Mural Progress Report
I’m really happy with my mural! In fact, it’s just getting better and better with more detail. The challenge may be figuring out when it’s actually done.
I have a tiny problem in that I would like to find a good, easy way to draw in the stems of the berries. My tiny brush won’t do the line cleanly and efficiently enough to satisfy me. I’m hoping that there exists a sort of paint pen that will do the trick.
I’ve had Lucas help me a little bit with some of the watercolors. He wants to paint with the “acrylicals” so badly, but I won’t let him just go to work (yes, I’m a control freak that way). I’ve promised him that he can help me paint the lion’s tail tuft blue, and I’m hoping that will satisfy him. The tail is the key element in the storybook. The lion’s tail keeps changing color and the little red bird is very curious about it. She finally finds out that he has been painting pictures with his tail tuft on the walls of his cave at night. In this scene, it’s blue from his painting a lake the night before. Here, he’s gathering berries to use their juice to paint the little red bird on his wall. Lucas’s favorite color is blue, and we’re going to use the “acrylicals” to do it. I may try to make the tuft the very last thing I do on the mural. That way he can help me finish it!
I’ve added a stream at the bottom and some hills in the background on the right. I’m kind of working “off book” now, as most of the fill in work is being inspired by other Kleven pictures or my imagination. My wall is bigger than the illustration I’m emulating so I’m winging it in certain areas.
January 29, 2007 at 12:45 pm
redundantly, I LOVE this!
I love the red birdie. beautiful!
This will be such a source of joy for you for years. Lovely!
January 29, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Thanks for the praise! I love it. I’m just so excited about this! I’ve never done anything on this scale before (Lucas’s mural is different, simpler. Maybe I’ll post a pic of that one sometime).
January 29, 2007 at 12:54 pm
You did a great job on those wings. It looks amazing.
January 29, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Oh my god, it’s darling. I love it! Can’t wait to see it in person. From what I can tell it fits really well on the wall.
January 29, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Just incredible. You are an amazingly talented woman – and an incredible mother for taking the time to make such a wonderful gift for your child.
January 29, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Amazing! What talent! The wings on the birdy are so pretty….what a beautiful gift to your baby boy:)
January 29, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Wow. Yet another area of amazing talent for you. I envy your breadth of skills.
January 29, 2007 at 4:36 pm
It is a lovely work! I also paricularly noticed the bird’s wings. And I like how it is not too bright, and not too pastel- the colors are lively, but not jarring. People always seem to chose pastels for babies. A wonderful choice.
January 30, 2007 at 11:44 am
Thanks, everyone! I’m just so excited about it, I had to share.