After just over a week of working long hours I have completed the first mural for Eureka. Its 8 feet x 5 feet and took just over a day to grid the wall and draw out the images onto the wall. And just because it looked ok close up on the wall didn’t mean that it did from 12 feet away where it will be viewed the most, so I had to keep standing back to check, and adjust as necessary.
When it was drawn out I started painting it, the left hand side first as that was the easiest part and it meant I could check how well the paint went onto the surface of the wall, and I was agreeably delighted that it went on how I expected it to. In the past when I’ve used acrylic paints they’ve been on absorbent art boards, or watercolour paper. This was just like painting on a pre prepared board, and some of the layers had to have a base coat and then the finished coat on top, to give the depth of colour or blend into and tone into the other colours. So I was delighted not to have any unexpected aspects happen, like the paint not stick to the painted plasterboard below it. It stuck very happily to it. And being acrylics (a plastic paint) it dried quickly. I used my artists paint brushes as there were still fine details to do on the mural.
I was about half way through the left hand side of the painting when a visitor to the place (who I know very well) wowed over it, and said that I would be selfish if I DIDN’T show it to the world! Which I thought was the nicest compliment I’d ever had (and thats saying something, I’ve had some wonderful compliments and accolades over the years!!).
Over the next few days I carried on painting, and the few who saw it loved it. I loved it too. Especially as it turned out exactly the same as the working painting infront of me. Exactly! Just as I’d planned. The colours looked wonderful, since they were bright acrylics, and the design in the painting that I designed in January and wasn’t changed by the owners of Eureka and told exactly what I wanted it to in the painting. Anyone looking at it would understand. And thats what art should do as far as I’m concerned!
It was finished on Thursday afternoon. A first for me, a mural. Painted directly onto the wall. I loved doing it, I love how it looks. The reaction to it is already positive. I know it enhances the room and matches in with other aspects of the room.
But that doesn’t mean that I can rest and sit back and admire it.
As I have another one to do.
And this one is 12 feet by 6 feet!
The first one was the starter, this one is the main course. And more complicated!