Only Temporary

Can painting be an adventure? Sure it can, when there is a short timetable at a remote location. I just finished painting a mural for the nursery of a friend of mine. I don't normally like painting on walls, as tastes change and families move, rendering the work only temporary. I did do a four-wall mural for my son, which is why this request was made.

My friend is having a girl, so castles and stars were in order. This is what she decided on:


The sketch.

The adventure part comes from the fact that I had only one day to complete the project. I used house paint for the task, which is not particularly friendly to my style. I like keeping paint wet to blend areas together. Interior latex does not like to be sprayed with water, so I needed to work quickly over a large area. I put up a quick paint sketch and started into the background:


While the color coat took only three hours, the black lining took another three.

Even with an open window, the paint fumes were pretty intense. After finishing the background and lining, I started into the composition.


Framing the castle.


Blocking in the composition.

The last step was to line the entire work; castle, village, moon and stars. Considering the wall was about 10' by 17', this process took some time. I spent most of the latter part of my work either crouching on the floor or with my arms over my head. Nice.


Details after lining.


The final work.

In spite of the fume induced silliness, the mural turned out well. It was dark by the time I finished eleven hours later. Whew!

Temporary?
On a side note, this work had me thinking about the temporary nature of everything we do. When Jesus returns, everything gets tested for the kingdom.

His work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. (1Cor 3:13 NIV)

When Jesus comes back, all my painting will pass away; it is the message and purpose that I wish to remain.