This is the Surrealist Inspired Wall Mural that I painted in 2008, Inspired by LACMA’s 2006 Rene Magritte exhibit: Magritte and Contemporary Art: The Treachery of Images.
Surrealism can be defined as Contradictions of Dream and Reality, including the element of Surprise, Unexpected Juxtapositions and Non Sequitur. My objective with this mural was to turn a second floor indoor entry landing, into an area that felt like it might be outdoors, complete with tree branches and floating clouds. However, based on a few of the previous Youtube comments regarding this mural, some viewers felt that the mural wasn’t Surrealism at all, at least not in the way that they know it. Think Salvador Dali’s Melting Clocks, or Max Ernst‘s Les Hommes n’en Sauront, known as the first Surrealist Painting. Yes, those images are classic Surrealism. I simply wanted this little landing to feel like it might be floating in the palest of blue skies, with a few clouds and tree branches surrounding it. I believe that meets the definition of Surrealism. It’s so easy for people to be ‘armchair activists’ or ‘arm chair art critics’ then to actually go out into the world and create something. To quote a friend of mine: sometimes you have to consider which horses ass it’s coming from, and take it with a grain of salt.
Therefore, let me tell you how I created this Surrealist Inspired Wall Mural. Notice how saturated the ecru or burnt carmel color is. Before I could traverse the color wheel and go to a pale blue based color for the wall, it was very important to prime the wall with two coats of primer. If I didn’t, the wall could look green. Color wheel basics that we hopefully learned in school: when you mix blue and yellow, you get green. So starting with a pure palette of white was key to making this mural successful. After the wall was primed, I used one of my favorite colors: Brains Song by Dunn Edwards. It has just enough violet in it to give the pale blue more life, with out looking lavender. I then traced a tree branch with a basic number 2 pencil, in various arrangements on the wall. I took another color by Dunn Edwards, Cavern, and diluted it with water to make it easier to paint within the lines of the pencil. I used a small tipped brush from the art store that was more firm than a paint brush you’d find at a traditional house paint store such as Dunn Edwards or Home Depot. Once that was finished, I started on the clouds at the top of the room. Again I took traditional white house paint and diluted it with water. Then I used one of those cheap ‘chip’ brushes from home depot (I like how airy and light the density of the bristols are) and used that to apply the paint in a very thin and diffused manner. Blending was key to make the clouds look soft.
After I finished the mural, I set the table with some of my favorite China by Bernardaud. Fine French porcelain always has a place in my home, and makes the simplest of meals look great… yes, I’ve even served my friends Pizza on my Fine China. They laugh, but they love it. As far as I’m concerned, anytime a friend is over for dinner, it’s a special event.
Follow this link to learn more about Bernardaud‘s 150 year history and see more of their exquisite Fine China.