Dru Blair is an artist specializing is Photorealism and Trompe L'oeil paintings. His Hyper realistic paintings are so realistic, that they are often mistaken for photographs. Specializing in the airbrush, he developed a color theory in the mid-80's that is widely used in photorealistic rendering today.

 

In 1988 he won the National Airbrush Excellence Award, which ushered in a wave of commercial opportunities. The following year he produced his first aviation painting, "Power" which became the first of three Air Force Magazine covers and remains the number one selling aviation print in the world. Other aviation paintings followed the advent of his own publishing company, Blair Art Studios Inc in 1989., and in 1997 he founded the Blair School of Art, now located in his ancestral hometown of Blair, SC.

 

Partial client list: Budweiser, Continental Airlines, United Airlines, Proctor & Gamble, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Nabisco, Neutrogena, Rolling Rock Beer, Rockwell International, McDonnell Douglas, McDonalds, Mattel, USA Today, Turner Broadcasting System, Automobile Magazine, American Legion Magazine, Air Force Magazine, American Helicopter Pilots Association Magazine, Texaco, Paramount Theme Park, Featured Cover Artist and contributing editor for Airbrush Magazine, Airbrush Action Magazine, and Airbrush Art + Action Magazine, whose editors hailed Dru's school as the best airbrush school in the world.

 

Dru Blair's favorite subjects are a tribute to mankind's greatest technological triumphs, especially aircraft. He also enjoys painting wildlife, particularly raptors.

Morey Curtis Dunbar has had a lifelong love affair with creative wall finishes. While studying Environmental Design at Syracuse University’s School Of Human Development, a single course in historic restoration and renovation ended up determining Morey’s future career. Students were asked to create a cohesive plan of historical inspired glass, wall, floor, and fabric treatments. Experiments with different materials to create a variety of effects ignited a passion for decorative treatments for all surfaces.

 

Starting with furniture in a small gallery in Chicago a new business, PAINTED, was launched. Morey’s ability to execute decorative finishes on architectural reproductions prompted customers to ask if she could create unique treatments for a condo on Chicago’s Gold Coast. During a 22 year career in the decorative painting industry, Morey Curtis Dunbar has had the good fortune to work with throughout the country both commercially and residentially. She has studied with decorative painting industry leaders. Recently, having become a certified instructor for Faux Effects Inc., Morey, along with co-teaching partner Jennifer Ferguson, recently developed and taught one of FE's newest and most exciting classes, Sexy Vegas. Morey has also taught privately for many years.

 

As the co-founder of FLATFILE Foundation, Morey established this organization to continue art education in underprivileged youth and struggling young artists, and has spent countless hours working with the children to expand their artistic horizons She is a long time member of IDAL, a founding member and past president of The Atrium Online chapter and a local member of the Heartland Chapter.

Ellie Ellis is the owner of Elite Artistry, LLC. She has been in business since 1995 and has worked on the Oregon Coast and in the Portland, Oregon area. Ellie received her Stenciling Certification in 2010 at the Portland IDAL Convention.

 

Ellie is one of a very few decorative wall finishers who practices the lost art of hand-sculpted plaster relief. Ellie received her inspiration for this type of work while living in Europe and being surrounded by plaster relief in various buildings. She fell in love with this type of craftsmanship and has been studying it for years. She makes her own molds to save time in adding plaster elements to her sculpted wall reliefs. Her sculpted wall reliefs provide a unique beauty and a true three dimensional look to her work. She has many loyal commercial and residential clients who appreciate her style and attention to detail.

 

Ellie started her career in theater. She began her studies in Quebec, Canada in 1979, and later traveled to Europe where she lived for many years teaching and directing street dramas & children’s theater. She returned to the U.S. and transitioned from the performing arts to decorative arts, where she utilized her artistic talent to form Elite Artistry, LLC. "I enjoy the decorative arts, especially sculpting and creating bas reliefs. I also love to teach people what I’ve learned. It’s great to be able to apply my teaching experience with my decorative wall finishing work and instruct students in mold-making, bas relief, and wall finishes”.

 

Ellie, through her business, Elite Artistry, LLC is also a Modern Masters Platinum Training Center and she is trained by Kelly S. King.

Jennifer is a self-taught artist and entrepreneur, she has been designing, teaching and educating in the decorative arts industry for the past 23 years.

 

As the owner and creative mind behind Artistic Painting Studio since 1989, Jennifer has shared her knowledge, passion and experience of paint/plaster/design through television appearances, books, videos, websites and workshops throughout the states as well as at her studio in Fresno, CA.

