Waltner Wood & Wall Designs

Custom Furniture & Faux Finishing

Faux Finishing Classes

 

Ever since our business began offering professional faux finishing services, we have had numerous people asking for Faux Finishing Classes.  We are currently offering classes in a private and semi-private format.  This allows for faster learning of only the finishes you are interested in.  This also gives the student complete control over scheduling...weekdays, weekday evening, weekends.  Simply call to schedule your class now!

 

Fees for private instruction (includes all materials and instruction manual):

Minimum 2 hours………………….…$60

3 hours…………………………………$80

4 hours…………………………………$95

5 hours………………………………..$120

6 hours………………………………..$135

7 hours………………………………..$150

Includes theory and LOTS of hands-on practice. $60.00 deposit is required; remainder due upon completion of the class.

 

Who will be your teacher?

Not every faux artist is a teacher, and certainly not every teacher is a faux artist.  With Keri Waltner, you get someone who has extensive experience in both fields.  Before making the switch to faux finishing, Keri was a university professor for many years.  In fact, one of her specialties was training other teachers. 

             As many professional faux finishers do, Keri started out learning through trial and error (and kits from WalMart) on the walls in her own homes.  However, she quickly realized the limitations of this method and sought out professional training.  She was fortunate to stumble across a faux-finishing school that turned out to be run by a true master….someone who has been in the business for more than 30 years and has been commissioned to create faux-finished masterpieces by Hollywood stars and presidents.  Under the careful tutelage of this master, Keri honed her skills and began accepting faux finishing jobs across south-central Kansas.  She has created unique walls in a variety of settings:  from high-end patio homes in Wichita to golf-community homes in Newton, to a cattle ranch in rural Marion county.  And she has continued to expand her faux-finishing horizons through experimentation with new techniques and new color combinations and through continuing education.

             Keri is excited to be able to combine her current and former occupations into one with the offering of Faux Finishing Classes.

 

Our teaching philosophy

Faux finishing can be learned by almost anyone...let’s face it, we’re not talking brain surgery here.  But what it does require, and which most amateurs don’t have access to, or don’t take the time for, is knowledge and practice.  Our classes will give you plenty of both.  There is a certain amount of information that can be learned through lecture and/or discussion and a certain element of our classes will focus on this.  But what is so lacking in most faux-finishing “lessons” these days is the element of practice.  Keri was appalled when she attending a short workshop recently given at a large home improvement show.  The presenter was the faux-finishing “expert” from a local home superstore.  The presentation was solely designed to sell you the superstore’s products and in fact gave quite a bit of misinformation about faux finishing.  But what was most appalling was the pitch at the end:  if you wanted to learn more about faux finishing, the superstore conducted 2 hour classes once a week, and “if you want to get gloves on and get your hands dirty, we can do that too.”  Practice is NOT optional if you really want to learn how to master even one faux finish!  Each student will work at his/her own station, and create sample boards of each finish taught.  Usually two sample boards of each finish are done….one for practice and one for “good” to take home with you.

 

What we promise our students

¨ We will introduce you to a variety of different faux-finishing products and tools.  We are not here to push any certain line of products.  There used to be another school in our area that was founded and supported by a specific manufacturer of faux-finishing products.  Therefore, if you attended their classes, you only learned how to use their products.  Graduates of their classes were not exposed to the wide range of products and tools available, and were not usually introduced to the least expensive way to create a specific finish.  It didn’t surprise us that they recently went out of business.

¨ You will have the instructor’s complete attention during class.  She will not answer the phone or deal with walk-ins.

¨ Each student will have their own work station and all supplies you will need to create your sample boards are included in the cost of the course.

¨ We teach the science, as well as the art, of faux finishing.  You will learn how to prepare surfaces properly, how different types of paints are used, and the proper product and tool for each finish.

¨ You will receive a manual with complete step-by-step instructions for each finish so that two weeks after the course, you aren’t asking yourself, “Now how did I create this sample board?”