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Over the past 3 years, I have occasionally opened my studio to a select group of acid stainers for in-depth, hands-on seminars on my unique decorative concrete techniques.
Attendees to these seminars have gone on to double, or even triple, their decorative concrete businesses by implementing the technical, artistic, and business training they receive at these events.
These seminars have been dubbed the most in-depth in the decorative concrete industry. In fact, even staining manufacturers that offer their own workshops have sent us students who want more training.
People have come from as far as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to attend these workshops – and they all went home feeling it was a worthwhile trip.
Have you thought about attending this year’s events?
If so, you have to move fast. Here’s why...
This year we will be hosting just THREE seminars.
To be honest, I’m first and foremost a decorative concrete artist and a business owner. I love to teach, but these seminars are A LOT of work. My crew and I labor very hard to prepare for these events AND we aren’t able to schedule any staining jobs for nearly 2 weeks around each seminar.
On the other hand, we also know how educational these seminars can be to the right people. So we’ve committed to offer just three sessions of our seminar for stainers for the whole year. Usually we split this seminar into two seminars. By combining them, you save time and money, you won't have to travel to Albuquerque twice or pay for two seminars!
That way, those serious acid stainers who really understand the value of a training like this can get the one-on-one guidance they need to make drastic improvements to the quality of their floor finishes.
Here’s the tough part. This seminar is limited to just 12 stainers. That is the only way I’ve found that allows all attendees to get valuable one-on-one time with each of the instructors. A handful of spots have already been reserved, so there really aren’t that many spaces available.
If you could benefit from hands-on training with some of the best decorative concrete artisans around, you need to get a hold of us fast.
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FUNDAMENTALS OF ACID STAINING – Day 1
This section of the fall seminar is great for new professionals and serious do-it-yourselfers that want to make sure their project gets done right the first time.
You will work side by side with my crew, learning...
- The entire staining process, performed on a remodel slab at a real jobsite! Perform our time-tested techniques for every important step.
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- Proven approach for protecting walls, woodwork and fixtures.
- How to do color samples to ensure you achieve the right color and texture.
- How to avoid common construction substances that will ruin the staining when used. Plus, what can be removed and how.
- Seven critical steps for cleaning the slab before staining that must be done or the stain will be marred.
- Repairing cracks in the slab with specific product recommendations.
- Safety equipment necessary for handling acid staining chemicals.
- Tips and tricks to applying acid stain for a variety of finishes.
- Sealing the floor to ensure a long-lasting finish.
- Important business advice from experienced professionals.
- How to plan and design a complex staining project.
- How to get your name in front of the architects and builders that spec out the projects you want to work on.
- Helpful tips on your business during a roundtable dinner. Tell me about your work (be sure to bring pictures) and I’ll give you my advice on how you can improve it.
- And, a few artistic techniques as well. It wouldn’t be a Gaye Goodman seminar without them.
- Mixing colors – both in the bottle and on the floor.
- Creating a variety of decorative textures.
- How to create an even finish with as little variegation as possible.
- Staining vertical surfaces – in this case, a stairway.
- Basic faux painting instruction for fixing flaws in your final finish.
- Plus, a field trip to some of our favorite floors to discuss how the effect was achieved.
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ADVANCED ARTISTIC PRINCIPLES – Days 2 and 3
Before I tell you about what this section of the seminar will cover, let me ask a simple question for the experienced stainers.
How did you learn to do acid staining?
If you are like most people, you learned in one of three ways:
- You went to a manufacturer’s seminar, where you were shown how to apply a specific line of products and tools.
- You worked for a large decorative concrete company, where they taught you a system of procedures that lead to consistent (yet unoriginal) results.
- You jumped right in and, with the help of educational tools like manuals and videos, learned how to acid stain by doing some floors.
Now don’t get me wrong, these are all great ways to learn how to clean and prepare the slab, and apply all the various products. But they often won't teach you enough about the artistic principles behind creating a stunning concrete floor finish.
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A Set of Advanced Artistic Principles of Composition
and Design. The ‘Hidden Knowledge’ We Use to Give Our
Clients the Exact Floor They Are Looking For Every Time.
In this advanced seminar, plan on learning…
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- All of my most advanced artistic techniques, such as…
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- Simulate a wide variety of stone, leather, terra cotta, "antique", "fractal" and other rich looks in your floor...
- Apply "rags and veins" for marble-like finishes...
- Mix common materials with stain to create amazing effects...
- Mix, blend and layer stain to achieve the perfect color...
- Strip and restain to create depth and "age"...
- Techniques to achieve an even vs. vareigated stain...
- Advanced "faux painting" techniques and tricks you can use to touch up just about any problem area...
- Creating complex or simple borders to produce either a sophisticated or rustic look...
- Special artistic touches I've developed for applying...
- Family crests and logos,
- Petroglyphs - ancient native symbols,
- Shapes and forms from nature stained onto or embedded into the concrete
- Plus, a special session on the artistic principles that are the foundation of our acid staining approach.
