Michelle Frances Murals

Ski Colorado

2011-09-01T10:41:00.001-07:00

I have been busy lately, very busy. I have been painting everything from raccoons to giant 'Jack and the Bean Stock' type vines but this 'Ski' mural has to be one of my all time favorites for a number of reasons. First, it was for one of my all time favorite clients. Anne knows my work well enough by now to trust me with a bit of design and, she has a fabulous eye herself so, between the two of us we come up with some great ideas. Second, it involved replicating a map.. something which I have discovered I really like to do. And, third, it also involved replicating some antique deco style posters (some of my favorite art of all time).

This fireplace hood originally had a coat of arms on it. The coat of arms of the previous home owners so, it had to go. We thought for some time about what to replace it with. Another coat of arms was considered but the family research came up short so we were back to the drawing board. This home is in Dillon, Colorado which is the hub of Summit County. The house is within 30 minutes of five world class ski resorts. A ski theme seemed natural and Anne had always liked the idea of an antique style map of the area. After much sketching and 'Google image searching' I came up with this...

The following pics are of another room in the same house. This is a tiny door which separates the girl's room from the boy's. It had a 'Wizard of Oz' themed mural on it (hence the yellow brick road/ carpet). It was a scene of Dorothy and friends headed toward Emerald City with a Munchkin placed to the left of the door with a sign that said, 'Munchkins Only'. It was very cute but this is far more in keeping with the 'Mountain Home' theme and, I think it turned out very well.

All of these pictures were just taken with my phone so please pardon the poor quality. I am planning a photography trip to many old projects locations so that I can update my website soon. It is desperately in need of a bit of attention.

http://jabetta1.blogspot.com/2011/01/creative-soul-vs-responsibile-adult.html

2011-01-09T08:50:00.000-08:00

Please visit this link. A friend wrote it and I found it quite inspiring.

Birds, birds, birds....

2010-11-18T08:49:00.000-08:00

It has been far too long since I last posted anything on this blog. I have been very busy and Charlie has been keeping me on my toes but he is napping at the moment and I just has to share these photos. I am very proud of this kitchen.

It always helps to have a great client to work with and this couple was lovely (in every way). Linda is one of those people who loves art and, if it happens to match the couch that is just an added bonus. She has the most eclectic collection of art and it is all wonderful. It was a joy to be able to add to her home in such a fun way.

I have painted a 'bird' kitchen before but I am much happier with this one. It helps to start with such nice cabinetry. Linda way eager to have colorful birds dotting the walls but she didn't need them to be specific birds. They could be from all over the globe and it didn't matter if the foliage was geographically appropriate. My other 'bird' kitchen was full of Colorado birds and twigs. So, I played around on Google image for awhile and we found the perfect 'background' vines (beautiful but subtle) and found some very colorful birds. Most of these are African birds but not all. I even went to far as adding a bit of violet pink to the yellow birds - artistic licence :)

I put two layers of oil glaze on these walls; one behind the murals and one final coat over everything as a finishing touch. It helped to antique things a bit and even out the final finish.

In addition to the kitchen I also painted a powder room for these folks. I began with Venetian plaster (to accentuate the artwork in the room which has a waxed finish) and then used some custom stencils. I sanded down the stenciled birds before putting a wax sealer over the walls. Many clients would have hesitated at the idea using lilac in a traditional powder room.... not Linda. She was excited from the word 'go'. Linda's designer, Jana Cole, originally conceptualized the room (lilac color and stencil work) and I took it from there. This was truly a collaboration between three artists and, as my theatre background has taught me, it is usually better that way. Thanks ladies.

Hopefully I will get Dennis to take some better pictures of this room with the wide angle lense soon (these were just taken with my phone).

Bo Peep Table and Chairs

2010-05-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos of a project I just finished for a client in Summit County. This set of table and chairs is for a little girl's room. The yellow fabric was the inspiration for the artwork and an accent fabric in the room (pillows I think).

