Archive for December, 2008
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008
OK starting today, Dear Reader, every week we’ll try and anthologize some of the more interesting things we’ve seen regarding Venetian and other decorative lime plasters from around the internets including articles, blog posts, photos, whatever.
If you have a project or photo or an article or a post you’d like to have considered for inclusion please submit to info@stuccoitaliano.us
Here’s this weeks’ roundup:
Friend and talented colleague iLia Anossov releases new DVD: Fresco School is proud to announce the official release of the DVD Tutorial - “FRESCO PLASTER” from their “BUON FRESCO FOUNDATIONS” video set…full news release
Short article from French News source on Tadelakt: One of the most dramatic expressions of the multifaceted qualities of lime must be Tadelakt…Full story
Accent walls in kitchen from Sunset magazine: The kitchen and dining area are defined by Venetian plaster sealed with wax, which brings depth and sheen…Article
French artist’s blog: I just finished a course in Tadelakt which took place in the hills around Maubec, south of France…Blog post
Informative article on Venetian Plaster’s natural mold resistance: Not only is real Venetian Plaster a great addition and upgrade–and a green building product–it is absolutely beautiful. What many people are unaware of, however, is that it is also quite environmentally-friendly…Full article
Intonachino Project BC: I recently started a 1700ft lime based plaster project in Langley, B.C…Blog post
That’s it for this week. Seattle remains snowed in. Hope you’re all staying warm and not stuck in an airport this frigid holiday season!
Posted in Business Tips, Event, Green, Intonachino, Marmorino, Projects, Stucco, Tadelakt, Techniques, Tips and Tricks, Venetian Plaster, photos | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008
We have a presentation piece for designers and architects available for download. This includes several photos of various finishes from distressed to smooth, interior to exterior, plus general information about specifying our earth-friendly Italian lime plasters.
If you need a small sample presentation kit with actual 5×5 samples just email us here: info@stuccoitaliano.us
Click to download our full Architectural / Designer presentation flyer.
Posted in Business Tips, Venetian Plaster | 1 Comment »
Saturday, December 20th, 2008
I’ve started really getting into Twitter. You know, that odd social marketing phenomenon where all the odd social marketers are talking endlessly to each other in 140 characters or less?
I have to admit I’m in an strangely good mood since I started using it. Usually I’m a bit depressed and/or anxious during the holidays - maybe because there’s no light in Seattle. I also needed something to replace my obsessive tracking of every political blog leading up to the election. So now I just quasi-obsessively check my Twitter account. Hmmm.
I don’t pretend to know a whole lot about Twitter yet. I only have 83 followers right now which makes me quite puny in the Twitter world. Some people have around 10,000 followers. Followers. Sounds cult-like. You can follow people and they might follow you back. That’s one way to become popular. This morning I checked Twitter Grader which told me my score was 76 (of 100) and I was the 99,990th most important person on Twitter. So then I went to Mr. Tweet and he(it?) showed me a bunch of other Twitterers that might be good for me to follow so I followed a few and some of them followed me back and then a little later I checked my Twitter grade and it was up to 82 and I became the 71,000th most important person. Moving on up! There’s a huge array of peripheral tools and information attached to Twitter like this I know nothing about.
Here’s a quick list of my own early take on what the seven stages of Twitter may be. I think I’m in between stage five and six.
- 1 - Ignorance
- 2 - Disdain
- 3 - Curiousity
- 4 - Confusion
- 5 - Bemusement
- 6 - Addiction
- 7 - Enlightenment
You should try it. I can’t find too many artisan types doing wall finishes or murals or plasters that are on there yet, so I could use some company. Actually I found one excellent plaster artisan, Darrell Morrison, who I know real well up in Vancouver BC. Here’s Darrell’s Twitter page. I also am following (and being followed by) a talented woman who’s twitter “handle” is Artistagirl. She lives in Colorado and I’ve seen some of her work and her website and I know from her tweets that her son plays lacrosse. Now since I grew up in Long Island and played lacrosse at that division 3 powerhouse Connecticut College, I feel connected in a way I would not have if I just looked at her business site. So that’s one way it must work. I never could get into Facebook or MySpace, but I’m pretty sure now I will continue to use Twitter.
So, here’s my twitter page: http://twitter.com/StuccoItaliano
Check it out. Even if it doesn’t ultimately help your decorative plastering/painting business much (but I think it will somehow), perhaps it will help keep you in a better mood when the weather sucks.
Posted in social marketing, twitter | 10 Comments »
Friday, December 19th, 2008
Manuel Saenz is a pretty good photographer as well as a plaster artisan. He just sent us a link to his photo gallery from the Stucco Italiano trip to Italy, including beautiful shots of the scenery…
interesting Italian finishes…
and of course, photos of Gianni teaching the students at the Stucco Italiano studio in Vicenza…
Take a look at more of Manuel’s photos, or our Stucco Italiano class group photo pool, and let us know what you think.