 

Books/TV/Publications

The co-author of Painted Chairs, Painted Whimsies, TrashFormations and Painted Fabric Fun Jennifer has had the opportunity to share many of her creative ideas. She has also appeared on numerous television shows, including Carol Duvall Show and Kitty Bartholomew’s Your Home. She has been a contributor to many different trade magazines writing creative painting articles throughout the years.

 

Artistic Painting Studio/The Stencilled Garden

Jennifer developed a line of stencils back in 1994 and has been designing since that time – creating wonderful stencils to enhance your homes and business’s. In 2007 Jennifer released the Black & White Collection of stencils, these stencils were created to be used with plasters.

Classes Jennifer Ferguson is teaching at the 2012 IDAL Convention:
W509 ~ Cabinetry & Furniture Finishes
T602 ~ Fast & Fabulous Finishes

Mr. Finkelstein, who is the owner and principal painter at Grand Illusion Decorative Painting, Inc. is recognized world wide as a superior craftsman and master in the art of faux painting. He specializes in high-end residential and museum work.

He creates photo realistic faux finishes, faux marble and faux wood, intricate glazing, 18th and 19th century patinas, gilding, handmade plaster finishes, hand painted ornamentation, custom-cut stenciling and architectural trompe l'oeil for internationally acclaimed interior designers and architects. His field of expertise is a recreation of 18th and 19th century period rooms. He also works as a consultant on extensive projects, recommending and writing recipes for different finishes.

Mr. Finkelstein started his career twenty three years ago as a sign painter. In1986 he graduated from the Van Der Kelen Painting Institute in Brussels and was given a gold medal for his superior skills. In 1990 he was awarded the distinguished title of "Best Craftsman of France" for decorative painting by the French government, and since has won numerous awards from the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America.

He runs and teaches a short term successful program on high-end decorative painting twice a year in NYC at the Pierre Finkelstein Institute of Decorative Painting, and is often a guest teacher and speaker at other schools throughout the United States.

He has authored two well-known books on decorative painting, Recipes for Surfaces, (Simon & Shuster) and The Art of Faux (Watson-Guptill). The latest book The Art of Faux is an excellent source on decorative finishes for designers and architects.

Classes Pierre Finkelstein is teaching at the 2012 IDAL Convention:
W310 ~ Classic Italian Panel Ornament in Trompe L'oeil
F304 ~ Trompe l'oeil Fundamentals: light and shadow
T320 ~ Classic Molding Panel in Trompe L'oeil

Patrick Ganino is the owner of Creative Evolution , a full-service decorative painting company that has operated in Connecticut and surrounding states since 1999. His clients have included successful business owners, celebrities, and high-profile interior designers. His work has been featured in many newspapers, National Magazines and TV shows such as Kitchen Nightmare, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Bar Rescue and Tabitha's Salon Takeover.

 

In addition to offering a wide range of faux painting and custom murals, Ganino has written a book entitled The Business of Faux , produced instructional DVDs for artists, teaches classes at his studio, and participates in The Faux Forum , a website he developed. He has worked with renowned artists from around the world and recently completed a spectacular series of murals on the exterior of a 12-story building in Brooklyn, NY . Ganino strives to continue to offer his clients an exceptional level of commitment on all projects. His drive to continually master new techniques will ensure lasting satisfaction from clients who expect only the best.

Classes Pat Ganino is teaching at the 2012 IDAL Convention:
F707 ~ Designed 2 Sell: Portfolio & Networking in 2012

"Mindy Harrell is the owner of Faux Assured Studio in Utah. She has been painting and drawing as long as she can remember and although she teaches private lessons in the decorative arts, her true joy comes from creating mixed media canvas. For several years now, Mindy has been showing other artisans just how easy it is to incorporate custom art into their existing business. Mindy has been married for 15 years and has two children."

Classes Mindy Harrell is teaching at the 2012 IDAL Convention:
S604 ~ Canvas Creators with Mindy Harrell

Kelly S. King is the Director of Education and Product Development for Modern Masters. He is the founder of The Kelly S. King Academy, The Fauxcademy and The Painted Mansion. For over 20 years Kelly has trained thousands of decorative finishers in the art and business of decorative painting, launching many highly successful decorative finish careers. Kelly is well known throughout the United States and abroad for his intense teaching style. Most recently Mr. King has been traveling and carrying on his vision teaching and speaking to Architectural and Design firms in many countries around the world including Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Jeddah and Riyadh Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

 

In Kelly’s short tenure with Modern Masters he has provided the vision and direction with the chief chemists in the creation of the new Modern Masters Platinum Product Line including taking part in the creation and video celebrity of the Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations in Home Depot’s and Lowe’s across America. Kelly also coached over 30 Modern Masters Platinum Training Centers around the world and launched his latest courses called "Shizen" and "A Symphony of Metallic No. 3-The Silver Lining”.

