Painting Generations of Pride

And laughing along the way

Before you actually lay eyes on Ronnie Madison, you'll likely hear him. A wide-open laugh comes from his soul and bursts out in an echo of pure happiness that elevates everyone in hearing distance. If you don't immediately join in – well then, time to check your pulse for signs of life.

Ronnie is a house painter by trade and tradition. His father painted homes for 50 years up here in our small, forested communities. And the tradition lives on. His son, Jared, is a local pro whose son, Isaac, completes the family team along with Chance, a red-haired young man who's been unofficially adopted into the Madison fold. Four generations of commitment to a time-honored trade.

We hired Ronnie to paint our previous home encircled by towering cedar trees. Me wanting a change from a baby-poop tan to something more vibrant and exciting. Ronnie warning me the deep forest green I'd chosen was "Pretty dark, Hon. Are you sure?" So, first, Ronnie is the only living male who gets to call me "Hon," and secondly, he ended up extremely pleased with the final results. And when I asked him to paint a few strip pieces with a touch of violet, he gasped and painted despite his doubt – a harmony of nature's colors – green, soft gold, and purple, the color of blooming lavender.

We stood together in front of the rejuvenated house. Ronnie taking it all in. "I tell you, I am surprised. That looks good. Very good! So good, I'm gonna tell everybody it was my idea!" And he threw a great laugh out into the sunshine, making all of us within earshot laugh along.

Ronnie is great at his trade for one simple reason – he absolutely loves painting houses. "Because at the end of the day, you've got something to show for all your work." He says. "You can stand back and look at what you've done. What you've accomplished. And you've put a smile on somebody's face. And then they hand you money. It don't get any better than that!" (This last quip sends Ronnie into another hearty 'guffaw').

But this robust tradesman is deeply committed to a business model that's anchored by integrity and an honest day's work. The kind of work that once characterized the home building and improvement trade when his own dad, Robert, headed up a crew that included a very young Ronnie. At age 12, he remembers feeling less than positive about helping out. He saw agemates having fun while he cleaned paintbrushes and hustled for his dad's crew. But even as a kid, Ronnie had his eye on the prize. "While my friends were playing, I was able to earn money and get a bike and other things that I enjoyed. It was all a good lesson, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Ronnie's dad passed away at a young age, and his Mom, Priscilla, grabbed the brushes. But first, there was a tough test to qualify as a trade and paint carpenter. Though she’d been around the trade for most of her adult life, parts of the exam – like a tough section on labor law - she'd never had to learn. However, Ronnie says there was no time for study, and his mom dove in. "She passed all those tests with flying colors," he says with pride. "She kept the business going for 20 more years." And Ronnie paid attention, officially taking Madison Painting into a new era.

He remembers those past decades with a mix of feelings. "People used to take a lot more pride back in the day when they built homes," he says. "Not like now. I've done repainting on some of those custom homes, and it's just shoddy work. They just throw stuff together and sell it fast."  

Ronnie's latest job was finished today - our new house in the charming town of Placerville, CA. We'd traded our grand home in the forest for a modest house on a hill within walking distance of the Gold Rush city that puts us closer to my husband's work at the State Capitol. Unlike our mountain home, the new place lacked character and color – a condition I was sure we could remedy with Ronnie's help. For me, paint was a priority because both the interior and exterior were painted gray – that is, in my colorful mind – the shade of satin lining in a coffin. It had to go – and quickly! It’s now replaced with a deep verdant green outside – inside with walls of peach and apricot and a fresh lime green. When Ronnie heard my plan, he was unsurprised. "I know better than to question those color choices," he said to his crew, remembering how he'd advised against my prior color combos and later bragged about the results. "That looks so good; I think I'll tell people it was my idea!" he says and busts out another happy howl.

Having his crew here for much of the past week was an antidote for the tortures of moving. The packing, hauling, storing, lugging, unpacking, and other physical and mental challenges that can't ever be described as fun. But with Ronnie erupting with contagious laughter, my days brightened.

Being around people who love their work and each other's company and deeply believe in the value of a good day's work is contagious. Ronnie Madison is a master of spreading upbeat vibes while guiding his team to customer satisfaction. But his positive approach is not a business tactic – it's his nature, passed down and along through generations.

With the job done, I'm already missing the regular punctuation of his signature laugh that sets off a chain of laughter. How does he remain so pleased with his trade? I think it's in the Madison DNA. "When we paint somebody's house, it's just so satisfying," he says. "When we're done with a job, and the owner is excited about it, that's what we work for," he says. "It makes me feel so good to make people happy."

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And it makes me happy to be talking with you all again. I look forward to sharing new discoveries as we make this place our "forever" home because I am never MOVING AGAIN! Thanks for your time and attention. Let me know what you're thinking – darby@darbypatterson.com