Rachel Bruce is an expert in multilayer stencils for dyeing concrete. A graphic design veteran of 15 years, she expanded her horizons into decorative concrete in 2008. Her company, FLOORmap Stencil Designs, both designs and applies complex stencils for placing graphic art in the surface of concrete. The company also offers training in her technique. She has attracted a wide variety of corporate, commercial and institutional clients, including the Kansas City Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium, Marvel Comics, and AAFES.
Keefe Duhon started Concrete Revolution while moonlighting. In 2010, he was working full-time as a machinist and computerized milling-machine operator in his home state of Louisiana in the New Orleans vicinity. He studied art in college and came from an artistic family, so he had a strong desire to combine his talents into a more satisfying field. He found more freedom and greater creativity in working with concrete.
He began creating new refinished floors and countertops for homeowners and small business customers and eventually grew his sideline into a prosperous business. Duhon has created a niche market for himself in the Louisiana bayou area with finished concrete interior and exterior floors that are painted and stained to look just like wood planks.
Ellie Ellis, owner of Elite Artistry LLC, has been in the decorative painting business since 2001. She received her Certified Master Stenciler designation at the 2014 IDAL Convention in Fort Worth, where she also placed first in the Concrete Decor Show’s Brawl in the Fall competition for a carved fireplace. The following year at the CDS competition in Indianapolis, her team won third place for their Ocean of Life bas-relief.
Inspired by her encounters with beautiful relief work in Europe, Ellis fell in love with the craft and has been studying it for years. She has been able to drastically reduce the time required to do reliefs by using molds she makes and sells.
Ellis has taught several classes at recent IDAL conventions and at the Open Decor Show in Naples, Florida, as well as various other studios, including her own. Students have consistently expressed their gratitude for all she gives during her classes. As one student shared, “I now feel confident, energized and excited to go sell, sell, sell my craft!”
Another student said, “She is a very generous teacher — giving so much more than what I paid for.”
Julio A. Hallack, president and CEO of Concrete by Hallack, is a talented stain artisan and licensed contractor who has built a company that handles projects ranging from custom residential and retail projects to large commercial and municipal concrete installations. Having relocated to the U.S. from Mexico in 1973, he is a self-made success committed to providing training and education for other Hispanic contractors with the ambition to make their way in the business. Hallack is an articulate and committed trainer with 20 years experience providing specialty concrete installation, including restoration, stamping and creative staining. He has received local and national attention, most recently for the completed work at Gallo Center for theArts in Modesto, Calif., and St. Mary's Retreat in Santa Barbara, Calif. Hallack has earned top recognition and awards from American Concrete Institute, Northern California - Western Nevada Chapter, including 2001 and 2002 Construction Awards for Unique Use of Concrete.
Adrian Henry has 12 years of experience in the concrete polishing business. As the training director for the Cement Masons of the Northwest and other areas, he teaches contractors to convert plain concrete into living works of art. He takes pride in helping contractors choose the best equipment and materials for the job. Adrian won a 2011 Concrete Surfaces Polishing Award for New Industrial for his involvement in the Solyndra Fab 2 project at the International Concrete Polishing and Staining Conference. In 2012, Adrian was honored as an Artisan in Concrete in Concrete Decor magazine and in 2013 took home Concrete Construction’s Best Polished Concrete for Industrial Floors award. As Diacon senior vice president, Adrian is responsible for floor installations in high-end projects, including convention centers, commercial buildings, correctional facilities, education establishments, grocery stores, industrial applications, restaurants and retail projects.
Jeff Kudrick, product manager for J&M Lifestyles LLC, is an industry leader, well-known for his award-winning, creative work fabricating kitchen and bath fixtures, fireplace surrounds, molded furniture, architectural details, columns and water features. His artistic work also includes sculpture in wood, clay, stone, freehand carving of concrete rocks, Faux Bois, glass fabrication and etching, slumping, and coatings. With over 20 years of varied experience in the building industry, his artistic skills are coupled with business and mechanical savvy. He has trained internationally on the use of GFRC in manufacturing applications and he has built machinery for a variety of production methods. Jeff’s work experience ranges from large-scale union concrete construction to high-end, custom work. His experience includes: TIG, MIG, and sheet-metal welding; blacksmithing and foundry work with metals that include steel, bronze, copper, and stainless steel; as well as mold-building in industrial applications for wax, metal casting, concrete casting, fiberglass manufacturing and plastics. His background also encompasses industrial controls, PLCs, motion controls, sensors and automation.
Troy Lemon has been working in the concrete industry his entire adult life. As owner of Cornerstone Decorative Concrete since 1991, Troy has transformed the former flatwork company into a nationally recognized decorative concrete contracting outfit. Troy has taught numerous courses and workshops both in the United States and internationally.
Rick Lobdell was first introduced to decorative concrete in 2003 when he moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Within three years he took over Concrete Mystique Engraving, and began turning his new trade into an art form, which he is now known for worldwide. His work has been published in magazines and television segments, and he participated in the 2011 Artistry in Concrete exhibit at World of Concrete. In the last 4 years, Rick has also won 14 Decorative Concrete Council Awards. Rick graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a Master of Fine Arts in painting.
Cindee Lundin has been a leading decorative artist for the past 21 years. She has been commissioned across the nation for her work as a concrete artist and decorative finisher and a sought after instructor for many aspects of decorative concrete to industry professionals. Lundin works out of her studio in Tucson, Arizona. Cindee worked as a lead trainer for manufacturing companies the past 7 years. She has been involved as an artisan for World of Concrete in Las Vegas and as an instructor for the Annual Concrete Decor Show. Along with studio work and commissioned work, Lundin works as a marketing consultant, trainer, and distributor for EZ Chem, Inc. in Atlanta Georgia.
Warren was born in the Bronx N.Y. in the late 1970's. He discovered an appreciation for art at an early age and began developing his style without formal education. A family trip to the Bronx Zoo was his first exposure to faux environments and carved concrete, and eventually led to his interest in carving.
Experimenting with various 2D art mediums throughout the years, the intrigue of creating something beautiful and natural from concrete captured Warren's attention for most of his life. Scientific by nature, the challenge of using the physical properties of concrete to shape rock to look realistic has created an obsession, with the result of amazed clients across the United States.
Warren has had the privilege of working on some of most prestigious properties throughout the United States recreating mother nature.
With years of trial and error exploring different techniques and processes in search of perfecting the art of hyper-realistic rock carving, he has streamlined the method into teachable form. An attention to detail and an eye for composition makes his work realistic and naturally flowing.
Warren currently resides in Spokane, Washington
Todd A. Scharich is an active advocate and presenter for the ready mix and decorative concrete industries. With nearly 20 years in the field, he is respected internationally and is recognized in the decorative concrete community for his knowledge, innovative leadership and technical skills.
In 2012, Todd was appointed the Decorative Concrete Technical Director for the American Society of Concrete Contractors. He serves the membership by answering technical questions, writing procedural documents, speaking at conferences and providing on-site assistance for projects of all sizes.
Todd has provided hands-on instruction to decorative concrete contractors for more than 10 years through the Michigan Concrete Association. He authored the Michigan Decorative Certification program, a non-manufacturer biased skills training that has been featured in Concrete Construction magazine and is being used as a model for other state industry groups. Todd has presented at 10 World of Concrete conferences, and is routinely rated as one of the top 5 speakers at the conference. He is a charter member of the American Concrete Institute committee 310, Decorative Concrete Design and Construction. Todd has also written numerous articles for Concrete Construction, Concrete International, Concrete Decor and Concrete Contractor magazines.
