Art is Life for Rumson Couple

Their work graces the walls of Monmouth County schools, libraries and residences in the form of murals. You are sure to have seen their art among your travels through town. You may even recognize some of their paintings as the hallmarks of home, but their careers did not begin where they hold their fame today. The path that led them to the title of muralists is a winding, but fun one. I had a wonderful afternoon with the couple inside their Rumson home to learn the stories along the way.

On a warm winter afternoon, Broeck met our team on the front porch of his Victorian home, guiding us to the yard. He wanted to check on his beehive. Broeck explained that he and his son had transported this colony earlier that day from another location. He pointed in the direction for us to run should they be angry and ready to sting – immediate proof that there cannot be a dull day in the Steadman home.

Satisfied the bees were content since no stinging ensued and their buzzing was quiet, Broeck held open the door to his home and introduced us to his wife, Marlis. With a handshake and an offer for a cup of tea, the two made us feel instantly at home. Once inside, my eyes did not know where to land; eclectic art work throughout the open floor plan drew me in. I wanted to spend hours exploring and studying it all. A beautiful beach scene of water and dunes, seagulls and sea grass spreads across the walls connecting the sitting room and the kitchen, all a creation of Broeck’s. The first floor bathroom is hand painted and Marlis created the mosaic floor. The rooms downstairs are decorated with souvenirs from their travels throughout the world. The countertops have Marlis’ pottery scattered about in the form of coffee cups, platters and whimsical décor. Growing up, both Marlis and Broeck loved art and spent their days creating. Marlis had never considered art as a possibility for a career; for Broeck, art was his mission. It’s fun to hear how each job he took led him to another, different from the last. Eventually his art work would be found in some of the most unique places.

“I never said no to a project. Even if I didn’t know how to do it, I went out and learned.”

It’s safe to say somewhere in your life, you may have held Broeck’s artwork in your hands. His artwork can be found on liquor bottles, soda cans, cars, jet planes, computers, toothpaste and even chocolate. Broeck describes it as “it seemed like I had done it all”. But he was wrong. Broeck was offered the role as illustrator for the book covers of young adult thrillers. This was something he had not yet left his mark on, but it was part of his vision.

“I had dreamt of being an illustrator after I drew a dream I had, and I had always loved children’s books and wanted to illustrate them. As a child I loved monster movies. I saw every one over and over, so here was my genre, opening in front of me.”

It was his dream come true. His art work today is featured on more than 200 of these thrillers. Marlis began her career doing typesetting for a newspaper, then worked at Macy’s where she ran Macy’s entire typesetting department and purchased its first computers. She eventually left Macy’s and in a total career change, became a mother, raising their daughter Tillie and son Evan Thomas.

Marlis spent her free time taking pottery classes and became a teacher herself. As the children got older, Marlis, along with a friend, began a business painting faux finishes. Occasionally murals would be required. Marlis created those on her own until one of those simple twists of fate, where the husband and wife found themselves working on the first of a lifetime of murals painted together. Deane-Porter School in Rumson had just finished a year of study on Africa and wanted to memorialize it by decorating the walls of the cafeteria with an African scene. The school put out a call for volunteers to assist in the creation of the mural. The pair said “yes” and together, with a little help, created a 66-foot mural touching on many aspects of Africa. Broeck’s newest love in art was formed – murals. He was hooked and to the surprise of Marlis, he offered to do the same for all the Rumson schools. “I came home and said to him ‘you said what!?’” Marlis tells with a smile. Broeck’s offer was accepted and they were off to paint an underwater scene at Forrestdale School. Word of mouth brought them from one project to the next, beginning with local parents asking if the duo could create a scene on the wall of their children’s rooms and branching out as far a Florida and Oregon.

It has been 30 years since that first mural and they are still creating them together, side by side. I asked them how they enjoyed working together. “We just love it,” Broeck replied. Marlis continued, “It’s the personal communication we get to have throughout the day. We don’t miss out on each other’s lives and we get to discuss what we will have for dinner.” She explained their work plan and how it goes so smoothly each time. “Whoever gets the job is the boss, — it’s as simple as that.” Broeck always does the sketches and the boss calls all the shots.

They began to reminisce about some of their murals and shared the ones that were the most fun and the most meaningful. One is the entrance way of the Cedar Drive Middle School in Colts Neck. Broeck shared, “I wanted to greet the students with art as soon as they walked in.” So he created a mural of art history, using a few paintings that almost everyone recognizes and adding in other familiar paintings to create one scene. They repeated the idea with a similar concept at the Rumson Oceanic Library children’s room. They added in a variety of characters from children’s books. Broeck chose “Where the Wild Things Are” as the background, and added the characters to fit into the scene. Marlis told me about a bathroom she painted, using the nature of the homeowners’ yard as her inspiration. She added elements of the property into the scene. With a smile she told me her favorite part of the painting: a cardinal placed right above the faucet, its head crooked as if to ask “what are you doing?” each time someone turns on the water. One mural they both agreed was “a work of love” is a realistic view of gardens and fields, spread along the walls of the treatment room of an oncology office. Broeck and Marlis were asked to create a feeling of escapism, with paths that lead out of the room, to give the patients a vision of a way out.

Broeck smiled as he told me about it. “It just brings so many people joy.” They added sheep, and by request, the pets of the doctors and the office staff. “Much of our work is serendipity – people see things you don’t see because you get so wrapped up in your work.” Marlis shared, “It’s wonderful to watch people get so absorbed in what you are doing. It really just is about the people.” When they are not creating masterpieces for the walls of their fans, Marlis and Broeck can be found indulging in their own favorite forms of expression: oil painting and pottery for Marlis; bee keeping, gardening and cooking for Broeck. As a family they love to travel and scuba dive. This March they will be spending 11 days on a boat diving in the Maldives, giving them the chance to knock something else off Broeck’s bucket list – diving all around the world. Career-wise, their focus is on creating murals. It’s a passion they want to continue to chase. Broeck is especially excited for the next project he has in the works an interactive mural. While I can’t share too much about this unique and fun creation, it is sure to bring joy and education to many. Keep your eyes out for this pair and their work along your own travels throughout Monmouth County. You can visit Broeck and Marlis at etsteadman.com.