This photo was taken when I had just started working on the table. I sketched out half of the medallion shape onto paper, folded the paper and cut so that I would wind up with a perfectly symmetrical shape. Once I had that I traced it onto the table. The girl is one I found online as the images in the fabric were too detailed to transfer well. I traced her onto the table using tracing paper (the waxy kind used by seamstresses works far better than graphite on slick surfaces).

I originally wanted to sketch the girl onto the table with paint pens but I couldn't find on the correct color so, after much brainstorming, I decided to sketch her with a dark brown and then go back in with a red wash. This worked well but she still needed something.

As one of the final steps I glazed the table with umber to age it a bit. When I did this I added a bit more shading to the girl - perfect!

a shot of the table with the fabric and one of the two chairs...

Magical Tree House

2010-02-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

These are photos of a room I painted about a month ago. I had so much fun. I kept thinking that this would have been my dream room as a little girl.
My challenge on this project was to design a room within which a four year old girl and a two year old boy would both feel at home. In a year or two the boy will move out and a younger sister will move in... at which time the murals can be 'Girled' up a bit. For now the tree house and fairies are on the girl's side and there are a number of animals on the boy's side... including a moose which I didn't manage to get a good photo of. Once the brother moves out I will add flowers (both growing and as garlands - around the moose's antlers perhaps), more fairies and a bit more color.
You can see that I chose to again use my new tree technique. As with the Erie Goddard School murals I did the leaves in two layers. The first being very vague green smears over which I stencil leaves. More often than not I am creating these stencils using xerox copies of actual leaves. I am loving the effect.
I hope you enjoy the photos!

New Home, New Studio, New Projects

2010-02-04T08:22:00.000-08:00

Ouch - I just realized that my Google status is dropping. Time for another post, even though I haven't had much work lately. I have moved.. home and studio and that is eating up all my time. However, time to get back to work!
I did a number of portraits in December and enjoyed them so much that I am hoping for many more commissions. I have created a separate blog for them. www.michellefrancesfineart.blogspot.com Please feel free to have a look and pass my info and the blog site on to any of your friends who might be interested in having one painted.

I did a new menu board for my friends up at Snowcap Creamery in Erie, Colorado. They have opened up a sports bar next door (share a kitchen) so I went up to do their beer list and have lunch. I have been looking forward to a meal there ever since I created the first menu board. AMAZING. I can't wait to take Dennis and Charlie up for lunch. Everything was superb but the sweet potato fries stood out - they were out of this world... I've been dreaming of them for weeks now!
I did paint one nursery a few weeks ago but never got great pictures (big mistake). It was great fun to paint and design. The centerpiece of the room is a large fairy tree. I will post some photos when I find my zip drive (my office is still half in boxes).
I have a few touch ups to do at the Aurora Goddard School (water damage) and, other than that I have been unpacking, chasing around a very curious one year old and trying to nail down a few potential clients. I am finding that the recession is making people greedy. There are many folks out there who have figured out that contractors are hurting for work right now and are using that to their advantage, even if they do not need to. Do not ask me to work for nothing if you have millions in the bank! I have a mortgage to pay now!!!! If you have not been hurt by the recession do not hurt others!
Okay, I will get off my soap box now and say goodbye. Thank you all for your continued interest in my work. Please remember to look at my portraits and pass my info on to anyone who you think may be interested.

Slowing down for the Holidays

2009-11-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

This business is a bit stange in that my residential clients don't, generally, want me in their homes durring the holiday season. So, things get tricky. I have offered my 'facebook friends' a special portrait offer and have had a few takers so I should have enough work to stay busy enough. I also have some bedding to create for Addison (who's portrait can be seen on my previous entry), a sample to make for a fancy dining room and, there is always the hope that I can find time for some of 'my own' art. Someday I hope to be able to create enough canvases to have a gallery show... I have ideas but finding the time to paint is difficult. What, with a one year old who just started cruising around the house, moving (which we will be doing in the next few months) and, the endless list of marketing items to accomplish. Oh well, hopefully the new house will have some nice space for a 'studio' and maybe, just maybe, it will get easier to get things done at home as Charlie get older. My friends tell me that I'm fooling myself but hope spring eternal.
I will have some photos of my latest nursery project to post soon. I am waiting to take the photos with the furniture and bedding moved in.

