4 minute read
Champions of Quality
Next up in our series with Purdy, we would like to introduce PDA Member Anthony Wade and his apprentice Calib Dyson. Anthony and Calib recently took part in the Purdy Inspiring the Next Generation video series which looks to champion the professional decorator and inspire the next generation to take up a role in the industry...
WHEN HE LEFT school, Anthony decided to work alongside his father at his industrial cleaning business. At 18 years old Anthony took the leap to become self-employed and started his own cleaning business, working with estate agents to prepare properties for rental. When he was asked if he would like to expand his skillset and decorate the properties as well, Anthony jumped at the chance. Over time and with a lot of hard work, Anthony established himself as a professional and now owns his own painting and decorating company, Sprayform Painting and Decorating. Although it wasn’t the career path that he had originally planned to follow, Anthony has fallen in love with painting and decorating and is driven to inspire the next generation to take up a role in the industry. In fact, he is currently training up his third apprentice, Calib Dyson, who has been working with Anthony for over eight months. Over this time, Calib and has demonstrated a strong will to succeeded in the trade, as well as excellent personal skills with customers thanks to Anthony’s passion about instilling his knowledge and skills in those he teaches. Anthony’s hard work and dedication to the industry has not gone unnoticed and he has picked up several national awards, including the Highly Commended award at Johnstone’s Painter of the Year 2002.
Anthony was also highly commended at the PDA Trophy Awards in 2003 and received the commended award for small contracts at the Apprentice of the Year Awards in 2005. He even trained the Apprentice of the Year Supreme Winner in 2005 showing that hard work, determination and graft really does pay off.
Now, with extensive experience under his belt, Anthony has come to learn that to be a professional decorator you need to have people skills, confidence and attention to detail. Within this, he believes that having the right tools to hand is the key to achieving the best finish, particularly as every job is different. Anthony is a real advocate of combining spray, brush and roller on a project, and thinks that mastering all three disciplines and understanding the best fit for each, is where the real craft is.
He is also a firm believer that a professional is only as good as their tools, which is why he champions the use of quality products. Anthony says, “Using cheaper products are detrimental to on site efficiency and the finish someone is able to achieve, especially when it comes to more intricate tasks like cutting in. “For frames and trim, I rely on Purdy’s 1.5” and 2” Sprig brushes, which feature unique thin filaments that help to apply the paint in a smooth motion with less drag for a flawless finish.” For cutting in sharp lines between the walls and ceiling, Anthony uses the 3” Purdy Pro Extra Monarch, “The brush’s high-quality means that it doesn’t lose bristles and has a longer life, offering a durable solution that I can rely on across projects.” Finally, when in need of a roller, Anthony looks to Purdy’s White Dove sleeve that uses the finest nylon fabric to deliver an ultra-smooth finish. What’s more, this roller holds more paint to improve efficiently and get the job done.
