My Love Needs A Little More Time

A cold sore. I've had a cold sore off/on for over a month. You really shouldn't start a life changing story with an unsightly virus. But it's the outward sign of my inward spiral. Crashing my truck on Wednesday-well that's a little too much manifest stress. So it's time to express what I've been holding on to for months.

"A story is starting, and this story ends"

Starting. It might be intimidating and uncertain. But it also holds a lot of promise. People will expect you to make mistakes. Course correct.  There is always bravery in starting.  Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Or so they say.

But any novelist, director, lawyer or athlete will tell you it always comes down to the ending. How you wrap up is what will be remembered. Ask a gymnast, the most points are lost in a routine's finale. This is me trying to stick the landing.

I have a Master's of Public Administration in Non-Profit Management. It's an MBA for people that believe in a cause, want to work hard and make half as much money. Business planning is a core course. And one of the most important questions in planning is "how will this end?" It seems odd to ask how something will cease before it starts but like the Lion King, business has a circle of life.

There are several choices. You can sell it. You may leave it to someone else. Or you can close the doors. Terminal illness didn't really figure into the business plan. Does it ever? Unfortunately it is a leading cause of why a business closes.

We are entering the 3rd year of Bruce's cancer.  The fact that he is still here and has a good quality of life is nothing short of a miracle.  But things are progressing. Gratefully it has been slow but I am moving too fast. I run the studio. I run a full-time commission business. I run classes. I run remodeling. And I run-yes just run. And the more I believe I'm moving forward the more ground I'm losing.

"Time used to move softly when I was at home. It went on without me and left me alone."

There are 5 common regrets with loss. They are:

"I wish I'd had the courage to be true to myself.

"I wish I hadn't worked so hard."

"I wish I'd expressed my feelings."

"I wish I'd stayed in touch with people I care about."

"I wish I'd let myself be happier."

I'm lucky because we have time to live a life with less regret but smart enough to know that time has a limit.  So the time has come for me to choose to be more present in our life and that means letting something go. That something is Surfaces.

I've been a proud studio owner for 16 years. In that time, I've provided training and mentorship for hundreds of artists. It's been a joy in my life to help other people start and succeed at business.  Lucky people get to indulge their creativity and be inspired by others. Luckier people get to have lasting and meaningful friendships with those talented people. I am the luckiest. My local community helped me get our home ready to sell. Brought me meals. Helped me move. Gave me an amazing 50th birthday party. Took my classes. Bought my product. I'm forever grateful. I know we will have more amazing times.

 A special thank you to Mary Walker for having her studio within my studio. She has been a good advisor, source of knowledge, a supportive artist and great friend. I will miss hearing her laugh-it's one of a kind!

Working with younger women has been a highlight of my time at Surfaces. In particular, I've enjoyed my time with Ashley who I've watched transition from studio assistant to incredible mother to four darling children...

and with Emily.

Emily has run things at the studio. First, when Bruce got sick. Then when we moved. An now while I'm working in the field. Here even temperament and trustworthiness has kept our studio going the past 3 years. She will be continuing her education and we wish her all the best!

During this time, I've been a proud member of the Faux Effects Family. In the early days of Bruce's illness, we were in and out of the hospital. Faux Effects sent me months worth of gourmet meals that got us through those chaotic times. We've spoken several times as I go through this transition and we share a commitment to helping our clients. They have been supportive and I look forward to continuing my relationship with FE in the future.

I've also enjoyed a good relationship with the other Faux Effects distributors. We've talked through out Bruce's illness and I appreciate their support. It's a tough time to be a studio owner with the changing market and the demographic shifts. It takes a lot of time and money to offer quality classes and products. I will be sending them each a list of the products that I use the most in my classes. Please support your local distributor-they work hard for you! And I look forward to teaching at their studios in the future.

Our last day is May 1st. It was suppose to be June 1st but that's another story (and cold sore).

 I've loved my time at Surfaces and this is the hardest decision I've had to make so far.

I'm moving my studio to our home where I can continue my commission business.  I'm attending a conference in April to build my business, marketing and social media skill sets as I explore exciting ways to evolve my love of the decorative arts. There will be time to revisit this blog and indulge my love of writing. I've catalogued so many makeovers, DIY projects and funny little stories. I've submitted to teach at IDAL and will be teaching in Utah, Florida and Ohio this year.