Assignment... Renoir

2009-10-22T01:24:00.000-07:00

I have a series of portraits to do of three kids; the children of one of my favorite clients. Anne has asked me to paint the kids into famous portrats so... here we go. This is the first one.... Adison as Renoir's Girl with Watering Can.

I made the mistake of using acrylics for this portrait. Acrylics do not blend like oils do and, impressionism is all about blending! It is difficult, with a baby in the house, to justify using oils. I have learned my lesson and, for the other portraits I will work with oils... just not in my house. A good friend has offered me the use of her studio.

Tuscany... yet again

2009-10-22T00:43:00.001-07:00

Here are a few photos from a project I finished recently... another Tuscan scene. This mural is a continuation of one of my very first murals. It is amazing how much I have improved and my style has matured over the past five or six years. Not to say that I didn't know what I was doing five years ago but my murals are now definitely my own. They have a grace and subtlety that they did not when I first started my business.

The first part of the mural is in the staircase leading down to the basement and wine cellar/ tasting room of a Denver home. This latest mural is in the basement just outside the tasting room. There really isn't any point when the viewer can see both murals simultaneously so I didn't have to revert to my early techniques for consistency. It was enough to use the same color palette and subject matter. This mural is in an alcove which I tried to visually turn into a balcony so, I had to suggest the outside wall of a villa on the hallway wall opposite. In order to do this I simply painted a window with a grape vine and a few hanging petunias (details I pulled from the original 2004 mural).

All in all I am very pleased with the mural. Over the past few years I have been developing my technique of layering glazes and I love the effect. It gives the murals a 'watercolor' feel and the technique helps create a lightness and airy quality which many murals lack.

The photo below (with the low wall and pillar) is of a section of the original mural.

The Snowcap Creamery

2009-08-27T05:50:00.000-07:00

This project was a monster. To begin I met with the owners of this new creamery and cafe to discuss their ideas for the mural. Emily had been an art major and had very specific thoughts about the murals theme. Being from Rhode Island, Emily and Bob are 'bringing New England to Colorado' with this venture. So, the mural needed to do the same. Emily's initial idea was to have skiers skiing off a mountain and onto the beach in Watch Hill, RI (a small resort town near their home). That seemed difficult to layout so, instead, I suggested using vintage poster images and overlaying them to create a sort of 'foreground and background' look. This seemed to work but, in hindsight, I think there may still have been a better option. The mural is interesting if you know anything about Watch Hill but, honestly, how many of us do? It was difficult to find maps and pictures to reference (and I rely heavily on visual references) and, the angle I chose for the viewer to be looking at the town from made things even more difficult.

There is a possibility that there will be more Snowcap Creamerys. I think that I will suggest meshing a more recognizable bit of New England in future murals (if at all)... Fenway Park, Cape Cod... etc.

In addition to this being a difficult mural in a style that was a challenge for me I was rushed. I hate being rushed! I think that I began the mural on a Friday and had to have everything (murals and menu boards) finished by the following Sunday. EEEEEKS!

I had done my research on the menu board materials but didn't have the finalized menu until Thursday so... I only had three days to do something I've never done and deliver it.

The menu boards were a challenge in themselves. I wanted, very much, to be able to do the illustration portions of the boards in chalk, seal those portions of the boards and then do all the lettering with the 'chalk markers'. Turns out that chalk is almost impossible to 'seal'. I couldn't manage it without the chalk dissolving or disappearing into the blackness of the boards....

So, I used the markers for everything and, since there was little room for illustration anyway, I think it all worked out okay. I do want to continue working on this however as I would love to make more 'menu boards' in the future.

