#denver murals

[paintdecorstudio]

What's Next .... Murals, Portraits... Challenge Me.

I have been thinking. The past year has been full of many great mural projects.

I had the extraordinary opportunity to paint for Bob and Judi Newman, who many would argue (without much opposition) are Colorado's greatest art philanthropists. I did two projects for them (a mural and a dome) and they, their designer, architect and builders were all thrilled with my work. 

I received the chance to 're-do' a mural from years back (the family moved into a new home in Colorado Springs but wanted to take their 'old mural' with them) and I surprised myself with how much my skills have developed in the intervening years. It is a unique thing for me to be able to compare two such similar murals from different points in my career.

I was granted the gift of doing whatever my heart desired in order to turn an old shed into something remarkable for the cutest little three-year-old. My heart and imagination were allowed to run wild and I had a blast. The result was a true reflection of both my developing mural skills and my history in set design.

On top of these and many more jobs I was able to revisit many past projects in order to get new photographs. I was honored by how much my clients still appreciate my work and I was happy to see that, although some of the projects were crazy hard, I generally seem to have triumphed. I am not one to back down from a challenge and I was pleased as punch to see how that showed. Of ten years' worth of mural and decorative paint projects I only know of one kid's wall which has been painted over (sadly I never got great photos of it). Surely there will be more repaints (as kids grow up and tastes change) but, regardless, my clients all seem hugely appreciative of my work and were all happy to see my face in their homes again. What a gift I have been given to have such wonderful people to work with.

So, if 2012 has been so full of gifts what will 2013 hold for me? I hope with an open heart that I have more clients who will challenge me with wild ideas. I hope that I  have time for more studio work: more puppy portraits, some landscapes, maybe a few wild abstractions of some of my dad's photographs. I hope that, as I near my 10,000 hours as a painter, I may begin to see my own work with a more appreciative and less critical eye. 

I hope that I may be able to return as many gifts as I have received from the great art community in Colorado.

[paintdecorcurrently-blog]

I just found this on pinterest and I LOVE it! It is 'Little Forest', by Inge Friebel, 1959. Please, please, please someone let me mural these little munchkins on your nursery walls. This blue would be lovely as a base coat but I honestly can't think of a color that wouldn't work.

[paintdecorstudio]

DIY Murals by Numbers

Paint-by-Number Murals... why not...    they look great right? Here are a few tips that might help.

They can make a phenomenal community project. They can be made from old paint-by-number craft templates, from licence plates, or from any other posterized image you can get your hands on. But they are not as simple as they look. The hardest parts, for an amateur, would be picking colors, sorting out what paint to buy, and finding a projector. Also, unless you have smooth walls, do not even consider this... on texture a simple paint by number would be a mess.

The old templates are fun but a bit dated looking (but retro is 'in' so that's a good thing, right?). And unless you are using a template you need to create a color plan. 

So, here are a few suggestions (for interior murals).

1. Remember... only do 'Paint-by-Number Murals' (especially highly detailed ones) on smooth walls!!!!

2. Buy good quality paint (so that you won't have to paint three coats of each color).

3. If you need less than two square feet of a color buy a sample jar of the color (I would recommend Benajmin Moore for this as they have all their samples premixed and it is a good, thick paint). 

4. If you need more than two shades of a single color buy a quart of the darkest color, a quart of white, and a few extra paint buckets (with lids). Mix the shades yourself.

5. All your paint should consistently be eggshell finish (or flat if you won't be using any sample jars). Samples are made in eggshell and you need to keep your finishes consistent. Shinier paint will show brushstrokes. If you want your mural to have a satin or high sheen finish, use a polyurethane clear coat over the whole thing once you are finished.

6. Projecting the image.... You have a few choices here (assuming you don't already have an opaque projector). You can buy one for not less than a few hundred dollars or you can find someone who already owns one (a local mural artist perhaps) and pay them an hourly rate to come project the image for you. I would highly recommend the latter. Getting your image onto the wall isn't as simple as it sounds (especially if you are shooting for anything larger than about 6' square). 

7. If you want to paint your image exactly as you find it, just go to the paint store and match up your colors to paint chips. If you want to change your colors here are a few thoughts. Try playing with the color settings in your favorite photo editing software. If this gives you something you like, print it out and take your new image to the paint store. If you want to change things further print out an outline version of your image and color it in yourself (the old-fashioned way). You need to have a finished image in color before you put any paint on your walls!!!!

Good luck with your murals and if you need any further help please message me in my 'ask me anything' section.