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What others have said.

Comments from Subscribers & the Industry:

Hey Nathan:
It's tough for me to get away during my prime work season. We have only 6 months to earn our bread and butter in the summer. The winter is when we do most of our interior work and r&d ( with a strong helping of snow removal?.....)

That said, if I am going away to a seminar, it HAS to be worth while.  Nathan Giffin puts on that type of program. A 3 day event, Nathan covers history, theory, sales and marketing ideas for his vertical artisans gig. There is a perfect mix of classroom and practical experiance for the attendee- and the brainstorming that goes on between everyone, I can't think of a better use of my time- any time of the year.....in any type of economy.

I see the potential of Nathans system and have even sold work before the end of the seminar!  I'm not worried about others 'finding' this gem online either - because anyone can learn how to stamp concrete, but no one looks at, or lays out a job the same way.

Nathan, I know I gave you a rough time during the Dallas Texas class ( haha, sucker), but I appreciated my time there with you and the boys, and thank you for giving me more creative juice.  Thanks to Cory and Decorative Construction Supply as well and all your hospitality.

To the reader, do yourself a favor: take this class and get on Nathans website. There are few things that get me as jazzed about work than the time I spent in this seminar. The cost is truely outweighed by the energy and ideas that will be produced from it.  

Now if you don't mind, I've got a wall to carve......

Randall Klassen (b Ed)
1.204.781.2000

This message will self destruct in 10 seconds...


I have to say this class was AMAZING! If anyone is thinking about taking it, I would HIGHLY recommend it. Just go. You won't regret it.

I just finished up this class with Nathan at Kathy's studio, and I am absolutely blown away with what I learned.

l've been to classes in the past and seen all kinds of different products, but this was something else altogether. Some products are limited in their applications or what you can do with them, but this leaves an entire world of ideas and applications wide open. Seriously, if you can dream up an idea with this, you can make it happen, and you can make it so REAL that it will blow your mind. Look at how real this stone looks from the work we did in class!

I have had a seriously hard time sleeping this week because of this class. The first day, we go over alot of classroom instruction. We didn't even touch the product on the first day, but the instruction was laid out so well, that I went back to my hotel and dreamt that night of carving at a home show, not talking, just actually doing it and tons and tons and tons of people came were crowding around me. The next couple of nights I stayed up way late, my mind just racing with the ideas of things that I could do with this stuff.

Nathan is a great instructor. He covers every facet of rock carving for you, and he does it with humor. I found myself just cracking up during the presentation, with some of his stories. I also found myself having a hard time finding questions to ask because he seemed to cover everything. I say that lightly, because I did have plenty of questions to ask, but Nathan covers everything in such an organized way, that it seems when you do have a question on something, that it is covered by the following material. I just can't say enough about this class.

I was very impressed with the amount and variety of samples that we made. Look at some of these pics of work we did in class.

The cost for the actual materials was alot less expensive than I thought it would be. That translates into bigger profits on your jobs, and an easy way to play around with the project and perfect your skills. You can make your own tools, or you can purchase them from another website. The link is on the verticalartisans.com website for walttools. You can get a huge kit that has all kinds of different tools, but Nathan also shows you how to make some really amazing inexpensive tools that create some great effects.

Nathan's website is AMAZING. There is sooo much information on it. I still haven't been able to go through all of the website, but I feel very confident taking my knowledge out on a jobsite. If you get a chance to go through one of his webinars, he gives a really detailed overview and walkthrough of the website and what is involved.

The great thing about this is that very few people are out there doing this kind of work. The field is wide open. I am very excited about going back to Salt Lake and knowing I will be the only one in that area with these skills.

I know that several of you wanted updates on the class, and well, here you go. I know that I am long winded, I'm sorry. When I am really excited about things, I tend to want to tell everything about it. I am just very excited about it and want to let you guys know how cool it is. Take this class and then take your work to the next level!

David Weaver
Fauxcal Point


Just as short note to voice how impressed I am with your vertical artistic talent. Having spent the past 30 years in the high-definition decorative/architectural/hardscapes resurfacing industry, along with attending, and being an exhibitor at world of concrete for well over 20 years, there are very few things that I truly find spectacular; however, your stone creations have such a life-life appearance that they seem as if they were cut from Mother Nature's natural rock, in lieu of being cultured and created by true craftsmen that you obviously are.  Thank you for sharing your vertical architectural masterpieces (photo images) with us on the Decorative Concrete Forums (DCF) www.decorativeconcreteforums.com in our photo gallery; where I found the pathway that lead me to your website in order to gain a deeper insight into your realistic realm of expertise. 