Thanks to my friend Cathy (a faux artist in town) who painted the sky and blended it out beautifully, my ever patient husband and one fabulous baby Charlie I managed to get everything done on time and delivered to some very happy clients but... next time... things will be different.

Live and Learn!

Woodland Creatures Nursery

2009-08-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

I finished this project about three weeks ago but, since I have been so busy I am just getting around to posting photos of it now...
I hope that you enjoy the pictures half as much as I enjoyed painting the room.

Michele saw my work at the Erie Goddard School and wanted me to work on her nursery... same aspen trees, same style, different animals. I took the idea for the two basic colors separated by a 'mountain chair rail' from another nursery I did a few years ago (both rooms are shown below). That room had an African savanna theme and the lower walls were yellow but... the idea translated beautifully. This was an inexpensive and fairly easy way of incorporating the entire room.

This will be Michele's first baby, a boy due on October 19th (my Charlie's birthday). Since this little guy's mom has my name and he is due on my boy's b-day I felt compelled to give this nursery even more love and attention than usual... tough to achieve since I strive for 110% on all my projects... not always easy. This project was 'easy'. Everything fell into place and the clients were wonderful to work with.

Here are a few shots of my first 'Colorado' nursery. Hopefully there will be many more to come... I love how it turned out (so much so that my Charlie's toddler room may have a similar theme).

Much to Post this Week

2009-08-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

First things first... I am blogging from my new laptop (thank you parents!). This is GREAT news. I will now be able to look a bit more professional when meeting perspective clients, keep track of my jobs, accounts and client lists with greater efficiency and... get all my blogging, photo shopping, and invoicing done without having to kick anyone off the home computer (great news for Dennis). I can't wait until the first time I have to whip the computer out at a client's to look up some images on Google or reference a photo. Yeah technology!!!
Second.. This is the first of many posts this week. I have not blogged since the Erie Goddard School which means that there are many photos to post and stories to tell.

I have also noticed that my site does not come up on Google searches for muralist or mural artist so, to that end, I am going to start using those words a lot to see if it helps.

The Erie, CO Goddard School

2009-06-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

I'm finally posting some photos of the preschool which I just finished up in Erie. The theme was 'Bears'. Each classroom had a mascot bear/ bears outside their room with a large (geographically appropriate) tree. I also illustrated the seasons by placing the bears in the front of the school in 'spring' and, as you walk back along the hall, the seasons change with the final two classroom bears in wintery scenes. The low greenish hills run the length of the halls and connect all the different murals so that they feel more like one continuous mural.

Enjoy the photos...

and yes, I know that koalas and red pandas aren't really bears...

PDPA Gallery and Finishing up in Erie

2009-05-19T04:30:00.000-07:00

I am in the home stretch at the Goddard School in Erie. I have to finish up this week as the school opens for kids on Tuesday. Already I wish that I could have been finished sooner as the teachers are 'decorating' their doors and windows which makes for more photoshopping in order to make my photos portfolio quality. And, I will want some of these murals for the portfolio. The bears are really turning out well thanks to Jane Chapman and her beautiful bear illustrations (the inspiration for all the murals at this Goddard School).
Another reason for me to 'hurry up and finish' is that I am helping to install a decorative paint techniques gallery at the Belcaro in Littleton on Sunday and, before then, I have the sign to paint. This gallery in the brain child of Andre Martinez, a local painter extraordinaire, marketing guru, instructor of all things 'decorative finish' etc. etc. Andre created the PDPA (professional decorative painters association) which has become a national organisation. The goal is to create standards and some sort of accreditation system. I think that, in the long run, this will benefit all of us in the industry as, I hope, it will weed out the hacks.
Seems to already be working.
The local PDPA has about 25 members I believe. I was the only one who showed up at Andre's studio to help design the gallery space the other day. We have some sample boards from one other local artist so, the 'PDPA gallery' is turning into the Andre, Braxton(Andre's apprentice), Jen (icing studios) and Michelle gallery. Since Andre is hoping that other paint stores will jump on board and want PDPA galleries of there own I am really getting in on the ground floor. In addition to this my new association with the PDPA has introduced me to Andre, a man from whom I have a great deal to learn! Knowing the best of the best in the industry in never a bad thing.
Here is a link to the PDPA website... www.pdpa.org
Thanks for tuning in. I will post photos from Erie early next week.

