**Please note that this is just a sample of the wonderful Applicators located in Northern California. For a list of all the Register Applicators in Northern California CLICK HERE.

This is what Androniki Ashford, Dana Cummings, Robert Holden and Christopher Stefano had to say in a short web interview.

Androniki Ashford
Deco Arts Eleven
Emeryville CA, 94608
Phone: 510-388-8676
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Website

Q: How long have you being working with American Clay?
A: I began to work with American Clay exclusively in 2005.

Q: Why do you like using American Clay?
A: I like using American Clay for so many reasons! I admire American Clay's beauty, versatility of finishes and Green properties. I also find the application process very enjoyable and consider my work truly rewarding.

Q: What was/is your favorite project while using American Clay?
A: My favorite projects have allowed me to be fluid with color, i.e.: creating custom color variances or full-wall gradient color. It's also been an amazing experience to plaster some of my own walls this year as a first time homeowner.

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Dana Cummings
Get Plastered
Redwood City CA, 94065
Phone: 650-743-2994
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Q: How long have you being working with American Clay?
A: I have been working with the American Clay for about four years.

Q: Why do you like using American Clay?
A: What's not to like? I have been in the trades (if you want to call faux finishing a trade) for about twenty years and have never seen anything like the clay. Most of the products that I have worked with in the past have been moderately to HIGHLY toxic! -Never have I had the client walk in the room and get so emotional (in a good way) as I have with the clay-for real!- And most of all never in my career have I worked so hard and loved most every minute of it as I have with the clay. After eight or nine hours of troweling like a mad man I still have energy. I think it is the negative ions (but that's another story).Bottom line? Nature Nature Nature! How often do you get a chance to bring nature into someones home? Usually I have (in the past) felt somewhat apologetic for stinking up the client's living space with chemicals. If I have a client tell me that they think the American Clay seems pricey, I always reply "if you knew how amazing the clay is you would realize just how reasonable it truly is."

Q: What was/is your favorite project while using American Clay?
A: That's a hard one but one that comes to mind is one that a client in Saratoga California was bringing home her new baby. A surrogate mother was helping this soon to be mother bring her dream to a reality by carrying her and her husband's baby for nine months. She remodeled her workout room (a big upgrade) and made the most welcoming space that she could possibly imagine for her new baby. The area was spacious -the air fresh- the light abundant and the walls? After much careful research and a lot of pointed questions she chose American Clay to surround her little prize! That job was both a pleasure and an honor to be a part of.

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Robert Holden
Broad Palette Design
1286 Vidovich Avenue
St. Helena CA, 94574
Phone: 707-968-9151
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Q: How long have you been working with American Clay?
A: I've been working with American Clay since mid 2005. Me and my lead guy, Xavier, took the one day Basic Workshop at our local retailer, Central Valley Builder's Supply in St. Helena. The class was led by Shaylor.

My intention was to steal some material ideas so I could develop my own finish. For the previous ten years I'd been doing faux finishes, specializing in a finish I helped to develop that achieved an old plaster look on walls. It involved thickening acrylic paint and troweling it on. I always felt it lacked the texture of traditional plaster surfaces, and hadn't managed to be able to create that texture. So I thought I could take some ideas from the American Clay class to apply to my painted plaster finish. By the end of the day, though, I was so impressed by Amrican Clay that I couldn't wait to begin using the plasters. It gave me exactly what I was looking for in the old plaster finish. Now most of my work is applying American Clay.

Since I've been an enthusiastic promoter of American Clay. I've showcased Amercan Clay at Earth Day Festivals, Green Festivals; I've done the Showroom at CVBS in St. Helena, and done applications in some high profile projects.

In 2007 I completed the American Clay Advanced Applicator Class, also led by Shaylor.

Q: Why do you like using American Clay?
A: What I love about using American Clay is... everything about it! It's Green, it's clean, it's easy to use, it's beautiful, it works perfectly for my Old Plaster look, and it fits right in with the natural aesthetic here in Napa Valley. Like I tell my clients, I have yet to find its achilles heel. Even better, it's less costly for my clients, yet easily achieves the quality of the best plasterers in the Valley, of which there are many. I have made good use of my Kodiak sprayer on several jobs- great time savings. AND, the support I've gotten from Shaylor and others at the company has been invaluable.

Q: What was/is your favorite project while using American Clay?
A: My favorite job is one I just recently completed. I got the job through the contractor who had met me while I was participating in a Green festival in Napa, showcasing American Clay in a booth shared with CVBS.

The house I ended up entirely filling with Clay will soon be awarded Platinum LEEDS certification; the first in Napa County. It's the home of Larry and Ellyn Elson in Napa. Being able to offer the perfect Green finish, add to their LEEDS points, and give them such a beautiful environment was a joy.

This house has everything: we sprayed the base-coat throughout all the rooms before trim installation, and just about every room has different colors and finishes. We used Loma, Marittimo, and Enjarre. We sprayed the color coat in the Great Room, and the bedrooms. We did a sponged- sanded finish in the office. I did my Old Plaster finish in the Powder Baths, and sealed one of them- with a glaze over that. I also did an Old Plaster finish in a niche, on which I then painted an aged fresco design. The really unique finish we applied in the Media Room: we embedded burlap in the Marittimo! It's a great look- lots of texture.

The house was just part of the Kitchens of Napa Valley Showcase, and I received a call from a potential client who's really excited about getting Clay in the house he is currently building.
As an added bonus, Ellyn is Treasurer of the local Chapter of the USGBC- and a very pleased client!

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Christopher Stefano
CSV Artisan Walls
PO Box 1207
Vallejo CA, 94590
Phone: 707-557-2404
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Website

Q: How long have you being working with American Clay?
A: We have been working in Artisan Plaster for 14+ years and American Clay for 3 years.

Q: Why do you like using American Clay?
A: I enjoy using American Clay for the following  reasons:

• a. It's low price and healthy aspects make it easier to market in this terrible economy.
• b. we get more work done with less labor so we are not exhausted at the end of the day
• c.  by combining it with other ingredients and not using it "straight out of the bag", we can get a wide variety of effects which approximate more expensive lime based plaster finishes while being 30-40 % lower in cost than those finishes.
• d. It's repairability.

Q: What was/is your favorite project while using American Clay?
A: My favorite project using American Clay is an entire home we did in Sea Ranch, CA.  The project was a sustainable home made with prefabricated concrete walls tilted into place.  Some of the walls we straightened and prepped with conventional plaster and the rest we based with Loma.  We did most of the walls in the home in a 2 color sea glass or a  pale sand color  Porcelina to match the landscape.  The large windows flood the home with light and it's very beautiful.  It was just opened to the public in a tour of Sea Ranch architecture and the reception was very positive.

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