When you hear painter, you probably imagine a middle-aged Greek guy with an accent driving a van named “Ares Construction” (or something like that) in blue overalls and a baseball cap splattered with white paint, right?  Well not always.  We are going to break that “icon” of the Greek painter in your head by presenting you with the story of one of the only Greek woman painters in town.  She’s not your typical painter that paints your house in one shade of beige; she is a muralist and decorative craftsman that has been commissioned to beautify houses with her detailed designs.  For close to 20 years, she is transforming walls into works of art and changing homes into sanctuaries of high style.  Think: a cross between frescoes on the Palace of Knossos and French Roccoco boudoir painting.  Kathy Bubaris proves that Greek girls can paint too.

I have always worked professionally in the arts and started painting murals for friends and family on weekends, while being employed full-time as an Art Director for an art craft manufacturer. The decorative painting side business took off, and I went on my own about 18 yrs ago. Aside from a web presence, which  acts more as a portfolio than a means to generate business,  all of my business is word-of-mouth.

I mainly started with murals for children’s rooms, Then as styles changed, I started branching out into decorative finishes, which I have been doing for the past few years  in addition to murals. I frequently took courses at the Finishing School in Floral Park, NY for decorative painting, and currently continue to keep up with the latest trends and techniques in the field.

I love to travel and gain much inspiration in the places I visit and the trends I see abroad. I also get my inspiration from home design sites, magazines, and decorating shows. Many times, a client will inspire me with their own creative ideas.

I find that the trends in decorating are moving towards cleaner, more modern lines. I am also in the past few years, finding a very high demand for furniture painting and refinishing and cabinet painting, etc. People are opting to paint their old dated cabinets for a cleaner more modern look and the cost of painting is a fraction of the price to paint replaced with new cabinets.

My favorite decorative painting techniques are textures. Whether it be metallic plasters, which are very hot right now, or leather-like finishes, or even glass beads, textures add much impact and make a huge statement. Decorative painting can solve a number of issues as well. It can hide imperfections, add the illusion of depth to a small room, or even add height to a low ceiling, etc.

In my experience, I find that most of my clients prefer a woman painter. I was told that they feel that women are more detail-oriented and neater when working. I have never come across any discrimination. On the contrary, when I run to the store in my work overalls, people have commented about how they’re impressed that I am a female painter. I haven’t done much work for Greek contractors, but the ones for which I have, have been very impressed and very accepting of my work. I think that in the Greek culture there exists a high interest in anything artistic.

The best thing about being a Greek American woman is that I was lucky enough to have learned the values and the work ethic that my parents have instilled in me. Because they had suffered much during WW II, in Greece,  they embraced the opportunities and fairness that a meritocracy, such as the US, had to offer, and taught my brother and I never to take that for granted.

One of the negative aspects of being first generation anywhere, I believe, is the feeling of being caught between two different cultures. To my friends here in the US, I am considered very Greek, and to my family in Greece, I am considered very American, which sometimes causes some difficulty. I find that Americans say exactly what is on our minds, whereas Greek people can very cautious, and not as open with what they say.  This makes it sometimes difficult to communicate between the two cultures.

Kathy is grateful that she can make a living out of what she truly loves.  Working both with her own inspiration and the client’s needs, she is able to bring the aesthetics of high art into modern every day living.  She cites that stencils are back in vogue at the present time especially with metallics.  Chinoiserie,  a style that originated in 18th century France that copied Far Eastern and Chinese motifs in the decorative arts, especially as the art of hand painting wallpaper, has also made a comeback.  Paying attention to the details enhances a home’s aesthetic as well as its financial worth.  Paintgirl Studio is available by appointment.

Here are some of the works by Kathy Bubaris:

For more info log onto www.thepaintgirl.com 

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