 

Mr. King is a published author and written many articles for the decorative finish industry. He also lectures on his "28 Principles of Success” and "Green Thinking”. Kelly is endorsed by Purdue University and the Napoleon Hill Foundation as part of the team of speakers for the "Conceive-Believe-Achieve” Program. He has also had the honor of speaking for the Napoleon Hill Foundation on the principles of the "Science of Success Course” by Napoleon Hill. His topics have included "Definite Purpose in Life”, "Creativity Fueled by Imagination”, "Mastermind Alliance” and "Going the Extra Mile”.

Annie Lemarié is the owner of Main Street Arts LLC, a decorative arts studio located in central Maryland. The studio offers graining, marbling, gilding, murals and decorative finishing primarily "to the trade”. The studio often works in the exacting historic restoration field with a specialty of historic paint restoration and restoration of gilded surfaces and frames. Annie trained in fine arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland, and has studied with several artists and studios in the U.S. Projects have been published in Elle Décor, numerous editions of Frederick Magazine, Washington Home and Garden magazine and the book The House that Faux Built.

 

Clients include design firms, architectural firms, the National Park Service, and numerous private clients in the mid-Atlantic region.

 

Annie is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Society of Gilders, is a former member of the Board of Directors for IDAL, and former president of Habitat for Humanity of Washington County (MD).

 

She teaches individuals and small groups in her studio, and has taught for SALI/IDAL and the Decorative Painting Apprenticeship Program.

In the paint manufacturing industry Ed is known for his innovative product designs and installation processes. Ed is currently providing field support, training and design for the Faux Impressions line at The Sherwin-Williams Company. Ed is an active member of ASID and The Color Marketing Group. He was awarded the ASID National Merit Award, the highest honor bestowed by ASID on an Industry Partner as well as the Spirit Award for his non profit work for Designs for Dignity. You can view Ed’s most recent designs in your local Sherwin-Williams store at the Faux Impressions display.

 

Born and raised in the NY/NJ area, in a family of artists, it was only natural that Henri Menendez follows the family tradition. Though Menendez studied at several colleges, he considers himself to be a ‘self-taught artist’.

 

For the past 21 years, Henri Menendez has owned and operated DeHuelbes Designs, Inc. Mainly serving the metro-Atlanta area with decorative finishes, mural painting, and his specialty, cabinet finishes. The company name, "DeHuelbes” is an old family name from my mother’s side and refers to the area of Spain that the family originates. The name was chosen to pay homage to my mother to whom I owe my life and love for the arts.

 

Menendez has taught at seven SALI/IDAL conventions since 2000, and is available to IDAL chapters as a guest teacher.

 

Henri now divides his time between his art and his construction company, Bella Vista Construction LLC established in 2006. Building and renovating homes has created a new challenge as well as an opportunity to be involved in all phases of design with clients, assisting with everything from granite selections to fixtures and wall finishes.

Bonnie Norling Wakeman is an award winning 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, enhancing local homes and businesses, expanding across the Rocky Mnt region and then Nationally as far as Florida and California.

 

Bonnie started out in the 80’s with a degree in Illustration and Design working in Art galleries, doing portraits and then in the commercial art field by illustrating manuals and children’s books. She went on to art direction, tourist art, and fine art gallery showings after moving to the Colorado Rockies, from Duluth, Minnesota. Her love of the Rocky Mountains caused great diversity in what she did as an artist, and all disciplines lead to the work she does now.

 

Bonnie has not only become known for her beautiful Mural Painting & unique Sculptural Relief Murals, she now creates out door Sculpture & High Relief with clay epoxy.

 

Design, illustration, nature, and an eye for seeing the whole room, all contribute to her ability to please her clients and show them how her work can add the "wow” factor to their space. After years of doing murals, decorative painting, and bas relief, she now finds herself working exclusively in high-end homes and commercial locations locally and nationally.

 

Bonnie has also instructed other artists over the years, in Portraiture, Pastel Painting, Mural Painting, and now Bas Relief wall sculpture. She also offers instructional art videos and has produced several products that they use exclusively on their sculpted wall art.

 

Bonnie looks forward to bas relief becoming one of the most exciting art forms to hit the decorative painting field in years!

