In fact estimates say that up to 75% of users do have a flash plug-in, but most are outdated.

Keep images under 100k. You really want a snooze fest? Go on a site that has HUGE photos that you have to watch s l o w l y trying to open. Not everyone has a high speed connection and even if they do, obnoxiously large photos still take time to open and most people won’t wait.

Avoid a lot of text. Keep your text to a minimum and be concise. A lot of text can be boring and if people really want to read more, then they can click Read more. Also, be sure to use lots of relevant keywords in your text.

Forget the music. I, like countless others, do not have exceptional computer speakers. So getting on a website with some cheesy music is like nails on a chalkboard and a quick retreat off the website.

Seo - Search Engine Optimization This is where a lot of people have trouble. How do you get your site found? There are many different tricks and tips for this, the first being, what you read today may not apply in 6 months! The SEO "rules" change all the time. For instance when I made my first website in 1998, you added every single keyword you could think of. We are talking hundreds! Today, you need to limit the amount of keywords around 20. Some places like Google will actually penalize you if you have more.

You should have your email address itself on your site, not just a form. Something like kbdesigns at gmail.com is a great way to make people physically type in your address and cut down on spam. Make sure your contact information is not only on your "contact" page, but also in the footer of your website. Have you ever gone to click on someone's contact page or filled out their contact form only to be greeted with an ERROR message? This is very frustrating, especially if there is no phone number to be found! It could be months before the site owner even checks out their own site and realizes their link doesn't work. I did a class on website optimization last year and this is one thing I stressed more than anything.

Along with filling out your sites keywords, you should also have a meta tag desciption and title for your site. Sounds a little silly about the title, but you would be surprised how many people don't add this. You should also follow your title with a brief tagline. For instance, KB Designs, decorative faux painting Minnesota. Take note of your keywords that you are using words that they are the most relevant to what your site is about and include these words in the content of your page body. You should also keep your most relevant words in the upper half of your home page

Great movie interiors

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:05:00 +0000

I wish I could find photos of all the great finishes I have seen on the interiors of television shows and movies. And boy are there a lot of them! A couple movies you may want to rent are Under the Tuscan Sun and French Kiss.


The Holiday - I love the look of this cosy English cottage. It would be perfect if there was a fireplace.

Rachel Ray has probably my favorite set design. The colors are wonderful and someone did some great finishes.

Da Vinci Code - I couldn't find out if this was from an actual building or an erected set, but either way it is stunning.

The set from Dexter.

This is from Gossip Girl. Stunning gold leaf wall.

Sound of Music - Next time you watch this classic, pay extra attention to the homes detail and architecture.


Atonement - This is a movie that was filmed in a real home. The owners were thrilled because the movie production paid for all the restoration that needed to be done in the home.

Sherlok Holmes - I will watch any movie with my man Robert Downey Jr. and this one I watched twice. I watched this once just for Robert and once just to check out the beautiful surfaces. (surfaces of the interiors, not Robert)

Medieval Interiors

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 17:20:00 +0000

With Halloween approaching I thought it would be fun to look at some medieval inspired interiors, both old and new.


Tallinn's restaurant scene boasts a few Medieval themed restaurants: not surprising, given the city's historical heritage

The Great Tower's medieval interiors have been recreated to show how Henry II built one of the most opulent and impressive palaces in Europe.

Trompe l'oeil at BelCor Interiors - Salone del Mobile, Milan


A Baroque screen, c.1713-16 was installed in the 15th-century Gothic chapel at All Souls' Oxford. The carved stone reredos is original although the statues are a Victorian restoration Secluded, in the small town of “Turda” in Transylvania, Prince Hunter and Dracula Hotel (or Castle) and Restaurant combines a hunting medieval theme with Dracula, Bram Stoker’s fantasy character. Bedroom and bathroom below from Hotel Dracula.