Mural Museum

Hot. Dog! I had no idea that a mural and sign art museum existed right here in Illinois. The International Walldog Mural & Sign Art Museum is located in Pontiac (about two hours southwest of Chicago). Their mission is to preserve and show outdoor wall art whether it be from the side of a building, advertisement or barn. I may have to make this trip someday soon.

Shimmy and Shimmer

There are many women artists but very few contemporary ones that have broken the $1 million mark at auction. (This does not account for private transactions, of course). This is yet another strong indication of the skewed appreciation and the distribution of wealth in this country. Meaning, wealthy men buy art made by men. I don't necessarily agree with the ideologies that attach themselves to reaching such a publicly displayed threshold (this is a much longer conversation that I can be coerced into having over a bottle of smooth vodka) but one such artist to have done this is Bridget Riley.

By Bridget Riley, High Sky 2, 1992

Born in London in 1931, Riley became known for her complex and moiré pattern compositions during the era of Op (optic) art, a movement of scientific works which came into vogue during the 1960s. Her more recent works have employed softer palettes but the same kind of playfulness in terms of palette juxtaposition. I like to describe this effect of color interaction, like the facets of a diamond, as "shimmering", as if they're dancing with one another. A mural like this would be effective at the end of the long hallway where you can really stand back and witness the meandering lines of color patterns daily.

Original design by Yen Azzaro, WWM 2011

Iceland

Ísland (pronounced ees-land) was an indescribable adventure. I saw more beauty and natural energy than any other place I've been to. You can literally feel the land moving and growing with its geysers, "foss" (waterfalls), rocky lava terrain and volcanoes. Along the Golden Circle tour we were told numerous stories of the Hidden People and why you should never make them cross. There's truly a spirit of mysticism that surrounds this entire island nation. It was also light out for 18+ hours of the day which made going to sleep even that much harder. Thank you, AM + RW for a truly amazing wedding adventure. Here are a few choice photos of the patterns that will undoubtedly result in a new series of wall art.

Skál!

Child's Play

I'll be gone for a week so I wanted to leave you with something fun and whimsical. There are few things I love more than children's illustration and the playful aspects of it exist in even my most serious works. How about commemorating a moment in your child's life with something really positive and colorful? Say, the first day of school:

The fantastic bedroom is from Emma's Designblogg
Mural is original design by Yen Azzaro

Choosing a happy moment will bring peaceful slumber to a child at bedtime. See you in about a week!

Cheers and sweet dreams,

April Showers Bring...

Color variations of the same original mural design. These can be done in one session. Contact me at WhiteWallMurals@gmail.com for your free consultation.

Three-legged Wonders

I have quite an affinity for three-legged things. Least of which includes three-legged dogs. (Can you believe it, I've met more than a few). One such example would be the lovely three-legged table my husband found in the alley. I know what you're thinking -- gasp -- the alley!? But believe me, once you've lived in the city long enough and get over the risk of bringing bedbugs (no soft goods for me, folks) or general alley debris into your home, you'll find some real gems.

This trusty little three legged table only adds to the charm of the three-legged chair we have. Through some research, I found the chair was part of a dining set reminiscent of modern Scandinavian design similar to works by Hans Wegner. I don't think it's an original but the style is definitely derived from his aesthetic. It's a little banged up but one of these days I'll get around to reupholstering it and painting the legs. Look out for that post soon. But I digress terribly...back to the table. With a hard composite top, "floating" legs on the side and wonderful brass details, I couldn't resist trying to spruce it up.

Découpage is a form of attaching paper to a surface. Historically, this was done on porcelain or paper during printmaking processes. Today, it's been simplified (and dummied down) with the wonderous assistance of the gooey delight we know as Mod Podge. Much like it's cousin, glue, Mod Podge has great qualities of thickness and efficiency but its finishes vary on what you want the results to be: glossy, matte or even sparkle. For the table I chose glossy to highlight the graphic quality of the design I chose, a brown and cream woodcut paper. After cleaning and drying the surface, I spread a thin layer of Mod Podge working quickly (as it dries in no time) and laid the paper down carefully. Immediately I added brushed on another layer over the paper and worked to get air bubbles out. The bubbles are probably the hardest and most aggravating part of this project. I suggest a squeegee to push them out if you have it. Let it dry for at least 30 minutes and add another layer.

Voila! There you have it, a fun and easy way to change a surface. This method would look dashing as a collage on the wall too.

Cheers,