A pair of nursery murals and... an announcement!!!

Hi everyone!

So, I'm betting with a subject line like that, you can probably guess what the "announcement" part is..... I'm pregnant! I'm due in June and my husband and I cannot wait to meet our little one. :) We both have pictured ourselves as parents, and it's hard to believe that it's actually happening! Be sure to check back soon - the next thing I'm posting is our little boo's bedroom wall (because of course that was going to get mural-ed). Exciting times ahead!!

There's a cute mural-related part of the story too: I share a due date with a client of mine! I worked for this family about a year and a half ago, on their first child's bedroom. They wanted a more simple, subtle look as the backdrop to baby girl's crib (the first two pics below are that first mural). The room was already painted in a light neutral grey, and they asked that I use colors from the rest of the color swatches within that paint chip to create a northwest-y mountain-scape. We added some strong fir trees dotting the hillsides. I love that it's whimsical, but also so classic and simple - it doesn't shout for attention (very unlike what I'll be showing you for our little one's wall - but I mean, it's my job - how could I NOT go all out in my own house?!). 

When this lovely client reached out to me again recently to tell me that she's pregnant with her second babe, and wanted me to paint another room, I was so excited! I shared with her that I'm pregnant as well, we found out we are due within a couple of days of each other. The universe is so cool sometimes. 

For the second mural, we stuck to the same color palette and nature theme, only this time, with birch trees (third picture down). I have to admit, working with house paint is such a different animal. It dries like 4 shades darker than you see in the can when it's wet... messes with my mind! But I do love it for projects like these. There's really nothing better than cans of quality interior paint when you want a very flat and even finish. We used Benjamin Moore's Natura paint. Did you know Benjamin Moore eliminated VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds - the ozone depleting nasties that get released) from ALL their paint about 6 years ago? That was an awesome thing to find out at the paint store. I'll definitely be using their paint even beyond pregnancy, knowing that. It was fun working in this style, too. There's something really meditative about just focusing on painting flat shapes. And I think there's something meditative about how they look when they're done, too. These two little rooms feel so peaceful to me. And how cute that they even go together?! I love it. 

Happy almost-Spring from your growin' muralist friend,

Corie

The Cutest Funnest Mural (picture-heavy!)

So this happened this weekend... I don't even know what to say about this mural... I loved making it sooooo much! It's somewhat rare that someone would ask me to paint something that I would absolutely 100% paint inside my own (fictitious, future) house. The couple who commissioned it was so incredibly sweet too. P.s. is it totally awkward and unprofessional to hug your clients who are strangers? If so, then my bad. They were so NICE and appreciative :) Painting this brought me a lot of joy this weekend after a particularly long and tough week. Nothing like making someone else happy, to make yourself happy. And nothing cures an emotional hangover like painting. (for me, anyway.) 

I was glad to help these parents-to-be get their sweet little owl-themed room ready for their new son. I think this is totally something he can grow into for years to come (not totally baby-ish). Here's the wall before critters, and then after critters. You can't really tell, but the grey-ish trees in the background are a super-shiny metallic silver. Can someone else please commission me to paint in metallics? Or neons.... or glitters.... Gaudy is my middle name. 

xoxox Corie

Coming soon to a wall near you!

That was the cheesiest post title ever... sorry not sorry. How are you guys? I'm super sad that October is over. It's been an awesome month. I got to go to New Orleans for vacation and it was a total blast! Also, it contains my favorite holiday (duh), lots of pumpkin food items, and gorgeous colors in nature everywhere you go. I love love love this month. But, alas, the holiday season is now upon us, and parents-to-be are busy busy nesting. And I am happy to help them. :)

Here's what I'm gonna do:

Which one of those do you like better, cartoony or realistic? Obviously I'm just photoshopping stuff over a picture of their wall, but you get the idea. This is is gonna be soooooo much fun! The grey trees represent metallic silver, by the way. How much fun is that?!?! Can't wait!

More trees for a different nursery. Interesting that this will be my 4th tree-themed nursery. I guess that's a thing. Super cute.

