When this client called me last May, it was just after lightning had struck their home. It fried several appliances, entertainment equipment and every inch of wiring in their lovely Victorian home before causing a small fire. Repairs would be extensive, requiring removing nearly all of the drywall in the house.Repairs would destroy the full room murals I had done seven years ago in both children’s rooms. The kids were just devastated. Could I redo their rooms and recreate what they were going to lose? Sure, no problem- it wouldn’t be exactly the same, but it would be similar enough, was my reply.
As the summer wore on though, the children came to see that they now had an opportunity to have new rooms. They could have new murals to reflect their maturing tastes and passions. So what was a room full of dinosaurs much loved by a young boy of 5 became the more sophisticated and updated Gymnastics room in the previous post. And the lovely garden themed room full of birds, insects and animals became a warm and cozy barn with all her pets and interests.
A Full Room Barn Mural
With a passion for horses and all things equestrian, the young lady who will call this room her own had a fairly lengthy list of requirements for her walls. Foremost, it had to look like the inside of a barn, so before I could even get to the list of creatures and accessories she wanted included, the entire room had to be wood-grained. All walls, ceiling, doors and trim. Wood grained. Phew. I think I ended up graining walls in my sleep. The hard work paid off, and created a great backdrop for all of the other things she wanted to include.
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| the main wall, a distressed black painted bed and nightstand will go under the ‘window’ |
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I just loved painting all the animals in this room, especially the horse. I was clear when I met with the client that the girl just adores her horse, and when I suggested that she could be peeking in the window over her bed, her eyes just lit up.  |
| ‘Minnow’ peeking in the window |
As we sat at the table discussing the project, Barn Swallows were dashing back and forth over the lawn, following the lawn mower, scooping up disturbed insects. She is quite the birder, asked to have one of the birds included in the room, so below is one in flight to it’s nest to fill those open beaks.
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| Barn Swallows |
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One of the things she was going to miss about her old room was the portrait I had painted of her kitten, Cupcake, so of course she needed to be included in the barn.
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‘Cuppy’ snoozing on the bales of straw |
Next to the bales of straw, there is a bench to match the furniture, and two of the family’s dogs to keep her company.
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| Bench with boots, saddle blanket and riding helmet, and dogs |
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| Tessa and Lucky |
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And to finish off the list, a tree frog looking less than disguised climbing up the wall.  |
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Grey Tree Frog
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Before they move back in, the carpet will be replaced with one that coordinates with the new mural. After the wiring is completed, the electrician can install the switch plate and outlet covers painted to blend in with the work for an absolutely beautiful room.
What an amazing talent you have. Simply stunning! Thank you for sharing. I started to follow you on Pinterest in hopes I can continue to look at your talent. I used to love painting, and I have a “painting” board on my Pinterest but my hands shake. And I was/am too much of a perfectionist that I am just better off admiring others paintings. Again. Thanks for sharing.