More is More
By Darien Davies
You know those places that have just a super funky vibe that basically keeps you from leaving? Maybe it’s a restaurant that has your favorite table, or a friend’s boho-themed living room where you sit down and put your feet up. If you think about some of the favorite places you’ve visited (and stayed too long) in the West Palm Beach and South Florida area, there’s a fantastic chance that Devin Noel and her magical paintbrush had something to do with it.
“I grew up in a super creative household, where gold-leafing the ceiling on a Sunday afternoon was a totally normal occurrence. My mom was a total maximalist when it came to decor and style, so I’ve been a ‘more is more’ person my whole life,” said Devin, 33, who says she’s the worst tenant ever. “I started painting murals in any house we lived in as we moved from Illinois to Florida and ignored the concept of ‘It’s a rental, don’t paint it!’ through my early adult years.”
As with most 20-somethings — especially those who are out-of- the-box thinkers — she spent that time living an enjoyably spontaneous lifestyle. That included restaurant work, traveling extensively, and painting on the side for anyone who was up for a little color in their life. Then COVID-19 hit, and she pivoted from thinking of painting as something she liked to do on the side to something she wanted to do full time.
“I started painting any wall I could at 16 years old, and dabbled in art at Palm Beach State College, but am mostly self-taught. When you go from painting for yourself and then doing murals for the public to see, it’s an intense feeling,” Devin said. “My approach is always with acrylic, but I’ve dabbled in oil for some personal pieces on canvas. I’m heavily inspired by opulent and decorative pieces of the past, so I try to give a fine art approach to my murals.”
Devin, who has traveled heavily through Central America and Europe, said, “The goal of these trips was to experience new cultures, flora, fauna, and architecture to then inspire my art practice. In today’s world, the act of production can move quicker than a month-long study searching for parrots in the jungle. I found that everyday experiences from the different media I consume and the environment around me can shape my creative flow just as much (almost) as traveling.”
She has lovingly called Florida home for the past 17 years and is madly in love with the tropics, which you can clearly see from her portfolio. For her, it’s all about immersing herself in the physical and mental environment with eyes wide open and documenting her vision for her clients’ benefit.
And her creative flow has taken her to some pretty amazing places so far. She most recently worked with “Motel Rescue,” a TV show for Magnolia Network, where she traveled to North Carolina with her best friend and fellow muralist Corey Morrow, and painted seven murals in two days. She also painted a mural for Melrose Interiors at the Kips Bay Decorator Show House, which has been a “must do” goal of hers. As if that wasn’t enough for the first half-ish of the year, she also set her sights on making wallpaper and crafted a collection with Chelsea Lane and Co. (Yeah, kind of a big deal.)
“I live for an immersive feeling, and I love the drama of a full statement! It’s so fun to transform an entire space, it’s an act of making the world you want to live in a reality,” Devin said. “Murals create an environment for those experiencing it, to live a little more boldly and creatively in their own way too.”
She also loves a challenge. While she might live as a walking kaleidoscope, she doesn’t shy away from muted color palettes and monochromatic murals. She loves playing with scale and unexpected patterns, especially when a client request pushes her into unfamiliar territory.
“Creating art allows me to take all my favorite things in this world and put them into one medium,” Devin said. “All my weird little obsessions, all of my travels, all of my books, all of my hobbies… all the things I love in life get thrown in the paint jar. I just want to live in a wonderland, k?”
Fine by us.
