It’s almost a one woman production company

When Faux Fun showcased their series of instructional DVDs at the National Hardware Show, you were able to meet almost the entire production team. That’s because the talented artist is also the director, writer, camerawoman, photographer, instructor, and on-screen talent.

Barbara Wurden began her decorative painting business in 1988, hoping to produce a little side income until the art world discovered its next Andy Warhol. But the creative aspects of faux finishes were engrossing, and Los Angeles area designers and builders soon discovered her talent. The faux painting business flourished.

Most instructional materials for faux painting at that time were in print form. Her clients and friends loved to watch her work. "How do you do that?" "Can I do that?" Yes they could, Barbara decided, if she created a video to show them the steps. The idea blossomed into a whole series, including Color Washing and Glazing, Weave, Drag and Comb, and the popular Before and After: A Whole House of Faux Painting (details at www.fauxfun.com).

Painted Furniture Fun (release date: May 16, 2005) is the latest in her series of faux painting instructional DVDs. The new DVD begins with indispensable painting tips, and then details popular distressed paint finishes, antique glazing techniques, and textured finishes. The artist rescues pieces from the trash, converting objects from ordinary to eye-catching.

With each new video, she realized she could do more of the production on her own, on her own schedule. She relished more artistic challenges, setting up interesting camera angles and delivering clear and inspiring scripts. With some painting techniques, it’s hard to demonstrate clearly and paint quickly. As Wurden once noted, “Do you know how fast paint dries and how reflective wet paint is under floodlights?”

A converted greenhouse in Wurden’s Long Beach backyard offers great natural light and a beautiful environment to produce her videos – with only a few drawbacks, sometimes unexpected noisy neighbors, barking dogs, a garbage truck, or airplane, mean setting up that perfect scene again!

It’s almost a one-woman production company. She credits her long-term editor with taking her clips and disguising the flaws and making the narrative flow seamlessly. She collaborates with her National Sales Director on creating compelling ad copy, and occasionally taps professionals for help with writing projects and graphic design. But still, Faux Fun is a thriving business resting on the considerable talents of the artist.