As an artist, the story about the mural I just completed in a New England town at the gateway to Cape Cod, is a first for me. I got a chance to paint a design for a very successful mural a second time. Same subject, same client, but with fifteen years between the artist I was in 2011 and the one I am now.
The first was completed in the spring of 2011. This predates the start of this newsletter, so the work never got the spotlight of its own newsletter. I did mention it in April of 2016 but it was part of a larger story about focal walls. So now I get to share the story of both. I first met my client in 2011. Her living room walls were painted a deep chocolate brown. The wall would be a strong design, creating a focal interest. She had had work done in other parts of her home and we debated the possibility of a fleur de lis. I saw the concept of a huge scroll having more movement and not a static presence. It was the right direction and things moved forward. Here is the design laid out using a grid method in chalk on the wall.
The palette would be rich in creams and ochre and created the drama my client anticipated. Using trompe l’oeil techniques , drama was delivered! I loved the boldness of that mural.
Fast forward. My clients moved to a new home, from Connecticut to a simply stunning new home they built on Massachusetts historic South Shore. Fifteen years later, they didn’t ask me to recreate a wall. They asked me to recreate a feeling. The scroll is still the framework, but the proportions are more elegant. The palette is quieter. I’ve replaced the strong contrast of cream against chocolate with soft white against a light gray. The background is Benjamin Moore Alaskan Husky. The grey has the loveliest undertones of taupe and green. It speaks to the warmth of the light wood floor. Here is the new scroll design.
And I’m ready to get to work. Here’s my new blank wall.
Once the design was drawn on the wall, I blocked in the design with a big inward smile. I could already see the bones of a truly successful mural.
And then the fully satisfying ritual of trompe l’oeil painting follows. The base color, the mid tones. Cast shadows follow, with their own darkest value of the cast shadow accent. And before you know it, the final and most satisfying to the artist, the crisp and defining highlights!
And without further ado… The finished pictures.
My client was kind enough to also let me share this last picture.
It explains a lot. The architecture is almost entirely rectilinear. Tall black window frames, large square openings, a linear ding room table- all strong horizontal and vertical lines. Then the scroll enters the room. It’s not a contradiction, not a compromise, it’s a soft counterpoint. Your eye discovers it gradually. First you notice the chandelier. Then the table. Then….wait a minute…there’s this beautiful architectural ornament on the wall. Some murals become part of a home.
The rare ones become part of a family’s history.
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