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Artist | Blogger | "Artists to Know" Interviewer

In the Garden, Part 1

4/20/2015

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About two months ago I received my first mural commission! The lovely Grandma Lois asked for a painted tree or garden-type scenery in her bathroom. I didn't know much about mural making, my only experience was what I had learned from painting the abstract mural in our bedroom and doing the stenciled wall in my office. So I got started on my research and learned a lot about the right types of paint and mediums to use on walls and I made two "Practice Paintings". I put that in quotes because they were really drawings that I created and put into photoshop, adjusting them to scale to make it easier to visualize the painting in her space. Take a look at the two options I presented her with:
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Option 1:
Willow Tree

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Option 2:
Morning Glory Arbor

Grandma chose Option 2, so I ordered my supplies and got started! Her bathroom was a pretty dark shade of green, and since it was small (this is just the room with the toilet, it's separate from the shower/bathtub/sink room) it felt smaller that it really was, even though the ceiling was high. I wanted to make the space appear larger, so we agreed that I should leave the back wall (behind the toilet) the shade of green it was, and paint the other three walls a lighter shade. We chose Valspar's "White Scallion" in Eggshell and it's such a pretty shade of green - very spring-y and bright! As soon as I painted the walls the room looked bigger!
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After two coats of "White Scallion" I began outlining the arbor on the back wall, and priming it with Kilz2.

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I referenced my practice sketch along with a small practice painting I had made using the mural paints so that I could get a better feel for their texture and ensure that I wouldn't be blindly painting Grandma's walls with a foreign material:
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Initially I thought having the toilet in the middle of my painting space would be annoying, but it turned out to be a very convenient seat & step stool! ;)
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After painting lots of leaves and a bunch of morning glories, sometimes I'd start to get a little impatient and need to work on something else. That's when I would make a smiley friend or two for Grandma :) A hummingbird & a bluebird were the first ones, then I snuck in a butterfly in a tiny corner:
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Be sure to check back on the blog tomorrow to see the finished product! :) 
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    Hi friends! Welcome to the blog! I'm Mandy and I'm an artist, blogger & founder of the "Artists to Know" interview series. Here you'll find photos of my latest art adventures, furniture makeover projects & advice from successful artists! 


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The contents on this site are not to be used without written consent from Mandy Fitzgerald. Any use of Fitzgerald's images of her artwork, artist statement, blog entries, etc without permission is illegal. If you have any questions regarding these terms, call 804-386-8493 or email at artist@mandyfitzgerald.com. 
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