And with all that, this story ends where it began. Being present for my life with Bruce and my pack (Bridgette, Murray and Jack Fyre). Let's hope I make the landing.

A story needs a reason and rhyme. And my love needs a little more time.

"Saturday Morning" written by Tom Chapin, 1982.

The Fort Worth IDAL Diaries Part Two:

Monday, September 29th

Another beautiful day in Fort Worth so I take a 5 mile run toward the stockyards. Kathy Wear, fellow IDAL Board Member and runner, directs me to a tree-lined path that goes down by the river. Alas, 2 days later I will not find this spot to take my friend George Hackford running.

 

 

This is where I will take George for a run:

 

 

 

The Conference Center is walking distance to our hotel and has a visually interesting atrium. My talented friend Susan Kolesar took this picture and many other great shots of the IDAL Convention.  A cowboy hat star!

It turns out that a lot of concrete trucks are circling the convention center to set-up the Concrete Decor Show that is sharing our space. So our time to set up for classes is moved back...and moved back...and moved back.  We spend some time at the cool water park by our hotel...

which shows the lovely deployment of Concrete!

 

We also get manicures:

Well, not this one but it would be perfect for a stencil theme as long has you didn't have to get your hands dirty! We work and ruined our nails the first day. Ah, the glamorous life of an artist!

By the time we can set-up our classroom, I have One Hour before I am going to dinner with our Citadel Insurance Representative, Heather.  Now, I am wearing a Debbie Harry Shirt and grab at the last minute some clothes to change into for our very nice dinner.  Thank goodness Sue and Jeanette know how I like my class set up because I drive the Balls of Clay truck to the convention center unload about 10 boxes and rush back to the hotel to meet for dinner.

Ugh! I have one minute to change..in the truck (clothing becomes somewhat of a theme later on). What I think are black pants are really black leather leggings. And I forgot my nice shoes-looks like the Leopard Flats on my feet will have to do. I meet this very sweet and nice young woman from Citadel dressed like I am going to an "I Love the 80's" party.

 







IDAL Vice President reporting for duty!

Tuesday, September 30th

Finally my first class day. We are beginning with the Modern Historian wall
and cabinet finishes. I am not going to sugar coat it-the set-up was nuts.
Pole and drape on the convention floor. And plastic on the concrete made you walk like Frankenstein!
I naturally have a really loud voice...

 

 

 

but I was really yelling.  This is something that the people in Mave's class

(behind the curtain next to me) will attest to!

They should think of it as 2 for One Instruction!

 

 

Well, that is one way to sell it.

 

OK! So it was loud with concrete mixers going. And I was slip 'n' sliding across the floor.
But guess what?  We had a good time and a great class!

Photo courtesy of Susan Kolesar

See I am happy-no one is holding me against that upright table and throwing darts-that's a win in my book!

 The battle of the cell phone pictures!

Everyone is working very hard-maybe because my yelling scared them but hopefully it is because of the great samples they made!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 During a break, I am expected at the Chapter Luncheon with a yummy Bar-b-Que provided by the Dallas Chapter. Now, I have been carrying what I call my "important papers" in a file since arriving on Saturday. As a kid I would have purses filled with drawings, clippings, and such. My Mom would threaten to throw away my "trash" and I would cry, "You can't-those are my important papers!" What 5 year old has important papers? This one!

 

The collar is either popped or it's not! Who dressed this kid?

 

 

Well this time, the papers matter. They are all the information and surveys I have been trying to collect about IDAL membership.  I enjoy talking with the Chapter Presidents and hearing what they want and need from IDAL. And Cindy Andrews the new Chapter Liaison, makes a nice presentation about new goals for Chapter growth and development. Thinking things are going smoothly,  I place my folder on the table for this picture with Lyna

 

and a gust of wind blows everything out of my folder and across the plaza!

 

 

 

 

 

One of the things I learned about Chapter Presidents? It turns out they run fast! Thankfully they captured all my papers. I didn't have time to sort them before returning to class which makes me twitch a bit.

Photo Courtesy of Susan Kolesar

 

This is me after the luncheon and I look a little crazed! Probably because I have not counted my Important Papers!  But our class finished 4 wall and 3 cabinet samples in one day-GO TEAM!

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, October 1st (The day)

2nd day of class and I have two helpers-Sue and we also have Jeanette. She finished her class on Tuesday and is ready to go! Jeanette is a machine with the stencils! That is why I look less crazy this day!