Lindy A. Ausburne;
co-host of the DCF.


Hi Nathan.

 I attended your training class in Texas last week. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye and thank you for an amazing class!
Well worth the investment. I'm still buzzing with excitement to start learning and carving. I purchased a  pallet of mix, carving tools, colors,etc to start my new adventure.
 Once again, thanks for the awesome class and inspiring me to change my path.

Take care,
Bob Kotas

Nathan,

Love the subscription. Best money I have ever spent.

Thanks, Russ




Nathan is a nice well informed and giving person. 
I have asked allot of questions on projects and of 
the products they sponsor on his site and Nathan 
gave me all the time and help needed to complete 
this project. He answered the phone every time and 
was a great comfort.
 Thalman Designs had only one previous Vertical Concrete 
installation prior to the grotto so going from three 
20ft beams to a 14 x 30ft grotto with wine barrels and 
beams was quite a jump. I went from using 3 bags of 
cement to 40! One of the other factors involved in this 
job was the fact that we were going overhead with about 
350 to 400lbs of concrete…over a bar with workers and 
patrons under it.
Thank you Nathan and Vertical Artisans for helping make 
me a better finisher and expanding my portfolio.
Bruce D. Thalman (Fauxho)
Thalman Designs
252 Seventh Avenue 
Suite 11-0 
New York, NY 10001
www.thalmandesigns.com
“Thalman Designs is moving up in the world a bag at a time”©


Nathan

FYI I just sent a paypal payment for my renewal ( second year ).  Thanks for all of the incredible info on the site.  I haven't been able to put it to a lot of use yet.  We are primarily a commercial concrete contractor and have been consumed with our various types of flatwork over the last year.   However, I have completed a fireplace project for myself complete with hidden drawers.  Looks great and couldn't have done it without your videos.  Keep it
up!

Thanks much,
Curt Meidling
Meidling Concrete


Hi Nathan,
 
I am very happy with your vertical artisan teaching site the information that is available is second to none it is explained & demonstrated in a way that gives so much confidence to the student, the knowledge that I have obtained from the membership is worth every £ spent,
Thanks Nathan from the UK.
 
Best Regards
Terry Allen
UK VerticalArtisan  

Nathan,

Thanks for a great class.  I am so excited to get started!
Thanks again,

Bruce Krauth
Ohio


Hi Nathan,

I'm really enjoying the information. 
At the same time I'm trying to do repairs on my roof and I come down to take a brake and watch your videos.  It is absolutely amazing how well your designs look.  Once I get this roof done I'll start making my tools. Watching these rocks take shape is addicting.

Thanks
Skip


Nathan, I just wanted to send you this message regarding the class you taught at the Chicago Institute of Fine Finishes.    I found the class to be very informative and creative. It has allowed me to add a new and very original technique to the portfolio that I offer my customers. I can tell you that in the month since taking the class this product is generating a lot of excitement with my existing customers and has lead to new customer interest.
I found your teaching technique to be very easy to comprehend and the practical application methods you taught to be invaluable. Your suggestions and the way you enabled our creative ideas, made the class very enjoyable. I know that I will be putting you practical knowledge to use very soon, as I have already sold an idea to a customer and am working an a couple of other smaller projects that will incorporate your product line. I'm sure I will be contacting you soon with questions, and I look forward to speaking with you then.
Again I wish to thank you for your time and teaching this informative class which I enjoyed so much.

Ed Hartfiel
One Of A Kind Wall Design

Nathan Giffin’s hand carved vertical decorative concrete class at the Chicago Institute of Fine Finishes was the most amazing and exciting learning experience loaded with a wealth of knowledge and information on this new and upcoming art form.

I am a airplane pilot recently unemployed due to company downsizing. I have been faux finishing for 5 years now. With the loss of my job, I have been praying and searching for the direction I should go. This class was highly motivating. I am ready to launch a new business in vertical decorative stone carving. I’m looking forward to my future and the direction God has for me with this business.

Thank you Nathan and Bob ( his father ) for sharing your art and talent so that others like myself maybe so very blessed. You are an amazing, caring, passionate and knowledgeable instructor in the vertical decorative concrete art. I hope to have many opportunities to work with you in the future. God has truly blessed you with an amazing skill and gift.

