Inspiring Arts
Inspiring Arts Profile
Creative Inspiration
by Mike Yoshiura
PATTI BRUCE came to Hawaii with nothing.
The starving artist had to put food on the table for her two young kids, so she channeled every last ounce of creative inspiration into her artwork. And like art, she turned a lot of nothings into a very BIG something.
"Everyone's an artist, a writer, a storyteller, a cook, or a gardener. They all create something, but most people think that you can't survive on what you can create," said Patti Bruce, owner and operator of Decorative Arts Hawaii and Designs by Patti Bruce.
After she graduated from high school in California, Bruce attended nearby California State University at Long Beach for five semesters. She majored in interior design, but before she could complete the program she found out she was pregnant with her first child.
Patti packed up everything she owned and moved to Hawaii in 1989, with her husband and two kids. Three years later she and her husband got a divorce, and just like that, she became the sole provider for her two children. She had no college degree, no portfolio, and most importantly…no employer!
Almost 17 years has passed since Bruce relocated her family, and these days she is self-employed, as an artist and interior designer. Her work includes children's furniture, floor and wall stenciling, faux finishes, commercial and residential murals, and both fine and functional art.
"When I was starting out, I really struggled. My advice is, get an education! For the first four months I worked 16-hour days. I'm sure there were people who worked a lot smarter than me."
Bruce has been self-employed since 1992, when she formally started Decorative Arts Hawaii. She has never had to hire employees, having built her business, literally, from the ground up. "You have to wear a lot of hats. I highly recommend business courses for those who wish to be self employed."
Patti does a wide range of artwork and interior design, but she really enjoys painting murals on the walls of children's rooms. Just to give you an idea on what it costs to comission Bruce, a children's room mural can run patrons anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000. According to Patti, "you need to have a reputation in order to call a certain price."
From some of the prices she's called, I'd say Bruce has established quite a reputation for herself here in the islands. "My days of cold calling are over, and I don't go knocking on doors anymore."
Her murals can be seen at scattered locations around the island. Select spots like the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa in Waikiki, the Norwegian Cruise Line's Star of Honolulu, at the food court on the Kaneohe Marine Corps Base, and in the lobby of the YWCA in Makiki.
A portion of the proceeds from Patti's retail artwork goes to supporting the Children At Risk Evaluation (CARE) program at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children.
"If you don't have the desire or the commitment you will fail at everything you end up doing in life."