Susan took this nice picture of a Modern Romantic Sample the day before-thought I should tell you this since it looks like I slept in the same clothes! Now I fell asleep with my hands on the keyboard to my I-pad sitting almost upright (Sue thought I had a stroke) but I did change my clothes.

 

It was so warm I could wear my Fauxy Painter shorti-alls with my favorite pink shirt both days!







Photo by Susan Kolesar

 

 

I love these pictures! This is what it is all about...the prep, the drive, the set-up...working with people excited to learn and try new things! I am so grateful that I finally met so many Facebook Friends and people that order product from Surfaces-you are no longer a voice on the phone. What a great group of artists to work with over the two days! 

We had a really good time!





I am really proud that everyone did such a great job in class by staying focused and helpful! All the samples were portfolio ready! We even made up some new samples as we worked!

There was only one moment when things got a little too much. Now, the concrete people are lovely talented folks. Some of our decorative artisians are very talented in this medium. I want to just state that I love the concrete people. But one guy in the expo decided it was time for a Hoe-Down and really cranked up a the music. Now normally I love a good dance party, but in the middle of class?



Once again that cardio work came in handy. I bolted from class and really nicely
(yes, I was really nice) asked the very sweet young man if he could please
turn down the music-which he graciously did. Problem solved!

Wednesday, October 1st (that night)

 

This is my first General Meeting as a Board Member and like most of the week, I rushed from one thing to the next (good thing I run). I am also anxious. For weeks, I have been sitting in on the Board discussions and, as I noted in my first post, participated in my first official BOD meeting.

 

 It is hard to know that you are getting ready to tell your membership there will not be a Convention the next year. Sitting on stage, I could see the disappointment and questions on people's faces.  I also know that board members struggled for a long time with solutions to declining membership with rising costs.  Many people on the board had delayed their own personal needs to be at Convention to face the group. It was hard all the way around.

 

Plus, once again, I have selected the wrong clothing! Sue and I  walk a long way (me in heels)from the Convention Center to find comfort food-pasta! I keep fiddling with the ridiculous slip I have on until my OCD goes into over-drive. Now, I played soccer on all boys team so I got pretty good at changing garments in a discreet way.

 I shimmy out of my slip at dinner! It was discreet...until we posted a Facebook pic!

Thank goodness cell phones weren't around when I was a teen.

 

I am exhausted from teaching two days and attending functions but we are not done yet....

 

COMING NEXT-THE MAD HATTER AUCTION AND THE Q and A SESSION



Stocking Stuffers for Decorative Painters

Remember how Burgermeister Meisterburger made all the children get rid of their toys, so Jessica told the kids to hang out their stockings and Kris Kringle would put the gifts in the stockings? Well then you are old like me but you know some of the best things come in an old sock...

Or maybe not?

My Mom is always good at getting fun and unusual things for our stockings (yes, I still put up one as does Bruce, and our dogs). In this spirit, here are some recommendations for stocking stuffers for the decorative artist in your life or to share with the loved one that wants to "stuff your stocking."

Artist's Loft Brushes. Michael's. Under $5 for a pack of 3.  I love these brushes and use them in all of my cabinet classes.  The soft bristles are perfect for brushing wiping stains and concentrate colors.  The dense square shape make them a great choice for detailing and tipping raised panels and decorative elements of furniture.  Look for them in brushes located in the Artist Supply section of Michael's and not the Craft section.

Airbrush cleaning brushes.  Under $5.  Harbor Freight.  We carry these in the studio for our finishers and they are a necessity for cleaning HVLP guns.  The tiniest brush is perfect to unclog the small hole in the aircap that often gets forgotten.

Fine Glitter and beads.  Under $10 (shipping costs vary).  There is no better time to give someone the gift of glitter or beads.  For color variation and quick shopping try Michael's where you will find Martha Stewart and Recollections glitter/beads in the scrap booking supplies.  I like the microbeads and the very fine glitter.  Tinsel glitter is fun but looks a little like moldy hair in a finish. This glitter is not coated and will shed some color in your medium (glazes, waxes, plaster, etc...) For great customer service and coated products that will withstand alkyds, give Cero Glass a call at 931-490-8030 or visit the web-site www.ceroglass.com.  You can get real glass glitter from Cero and products come in many sizes.  Just make sure you give your glitter in good packaging-this stuff is like parsley-it shows up flicked all over the place.