Regards,

Tammy Chebny

Lake Villa, IL


Nathan,
    I am very impressed with the wealth of information that your website provides. Not only do you demonstrate the tools and techniques, but you also list many different material sources that are available. What also impressed me as a fellow webmaster, the design of your website is of professional nature and the navigation is very user friendly.
    The quality of the videos you post are incredible. I like how they are of actual job sites in a real world situation. Your 'down to earth' style makes it easy to follow along as you describe each step of the progressing project. After subscribing to your website, I have come to realize that it was money well spent.  "
 
Joe Townsley


"Nathan is of sterling character and one of the most motivated individuals I know.  He not only 'perfects' the methods and techniques he teaches personally; he is passionate about seeing his client's succeed.  I'd say Nathans motto should be; Do to others as you would want done to you."

David Rawls, CA.

My wife and I recently had the opportunity to view Nathan Giffin's instructional videos and were blown away by the wealth of information and techniques Nathan share's in his videos.

We taught decorative painting for a number of years and know how things can sometimes get lost in the transition from classroom environment to the large scale environment of the job site.    Most of Nathan's videos are shot on actual job site locations which eliminates some of the mystery and show large scale application with clear, and concise narration.

We can't say enough about these video's and would strongly recommend them to anyone interested in entering this exciting new field.

Sincerely,

Pam and Dave Schmidt

www.PJDCreations.com


Dear Nathan,

 I am a Landscape conctractor. I have been in business for 27 years. I went to the World of Concrete in Las Vegas, to see what I could learn from the show. When I saw your work I could not believe it was cement and you had a internet program to teach how it is done. I purchased the online program and viewed the lessons.

I have built many water features and have always wanted to use larger stones, but the cost of the stone and the machine to move them always was too expensive to do. I have learned from your lessons how to get around that issue.

I have 3 projects right now I am working on designing and I can use your technique to build entry way pillars with Huge stones. The third project I talked on the phone with Kenneth Tywoniw, he told me that he would be happy to help me wtih this project.

The lessons and the contacts you have opened up to me are priceless. It is the Best money I have ever spent.

Thank you,

Ron Bonadeo

 

"I first became familiar with Nathan Giffin through viewing his portolio of work which was submitted for consideration for the 2008 WOC Artistry in Concrete. He was chosen as one of the 10 Artists and I had occasion to meet Nathan at WOC. The passion he exhibits for his work impresses me. I comment him for his efforts to offer comprehensive educational tools to people interested in crafting rock surfaces and lend him my support."

Doug Bannister

www.TheStampStore.com

www.enCountertop.com


"Excellent opportunity to advance your vertical carving skill and see how other first generation carvers are doing. And I strongly recommend taking Nathan's class. It is well worth the investment. I am a member of Vertical Artisans myslef."

Tom Musto

www.TommyRockInc.com


"Nathan, the class was awsome.   I learned more from your class than from two other classes I took in the past.   You go into more detail than the other guys. After one week I stoned a fireplace it came out pretty good but my second job looks 100 times better.    I will send more pichtures of progress.   Thanks! "

Eric Kelly
Cleveland Rock and Tile Inc.


"I have been a Craftsman & Contractor in both the Concrete & Masonry business since 1968. I've always tried to stay on the cutting edge with stamping, faux,synthetic,fake, gfrc ( what ever names you want to give these procedures), they all interested me for years. I've made and used several polymer mix designs to create rock & stampable concrete toppings that work well, but somehow there always seems to be that artificial look or maybe a "contrived" setting look to it. It's not always the texture that's off, sometimes it's the coloring, and at times it could be a combination of both.I've had rock walls that look good as far as the shape, size, & textures of the stones, but when I colored it they all began to look the same. Then I saw what Nathan & his pals had put together at the World of Concrete Show and was immediately drawn in. What really impressed me the most was all three guys were so willing to share their skills and techniques. They were really "high" on their craft and you couldn't help but get excited also by talking with them. I've viewed all of their videos up to this point and have acquired all those missing links I needed to give myself the confidence to try something different. So it's 1 week after the show and I've started a job on a "grotto" for a High School. It involves some stamped concrete floors, limestone,Italian Plastering,installing some decorative foam trim, some Tuscan columns, and some hand carved rock walls and arches (which I'm really excited about), because they will set off the entire job. There is still a few loose ends I need to gather together on coloring, but I know it'll happen using Vertical Artisans techniques,because they will keep feeding us new info on a regular basis. Thanks Guys!"