The Goddard School #2

2009-04-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

This is my rendering for the entrance mural at the Erie Goddard School. Sarah wants to eliminate the stump and bunny but, aside from those changes, I will stay pretty true to this watercolor. The bears are from one of my favorite books in Charlie's collection, 'Mommy Mine' illustrated by Jane Chapman. I hope that I am successful at emulating her style for these bear murals as her illustrations are favorites of both Sarah's (the school's owner) and mine. Mrs. Chapman has an amazing talent for making potentially scary animals warm and friendly.

I sart Monday so I have much sketching to fill my weekend... my 'stay inside where it is warm' weekend.

The Goddard School... first one

2009-04-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

I have finally had a chance to take, sort and photo shop my pictures from the big pre-school gig last month. It was a blast! I worked some insane hours the final week so that it would be all finished when they opened but, it was well worth it. It was great going back in after the school had been open for a few weeks to see how much the children have impacted the space. There is so much wonderful energy in the school... I am very lucky to have been a part of it!

Thank you Sloan and Jarrett.

I did a mural inside each of the schools ten classroom in addition to something outside each room and the big entrance mural... so, these photos are just a sampling of the work. Enjoy.

Abstract

2009-02-28T16:45:00.001-08:00

This is a commission which I have just finished for an interior designer's downtown loft. Priscilla wanted me to roughly copy a painting which hangs in Howard Lorton Galleries. We changed the color palette drastically (in the original the entire upper portion is a rich deep blue), and, as a result, we added a bit of contrast and drama to the composition.

Although this was inspired by another artist's work I feel that I have given it an energy all it's own... exactly my goal.

Thank you Priscilla for the opportunity to work on such a intriguing piece.

This photo is a very large file so you should be able to click on it and enlarge it quite a bit. This way you can get a sence of the layering of color and deep texture. The canvas is 5' x 6'6".

Day Care Renderings

2009-01-29T14:39:00.000-08:00

These are a few renderings I have just finished for work I will be doing in March. These murals will be two of many in the new Goddard School in Aurora. I am looking very forward to the work... it is going to be great fun. There are nine rooms in the school, each with a different animal as a theme. There will be an small mural outside each room (to include a topiary) and a large mural inside each room (near the reading area). In addition to these nine murals there will be a large entrance mural and a small mural at the end of a hallway. This is a huge job and I'm extremely excited to have the opportunity to work on one large project for a solid month.

Very Elaborate Stencil Pattern

2009-01-29T14:22:00.001-08:00

This photograph is a detail photo of two walls in a powder room I recently painted. I hope to get better photos once the fixtures are all installed and the lighting is better.
I created this finish by lightly glazing the walls and then stenciling over the glaze with a mixture of two different metallics. I intentionally left some of the stenciling fairly light and I varied the amounts of gold and silver that I was using so the stencil work would look a bit more varied and antiqued. The pattern was one that I found online and turned into a stencil myself - this was remarkably difficult! Creating the stencil took more time than painting the room. Although, it was well worth it. I love how the finish turned out as do the designer and clients.

It has been far too long...

2009-01-18T14:17:00.000-08:00

Since it has been almost a full year since I last posted on this blog there is much to say. I have been keeping up to date with another blog... the one which my husband and I started to chronicle my pregnancy and the life and times of our son, Charles Nash Vander Houwen. I found out I was pregnant early last year and immediately my priorities switched. This blog and my business took a back seat for 2008 but, now that Charlie is three months old, it is time to get back to my work. I did spend the early part of 2008 working on the Junior Symphony Guild Show house at the Phipps Tennis Pavilion. This and my work at Smith Income Tax kept me fairly busy through May by which time I was starting to show and beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable. So, for the rest of the year I took it easy just doing a few small jobs here and there keeping my feet firmly planted on the ground.

