Artisan of the Month
Paul Minnihan
Paul Minnihan Studios, Inc.
Chicago, IL

In 1991 Paul Minnihan earned his Bachelors in Fine Arts from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago.  Although he was originally from Minnesota, Paul decided to stay on in Chicago and went on to work for some of the top decorative painting studios over the next six years.  During that time, he gained experience in large-scale realistic design used in areas such as backgrounds for zoos and exhibits, including some at The Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois.  In 2000 Paul opened his own business, Paul Minnihan Studios, Inc. in Chicago, Illinois.  Since then his full service painting company has specialized in decorative painting, both interior and exterior. 

Recently, Paul was featured in Luxe magazine for his mural work in an extravagant Chicago dining room.  The style paid homage to eighteenth century Romantic French Landscape painting.  Paul, however, enjoys painting in any style and often includes non-traditional tools, such as a airbrush, to get just the right effect. Paul likes “that murals are a bridge between fantasy and reality, where you can transport yourself into any world.”  He painted a European Estate garden with stone arches that blended into a stone block finish on all of the walls in the room.  He says of the space “you feel like you have just given yourself a relaxing European vacation.” In a mural in a client’s billiard area he painted Zoe, one of the client’s dogs sitting on a stool holding a pool cue.  An especially satisfying moment for him was when the owners told him that they found the dog barking at its likeness in the mural.

In addition to his mural work, Paul also works with refinishing furniture, faux finishing, Venetian plaster, textured finishes, and custom striping.  On one piece of furniture in particular, a display hutch, he faux paints burl wood inlays and herringbone patterns on the shelves in an unconventional palette of grey and pearlized tones of cream and oyster.    He added gold pinstriping along the borders to accent the finish.  He enjoys working with Venetian plaster and other textured surfaces because he likes the sensuality of the surface.  “I love it when people can’t help themselves but touch my work.”   When it comes to glazing walls and decorative wall finishes, Paul feels that often the best approach is “less is more.” He finds that many people like softer finishes.  To achieve softer effects, he uses a pearlescent finish that appears and disappears in different light and from different angles, saying that he likes to “surprise people subtly.”  As an alternative to wallpaper, Paul paints custom striping, sometimes getting as narrow as 1/8 inch lines. “From a design standpoint, since you are doing everything yourself, you can use any color and any design that you want and you are not being constrained by what is available in wallpaper.”

One of Paul’s loves is travel, and it has greatly impacted his use of color and design.  In his travels, he has been to places such as Tibet, China, and Cambodia, and has come to admire these places for their thoughtful use of color.  He says that he “loves how other cultures use bold colors and patterns in a way that revitalizes the space and makes it a living space, something that pulses with life and creativity.” He works to incorporate this feel into every space he completes, adding that he “likes to bring soul into the home.” Paul has an open rapport with his clients, and believes that you are “not just working with a finish or a mural, you are working with people’s lives.”  Working under this philosophy, he strives to get a sense of who his clients really are so that he can “bring out the next step of their journey in life through design.” 

Paul is also a very resourceful artist, and through his years of training and experience he has become very skilled at mixing his own color.  Because of this, he is able to match almost any color.  This lends itself to his goal of having the space that he is working on fit into the rest of the home.  Even if it is only a small space that he is finishing, he wants to make sure that it works in with the overall design and color scheme of the home.

Two of Paul’s favorite products of Kathy’s offerings to use are SmoothRock and Mixol tints.  He loves using Mixol tints because they have more colors than most other systems, and the colors stay true.  He also adds “even their containers are great.  They do not spill and are very usable.”

He says of his interactions with Kathy Carrol:  “Kathy is wonderful!  She is a very passionate and giving person.”  Paul also comments that Kathy is a supplier of products that are difficult to get elsewhere.  He finishes by saying of Kathy:  “I’m happy that she’s around.  She has always been there when I’ve needed her, and I appreciate her help.”

For more information about Paul Minnihan Studios please visit paulminnihanstudios.com or email Paul directly at paul@paulminnihanstudios.com.