Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Desantis Kirchmer.
Hi Lisa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am an artist! I love to create pretty things and give people an experience for their hearts. I grew up near Detroit, Michigan in a middle class family. I did decide on some very important beliefs about the world at a very young age which has shaped me into who I am today. I had very loving and funny parents who gave me many adventures taught me about work ethics, resourcefulness, art and beauty. They also were very traditional as my father worked and my mother was a homemaker. I remember a very distinct day where I decided at age 15 that I was never going to rely on a man for my well-being…. so I didn’t! I went to college for art and during my college days, I used to pick up cans after parties and recycle them to get money for food…I wanted to do life on my own and be independent. I moved to Texas for a while with a friend bartending and waitressing until I found my own thing. I visited San Diego and loved it so much I moved a month later. Here I would establish roots and form my adult life. I was looking through the Reader on day and saw an ad about hiring artists for murals. I reached out ended up painting a sand shark on the wall for her and she hired me.
Shortly after that, she decided to move to LA and give me her contacts to continue what she started. I changed the name slightly and started Artofwalls Inc. I have been an artist all my life but more with drawings and illustrations, never murals before. So my journey began…I studied every day teaching myself how to paint anything and everything. I am self-taught in the decorative arts and worked day and night for many years learning and creating until I became a master at what I do. I started out with a cooler of craft paints in the back seat of my car and a 6 ft ladder going through the back windows of my Geo Prism red car. I would go from home to home doing kid’s murals mostly. I loved working with pregnant women who wanted their baby’s space to be a painted room where they could rock them, dream with them and feel comfort and joy. I was the whole business. Meeting the clients, dreaming up what they wanted together, bidding the project, buying the supplies, doing the physical work as well as all of the business side of things.
One of the biggest lessons over the years was learning my value and how much I was worth. As I gained knowledge and self-confidence, I realized I could charge more money for my efforts. After we completed a big job, I sat out with my client and had a beer. I asked him, “if you could give me feedback. What would that be?” He said “you do really good work Lisa and I think you need to charge more”. Something clicked that day and my business took off. Energetically my world changed and I was able to see my value which made me attract all of the designers, clients and contractors I needed. I started hiring many artists, signed a lot of very large contracts and have worked mainly on word of mouth. I am a competitor in my field and LOVE working with designers and clients to create their dream home. I’ve come along way from my cooler of paints and now work with all types of Plasters, paints and textures. I am mostly doing Venetian plasters and am very interested in doing Fluted walls and custom art. I also create events and parties that are unique for each person. Not only do I love the art, I love the process of being able to connect with who I’m working within such a way that I can give them their dream or better.
There is a trust that is established before we start a project all the way until completion.
Artofwalls Inc. embraces the challenges of creating environments which are custom-tailored. We want to make our client’s home their sanctuary. We can transform homes into a relaxing, even sacred place where form and color blend seamlessly. Drawing upon the inspiration of craftsmen and artisans around the world, we are able to create designs and finishes that are all unique to our client’s styles. The use of paint is limitless, from gilded gold ceilings, venetian plasters and fluted walls, refinishing dark beams and cabinetry to more current lighter finishes to custom art to hang on your walls…there are endless possibilities.
What do you want to experience and feel in your home or at your event- beauty, calmness, grace, radiance? How do you want others to feel when they come and visit? What colors do you like? What kind of images or art do you like? What do you do for a living? What are your personal interests, your taste in music, art, travel, life?
Redesigning our homes is a powerful way of conceiving, redefining and expressing who we are or who we are becoming.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has been a very hard road physically and mentally. First trying to find my way into entrepreneurship. Learning how to be an artist and a business person. I believe I am successful because of my ability to comprehend the business side of an art business. Physically doing decorative ceilings and being on large ladders and scaffolds all day definitely were challenging. At one point, I had 23 employees and was running the whole business. Learning everyone’s different personalities was tough to manage but I learned a lot about myself and how I show up in the world. Being in a very masculine world of contractors, I had to learn how to soften.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I create beautiful spaces and experiences for people. Some call me Ananda Brahma, the creator of bliss. I feel immense joy making others feel special. My specialties are working in people’s homes with Venetian plasters, custom art and new textures like fluting walls with plaster. I also work with a couple of friends creating events for birthdays, showers and fundraisers. I am most proud of my ability to connect with people in a way that can bring them joy through art and beauty. I believe what sets me apart is my own unique flavor if ice cream. I practice connection with the divine daily to let the abundance and beauty flow through me so I can create for others.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
My husband, dogs, family, home, flowers, community, best friends and creating! That’s what it’s all about…being, loving, creating and riding the river of life.
Contact Info:
- Email: artofwallsinc@gmail.com
Image Credits
Viv and Leone, hart + honey