The pictures below are of the Phipps Tennis Pavilion project. The Tennis Pavilion (the first of it's kind west of the Mississippi - built in the early 1930s) is now used for weddings. I worked with Su Kim, a local designer, to transform and old, mistreated ladies dressing area and powder room into a room worthy of brides and their attendants. My designs for the walls were inspired by William Morris' interiors and tapestries of the 20s and 30s. What looks like wallpaper is, in fact, paint... the beautiful finish was well worth all the time it took to complete.

Back to Income Tax

2008-02-02T08:42:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, the beginning of the year tends to slow down for decorative artists. To combat the lack of funds that occurs as a result, I help out a friend who owns the Denver area's most friendly income tax office - Smith Income Tax. Anyone and everyone in need of a bit of help should call. The ladies actually make the most tedious chore of the year fun - honest!

It turns out that the first few months of the year are always short of income but, full of things to do. At the moment I'm working on the Junior Symphony Guild's 2008 Showhome which, this year, isn't a home. This year the guild is renovating the Phipps Tennis Pavilion and I am working as a co-designer and muralist in the ladies lounge/ bride's dressing area. In true Michelle Frances fashion, I designed a rediculous amount of work for myself. The showhome will be open in early May.

I have also desided to participate in this year's Avon walk for Breast Cancer in Summit County. I have a few friends who will be joining me and, together, we have over 5,000 dollars to raise. So, we are having an event (art auction and magic show) at the pavilion in late May to raise the money. Please let me know if you would like an invitaion.

I will have new photos soon.

Happy 2008

2008-01-05T12:39:00.000-08:00

Andy and David

This is a portrait which I recently completed of some good friends. David commissioned the portrait as a holiday gift for Andy and, to be honest, the project terrified me. Now that it has been completed I am extremely pleased. It was a great challenge for me and, I believe, that I rose to the occasion.

I have a painting in my home which is a reproduction I did of 'The Acrobats' by Picasso. David had always loved that painting and asked that I do the portrait in a similar style; a great idea but difficult in its execution. Picasso's painting is very sorrowful and, the faces are so stylised and much of the faces are in such heavy shadow that I'm sure the models were not recognizable. My painting of Andy and David was to be a portrait so... Picasso's style had to be manipulated. I wanted Andy and David to be recognizable and, I wanted them to look happy (as they did in the photo I was working from).

Chester helps with Tuscany

2007-12-12T15:31:00.001-08:00

A few more photos from the tuscany project!

Back to Tuscany

2007-12-12T15:07:00.001-08:00

This mural is in a tasting area just outside a wine cellar. The client wanted a view into the Tuscan countryside in late summer. I am becoming more and more fond of my new technique of layering glazes. The finished murals have a soft washy look which I love.
I had a great little helper on this project - Chester's photo is below. I think that I'm going to start documenting my helpers on various project. If there is a downside to painting for a living it is that I tend to get lonely... so, furry little faces are a very pleasant distraction.
All right, it won't let me add Chester's photo... I'll have to see if I can put it in another post.

2007-11-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

This week I worked on both the kitchen and laundry room of a beautiful new home is Castle Pines. The photos from the kitchen are self explanatory but I have only included a detail shot from the laundry room. This night dress is one item on a 14 foot clothesline mural.

While working on the hood over the stove I discovered a new technique which I think I will employ often. I generally sketch the composition in pencil and then skip straight to the acrylics. Since these clients were very particular I wanted to make sure they liked the sketch before I spent too much time on the painting. The pencil sketch was very difficult to see so I went over it with what I'm going to call a wet sketch. I had a brown glaze left over from another project so I 'sketched' with that. The result was a beautiful tone-on-tone sepia composition which only took about a half hour and was the perfect way to make sure the clients and I were on the same page.