Posted in Italy | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008
Intonachino has proven to be one of our most popular finishes for exteriors. Its naturally mold-resistant nature makes it perfect for the outdoors, even up here in the rainy northwest.
A while ago, I briefly mentioned a project Tom Williams is working on in Ballard using Intonachino Extra Fine and Medium. It’s worth taking another look. Click on the picture below to see more photos.
Of course, mold-resistance is great for optimal indoor air health as well, so intonachino and other lime plasters are also ideal for interiors. Quoting from this excellent article on lime plaster’s natural mold resistance; “the short answer as to why Venetian plaster is truly mold-resistant is that mold can only grow in an acidic and wet or damp environment. Venetian plasters breathe and do not retain moisture. Molds also require a food source and an acidic environment in which to multiply.”
For both health- and earth-conscious reasons, Venetian style Italian lime plasters are the way to go…
Posted in Green, Intonachino, Projects, Venetian Plaster | No Comments »
Friday, December 12th, 2008
Student Jun Asano, architect and employee of Suruga Style just traveled here from Japan for his second Venetian plastering class with Aaron. During this class he got some real-world experience working on large walls, and we got some beautiful new finishes in our new conference room that Gary helped get started in October. Jun brought us some great magazines on Japanese Plaster techniques and products.
Aaron and Kay Lynn took Jun out to dinner at Via Tribunali. The Georgetown location has Stucco Italiano plaster finishes by Muse, not to mention fantastic pizza. Kay Lynn told me that the server spoke some Japanese with Jun, and was quite possibly the best server she’s ever had! I’ll have to head over there after work sometime…
Here are a couple of photos Jun sent us taken in the room he and Aaron were working on.
Looks like we’ll have our newest Stucco Italiano distributor in Japan very soon!
Posted in Classes, Event, Japan, Marmorino, Projects, Techniques, Venetian Plaster, photos | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008
Holiday Schedule for Stucco Italiano studio
Our Seattle studio will be closed for the holidays,
Dec. 24, 2008 - Jan. 2, 2009.
If you need a color match, place your order by TODAY (Wednesday the 10th) by 4:30 PM to ensure you get it before the holiday.
For all other orders, we recommend ordering by next Wednesday the 17th if you need to receive your material before the break. Call us at 206.838.5888.
The same deadlines apply for online orders.
Hope your holidays are nice– whether you spend them plastering or not!
Posted in Business Tips, Event, Projects, Venetian Plaster | No Comments »
Sunday, December 7th, 2008
I’ll be up in Edmonton this Friday and Saturday at our newest distributor’s location teaching a two day Stucco Italiano certification workshop. Anyone interested email me directly aaron@stuccoitaliano.us or call the studio - 206 838 5888.
I’m bringing my flannels.
Aaron
Posted in Classes, Event, Techniques, Venetian Plaster | 2 Comments »
Thursday, December 4th, 2008
We’re all looking for ways to ride out this economic downturn…
For those looking to earn some extra income:
- Environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional building materials, like installing Venetian plaster using our natural, lime based materials, is still a growing segment of the building industry. Smaller projects can be done on your own time (well, your client might have some input on that as well), so it can work for you as a supplemental income.
For those who are already professional contractors:
- If you’re already a plaster artisan, the material you’re using can have a big impact on your productivity. Experienced independent contractor Mozelle Spencer describes how using Stucco Italiano plasters helps her maximize her time and profits:
“I am so impressed with this product line. We love using Stucco Italiano on our job sites. The ease of use when burnishing the Marmorino has enabled us to create numerous gorgeous finishes. Finishes that once we avoided due to how labor intensive the high polish plasters were. The Carrara and Classic are our favorites. The clean up on job sites is easier and the use of time is more productive and profitable.“
For the plaster-curious, as well as the master plasterers who haven’t tried our superior lime-based plasters, we’ve provided a link to download our print-ready Stucco Italiano catalog.
Simply click on the picture below (be patient… it’s a large file).
And you can always visit our site, www.stuccoitaliano.us, for more plaster perusal.
What are your suggestions for riding this weak economy?
Posted in Business Tips, Green, Intonachino, Marmorino, Projects, Stucco, Tadelakt, Tips and Tricks, Venetian Plaster, photos | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008
Subsequent to our fabulous trip to Vicenza and Venice to study under Stucco Italiano owner Giovanni Polistena, Venice reached its highest water levels since 1986 this week.
Here’s a photo Kay Lynn took in Venice during the trip:
…and here’s the same area this week, during the flood!
According to the New York Times, “Venice routinely floods several times a year, but in recent years the phenomenon has worsened. Experts say global warming is the main culprit.”
Hmmm… yet another reason to do your part to combat global warming by choosing green materials for your walls…
More photos of the flood, which is now receding, here.
Posted in Classes, Event, Green, Italy, Venetian Plaster, photos | No Comments »
