Possible Clues:

• Eg, painter, wallpaperer
• Hiree after a move
• Painter and wallpaperer
• Artisan is a number of days ahead of speaker
• By the end of the year one will talk of doing the place up
• Painter perhaps mixing a red - Corot?
• Might one be touching up the Queen on Christmas Day, perhaps?
• Will he put the finishing touches to the speech he makes during December
• After one of 23 across, in short, one may speak with paint
• Artisan is last month's speaker