Wild Things mural (a bit photo heavy)

[Redforkhippie]

I've been lurking for a long time and kept promising myself I'd post this when I actually completed it, but since it's been sitting here in an almost-but-not-quite-finished state for three months, quietly waiting for me to come back with a paintmarker and put in the last few details, I think it's probably about as completed as it's going to get for the foreseeable future ... and since the current challenge has a "Wild Things" theme (albeit in a medium I've never gotten the hang of), I guess this is as good a time as any to post my most recent mural project:



The image is from the cover of Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are," except the colors are much brighter (I was using acrylics, which just aren't as subtle as watercolor, and my young assistants aren't quite advanced enough to mimic Sendak's nuances of color and shading). The original image shows Max's boat to the left of the Wild Thing, but I left that off to keep things simple and to allow room for my desk, which -- as you can see in the picture -- doubled as an incubator for a small flock of chicks this spring. The wall is in my home office, which also serves as a sewing room, art studio, and de facto potting shed.



Here are some pictures of the mural as we were working on it:









I sketched the design on the wall and then painted outlines around the different areas of color before the kids came over, which made it sort of like a paint-by-number set. I used this method once before with a group of children who were painting "stained glass" on boarded-up windows, and it worked very well.

It still needs some crosshatching and a coat of sealer to protect it, but it's basically done. Eventually, I want to staple some chicken wire to the ceiling and run ivy garlands through it to make vines cover the ceiling like they do in Max's room.  

UPDATE: Just to clarify: The kids are cute, but I can't take credit for them -- I just borrowed them from my friend Terriann for the afternoon, 'cos painting is more fun if you have some rugrats to help you.

[randomjunk_queen]

thats wonderful i love it! i think i used to have that book actually...

[chevykaylor]

Amazing job.  I've been thinking a lot about doing a mural for my daughter's room (she's moving out of mommy's room after her first birthday next month), but I found the whole thing a little intimidating.  From looking at your results, I can see that it just might be do-able.  How did you transfer the design to the wall? Did you use a projector, or a grid, or (yikes) freehand it? 

[WIPs]

I love the book, and I love this even more! Amazing!

[Redforkhippie]

I freehanded it, but I went slowly and erased a lot.

Putting on the outline in pencil and then coming back with paint to outline the different areas of color helped the kids paint neatly, but it also helped me catch flaws early in the process, before it was too late to do anything about them.

I've done other murals in the past, including this one for my friend Randy, who owns a body shop on Route 66 and wanted something 66-themed in his lobby:



More photos of the Route 66 mural are online here:

http://redforkhippie.wordpress.com/2006/01/09/projects/

[WIPs]

Wow! You're so talented!

[jesa]

this is SO fantanstic!!!!!!!!

[MnkyMama]

super impressed!!

[ozziggystardust]

Goodness, you are an awesome artist, and on top of that, I love your idea about the wire and the vines...The whole theme is fun and fresh. You did a really wonderful mural.
.....Plus, the fact that you freehanded it just makes it even better. Great great job!

OZ

[TreeTree]

This absolutely amazing, I hit "this rocks" totally deserves it.