Marin Landscape mural in progress

gouache maquette of mural: a valley view in Marin, with Mt. Tamalpais in the background...

Here's a work in progress at the Valencia St. showroom of Janet Moyer Landscaping.
It been a challenging project to deal with the space, the changing light from the various tinted windows, and the rough stucco texture on the wall, the heat of the afternoon sun--
but I got to work in a pleasant space surrounded by plants, with a burbling water feature full of friendly goldfish, wafts of coffee aroma drifting in all day, courtesy of the Ritual Coffee Roasters  just across the street.

Before: the space was painted a blue/gray with some clouds up high:

mural wall, before

I recommended the room be painted with a brighter, sky blue, (Benjamin Moore #1642 "Cape Blue") and to paint the overhang to make it less obtrusive. In my maquette, I scaled the painting to add depth to the space and keep the majority of the painting closer to eye level, and let the rest of the room be the "sky". The mural will serve as a backdrop for the landscape design. Just the color change made a huge difference.

color change, step one

After drawing out the composition using sidewalk chalk I started painting. The surface is really rough, so taking a tip from my friend Jennifer Ewing, I wet the wall using a squirt bottle first. I also used a good deal of acrylic retarder in my paints, so I could blend some areas. In general I am using the texture to my advantage, to do a lot of dry-brushing using large scenic fitches, and keep a soft, atmospheric look.

work in progress...

This mural will be completed tomorrow...

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting