I was commissioned to paint this mural in a modest-sized dining room. (The view above is composed of 3 photos pieced together; the room was not large enough for an unimpeded view of the whole painting.) My client wanted the feel of a European street-side cafe. I was concerned that the close buildings of Europe would make the small room feel oppressive. We decided on a plaza with a distant vista to open up the space. You will notice a lack of blue in this painting. In this case, the rest of the room was a pastel fushia color. I limited my blues so the rest of the walls would not turn into a screaming hot pink.
I do a lot of interviewing so that I can personalize the space in a meaningful way. Michael liked the feeling of age in Europe and wanted something elegant. The church followed the lines of Romanesque architecture, but shapes and textures were simplified for a more elegant feeling. When I asked him what it was about the cafe that was most important, he said it was having a contemplative glass of wine at the end of the day.
This was enough for a basic idea, but I wanted something even more personal. I asked him what he read, and discovered that he was facinated by the history of early Christianity. He had no desire to make obvious statements about religion. Various elements of the mural were designed to quietly reflect this interest. The use of orange in this painting signals three aspects of spirituality: the goldfish on the table representing the personal experience, the two fish in the stained glass window (the astrological sign Pisces is also associated with Christ) representing the social level of organized religion, and the thin line of orange on the horizon representing the unknowable and infinite.
See the details below for more about this piece.
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Rhododendron |
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Loaves and Fishes |
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Windows |
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Catapiller |
