But, when I am feeling in control and balanced, I have more creativity in the kitchen!  Most of the time, my art stays in the studio.  But sometimes, it trails into the house and onto the dining room table or the kitchen sink. Or mixed in with the wooden spoons.

With a project this large, I have become all consumed by it. The rest of life outside the mural has become blurred.  Summer is going by…two months have almost passed! Working in a big dark warehouse with just a few small windows intensifies this effect. However, it also helps me to focus on this daunting project. As I am painting, I put my whole heart and soul into this project.

Mural in final stages

I think a lot about the people who will view this as they swim in the pool. I squat down often to visualize what they will see.  I am looking forward to their reactions. Last minute touches are the most fun for me. Brushstrokes painted in the last part of a mural are like the icing on the cake. Depth becomes more evident. Visual elements start to pop as things come together. This is when I make lights lighter and darks darker, adding more dimension. Foreground grasses get painted in. The fences become more defined.

Mural close to completion

While I am finishing up, the concrete block wall at Eagle Mount has to be prepped so that the mural stays adhered to the wall.  Extra precautions must being taken in this hot and humid environment. You can see my husband scraping down the wall to get any high points off. I have already taken a chisel and knocked down any other big chunks of mortar.

The wall being scraped

Next, we prime the wall. Then, the sheet rock pro comes and will float out the wall to make it smooth so that the concrete block pattern does not come through the canvas. Then we prime it three more times. Now it is ready to be installed.

The wall being primed

Here, we begin to roll out the mural.

We roll it out very carefully to be sure it is straight at the top. The moment of truth has arrived for this artist! Hopefully, all my measurements are correct. The canvas must be burnished, keeping an eye out for bubbles.

The second piece of 21 foot long canvas needs to be seamed to the first piece so they meet in just the right places.

Ouch! The mural must be cut into to allow for outlet covers. This is right below the belly of the black barn cat. I will paint the cover so that it doesn't show so much.

You can see how helpful it is to have a great team with lots of positive energy and muscle to handle the weight of the painted canvas. It takes many hands to burnish, wipe off, and roll!

We have encountered a problem with the mural going downhill. Now we have to level out the top and use a lot of muscle to get it back on target. With all the careful planning one can do, life just has a way of throwing you a challenge when you least expect it. As an artist, I am constantly humbled as I solve unexpected puzzles that are put in my path..

Now the mural gets wrapped around the corner. Then it is ever so accurately trimmed off.

Now I am inspecting the edge near where I have painted "Trooper and Tuffy", the dogs that belong to the beloved founders of Eagle Mount, Bob and Greta Mathis.

I will do some touch ups and then will apply two more coats of varnish

It my hope that this mural will bring much comfort and many smiles to all those who view it over the years. This project has been a fascinating challenge for me. I am extremely grateful to have received it and to have made a contribution to Eagle Mount, one of the most incredible places I have ever known.

Many thanks to Jennifer Olsson for being the onsite photographer during this installation!

A mural of the view behind the pool wall was what the client wanted. Once completely dried and sealed, the mural will be installed on this wall. It is the far wall thatyou see in the picture below. When swim therapy is session, the swimmers will be able to view the mural. It is my wish that it will bring much comfort to them, and perhaps a smile. So, after jotting down notes and specific points of interest that were important to have in the mural, I went about photographing the scene.  Some of the subjects would include the barn, the barn cat, the mini ponies, the myriad of fencing, many horses, and of course the Bridger Mountains which are the crowning glory of our beautiful town.  Of course, there will be an eagle as well flying over the scene.

 
Next step is hanging the canvas in a dry location that was big enough to hold two pieces of canvas that total 10″ x 42″. Here is step one! You can see the Bridgers outlined.  Once I got the mountains roughed in, this would establish how everything else would fall into place.

Next comes the other major subject , the barn and stalls. This was a challenge because I had to get the perspective right. This whole scene basically had to be dissected and put back together in an artistically pleasing composition.  I also began roughing in the fencing.

Next, you can see the horses sketched in and the black barn cat at the bottom. I have also started placing the loafing sheds and the haybales.

Next is a closeup. You can see the variety of horses starting to come to life.  Foreground grasses start to give depth.
 

 

Here you can see the Bridger Mountains coming to life!

Stay tuned for more updates!

A few weeks later, my parents were getting new wallpaper for their bedroom. They said that before the wallpaper was hung we would be allowed to draw on the walls. We were allowed!  My sister and brother joined me, as did my mother, who was an artist. And we had a blast.

Flash forward to senior year, high school senior project. I collaborated with my friend and together we created an Egyptian wall mural complete with life size Egyptian gods. I was in love with painting on walls.

After that, I progressed to being an art major in college and have never stopped loving to paint on walls and on canvas since!