If you want the Rainbow you gotta put up with the Rain ~ Dolly Parton
My first True Colour Expert Workshop was this past weekend and I was a little stressed the first day knowing the expectations were high of all the designers and colour experts that flew from all over the US and Canada to participate!
Traci Zeller (below, 2nd from left) from Traci Zeller Designs was the first to register for my course through her husband! He emailed me the same day I launched the course here.
This was the first afternoon of colour mixing. Here we were mixing light/dark, cool/warm, clean/dirty primary colour wheels!
The location is above the Designer’s Resource center about 10 minutes from the airport and I rented the classroom from Bea O’Driscoll who is the CEO of Choices Interior Decorating School! 10 years ago when I first began my business I took a one day “how to set it up” course from Bea. She is a wealth of information about decorating and her students are convinced there is nothing she doesn’t know. Click here to see her website.
Photos by Maria Killam
The creative talent that we each have just shows up from when we are born but the skill that it takes to actually becoming a decorator, interior designer or True Colour Expert comes from training and practice. This is where the above quote comes in (Bea has a poster of it in the class). To get the rainbow you gotta put up with the rain—in other words, it’s a WORK shop! You are here to WORK 🙂
My participants were unanimously looking to gain more confidence in specifying colour so here are some of the comments from the feedback I received! Now I also know which areas should be shorter and which areas I need to spend more time on!
Book now for June because it’s still at the introductory price as I’m tweaking it to make it perfect, but it will be higher for September which will be my next date.
“Thanks for figuring out colour far beyond any colourist I have met! Your list of colours will be an invaluable tool!” Ann Flynn.
“Loved it – I believe it jump started my confidence which is what I came for”. Ann Berens
Hannah Dee and Jesse Trapp
“Maria you have such a great blog, you are a great teacher and communicator and your energy is great! And I love your confidence.”
“I feel much more confident now in becoming a colour consultant. Great tools were given to us.”
“We learned so much in choosing colour, how to deal with real life situations and how to actually conduct a color consultation. Thank you so much Maria!”
“The case studies were valuable, and I learned the most from the real-life, hands-on stuff in terms of the discussion around what a client said, what you said, etc”.
Thank you very much for a fantastic 3 days ‘saturated’ with colour! I learned so much that words don’t do this experience justice. The tools you provided, the knowledge you shared, well let’s just say the world to Pandora’s colourful box has been opened and nothing will be the same again… Clean or dirty? Warm or cool? Light or dark? Sheila Zeller
Ellen Rush is a good friend who took my colour course when I taught at the Vancouver Community College. She was a great assistant and one of the comments were “I loved your presentation style and Ellen was delightful.”—Thanks Ellen!!
I asked Susan Cohen if I could photograph her as the art in the back of the room matched her outfit! So colourful!
From Left, the Class of Colour: Traci Zeller, Sheila Zeller, Shelley Armella, Pamela Evans, Nadine Carter, Maria Killam, Linda Holt, Ann Flynn (below) Ann Berens, Jesse Trapp and Hannah Dee.
The best part of the workshop was teaching to people who were truly passionate about colour! All three days flew by and I’m looking forward to the next one scheduled for Thursday, June 24, 25 & 26!
If you are considering attending my workshop and want to know more about whether it would be suitable for you, please email me your phone number and I will call you.
If you would like to transform the way you see colour, become a True Colour Expert.
Related posts:
Certified True Colour Expert Training is Here!
5 Ways to know if you should quit your Day Job to become a Designer
3 Steps to finding a Mentor in the Design Industry
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Maria, ohh I wished I were in Va., so i could attend your class. It looked like lkoads of fun – maybe its me challenging my obsession for playing around with colors..
XOXOX
Kiki
Oh what fun! But seriously, what a great teacher you must be. Your blog is laid out in such an informative, but stylish manner, I can imagine your class is more of the same (MUCH MUCH more).
Wish I was there.
Looks as though everyone had fun…smiles.
Kiki – I came from Charlotte, and it was worth it! Maria is so warm, engaging and fun!! Her wealth of knowledge and experience are beyond compare, and you learn so much from her in such a practical and real way. Just don't expect to see Vancouver, too – because, as she said, her workshop is really work … which is what I wanted and came all that way for! You'll be thrilled by how much you learn.
Maria, thank you so much for deepening my knowledge and understanding of color!
xoxo
It sounds like it was a great workshop. There is so much to learn but I can imagine, from how you are on the blog, that you teach in your usual fun but informative way.
Congratulations, Maria, on your successful seminar. Are you still on the high of all the planning and work and fun or on the "I'm glad it is over and now I can crash" part?
Sounds like you had a great seminar. No matter how much we know, there's always something else to learn, and it's always fun to learn with fun people! I wish we were closer to one another. I'd love to attend!
Way to go Maria! Looks like a total success! Congrats on a job well done. This sounds like such a great workshop, keep up the great work.
Nancy
I think I need to give myself your colour class! I love colour and think I have a good eye, but I know there is always more to learn.
pve
But I am waaaayyyyyyy over here in Australia!! Darn it.
I. Want. To. Come. Too.
Sigh.
So glad it went so brilliantly for you Maria!
Linda. xx 🙂
That was fast! Your workshop ends and you have a post up the next day. I happy it went so well.
I second Traci's comment wholeheartedly! Although it was a long trek from Philadelphia to Vancouver it was well worth it! Maria created such a great, energetic atmosphere. The in-class exercises (AND homework) she gave us really helped give me clarity on the process of performing a color consultation. She made us feel so comfortable and gave us MANY practical tools and methods for being an effective (and efficient) color consultant.
It was a great group of classmates, everyone who attended had a passion for color and the classroom was full of lively discussion. I think that's a testament to the positive energy Maria puts out there for us every day on her blog.
Thanks so much, Maria!
from the looks of all those smiling faces, it seems your course was a success. congratulations! i'm so glad it went smoothly 🙂
Oh I'm so excited for you! Great post. Glad to hear so many great comments. Great idea putting those in the post!
I'm so glad that everyone enjoyed getting to hear and learn from you in person! It must have been wonderful!
I spent the weekend having a home decorating consultation…with your blog Maria! I read and read and read…and then I cleaned, shopped, and arranged tablescapes to my heart's content. Today's post has at least three links to articles on Colour Me Happy. Thanks for all you share with us. Some of us beginners are desperate and your blog is a great help. :o)
PS. I think you'll like my video retro room tour set to big band music. :o)
Having participated in your VCC class, I'm SURE every participant of your workshop learned a great deal from you Maria… you're so talented and have so much knowledge to share!! I wish you great success in the next workshop as you tweak things… it'll definitely be perfect for September!! Congrats Maria!! You rock!!
Victoria
Hi Maria! Glad to hear that your workshop went GREAT. Love seeing the pictures of all the attendees smiling, and I LOVE how YOU are waering red!!! Gettign away from the black attire that u have often blogged about huh?! .. I am the same way .. I LOVE colors in rooms, but my closet is filled with black attire, my splash of colors come from my accessories and jewerly. Shine on!!! ~ Ada