A self-taught decorative artist and entrepreneur, Melanie Royals has developed a reputation as a leading innovator and educator in the art of stenciling and decorative painting through her company, Royal Design Studio. Melanie’s new company, Modello Designs, offers a revolutionary approach to the design and application of decorative pattern to all surfaces. Custom designed and custom-sized, Modello decorative masking patterns are cut to order for use on all surfaces including walls, ceilings, wood, plaster, concrete and more.

As the founder and creative force behind Royal Design Studio and Modello Designs, Melanie shares her passion for paint and its exciting possibilities through television appearances, books, instructional videos, website and workshops offered throughout the country.

Decorative artist Lynne Rutter is on a mission to wipe out plain white ceilings and rescue banal interiors with beauty, color, and a little bit of gold leaf here and there! A widely recognized muralist with over 25 years of professional experience as a decorative painter, she runs a prosperous business based in San Francisco, with commissions throughout the U.S.

Lynne studied architecture and design at the University of California at Berkeley, graduating with a degree in fine art. She furthered her training by working as a scenic artist, and by apprenticing with some of the leading decorative painters in the country. For over four years she managed a large successful mural studio, where she coordinated the production of commercial murals for national and international installations. In 1990, Lynne Rutter founded her own atelier, with a mission to "create custom fine art murals and super-fussy ornament, the kind you have to do by hand, and that you want to look at up-close" and she has since become well-known for her ornamental ceilings, fine art murals, chinoiserie, surreal-scale figurative murals, and a fearless use of color. Recent commissions include murals for two public libraries, the Westin St. Francis Hotel, and the home of Barbra Striesand. Lynne's lifelong interest in period design led her to work on many important historic buildings and she has participated in the restoration of painted ornament in churches and civic buildings, as well as in Victorian and period-revival homes. Adorning a previously barren space with historic-inspired murals and ornament has become one of Lynne Rutter's signature looks, and her work has been featured in numerous national design magazines and books on interior design.

Throughout her career Lynne has taught workshops and trained apprentices, and has mentored many of her assistants into successful careers of their own.

Classes Lynne Rutter is teaching at the 2012 IDAL Convention:
S203 ~ Clouds in Color

Steve Shriver received a degree in studio art at Wesleyan University, but feels he has learned much more from his on-the-job training, aka the school of "Of course I can do that!” He is a very well rounded craftsman in the field, with 25 years of experience in murals, faux marble and wood, gilding, layout and design. He has traveled far and wide to work for clients including Nikko Hotels, Four Seasons hotels, Caesars Palace, and many private residences. For the last 10 years he has been working on the historic residence of Anthony Heinsbergen Sr., who was the founder of the largest decorative painting company in Los Angeles from the 1920's to the 1960's. He is working on a book about Mr. Heinsbergen, and is an avid student of decorative painting and ornament history. He is a frequent visitor the Getty Research Institute and posts about art on facebook and on his blog. He has begun teaching over the last 10 years as a way of preserving the practices and disseminating the information that our trade needs to survive and progress.

Classes Steve Shriver is teaching at the 2012 IDAL Convention:
F809 ~ Perspective for Decorative Artists
S309 ~ Trompe L'Oeil Egg and Dart Moldings

Alison is a professional artist and decorator, owner of Florenceart.net, a decorative arts and teaching studio in Florence, Italy.

Alison graduated with honors after winning two scholarships from the Ontario College of Art and Design in Canada. She moved to Florence and worked 15 years under the guidance of Florentine master artisans before opening her own bottega in the heart of the artisan district. Florenceart studio specializes in restoration and the production of fine furniture finishes and decorative art for the interior design industry worldwide.

Sheri is the owner of Faux Design Studio and Creative Director of Faux Design Studio School of Decorative Arts. She is the midwest distributor of largest faux finishing line of products and oversees dynamic contract painting business. In addition, she creates and integrates new finishes in collaboration with prestigious designers and architects

 

She has been featured on several HGTV programs and has appeared in Luxe, Chicago Home & Garden, ASID Illinois Newsletter, Faux Effects World Magazine, The Faux Finisher, The Artistic Stenciler, The Daily Herald, and Press Publications Newspapers. Sheri presented Innovations in Faux designers’ educational program at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart, Arlington Design Center, and The Meeting of The Masters. She has worked in high-end Chicago-area homes and commercial spaces and is currently working with International designers for the Ritz Carlton Residences’ "Magnificent Showcase” event.

 

She is teaching decorative painting classes in various states in conjunction with the Painting Trades Union, as well as other Faux Effects schools.

 

Sheri belongs to ASID Industry Partner, International Decorative Artisans League (IDAL), Painting & Decorating Contractors Association (PDCA), Painting & Decorating Retailers Association (PDRA) and National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).