- Learn how we, as artists, approach composition and design, and how this translates to creating a floor that fits with the space.
- The underlying principles of color, and how this applies to mixing and overlapping acid stains.
- Looking at your projects through an artist’s eyes.
- And much, much more!
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This seminar is unlike any other on the market, and definitely “Outside the Box”. And, it could definitely be the most important training of your career.
Here is what some past attendees have to say:
"The seminar is run by a woman who is an artist and a business woman. Someone has spent a tremendous amount of time to pull these resources together. If we tried to research this on our own it would take years, no one can put a price on that. I have been to a number of seminars from contractors to Harvard business school and this is an extremely good seminar."
Alan Juristovski
British Columbia, CANADA
"Gaye was so generous in sharing her know-how, both with technique and with business. I didn't sleep the first night I was so excited!"
Barbara Peyton
Montgomery, TX
"I am an interior designer and I learned a ton! I think it's going to take me a couple of weeks to process all of it. I had no idea what to expect. I thought it would be a bunch of construction workers. I was pleasantly surprised at the phenomenal and flexible group we had. I would highly recommend it."
Danielle Mercado
Fullerton, CA
"I saw Gaye's video on the internet. I wanted to learn more about this because it seemed like such a fascinating process and I wanted to learn from the best. I think I saved myself two years of frustration."
Mel Skerpon
Davidson, NC
"I've done quite a bit of staining prior to this so it was good to see what Gaye and her crew have done and watch them in action. Getting different ideas was really great for me."
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As you can see, past attendees have gotten a lot of value.
What is it Worth to Have Over 40 Years of Acid Staining
and Art Education Experience Together In One Room?
It could mean an additional 50%, 100%, or more in revenues on every job you do for the rest of your life! Using the knowledge you gain at this seminar, you will be able to charge more for the work you do and still outdo your competitors.
The terrific group of instructors is what makes this seminar possible. Each of our faculty is an experienced artist, with years of practice in concrete acid staining.
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Gaye Goodman
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After obtaining a BA at Swarthmore College , I lived abroad for two years studying art history and studio arts. I began showing professionally as a batik artist and oil painter in La Jolla , California in the 1970’s, but continued to experiment with a variety of media, including printmaking and photography. I taught art seminars to children and teachers for seven years, in the Houston school system (while moonlighting as a Middle Eastern dancer).
Soon after moving to New Mexico, in 1994, I discovered that acid-stained concrete could be an elegant and profitable artistic medium, and have been working in that field ever since. My company, Faux Real LLC, has stained a wide variety of commercial and residential projects. Our first foray into teaching staining was the video “How to Stain Concrete Floors.” After selling 2,000 copies of it, I responded to popular demand for more information by writing several books and manuals. I believe that these offer the most useful presentation of staining techniques and artistic inventions, which currently exists in the field. |
Brian Florence
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Brian spent his childhood exploring art museums and working on painting projects under the tutelage of his artist-grandmother. He later turned his design abilities to the field of business management, working for ten years in the chartered jet industry. He holds a BS from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and an MBA from the University of New Mexico in economics, environment, and policy. Brian’s business acumen and organizational ability has been a God-send to our growing company. Brian will lead the marketing section of our seminar, giving pointers on pricing, estimating, and contract-writing for staining projects.
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John Rodriguez
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John attended one of our advanced seminars before moving to Albuquerque in 2005. We like him so much that we decided to keep him! John studied art all through high school, specializing in commercial art and watercolor. While earning his B.S. in business managemnet from New Mexico Tech, he worked in construction (on the Trans Alaska Pipeline) and in the corporate world.
For the past several years John has worked in the decorative concrete industry, specializing in the repair of damaged concrete and the installation of cementitious overlays which are both durable and stainable. Since Faux Real does not install toppings, we refer those jobs to John's company, Milagro Flooring Solutions. John will visit our seminar to demonstrate which topping materials he favors and when he feels they are necessary.
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As You Can See For Yourself…each of our instructors is uniquely qualified to teach you what you need to know to become a successful concrete floor artist.
Space is Truly Limited
Because these seminars require a lot of one-on-one exposure to each of the instructors, I have to limit attendance to both of my seminars to just 12 people.
I reserve these spaces on first-come, first-served basis. So you need to call us to hold your spot right away.
My Guarantee to You
I want you to be 100% satisfied with your experience and I’m sure you will, but…
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If you are not thoroughly convinced that my seminar is worth every penny of the tuition you paid, just let me know at the end of the first day and I will refund 100% of your money right on the spot!
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That is how sure I am that you will find this seminar of value.
I have arranged a special early-bird price for my customers and newsletter subscribers. If you reserve your space at least 2 weeks in advance you can attend this three-day seminar for only $1295.
Otherwise, the retail price is $1495. So don’t delay.
If you would like to reserve a seat at my seminar, or would just like more information, call my crew and me directly at...
Happy staining!
Sincerely,
Gaye Goodman and the Faux Real Staff
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