Whether down in Tassie, or in Victoria, Nick Camino loves his painting. He tells The Tradie about how he got into painting, and why he’s stuck around.
Like many budding young tradies-to-be before him, Nick wanted to be a carpenter when he was in high school.
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But the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, it seems, as Nick ended up doing his painting apprenticeship through his dad Mark.
“My dad is a painter, so I ended up going on with him for a bit and then he offered me an apprenticeship,” Nick said.
“And the rest is history … I really enjoyed working with dad.
“The first year I didn’t really enjoy it but as soon as it all clicked down the road and I fell in love with it from there.”
Next generation
12 years later, and Nick’s painting business is thriving.
“I eventually went out on my own, my dad had semi-retired the year I finished my apprenticeship,” he explained.
“So then I decided to keep going on my own, dad helped me out a fair bit, the first few years.”
Nick’s business started out as Northern Painting, based in Launceston before heading up to Tasmania’s North-West Coast.
His clientele mainly revolved around domestic re-paints, both interior and exterior with the occasional shopfront gig.
That work continued after he moved to Geelong and renamed his business Camino Painting.
“We had to change the name because Northern Painting doesn’t really make sense in Geelong,” Nick joked.
Take care!
One thing Nick recommended younger painters do was look after their bodies, with years of painting on his knees taking their toll.
“I wish I was more mindful of PPE,” he said.
“The first six or seven years, I never wore knee pads or anything.
“I’m definitely paying for it now, you don’t really think of at the time … it definitely catches up with you.”
While his joints have taken a beating, One thing Nick has continued to appreciate is the support from the Master Painters Association of Victoria/Tasmania (MPAV/TAS).
MPAV/TAS helps thousands of painters both in VIC and Tasmania with business advice, as well as providing info on relevant legislation.
“It’s good to be aligned with the peak body in the industry,” Nick said.
“It definitely shows that level of professionalism when you’re going in for a quote or talking to clients and they realise you’re with the Master Painters – it goes a long way.”