Creativity as the Goal…

My name is Dale Herrmann.

Growing up, I’ve always been a creative person. I’ve also always done concrete work—like literally—since I could walk. At a certain point in my life I realized that I wanted to have a more creative and artistic expression in the work that I do. Construction seems like a natural place to be if you want to be creative. I mean, you are just creating things all the time. But as I paid more attention, I could see that creativity is not always an easy course in the industry. Creativity usually means slowing down and doing things differently. That’s not always cost effective, and not everyone wants it. I can’t blame them. Getting what has already been done 100 times comes with some security and ease that isn’t there when you’re doing something completely new. But I want to offer that unique and new option to whoever wants it. So I set out to make creativity my goal and work in the industry as an artist before a tradesman.

Naturally, I’ve applied these things to what I know in concrete. I’ve always loved the natural texture and color variations that you get when you hand trowel concrete. And eventually, chasing that look and the art in it lead me to the world of Venetian Plaster. I knew that this type of decorative wall and finish work was exactly what I’d been wanting. It still gives me the ability to trowel on that real material like concrete, but with the freedom to layer different sheens and colors to achieve something special.

I’m still learning and making my way as an artist. And as our building trends and demands for artisanal finishes increase, I want to be there with whatever I can offer.