Hank Arend
www.ArendConcrete.com


"I would like to say a big hello to everyone, who like myself has taken
the leap of faith and joined the team at Vertical Artisans in what I
believe will, in both the near and distant future, be seen to be a real
turning point in our working lives.

Jumping from one rock business to another.... It's never easy to decide
on a new direction in life, which is the situation I found myself in
when I moved to Australia from Scotland in 2006. Needing to find myself
a new career -literally- having previously worked in the Rock music
business for near on 25 years, I saw the real potential in the
Decorative Concrete Industry - and through researching that scene, came
across stone facing vertical surfaces. I knew within moments that this
was what I had been looking for, a chance to literally carve (pun
intended) myself a new professional direction for myself and my family.

To anyone looking in from the outside and wondering about the
possibility of doing this for themselves.. the cost of this training,
this opportunity, is without any doubt an absolute steal, you might look
at that cost and consider yourself to be putting out money.. well I
did'nt and still don't: even more so having had the chance to see the
quality of the training on offer. I see it as money still in the bank,
money that will pay you a tidy profit time and time again, year after
year.

Forget the realistic possibility of picking up a council contract with
this stuff - and without exaggeration picking up an absolute fortune, and
realize instead, that you only need do someone's mail box or re-surface
their barbecue area to have every cent you paid the Vertical Artisans
for the benefit of their hard earned skills repaid to you and probably a
small profit to boot. In fact re-surface your OWN mailbox and or
barbecue unit and you've saved yourself a lot of money that it would
otherwise have cost to pay someone else to do the work instead, as well
as the added value you've put on your property.

It is my genuine opinion that you only have to look at the potential of
this business for 2 seconds to see that it screams out an exciting,
rewarding and financially outstanding chance to live the life we all
want.

And as if all that's not enough it's FUN!

All the very best to all for 2008 and onwards, I look forward to our
continued adventure together."

ColinD
CastleRock Stone Facing
Australia
 

"For those of you still debating whether or not to subscribe to Vertical Artisans let me be the first to attempt persuasion.  The training from Nathan is invaluable.  In looking through the gallery I found his work truly inspiring.  His willingness to share "tricks of the trade" and allow others to view his craftsmanship make his website one of choice.  Two added bonuses are time and money saving.  Now you don't have to plan and save to go across country for a needed instruction course.  Just click the mouse!  Available to you are continued education classes day or night meeting your schedule time and again.
Thank you"

Dana C. Rickerd   Decorative Concrete and Resurfacing(DCR)


"I believe that the training you will receive from Vertical Artisans is probably the best in the industry. I have been to several training seminars around the U.S. and the video training that is available from Nathan is the best ever. I believe that beginners as well as seasoned artist will benefit from this training, not to mention the money you will save. These online classes are priceless.
Thank You Nathan."


Bobby Leatherwood   www.PicassaCrete.com   TX.

"I was very impressed with Nathan's vertical concrete work.
He is obviously a master with this exciting art form."

Wayne Sellon  www.TajmaWall.com   CA.


"The magic isn't in a tool, it has to be in you.  Nathan's training and
the Vertical Artisans website give you plenty of great tools and plants a seed of that magic in you.  You will have to be a student of nature and practice with the tools, but in time your imagination will become the real magic.   My carving improved a lot.  I learned of many new tools, like a broom and chipping relief from trowels, and also learned alot from the videos.    I've learned from everyone I've trained with and believe there is much more to learn from all who are participating in the Vertical Artisans website.   Vertical Artisans is a great website to get so much information in one place, so enjoy becoming the magic."

Britt Grimsley   Sticks-n-Stones  TN.

"I've worked with Fosile Crete, Flex-c-ment and even taken the course form JPJ Technologies.   I've even achieved looks and created methods on my own that others said couldn't be done.   I can say that  in the many years of being in the decorative concrete indusrty Nathan's work is really fantasic."

Ezekiel Montes  J.E. Montes Construction, Inc.  TX

"I was on You Tube one day and came across a video of some unbelievable work....I couldn't get on the web site fast enough.    In 12 years of being in the decorative concrete markets little has impressed me but this guys colors, texture and over all attention to detail really caught me.  I am excited to be a part of Vertical Artisans and look forward to the future."

Ed Skwarek  Concrete Art Inc. NV.
 
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