Spray Texture Touch-up gun. Under $15.  Hardware Stores.  These pump guns used to touch-up textured walls/ceilings are hard to find so buy a few. Usually locally owned hardware stores or Ace Hardware will have them.  These are perfect for blowing the glitter or beads that you  purchased into your finishes-especially over your head.

E-6000 Glue. Under $10. Craft and Hobby stores.  Hands-down the best crafting glue there is!  For the finisher that likes to add assemblage to your canvas art this is a must have glue.  I've glued heavy metal letters, gears, and wood molding with this product.  It is an epoxy glue so it does stink but it dries hard without foaming like some other super stick glues.

Whizz Rollers Black Foam Sponge Contractors Pack. 10 for $28.95. We carry these at Surfaces but you may also find them at some paint stores.  This is the application tool for water-born paints, topcoats, and Wundasize.  White high density rollers often foam with water-born products (especially if you thin the product with water).  These rollers minimize foaming and the concave tip makes it easier to get into edges and tight spaces. Convex (curved out) rollers catch in these areas and will tear leaving foam in your finish.

Handy Paint Pail Covers. Under $4 for 2 pack.  Paint Stores.  Little Shower caps for your paint containers!  Great for when you mix custom glazes on the fly in whatever bucket you have handy. I seem to have the empty container but never the right lid. Fits tighter then cling wrap.

Rubber Horsetail Brushes. Under $4. Tractor Supply.  We've been using these nifty little brushes for years.  Molded out of rubber to fit a hand, their use is to groom the mane and tail of a horse. We use them to shape plasters and glazes.  The tips are super durable and come in different sizes plus the shape is comfortable in your hand. Since there is no handle they are easy to get into awkward spaces as well.

Japan Blades. Set of 4. Under $20. Faux Finishing Retail Studios including ours.  Actually made in Germany, these are a staple for the Decorative Artist.  The flexible blade is great for tight back fills of plasters and the square shape lends itself to shaping products.  The perfect tool for cleaning or buttering a larger trowel.  Plus they are useful for scrapping product off your sample surface area when cleaning.

Motsenbocker's Liftoff Hand Cleaner and Conditioner.  14 fl oz. Under $5.  Home Improvement Box Stores. We also carry it at Surfaces.  Speaking of cleaning! You can either give the gift of latex gloves or this hand cleaner.  Made by the same people that brought you Latex Lift-off Level 5, this product cleans your hands really well (including Stain & Seal) without drying them out thanks to Lanolin, Vitamin E, and Aloe.  It is also a nice cleanser for stencil brushes-it has orange pumice in it.  Added bonus-it does a great job of getting rings all sparkly.

Rubber Application Triangle. Under $30. Faux Finishing Supply Studios including ours.  This is a nice little tool that many finishers do not have.  The perfect size, shape, and material for troweling in sinks, around columns, and over stencils.  The rubber is also a nice choice for very light plasters where you don't want any carbon marks.

Specialty Rubber Rollers. $18-$19. Surfaces Fine Paint and Prismatic Painting.  OK, I admit it. These look like something for the person who has been naughty!  I've featured these rollers in many of my classes and blog posts as a way to add fun techniques to many plasters, foils, and waxes.  Made of a durable rubber, these rollers may be easily cut to fit into tight spaces and several of the shapes are non-directional making them practical for many room situations.  Available in Alligator, Loops, Bark, Patchwork, Spots, and Threads.  The Alligator is the only one that comes with a handle.

4" Stub Roller Cage. Home Improvement Stores. Under $5.  Buy your friend a few of these to go with their Specialty Rollers. Plus these little handles fit small paint rollers that are perfect for small rooms like powder baths.

Paint Church Key.  Under $2-usually free. Paint Stores.  It opens paint cans and beer bottles-what more do I need to say?

A Surfaces Gift Certificate. Any amount.  Most gifts that keep on giving require the involvement of the IRS or the local Heath Department.  Not so the Surfaces' gift certificate.  Maybe someone thinks you've been good (or bad-we don't judge) and knows you deserve a class in 2013.  Just let us know the amount and we will process and mail the certificate that will be good until the time the recipient chooses a class or classes. www.surfacesfinepaint.com

As I said in the beginning: some of the best gifts come in a stocking.