The painting industry has changed dramatically since the 1950s when being designated a journeyman painter meant that the painter had a certain, qualified skill level in all phases of decorative finishes including: woodgraining, marbling, striping, stenciling, architectural trompe l'oeil, and sign lettering in various letter styles. Mixing colors in any media to match an existing design scheme was a basic skill, not a specialty. Precise identification and replication of decorative techniques from any historic period was expected and learned by those choosing the painting profession.

Today, the decorative arts, as they are called, seem to have been relegated to a classification of painter as artist, not craftsman. Part of the problem is that the designation of painter no longer carries with it specific qualifications or skills. With the weakening of professional training and the mass marketing of easy-to-use, do-it-yourself products, there is no longer a perceived need for an intensive apprentice to journeyman learning process. While that may be true for the application of the products, it is not true when it comes to the history, theory and design principals used to choose and apply color. Therefore, the lowest common denominator of expectation is placed on the painter of today, and "special" decoration techniques are assigned to those who are considered artists.

Unfortunately, the designation of artist usually carries with it a creative quality that is not necessarily desirable when decorative arts are involved. Fine art is the product of the artist's singular vision. It is by definition unique. The decorative arts are specific, learned techniques that are at their best when there is no deviation from the process or technique. Most artists are used to interpreting the task at hand, bringing to it their personal style and technique. When consistency and uniform repetition is required, and more than one artist is working on the job, this is virtually impossible.

So what's the solution? How can we reinstate painting as a qualified trade? One solution is in place at Canning Painting Studios. Canning developed the only decorative arts apprenticeship program approved by both the State of Connecticut and the US Labor Departments. Requiring 600 hours of work spanning all of the decorative techniques, this program uniquely qualifies its participants for the decorative painting profession. Another option is to encourage our professional organizations to adopt similar in-depth training programs.

Because "painter" no longer has a professional connotation, and "artist" has its own set of perception issues, perhaps we could adopt an new classification for professionals skilled in the applied decorative arts. Perhaps decorative painter would be a suitable designation.

This is just the beginning of what we hope will be an ongoing dialog on this topic. We welcome your comments.

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