Faux and Decorating Schools
One of PaintPRO’s most important goals is education, a mission that is shared by faux painting schools around the country. Here’s a look at three of the many schools you will find listed on our Web site: www.paintpro.net. We hope you will consider taking some classes — and we’re certain that you will benefit from the inspiration you find at these studios.

Seattle Architectural Finishing Studio
Seattle, Wash.
(206) 838-5888
www.seattleafs.com

Students at Seattle Architectural Finishing Studio learn a variety of art forms, from bold plaster textures and velvety wall glazes to concrete staining and intricate mural work. The studio hosts small, intimate, beginning-to-advanced-level classes at its Seattle location near the Seattle Design Center as well as in Los Angeles. The hands-on sessions are taught by Aaron Cohen and other gifted professionals in the field.

The studio offers two levels of architectural wall finishing classes. Aaron Cohen teaches the Beginner and Advanced classes personally, so students learn stunning, unique and original finishes from a true professional. They use lime and cement-based plasters, as well as synthetic plasters, glazes, waxes and metallics, to create samples that are in high demand from top designers and architects around the world.

The Advanced Study Architectural Wall Finishing class is an intensive five-day professional workshop that covers a range of sophisticated techniques. Enrollment in this class requires a prerequisite of the first-level Architectural Wall Finishing class, Texston’s residential certification class, or a minimum three years of professional plastering or decorative painting experience.

A three-day class on concrete staining is taught by Cohen and, occasionally, by guest instructor Rodney Ray. It covers the fundamentals of the overlay and oxidizing process developed to stain concrete without muriatic acid.

The studio also hosts specialty workshops such as “Murals With Jennifer Carrasco,” a fast-paced five-day intensive workshop. It covers tips and techniques for making murals from start to finish: what grounds to use, methods of transfer, preparation of painting surface, varieties of finish and scale, methods of installation, and a quick review of color theory with glazing techniques.

FauxEver Beautiful
Bensalem, Penn.
(215) 244-4166
www.fauxschoolbyfeb.com

Students at FauxEver Beautiful take workshops that offer the ultimate in a homelike setting: They are actually taught in a home. The warm and comfortable atmosphere provides the ultimate learning experience.

FauxEver Beautiful is structured for quality, excellence, and productivity. The environment lowers stress and promotes creativity, fun, and a lot of hands-on sample creating. All classes are held in the studio section of the home, where each student has his or her own workstation and easel.

All faux classes feature Aqua Finishing Solutions. Specialty faux workshops last one or two days, while series faux workshops last four or five. Series faux workshops include Faux To Finish, Beginner Glaze Workshop, Olde World Finishes, Lusterstone, and Layered Workshop. Workshops can be customized into one-day sessions.

Some faux finishing classes include the opportunity to faux a room in the host house, while other classes give students the chance to go to a job in progress. Both of these faux classes let students go to the wall and experience how to handle ceilings, corners, and angles in real working situations.

Students leave the workshops with sample faux finish boards they have created themselves. Each day they create six to eight beautiful boards that are taken home to dazzle family, friends, decorators and architects alike.

Anything But Plain School of Decorative Finishes
Houston, Texas
(800) 444-1170
www.anythingbutplain.com

Anything But Plain School of Decorative Finishes is where heart’s desire meets quality training to ensure success.

Anything But Plain and its exceptional teaching staff of professional artisans offer comprehensive workshops and continued technical support. The environment at Anything But Plain is spacious, lively, and creatively stimulating. Each student leaves with portfolio-ready samples, a notebook with detailed technical information, and some of the finest training available anywhere. Classes feature Aqua Finishing Solutions and Faux Effects products. Workshops include (among others) Wall Basics, Designer Walls, Lusterstone, Exotic Skins, Marble and Stone, and Stencils and Modello.

Janie Ellis, the founder and president of Anything But Plain Studio and School of Decorative Finishes, has more than 17 years of experience as a professional faux finisher. She received her B.A. in art and a master’s degree in interior design. She is a teacher, lecturer and certified artisan, and her work has been published in local, regional and national publications. Ellis is a member of ASID, SALI, and the International Salon of Decorative Painters.