2007-11-07T21:25:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to explain, in part, my long absence from blogging. I went on a trip for a long weekend with my mother-in-law and my two sisters-in-law. Since then I have been playing catch up. As proof that I haven't just been twiddling my thumbs I offer this photo of myself with my sister-in-law P.J. (with Alcatraz in the background) and, the previous posting. I have been very busy.

At present I am working in a beautiful home in Castle Pines, CO. My next posting will include photos of that work.

Thank you for your continued interest in Michelle Frances Murals!

2007-11-07T21:04:00.000-08:00

Here are a few images from my latest mural. When finished Tommy's room will resemble the bridge of a space ship. The large mural (approx. 10'x20') is the view through the large front window of the ship. This image was inspired by the phenomenal illustrations in a great kids book, The Worst Band in the Universe. I have included three pictures; the center third of the mural, the right third and a close up of a space bug. The silver claw as well as the suction cup feet are part of the space ship as seen through the window.

The two side walls in the room are to be painted silver and Tommy's dad (a finish carpenter) is going to build wall to wall built-ins on the back wall ( a.k.a. the control panel).

I hope that you enjoy looking at the photos of this project! I certainly enjoyed working on it!!!

2007-10-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

I just realized that it has been over a week since my last posting.
I am working on a turning a three year old's bedroom into the inside of a space ship... I hope to be finished on Tuesday and will be sure to post some photos. In the mean time I have included a link to an article on a master bath which I worked on a few years ago.
Thanks for checking in!
http://www.kbbonline.com/kbb/magazine/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003648227

whimsical playroom

2007-10-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

I spent the beginning of this week playing! I worked on a playroom for a wonderful family who is updating a home built in 1933. Due to the home's age, the basement is very shallow... a perfect place for the playroom. Since the kids are still very young and the basement was (before the renovations) a bit cave like and scary we decided to make the mural as friendly as possible: bright colors, whimsical animals, sunny hillsides and puffy clouds.

Mother Goose

2007-09-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

Since the past few days have been spent working on 'business' stuff ( sending out mailings, portfolio updates and creating a blog) I'll show you a project that I worked on last year. It is one of my favorites. This nursery is in a new home in Lowry. The new mom's mom, a designer in Seattle, designed the room and commissioned the work. One of the fabrics used in the crib bedding was a pale pink toile with Mother Goose vineyards. Grandma wanted the characters painted strategically around the room but, the designs on the fabric were too simple to enlarge... they would have looked a bit too cartoony in a large scale. So, I found a book of Mother Goose rhymes which was mine as a child and used the illustrations from it. In addition to painting illustrations from some of my favorite rhymes around the room I also painted the armoire. Since this room was for a little girl I chose to place a female Mother Goose character on each of the four panels... Little Bo Peep, Little Miss Muffet, Mary Mary quite contrary and Jumping Joan. Once painted this piece was hard to part with. I'm glad I got some good photos.

Welcome to the Michelle Frances Blog!

2007-09-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

This photo is of my most recent mural project! It was created for a new home in Cherry Creek North. The home has an Italian flavor and, although it is a new home, it has an amazing amount of character. This, in large part, thanks to my good friend Rita Coltrane of Signature Interiors. The homeowner, Rita and I collaborated to design the 'perfect' landscape for the space. This mural of the Tuscan countryside is painted on a wall in the informal dining area. We began with a clear idea of the color palette and the general subject matter but designing the specific details took a few brainstorming sessions. Finally, in order to create a view of a distant landscape we decided to mimic the view from the terrace of an old manor house. I used many different references for different aspects of the mural and, I believe, that they all blended very well. The fall colors were chosen with the rest of the home's color palette in mind. The burnt orange around the mural is the wall color in this room and the adjacent living room and kitchen.

I plan to update this blog every few days with photos of projects I'm currently working on and/ or, ruminations on past projects.

Thank you for taking the time to 'stop in' to visit Michelle Frances Murals.

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