In the Press

NJ Monthly Magazine's  "Home & Garden"  
by Allison Blank 

ARLETTA TELL AND MARK ROMANOSKI
Artistic Alternatives, Hillsborough

   Arletta Tell and Mark Romanoski give homes unique character through decorative art painting and murals that can transform spaces and give walls Old World charm.

   Ten years ago, Tell was a real estate agent, doing decorative furniture painting as a hobby.  "I never expected it to go beyond that," she says.  Then, a customer who had purchased a piece of her painted furniture wanted her to tackle a wall.  Never having painted on such a large scale, Tell was hesitant, but her customer insisted.

   "I knew from that moment that this was what I was going to do," Tell says.  What followed was a frenzy of study, research, and experimentation.

   Tell met Romanoski, her creative partner, through a mutual friend, and the two ended up taking classes together.  Romanoski can't remember a time when art wasn't part of his life.  In addition to drawing, he's always loved comic books and fantasy related material.  After classical training with many art teachers, including Peter Caras, himself a protégé of Norman Rockwell, Romanoski became an illustrator.

   That training and experience proved ideal for working on big canvases.  It's also ideal for working with clients.  Tell and Romanoski can turn one client's New Jersey wine cellar into a piece of Italy or another's ordinary ceiling into a halo of clouds.  They can also custom-tailor their faux finishes, wood graining or Venetian plaster to a client's sense of color and style.

Romanoski says, "We're both very fortunate, we love what we do."  He quotes a piece of wisdom once shared with him.  "Each day, leave your work on a happy note so you can't wait to get back to it in the morning."

   From the testimonials of clients whose homes Tell and Romanoski have transformed, it's clear that those are words that they live and work by.

   Artistic Alternatives, Hillsborough NJ 08844. 
   (908) 431-1895   
   www.artisticalternatives.com