The Art of Living has been established with the intention of developing purposeful, creative projects that elevate the art and appreciation of well-designed architectural finishes and positively impact the lives of those involved.

The Idea

The idea for the Art of Living gelled for us on a group work/study paint trip that Melanie helped to organize to the South of France in May of 2005. The trip incorporated learning, painting and sightseeing with the spirit of camaraderie and complete enjoyment of adapting to the relaxed French lifestyle.

For us, this included sharing conversation over long and luscious lunches, taking the time to savor beautiful surroundings, delicious foods, local wines and enjoying the good company of fellow artists.

It was there that we determined that we wanted to develop an ongoing project that elevated our art and the participating artists in our chosen profession-decorative finishing. We wanted a focus on how the creation of beautiful environments through skilled and caring hands has such a positive effect on both the viewer and the creator. We also wanted the opportunity to “give back” to the community at large by creating an opportunity to raise funds for Breast Cancer Charities.

Viola! The Art of Living-A lifestyle project and apprenticeship program with a purpose!

The Project

Our inaugural project was to provide a “decorative finish update” for an existing home in the beautiful Brandywine area of Pennsylvania. The home was already furnished in a French Country style and is the residence of Suzanne Steele, an interior designer and long-time friend of Barbs.

The Brandywine project was done over two 5-day sessions and included 20 participants of varying experience and skill levels to complete the transformation of 10 interior spaces and a concrete front porch.

All brought a passion for decorative painting and for learning new techniques and high end architectural finishes. Many were also drawn to the fact that all tour proceeds are earmarked for local breast cancer charities as this is a disease that touches almost everyone in some way.

Some of the great “lessons” of the project for participants were in getting more real-world wall experience with sophisticated, multi-layer finishes, working with a team of other artists and making decisions “on the fly” to accommodate the inevitable challenges that come up in any creative project.

The level of sharing and commitment of the teams of participants that worked together towards a common goal was inspiring and the results are rewarding-and truly beautiful.

The Future

As happens with many creative endeavors, what sometimes starts as a simple concept morphs and grows into something with more impact and purpose. One of the main themes that emerged from the sessions and learning the “back stories” of the various participants is that decorative finishing is a creative industry that has the ability to draw people in, lift them up, and move them closer to becoming the fulfilled artist that they were meant to be. You can read more about the creative paths our first project participants have taken here.

So many people come into the decorative finishing field after years of working in other dissatisfying careers or otherwise being in situations that didn’t nurture their creative souls or allow them to explore their full potential. Decorative Finishing, as a career or an avocation, offers so much more than just the opportunity to trowel or paint-it provides people with more power over their lives and futures.

An ongoing goal for our projects now is to find ways to facilitate and encourage emerging decorative artists and the Art of Living is committed to implementing future projects that nurture creative lifestyles and livelihoods while benefiting the decorative community at large.

Plans are in the works for an extensive work/study series in San Diego that will include a wide range of decorative projects covering all surfaces and mediums at a new facility being purchased in San Diego to house the Royal Design Studio and Modello Designs offices/production facilities/showroom and studio. Other whole house projects are being considered as well as a program in conjunction with the interior design community/furniture market in High Point, N.C.

Stay tuned…

Barb and Melanie