Emiliano Campobello

Santa Barbara Artist

A contemporary ceiling mural with cherry blossoms

Emiliano Campobello creates harmonious, inspiring spaces with his murals by transforming walls, ceilings and floors with painted illusions. His creations adorn the walls of exclusive resorts and clubs, restaurants and soothing spas, children’s hospitals and healing clinics, chapels and sacred spaces, majestic estates and cozy homes. Each project is approached as a unique opportunity to create that “special something” specifically designed for that particular client or space. Although there is great variation in the projects stylistically, there is a constant dedication to quality and creative expression. His work defies containment in a style or a box, rather, it opens the box to the posibilities beyond. He enjoys working with directly with clients, as well as with designers and architects to create custom artistic elements and effects for their projects and visions. He also uses his expertise on smaller projects such as an accent wall or decorative embellishment as well as the development of samples for clients.

Elegant spa beautified with a painted trompe l'oeil dome and faux marble columns

"Old -World" Training

A Santa Barbara local and graduate of U.C.S.B. (B.A. ~ Cum Laude), Emiliano also draws on 12 years of artistic experience in Europe, where he studied marble sculpting with his “maestro” Francesco Grazioli in Italy, and worked alongside masters in the decorative arts in The Netherlands. He honed his skills as he operated his own art business Artismo and worked as Lead Artist and Creative/Artistic Director for several large European décor and event companies. He returned to California in 2004, bringing this experience to his beloved hometown. His depth of technical knowledge combines with an “Old-World” sensitivity and his unique visionary “edge” that he brings to every project. Realistic painted faux-wood, marble and other textures (often 3-D) complement the illusions he creates.

Green Spaces - Healthy and Happy

Always conscious of the environment, Emiliano works with ”green“ materials and methods, such as water-based paints and varnishes, and eco-friendly plasters. He often helps his clients to find eco-friendly solutions and approaches to their projects. Always ahead of the curve, science is now proving the effectiveness of how Emiliano has always intuitively worked. The newly defined field of “Evidence-Based Design” has recognized and quantified the positive physiological effects that these carefully composed “virtual environments” have on people, literally improving their health and balancing their minds.

Asian painted walls in a beautiful modern bathroom

From "Nest Design" to Now

Working as Nest Design from 2003 to 2011 with artist/designer Mary Johnson, together they created many inspiring spaces in Europe and in California. Their talents combined harmoniously during this period of their artistic partnership, with Mary's amazing skies, animals and angels merging with Emiliano's lyrical landscapes and masterful compositions. Many of the projects they collaborated on are featured on this site.

As Emiliano Art & Design, Emiliano Campobello continues to spread the beauty and harmony through his creations and concepts. In recent years he has focused his attention close to home, and added his artistic touch to the Santa Barbara, CA area, making it an even more beautiful place to be.

Artistic Painting Specialties:

• Murals

• “Trompe l’oeil” painted illusions

• Stenciling

• Faux Wood and Stone/Marble

• Custom Decorative Finishes

• Artistic Concepts & Design Advice

• Sample development

• Fine Art Paintings & Prints

Commercial Clients Include:

• Ty Warner’s Coral Casino, Montecito, CA

• Montecito Country Club, Montecito, CA

• The Granada Theater, Santa Barbara, CA

• Cielito Restaurant, Santa Barbara, CA

• Qui Si Bella Spa. Santa Barbara, CA

• Peter Marino Architects, New York

• Amsterdam Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

• The National Theater of The Netherlands

• Deloitte & Touche Headquarters, Amstelveen, The Netherlands

The artist on his floor painting of a nautilus shell (still in progress), sitting in sacred space.

The Artist's Words - "Art without Borders!"

“ I am a creative spirit blessed with artistic talent and vision.  Creating beautiful spaces for people is the best way I have found to honor and share these gifts. My murals have touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, and my intention is to support their well-being and bring peace and passion to their lives. I encourage my clients to “dream away” as we envision the most beautiful solution possible for their space. Often the solution is something never seen before.. I use painted illusion to sculpt and re-define the space. As a classically trained sculptor-turned-painter, realistic illusions of light and perspective often dance with landscapes of impressionistic brushstrokes to bring a space to life.

I studied and trained sculpting marble in Italy, which lends to the 3-dimensionality often found in my work. In addition to my sculptures, I have also produced many paintings throughout my journey. I love creating paintings, but a mural is a completely different experience. A painting has borders, and ends at the edge of the canvas. When addressing a space, I have the opportunity to create a painting that envelopes the viewer, wrapping them in a painted world specifically created for them! Art without borders! As they enter the space, they engage with it and become a part of it.. Objects recede and emerge from space in that magical painted layer which is only a few microns thick. I love when someone has to touch the wall to convince themselves that it is just a flat surface.

I approach mural painting as a fine art, a sacred and ancient art form. The oldest known art was painted on the walls of caves, most likely as a connection to Spirit and as a ceremonial prayer.. from a time when “art” was not seperated from the divine, but a connection to it. There is a certain thrill to seeing a wall disappear and be transformed to a landscape, as your eyes focus closer or further away than where the wall surface actually is. Sitting 10 feet from a wall while you gaze 10 miles in the distance is an experience of expansion and virtual travel. Something happens in the mind during that experience of expansiveness that nurtures the heart and soul.”