Flowers & Fairies

When I was a little girl, my mother painted murals on my and my sister's bedroom walls of castles, fairies and magic.  I imagined myself inside these paintings, fantasizing about being a princess, flying through the air, escaping to another land. My mother is a great artist. She was always painting, creating, sewing, sculpting art and cooking when I was growing up...and still does!

One of the murals my mom painted in the mid-'70s in our room. The classic theme of moon, stars and sun.

Another classic theme: fairies, castles and a magical rainbow. I loved these as a kid.

So, it was fun to paint this "flowers and fairies" mural for this soon-to-be born baby girl. It was a small room, but I think I was able to pack in quite a bit of imagination!

The focus point is the little baby snuggled in the flower's leaf. Whimsical fairies, butterflies and bumblebees join in on the fun.

It's hard to see in the photo, but the fairy wands and sprinkles of color shooting out of the tips.

I had a tight deadline for this one, plus big brother wanted a mural, too. So, I tried a looser style in my painting technique. I tried not to worry so much about the smaller details and went for broad strokes of color. I also painted more of a contrast between highlights and shadows to create a bigger punch. Of course when you're done, you can always think of ways to improve it!

 

When painting a mural, try to remember most people will be looking at it from across the room, not up close. That's why sharp contrasts in color help create a better illusion of depth, light and dimension. And think about using color for shadow instead of the dull grays and blacks. It can really make things pop!