About
Us
The FAUX
FINISH SCHOOL of Artistic Illusions Studios welcomes you...
Faux Finishing has never looked better!
THE FAUX FINISH INSTRUCTORS
So by now you are asking, "And
exactly who are the faux painting instructors?"
Well, they are Dan and Amanda Folster,
a husband and wife team, making a great living as Decorative
Faux Finishers. Dan is the mathematical detail fanatic, and
Amanda is the artistic detail fanatic. Amanda thinks up the
crazy ideas, Dan figures out how to make them work AND stay
within codes! (Together they make one really well-balanced
person!)
Dan Folster is the "jack of all trades, master of most"
type. His background begins with his dad, Kenneth Folster,
who is ranked in the Top 5 in the United States by Early American
Homes Magazine for his Windsor chair crafting skills. Ken
Folster has not only had a personal request from the President
and the First Lady to hand-carve an ornament for the White
House Christmas tree, but now has his work displayed in the
Smithsonian Institute! (Yes, shameless bragging on Grandpa
Folster, but he deserves it!)
Besides being a fan of old world textures,
Dan Folster is an accomplished woodworker of many years as
well. He is an accomplished trim carpenter. And a tile man.
And a hardwood flooring guru. (He restored the oak floors
in the home of Faith Hill and Tim McGraw!)
Dan has designed and built a television
studio set, theatre sets, room additions, buildings, and the
faux finish school Italian Piazza.
Also to his credit is the title of
"Master Training Specialist" in Naval Aviation Electronic
Warfare. While stationed at Corry Station in Pensacola, Florida
he taught students of all education levels and backgrounds
difficult and detailed classified material. He also wrote
the instruction manuals for the Navy on the subjects he was
teaching.
Dan is not only a gifted artisan, he
is also very technical and thorough...if it's got written
instructions, you can bet he has read them (or possibly even
written them)!
He can teach you things you never knew
about faux finishing.
For CURRENT class schedules please
see CLASSES
OR ENROLL.
Amanda Folster is the creative side
of this dynamic duo! She was the kid who was in trouble for
drawing on the walls, the teenager who was sent to the office
for doodling while the teacher was talking, the adult who
finally discovered her niche in the world with murals, decorative
finishes and textures. Amanda began painting murals professionally
in Florida in 1994, then branched into faux finishing and
textures after moving to Nashville.
Amanda has "worn many hats" as well. After achieving
national certification in the non-sporting breeds catagory,
she opened and operated "THE BLUE POODLE" the #1
premier styling establishment for pets in Pensacola, Florida.
Creative Styling and Business Marketing
were among her favorite subjects in this arena.
Also to her credit, Amanda holds a
first place trophy in "Business Card Design" in
a national competition among the nation's top pet groomers
and kennel owners.
Following the sale of the Blue Poodle,
she focused her attention on the horse world, heading up advertising
and coordination of a NATRC Competitive Trail ride, and organizing
weekend trail events for as many as 120 people and horses
at a time.
As for her role as an instructor, Amanda has taught in many
industries.She has guided students through the mazes of pet
grooming, horsemanship, high school art classes, theater set
design, mural painting, and faux finish clinics. She's even
taught her horse to lay down and play dead-so if you are at
least as smart as her horse, Amanda says she can teach you
what you need to know about faux finishing!
THE PROOF IS IN THE WORK!
Shortly after moving to Nashville, Dan and Amanda joined forces
when the faux finishing side of the business grew too big
for her to handle alone.
Since then, they've done work in some
of the largest homes in Tennessee, for the famous and the
reclusive, for businesses and individuals.
They have consulted on, worked on,
designed for, and contributed to the completion of projects
for clients such as music industry professionals, record producers,
Cover Girl super-model Niki Taylor, the Ingrams of Ingram
Publishing,
Gordon Inmann of Franklin National Bank, Jim and Theresa Patton
and the Gaylord Opryland Hotel's Presidential Suite to name
just a few.
Dan and Amanda's faux painting and
texture work can also be seen on the HGTV show "Homes
Across America", "Talk of the Town", as well
on the upcoming weekly cable talk show Panorama with Henrietta,
a christian talk show produced in Ohio.
They have been featured guest speakers
at the Southern Womens Show, Nashville Home Show and frequently
host How-to Clinics for Sherwin Williams Paint stores.
Publications of their work include
Nashville House and Home, Nashville Lifestlyes, Architect's
Digest, Murfreesboro Lifestyle Magazine, and numerous newspaper
articles in the Tennessean.
Amanda has written and edited faux
finish technique articles and developed
faux finish business e-books as well! heir top-selling DVD,
"The Expert's Guide to Faux Finishing" is currently
taking the U.S. by storm!
Dan and Amanda have been commissioned to work in Nashville's
numerous
Holiday Homes, Designer Showcase Homes, Junior League Designer
Showcase Homes, and Parade of Homes Shows, including the 2003
Parade of Homes held in the Governor's Club .
This 9,000+ sf home, nestled inside
this exclusive gated golfing community, was valued at $2 million
dollars. Le Chateau Morel swept all 7 awards for interior
work and design, including the "Best Faux Design".
Their current project is a 12,000 sft
European style home owned by Jim and Theresa Patton in Princeton
Hills to be featured as a "Holiday House" to raise
money for local charities - scheduled to open February 11,2005
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