Donna Phelps, an accomplished faux and decorative artist, is the owner and principle instructor of Sarasota School of Faux & Architectural Finishing, a licensed Faux Effects Training Center. She has trained extensively in old world techniques utilizing state of the art "new world" products and continues to study new products and techniques as they are developed, helping to keep her teaching style fresh and her techniques cutting edge.
Donna has traveled to teach numerous workshops at the SALI (IDAL) Annual Convention (1999-2008), The Faux Event (2005-2006), and has been an invited guest instructor at prestigious painting institutions such as ArtiMatrix in Wichita, Kansas, The Finishing School in Floral Park, New York, Surfaces in Kansas City, Kansas, Prismatic Painting Studio in Cincinnati, Ohio, Anything But Plain Studio in Houston, Texas and Faux Effects Studio in Vero Beach, Florida. With her fine tuned planning, attention to detail, and highly marketable finish designs, she consistently receives the highest marks from her student evaluations:
"Probably the best class I have ever taken!" K.P., Cincinnati, OH
"Overjoyed! The best class I have ever taken, the most knowledgeable instructor
and the most innovative in approach. Each sample is a jewel." A.C., Floral Park, NY
"It was excellent! Knowledge built on a previous class I took." K.A., Sarasota, FL
As Donna continues her study of the latest products and techniques, ongoing studies at The Faux Effects Studio as well as at other fine painting institutions help keep her motivated and excited about this ever changing industry! Her more than 20 years of training and experience in both old world techniques and new age products translates into her ability to offer her students a wealth of real world knowledge, technical support, and the unique opportunity to learn to execute complex finishes with simple and profitable techniques.
Donna will be a featured artist at this year's Meeting of the Masters and is hard at work developing custom finishes for her interior designers and private clients. Her work has been published in the book The House that Faux Built and in Faux Effects World Magazine. She is proud to be the exclusive distributor for The Victoria Larsen Professional Collection of Raised Plaster Stencils. With her enthusiasm and creativity well in place, Donna will always offer her clients and her students cutting edge finishes and techniques with a smile.
In 2006, Sarasota School of Faux & Architectural Finishing was one of the top Aqua Finishing Solutions Training Centers selected to be advanced to the status of a Professional Faux Effects Licensed Training and Distribution Center. The school offers a full complement of the Faux Effects Signature Series of workshops including all Designer Wall classes. Other classes focus on introducing the latest innovations in the Faux Effects product line such as RsCrete® and LusterSuede®, two exciting new products perfectly designed for today's market! Donna's personal Design Trend Series of classes utilizes two very special lines of raised plaster stencils along with fabulous combinations of Faux Effects textures, metallics, and foils. These exciting lines of stencils, marketed as The Victoria Larsen Professional Collection of Raised Plaster Stencils and Raised Expectations, are exclusively distributed by Donna and the Sarasota School.
During her history as a Licensed Faux Effects Instructor and Distributor, Donna recently had the opportunity to teach a special group of travelers when she was invited by Gary Lord & David Schmidt to join their England Painting Trip as an instructor. Her work has been published in the book The House That Faux Built and in Faux Effects World Magazine, Volume IV, and is soon to be seen in Gary Lords latest book, It's Faux Easy 2.
Donna continues to plan new and exciting curriculums for her classes at Sarasota School of Faux & Architectural Finishes, for IDAL workshops, and to teach at top Faux Effects schools across the country. She was a featured artist at the 2007 Meeting of the Masters where her booth receive rave reviews and compliments! Hard at work developing custom finishes for her interior designers and private clients, and with her enthusiasm and creativity well in place, Donna will always offer her clients and her students cutting edge finishes and techniques with a smile.
