Working with Professionals

The Olivenhain project I just worked on with Chism Brothers Painting wasn't the same kind of collaboration as our Point Loma faux stone project, but I was reminded once again how nice it is to work with fellow professionals who have the same eye and understanding for detail.

Project manager James Becker and his crew prepared the family room where I did a suite of painted faux finishes on the walls and mouldings (as well as a large freestanding cabinet), and I was near ecstatic that they took the time to properly caulk all the gaps between wall and moulding, thoroughly prime and paint so that my finishes came out clean and even from edge to edge.



Its an old saying that a great paint job is 80% preparation, but it is especially true when it comes to faux finish painting. As an experienced licensed painting contractor, I can do all of this prep work myself, and in past jobs I have done most of it so it would be done to my specifications-- even when working with other painting contractors, I've run into hassles where someone else's standards are not up to mine, and what someone else calls "ready" I call "insufficient".

Now if you have never worked with glazed finishes (the basis of most "faux" finishes), you wouldn't have the same need for the same level of preparation. I teach this to all of my beginners at the San Diego Finishing School, because insufficient prep can ruin the most perfect faux finishing technique, especially at the edges (where one surface/finish stops and another begins). The edge is always where a faux finish gives up the power of its illusion if not done right-- I liken it to the follow through of your golf or tennis swing. Imagine how frustrating it is to follow through properly (after years of practice!) only to have your work fall short because of poor preparation that someone else was paid to take care of for you. It has happened to me more than once, which is why for a period of time, I did all my own prep.

But if you have ever investigated hiring a quality faux finish artist, you know we're not cheap, and in terms of business, it is difficult sometimes to explain to a client why they're paying top dollar for what appears to be entry level work. Which brings me back to why I am so happy to have established a professional relationship with Chism Brothers Painting. While they aren't cheap either, they are more cost effective when it comes to preparatory work than I am and they do it as well (or better) than I do because they understand why it is important and necessary to do it right the first time. Which means that our clients get the best value available in San Diego when it comes to truly artistic custom painting and faux finishing, from the very beginning of a job through to the very end.