Design Boston w Designer Mentor and Craftsmen in Chicago

This week, I almost didn't get this blog done due to the fact that my youngest daughter's video project for HS was putting us both through some serious agony!!  Thank goodness for the Geek Squad...  (Just kidding, this BLOG happens Every Sunday, NO Matter What! .)

To set a lighter tone, here is an old favorite cartoon of mine, that used to made me laugh and it worked again today.  Take a look and share with your stressed out paint friends, on busy Monday...

The Caption, if you can't make it out says, "I'm sorry Sir, but I cannot sell you any color of interior paint without a note from your wife."  (Or decorative artist or interior designer) Poor Guy, I know just how he feels.

Business of Faux: So this week, I was back in Boston at the Boston Design Center for "Design Boston."
http://www.bostondesign.com/

I was expecting a lot from the experience and was not disappointed in the least. At most of the interior designer events that we host, I end up meeting interior designers and in many cases, their decorative painters.  I started my day with set up at the Sherwin-Williams Color Design Studio on the 4th floor.  It is like being in a life size fan deck and Colormix card. (See photos)
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/pro/paint_colors/paint_color_trends/

The last photo features the work of a local artisan and edcucator by the name of Joe Fiorello.  Cindy Sampson, the Designer Account Executive and Color Studio Manager from Sherwin-Williams is standing next to Joe's creation.

I love being in Design centers to see the showroom windows and newly featured products and especially fabrics.

So, I began a very busy day, having the pleasure of meeting with Marilyn McLeod in the SW Color Center.  She and I had met in Golden,  Colorado the previous week and she was nice enough to stop by for a closer look at our new line of products.  I shared several versions of our Venetian Plaster, Quartz Stone and Metallic finishes with her.  Marilyn's showed me her portfolio and it was incredible.  She showed me a featured Ostrich finish, for which I need a recipe. Check her work out on Facebook or http://www.leedesign.biz/ Hopefully, she will be teaching contractor classes for us sometime soon in her studio.

The Showroom, began to fill up and I had the pleasure of meeting with several Interior Designers.  I was fortunate enough to have sitting in the front row, Cynthia Curcio, IFDA, Principal Interior Designer of "four lexington, l.l.c." and her decorative artist, Susan Fiorello.  (Yes another Fiorello??)

As, the group came in, I passed around several samples for their review.  I also listened to and participated in their conversations before and after my presentation.  Cynthia, was commenting to her decorative artists and a few others, how faux has gotten an unfair bad name, due to the large number of sub-par installations conducted by mediocre installers.  She mentioned how she could tell, "In a Instant," whether or not a decorative finish had been applied by a true professional or not.  The key for her seemed to be in the design, color and the organic appearance..She said that if she sees a finish that looks, "Authentic...Like it was always there," That also meant that she could not tell how it was created, (Meaning sponge, rags, etc).

Cynthia was "speaking to my heart" with these words.  She made my week, by telling me that the kind of finish that she spoke of was in her hands.  She said that she would not leave without discussing, excatly how I had created the crackled and ditressed metallic finish. (I obliged)  Speaking with Cindy after the session was "food for my soul."

In next week's blog, 1 will show the step-by-step, How-To on this technique.

I will be back in Boston on November 9th, for several Hands-On sessions and look forward to seeing my new paint friends.

Speaking of my Faux "Tour of Duty" and where I will be over the next days and weeks:

SW Faux Impressions Preview, Hand-On Sessions: (aka: "Where's Ed Now?")

Tuesday, September 28, 2010. Edison, NJ:  9:00 AM and 1:30 PM at:

226 Talmadge Rd., Edison, NJ

Wednesday, September 29, 2010. Paramus NJ: 9:00 AM and 1:30 PM at:

176 N State Rt 17 # 3, Paramus, NJ

Tuesday and Wednesday October 5 - 6, 2010.  Plainview Long Island, NY:  9:00 AM and 1:30 PM at:

80 Express St., Plainview, NY

Thursday, October 7, 2010.  Camp Hill PA:  8:00AM at:

1905 State Street, Camp Hill, PA

Phoenix, Birmingham, Seattle and Tampa SOON...

So, From Boston, I headed to, Fenton, Michigan and had a fun hands-on session with some great decorative artists and contractors.  Lisa Basinski of http://www.dare-to-dream-designs.com/  has already used some of the new products and created a great looking board, using metallic and metallic plasters... Picture below features, Lisa's finish.  she is surrounded by Trace and Crystal, her SW Tag Team Champions!

No rest for the wicked.  (Speaking of Wicked...I should have some photos coming soon, from a restaurant named, "Wicked"  of a Venetian Plaster installation.)

Another Faux Workaholic, Pat Ganino, had Ron Francis at his studio, prior to the PDPA Summit and found time to have the students play with the new Sherwin-Williams Venetian Plaster.

I ended the first 5 of 7 day week, back in my hometown of Chicago at an inspirational event called the: 

2010 Craftsmanship Conference

Inspiration, Tools and Applications for your Craftsmanship-Oriented Company

Katie Bernhard, DDM from Sherwin-Williams and I had an opportunity to meet some of the country's most dedicated PDCA craftmen in the industry. Mario Guertin of Painting Partnership, Inc. is the visionary behind this highly regarded annual event.  http://paintpartner.com/  The attendees were  a powerful group and were knee deep in how to better their craft and raise the bar for their employees and the industry as a whole, but they found time and were fully engaged in our Faux Impressions preview.  I look forward to more interaction with this PDCA consortium of excellence. http://www.pdca.org/

Next week, as promised I will post another little taste of what happended at the PDPA Education Summit, featuring a video of Pascal Amblard...

This weekend, I also have completed a few sets of Faux Impression samples that will be used in an upcoming ASID Fashion show.  I will be sure to share the pictures.

For more information, please contact me at ed@mattinglynolimitspaint.com

Talk to you next week!!

www.sherwin.com/faux