Brighten the corner where you are!
I spent nearly 20 years looking at drab beige walls in my teacher’s lunchroom. As I walked through it once more after finishing our last mural and wondered what my next project would be those walls screamed at me, “Paint me”! Maybe someone will be happier after sitting in this lunchroom during their break.
Our teacher's lounge at Glenwood School has
been the same neutral color for years and it just doesn't inspire an upbeat
feeling for morning break or lunch. As I looked around the school last June to see
what else needed to be done this room just screamed, "Help me!". For years I was so busy teaching, taking
care of family and home that my dream of painting was always being put off for
another day....or year. As I've worked on murals with children I've
learned so much and had many hours of practice. I've seen my skills
improve and have enjoyed serving our schools and children at the same
time. This mural was the first one done indoors on a smooth surface and
it offered me and a couple retired friends an opportunity to come
together and work on an adult project together. After all these years I
actually got to do a painting and it wasn't 16" x20". It was 7'
x 34'! The
experience has been amazing. Someone once told me that the way to be really happy is to make
someone else happy. Wise words!
Lately I have been fascinated by all the different textures and designs in tree trunks. I take pictures of them wherever I go. Making these trees come to life in the woodland section was my first attempt at moving from those observations to the wall.
As I envisioned how to use the blank wall in the lunchroom I
wanted a relaxing scene to make teachers feel like they were getting away for
awhile...even if it was only a half hour. My mind was working on ideas
when I saw a mural on a cruise we went on in September and it helped me get my
vision on paper. Sometime later I received a beautiful card with a lake
scene and that made me add this lake to my plan. A visit to the
Huntington Library on a cloudy day had me taking photos of the mountains and
clouds that became another detail behind the lake. My experience working on stucco walls outdoors was different than using acrylic paint indoors and I went to the internet for some advice. I found lots of blogs with advice and videos that were so helpful and I learned new techniques for using paints. I love how people share on the internet. Everything is not always about money!
As I listened to different comments from teachers over the two months we worked on the mural I found they had favorite parts they related to, places or parts that were special in some way . Art touches us all in different ways. Some people felt more relaxed looking at the lake, some felt soothed by a walk in the woods, some felt the flowers made them happy. Even the darker wooded area gave some a place to hide away from the noise of the day.
I just feel JOY every time I look at it.
T
