Ed's Sherwin Corner: San Francisco and Minneapolis and a week of Learning

I am really beginning to reap the benfits of my outreach. Many of the decorative artists that I meet with are open and helpful when we first get together to discuss faux finishing. However, lately I am reminded almost daily by my New Friends as they nudge me often via email and calls with GREAT IDEAS and Points of Inspiration, regarding the Joy of Painting, Color and Art!

For Example: Start your work day with a smile that to Melissa Koch the artist that I met last week in Seattle. She sent me this toe tapping link, featuring Kristin Andreassen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EELEjeYzfjM

Janie Reeves and Cathy Chervanick from Central PA, have me wanting to spend more time in my studio with their tantalizing faux finish experiments. Pictures please guys! I will share my attempts at your inspirational suggestions as well as soon as I get more studio time in November and December.

Hands On Sessions: This Thursday I will be in Kansas City for Hands-on sessions!!

San Francisco:

On my way to the San Francisco Design Center to present the Faux Impressions line to interior designers with Stephanie Letsinger and Karen Galvin of Sherwin-Williams, I was able to pass by the site of Game 1 of the World Series. It took me back to my happiest memories as a kid. Photo above of a retro Giants mural on the outside of AT&T park. (Statue of Willie Mays was the coolest!)

The San Francisco Design Center group was very interested in hearing and seeing the new Faux Impressions line of products. During my presentation, Julie Stonehouse spoke about IDAL and was available afterwards to meet with designers. She also shared with me that she is a textile instructor at the local university. I am most inspired by fabrics and found myself wishing I could take her course! (so much to learn... so little time)

I was able to work with and meet several decorative artists and designers at our 3 hands on seesions in the bay area. Stephanie Letsinger brought together some great people. I even learned how to porperly use a stencil shaper from Susan Mitchell, a local mixed media artisan.

She explained how to draw the Quartz Stone towards the edges to shade and accentuate the stencil design.

The picture below shows our skeletal leaves, embedded in the Quartz Stone with metallic coming through from beneath.

I was extremely fortunate to have spent time at Sheri Hoeger's studio on monday evening. I will share all of the insprational and educational details next week...

San Francisco was definitely worth th long flight and then it was off to Minneapolis for ColorMix 2011 with Jackie Jordan! (Talk about Learning and Inspiration)

Minneapolis:
After 2 long flights from the West Coast, I expected to be rejuvenated by seeing Jackie present ColorMix 2011 to over 200 interior designers, and as always she delivered. Jackie Jordan and Jennifer Seidenfoeld, pictured below.

What I didn't expect was the high level of inspiration provided by Jaxon Bonsack a local Decorative Product Specialist from Sherwin-Williams. He also has me wanted to head back to the studio to get busy! See below. We will have some how to in upcoming weeks on these types of finishes. He is using Quartz Stone as a basecoat and then Metallic as a topcoat.

Way to Go Jaxon!

I was able to have an incredible Father / Daughter weekend with my youngest daughter in Washington D.C. as we attended the Rally to Restore Sanity on Saturday. Check out my favorite signed which was displayed by a husband who attended with his wife and son. See below: