[BLOG POST 08/25/24] I just finished my 6' x 60' mural on our backyard fence featuring landscapes, animals, and plants seen on our hikes in Northeastern New Mexico. Using leftover house paint from our renovations along with some new house paint specific for the project and acrylic artist paints I started painting in July and finished in August.
I used a combination of paintbrushes, hands, and fingers to layer the paint creating a scene inspired by the natural beauty of New Mexico. Local landmark Hermit’s Peak is predominately featured and surrounded by large animals (bear, deer, pronghorn, buffalo, elk) and smaller animals (chipmunks, rabbit, coyotes, and rattlesnake) along with a wide selection of birds, wild flowers, and trees. Plus there is a surprise appearance by an alien in a spaceship waving to passerby's.
Every day that I painted someone stopped as they drove by to smile, give me a “thumbs up” or tell me they liked what they saw. By far my favorite interaction was with a couple who got out of their car and walked up and down the mural gleefully pointing out each animal and laughing with delight. Their joyful energy was infectious!
It made me think about the other murals I've painted in the past and how they also made people smile. My very first mural was as a teenager in my parent’s basement wall. It featured a knight on horseback and a castle. In college I painted a mural of Murphy Brown for a class project (which probably evoked an eye roll by my teacher) and then during my service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho, Southern Africa, I painted large world, regional, and country maps on classroom walls in 7 schools. Since then I've also painted murals in stairwells and on bedroom walls for adults and children.
Including this one which was behind our bed in our home in Breckenridge, CO:
But this new mural in Las Vegas, NM, is my largest to date. I knew it was going to be a big project so I committed to working on it every day possible. I ended up painting 5-6 days a week for 4-5 hours in the mornings when it was cooler and while the paint would stay wet for at least a few minutes. I wore noise cancelling head phones to block out traffic noise and help me concentrate. They worked really well but occasionally people would sneak up on me and surprise me!
Dear reader, there were a few days when the bugs were biting and the paint was drying so quickly that I got irritated, annoyed, and frustrated. But I persevered and now I’m really pleased with the how the mural turned out. I took a video as I walked along the length of the mural and you can see it here:
And if you are in Las Vegas you can see it in person! It's located on Baca Street in between 7th and 8th streets:
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