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it. Usually when customers want a faux finish or a mural on
a wall, site scheduling and interaction with various trades is
a concern. Tattoowall alleviates a lot of those problems due
to the speed of installation. A typical mural can tie up a wall
for several weeks, whereas Tattoowall can be installed from
start to finish in about two days. For restaurants or jobs
that require a repeating theme, using Tattoowall guaranties
you will always get the theme you want and they are all the
same. There is no other method that can guarantee that.
"I’ve worked on major projects in the U.S., “Spiderman”
being one of them, and I think this has great possibilities
for movie and theatre sets. The versatility of the product
is remarkable, especially on rough concrete as there is
absolutely no distortion of the image. It’s also a clean
application and pretty fast. I have a lot of experience in
hanging wallpaper, which is a plus, but the Tattoowall is
slightly different. I believe that anything is possible with
Tattoo wall and with the interest in wallpaper today, I see
big opportunities for this product.”
Brian is also certified by Combo Master, The International
Union of Painters and Allied Trades and the International
Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IAATSE).
Ralph Piesche is from Vancouver, B.C. and he was our
first Doubting Thomas when he contacted us at the Academy.
He wasn’t quite sure what to expect. His paint dealer
is Martin Prus from Abbotsford, B.C. and when Martin
was at the Dynamic PIP trade show, he was fascinated
with the Tattoowall so much that he came to the Academy
to see exactly what it was all about. Martin’s store is
approximately 4,000 sq. ft and has some lovely furniture
and designer products as well as paints and paintware
products. He works with Ralph and thought he would
enjoy learning about Tattoo Wall. It was perfect timing,
since Ralph was facing a dilemma in his business.
“As a decorative painter and plasterer, I have often been
approached by clients inquiring if I do murals,” says Ralph.
“I consider myself to be a small “A” artist, and in the past
I have attempted to do some paintings but I soon learned
that my natural talents had their limitations. What was
most frustrating was the time it took to render a respectable
mural. The Tattoowall is a great solution for this dilemma. I
can now happily accept requests for murals and, along with
my knowledge of plasters, glazes and faux techniques, it
brings an excellent new addition to my portfolio.
I was particularly impressed with the use of distressed
plaster substrates and in the use of canvass with decorative
borders. It renders the mural portable and provides a
new and exciting way to market the product and my skills.
Professional Painter • Winter 2011
Maxim and Johanne Jacquel
applications
The addition of embellishment intrigued me, as I am very
familiar with Venetian plasters and glazes, and adding foils
to the embellishment with Swarovski crystals creates a different
kind of masterpiece. This is one product that has
been a long time in coming to the marketplace and is quite
different from the regular digital prints.”
Our most recent graduates from the class are a husband
and wife team, Maxim and Johanne Jacquel. Maxim is from
France and Johanne is French-Canadian. Maxim comes from
the manufacturing world of paint and knows everything
about how paint is made and mixed. Needless to say, he is
the “hands-on” guy of this team. Johanne is the decorator, a
charming gal with a French accent who is a whiz with colour
and design. A few passes with her hands and she can transform
ordinary into extraordinary. They live in Newmarket,
Ont., but most of their business is done in North York.
“The course provides you not only with the skills and
information needed to properly apply Tattoowall murals
on any substrate, it is hands-on as well, from a small
sample to a very large-scale sample,” Maxim says. “This
allowed us to actually see how much space would be
required to do the job as well as what equipment and
manpower would be needed. The teachers and experts
right there with us in small groups allowed us to identify
and solve challenges as they presented themselves. It
also allowed us to ask the questions galore that popped
into our minds as we were learning and to have them
answered immediately.”
“As we worked at applying the Tattoowall to canvases
on a table and on a wall, we could easily visualize its many
possibilities for the varied clients in both our decorating
and renovating businesses," Johanne added. "In fact,
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