Excited about these ideas, and even more excited to get off my computer, and get some paint on my hands (and let's be honest, in my hair and on my pants, too)! Can't wait for all the upcoming projects. These, plus some other light mural touch ups and sign work in a retirement community, and some graphic design freelance, will take me at least through January. Stoked. Stay tuned, and thanks so much everyone for reading, and for your support. Stay warm!

xo Corie

Fantastical Forest Nursery Mural... D.O.N.E!

Hi All,

I just posted a humungous album of photos to my Talking Walls facebook page, which you can see here. I tried to arrange the album so it's like you're spinning around in the room :) I wish I'd taken a video doing that now, dang it! Anyway, onto pictures :) Ooh actually, a very cute fact about this mural first:

The couple who commissioned this had the cutest idea ever. They just had their baby boy a couple weeks ago, and they want to someday use this mural during their bedtime stories! They said they'll make up stories around the animals, people and scenery, and then when he's old enough, they'll have him write up his own. ISN'T THAT THE CUTEST, EVER??  I love that. I love when murals can become useful tools in some way, more than just looking pretty. I've always said that murals are amazing tools - they can educate, inspire, change minds and even society! If you want proof, just google Diego Rivera. :) Anyway, on to the pictures. If you've been reading all the posts about this project, thanks for keeping up with this saga! Glad to be able to show you it all finished.

Wall #2... Done!

Hi All, 

Well, it's nice to be back in the real world again after last weekend's Big Snow! It was great to get working on this room again. I thought I would post wall #2! It's the one on the left. The idea is to build shelves over those 2 big trees there. There will be a couple long ones going across both the trees on the bottom, then shorter ones going up each tree on both sides. The shelves will hold my client's big collection of stuffed animals :) Should be super cute. Stay tuned for more... working on wall #3!!!

What it's like.

So this blog is sometimes picture-heavy, sometimes has art lesson plans for kids, but sometimes is just a place where I tell you about my life and what it feels like.

I was talking to my mom tonight, and she asked me about my day - my first day of painting at a new mural job. She asked if I was scared. You know what? I was scared. I guess I always kind of am. Before and during the very first brushstrokes can be a terrifying time. 

My inner voice says:  "WAIT! DON'T!! YOU'RE MESSING UP SOMEONE'S WALL AND WHAT IF IT'S WEIRD OR YOU CAN'T PAINT GOOD TODAY AND THEY DON'T LIKE IT AND YOU HAVE TO RE-PAINT THEIR WALLLLLL!!"

I had just scribbled with brown paint all across their wall - sketching in everything and where it will go. And the voice starts in... "SCRIBBLES!!! PEOPLE ARE PAYING YOU MONEY FOR THIS...."

But I put in my headphones, pick up the brush, and soon I am lost in the "flow". Things start happening on the wall without my thinking about them consciously. My brain stops and my hands and eyes take over. I'm seeing things, but I hear no voice - no self-talk - no doubt. I think everyone experiences this "flow" for different things in their lives. My "thing" is painting, but other people might experience this when they run, or dance, or play tennis, or anything else that makes you just tune out everything else and focus on your "thing". Even if what you're tuning out, is yourself.

Bravery isn't about not being scared. It's about being scared and doing it anyway. Making that first brown scribble on a perfect, beige wall - knowing that now there's no going back. The self-doubt and the fear are not things I've gotten over. I think I'll always have that initial terrifying moment. But I always eventually find the "flow" and along with it, the trust in myself that "flow" will carry the project through. These scribbles will inevitably turn into something much cooler. It's ok to be scared, but try to be brave also, and do your best to trust yourself. 

Today the wall is brown. Tomorrow, I add greens! Stay tuned for a picture-heavy post. ;)

Mural Concept Sketches

Hi All, 

As promised, here are the sketches for my current mural project! This will be in a nursery for a baby boy. Hopefully the kid will still want it around once he gets older :) I'm suuuuper excited for this one. The subject matter is right up my alley - organic, colorful, atmospheric perspective, and overall....whimsical :) That's my favorite part - my clients wanted this forest to look like it was magical and special - someplace their son will be able to form stories about and help him to exercise his imagination. AND they want it more stylized and less hyper-realistic. This is SO ME. Can't wait to show you guys the progress... painting starts this week!

They chose the last sketch option shown here - the one with the stream added to the sunny forest. The only thing my clients wanted to add, was another animal in the bottom left. So it will have a cute fox peeking out of the grass. :) Excited!