Here’s another early piece of writing that sets out the SDFS mission in clear and noble terms:

Just so its really clear, the main concept of the school is adapted from the main concept of my business painting custom murals and other customized artwork: instead of “creating the art you want” (the tagline for my online portfolio) the mission of the Finishing School could be “creating the art education you want”.

Having studied art in several places & formats in my career, I’ve been often disappointed when it seems like the the teacher is teaching to the middle of the class, or to a general level of proficiency rather than to excellence and those who want to excel. I have always wanted to attend a school tailored specifically to my goals, and take classes that build on my existing knowledge without the inevitable redundancy of a general lesson plan prepared on a topic rather than prepared for me.

In the last couple years I have had a number of requests to teach a seminar on what I do or allow someone to apprentice on one of my jobs. So instead of finding that ideal school to attend, I’ve established the San Diego Finishing School to share what I’ve learned, and how I’ve learned it, in a way each student can best learn it, regardless of past experience and skill level.

My professional goals as contractor and teacher are ultimately one: to facilitate an intensely satisfying and rewarding artistic experience for my clients, and bring them large personal returns on the investments they make in themselves.

Several people have asked me to re-post this section of the original SDFS website.

On re-reading a year later, I think it covers the essentials thoroughly, though I am now reorganizing and redefining the delivery systems for these various components of the faux finish/ mural artist/ decorative painting business.

Classes at the San Diego Finishing School
These class descriptions identify the essential components of a complete education in creating professional caliber murals and faux finishes. They are meant to be assembled “a la carte” style to create the customized art education that gets you where you want to go as expediently as possible. Any class can be contracted or expanded as necessary, depending on your goals and experience level.
Beginning Classes:
Basic Glazing Techniques
Fundamentals of paint properties, mixing & applying glazes, basic color theory.
Basic Drawing for Muralists
Fundamentals of placing objects in space, perspective drawing, and the rendering of light, shade & shadow to “fool the eye” (trompe l’oeil).
Painting Fundamentals
Planning, surface prep, masking techniques and the like for individuals without professional painting experience.
Very Begining Drawing
For anyone who has wanted to learn to draw (anything) but never tried or had any success trying to draw. If you are inspired by what you see, I can teach you todraw.

Intermediate Classes:

Creating Glazed Finishes
Using glazes to create actual finishes for actual environments, depending
on overall design goals, furniture/accesory elements, lighting conditions,
desired impact on mood, atmosphere, etc.
Textured Finishes
Using dimensional textures to create one-of-a-kind finishes.
Ventian Plasters
Using the various proprietary products on the market to create what are
widely known as “architectural” finishes.
Mural Drawing
Large scale drawing, layout techniques, and sequential planning in getting your mural onto its final surface.
Mural Painting 1
Planning the paint process for your mural. Mixing a harmonious color palette, lay in techniques, and sequential planning in bringing your mural to life.

Advanced Classes:
Advanced Finish Design
Combining techniques & materials to create innovative finishes all your own. Study of numerous projects other than my own, experimentation and process design. Emphasis on reflectance, wax and polish techniques, and other little used final techniques to help distinguish your work from all the rest, including how to repair your own work.
Mural Painting 2
Working up the final layers of your mural project to maximize, sparkle, depth, volume and overall liveliness of your mural. Discussion of sealers, UV protection for exterior murals, and other finishing details, including how to repair your own work.
Mural Design
Mural composition, scale drawing, using your digital camera and computer to create convincing renderings, creating and using samples effectively in both sales and production process.
Estimating & Bidding Mural and Faux Finish Projects
If your are a painting professional (or want to be), this is the key to your business: learning to accurately estimate your time, effectively utilize your materials and schedule, and manage your committments, both to the quality of your work and to your clients themselves. Because its not just about the profit margin on a particular job, its about the development of your professional identity and reputation.
Production Insurance Services:
In starting the Finishing School, I am committed to your success. If you get into a jam on a project, work yourself into a corner, or need professional backup to successfully complete your project, I can make myself available to you either in consultation or on location as an “insurance” component of your course at the Finishing School.

Here are some clips from the very first organization of ideas that became the San Diego Finishing School.

I often hear about artists that don’t follow through, don’t understand business basics, don’t show up on time, don’t show up at all, and generally don’t meet expectations.

Usually this is because of some mismatch between an artist’s ability to realize his or her ideas and the artist’s ability to organize a job, and subsequently, a business. I wasn’t as clear on this impportant distinction then as I am today.

In the same context, I also wrote:

One of my goals is to build your confidence with thorough fundamentals and relevant hands-on practice in a low pressure environment. Your confidence in your own eye and your own skills is an essential component of your success in creating anything beautiful with paint.

Today I include a new goal in the mission of SDFS, which is to build confidence in the business side of a faux painting business.

I realized that an obstacle for some of my students and for myself has often been stress about the business side of a job, sometimes to the point of spoiling the fun/creative/artistic/satisfying side of the job.

So I have dedicated myself to making artist business development a more fundamental and more specific component of this year’s program at SDFS. A schedule for the coming school year will become available starting August 27, check the latest edition of the News or register for this feed by clicking on the large icon at the bottom of this page.