Barbara Skivington has spent much of her life pursuing her passion for artistic creations, beginning at the age of 12 when she won a prestigious Scholastic Art Award.
In 1995 she opened Faux Works in Greensboro, North Carolina as an instructional studio where she shares her 20+ years in the industry and teaches a wide spectrum of faux and decorative finishes to students from all over the United States and several international countries. The studio relocated to High Point, North Carolina in 2004.
Barbara began her career in the decorative finishing field as a self-taught artist, thanks to the purchase of an 1837 Greek Revival farmhouse in rural Western New York. Though low on modern comforts — such as plumbing and electricity — the house was high on charm. With little money to work with, Barb assigned herself the task of restoring this 19th century gem. In the midst of her renovations, she happened upon an issue of House Beautiful. On the cover, on her hands and knees, was none other than Martha Stewart, stenciling the floor of her Connecticut farmhouse. Thinking “I can do that,” Barb contacted the magazine, got the specifics, and ordered the same stencils. From that point on, she was hooked — “I painted every square inch of that house — inside and out!”
From that point, Barb’s greatest artistic passions revolved around home decor, particularly decorative painting and stenciling. Realizing that there is a tremendous bridge to cross when you stop doing it for yourself and start doing it for money, she realized she had a lot to learn — about the market and about herself. She started working as a faux and decorative finisher. Supplementing her income by demonstrating faux finishing at local home improvement stores, the demos were wildly successful, sometimes attracting more than 100 onlookers. While it wasn’t the most glamorous of gigs, it was enlightening in two very important ways. First, it demonstrated that a large number of people were interested in faux and decorative painting. Secondly, it ignited Barb’s passion for teaching. “I realized that there are people who are very serious about learning to do this. And I discovered that I loved to teach and that I was good at it. Standing in front of a big crowd with a brush or trowel in my hand, it was like I’d found my place in the universe.”
About this same time, she took some classes from Melanie Royals, who became a wonderful resource, colleague and friend. “She introduced me to Faux Effects™, the line of faux finishing products I now represent. From that point on, things just started to explode. Now I had access to products that allowed me to create effects that I’d never done before — sophisticated textural finishes, unique patterned effects, and so much more.”
Barb re-evaluated her business and turned Faux Works into the full time teaching studio that it is today where she combines her love for faux and decorative finishing with her passion for teaching. She works hard to keep the material fresh by studying new techniques both in the United States and Europe. Having experienced various workshops and teaching styles, she strives to offer her students a unique experience. She’s enormously proud of her facility, which is bright, spacious and inspiring. She aims to provide the very best courseware and materials for her students. Most importantly, she and her staff work to create an environment where students feel relaxed and encouraged to express their creative side.
In 2001, Barb developed the “FauxCase” concept — the transformation of a suburban house through the creative use of paints, plasters and stencils. Designed as an on-site workshop, students transformed a home into a showcase for decorative painting techniques. The home was opened to both the design industry and the public to rave reviews, and the net proceeds from these events were donated to a local organization which funds research into cures and prevention of breast cancer.
In 2006, Barb partnered with Melanie Royals to start The Art of Living, a program designed to nurture creative lifestyles and livelihoods. The idea gelled between the two partners on a group painting trip to the South of France in May of 2005. Their first project took place in the summer of 2006 in the Brandywine area of Pennsylvania and is scheduled to be open to the public in October 2006. The proceeds from this open house will again benefit a local cancer center, a cause that is “very near and dear to my heart.”
Barbara’s work has appeared in national and regional magazines as well as several trade publications, including Renovation Style, Paint Decor, Southern Living, The Faux Finisher, Faux Effects World, at Home in the Triad, North Carolina Design, The Artistic Stenciler, Profiles in Finishing and the Aqua Finishing Solutions Product Guide from Faux Effects™. She has also appeared in several television segments for local CBS and FOX affiliates and her work is currently featured in Better Homes and Gardens Decorative Paint Techniques & Ideas, currently available at home centers and bookstores.
Barbara shares an urban loft in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina with her husband Tom and her two cats, Cosmo and Max. At home she follows a “modernize and simplify” mantra, mixing existing furnishings with a sophisticated array of contemporary classics, antique Asian furnishings, modern artwork, and African primitives, all against a backdrop of luxuriously waxed Venetian plasters, authentic Italian Marmorino, and other unique textural finishes.
