Victorian mural, woman, palms, flowers and egrets

Approximately 10 by 11 feet, located above the walkway cabinets across from 

the kitchen in a beautiful home.

(Sorry for the glare on the image, but there was no way to get a good capture.) 

This image has less glare

Finished this today! What a challenging project this was.  Totally out of my comfort zone, in subject matter, style, and the level of danger!  Really stretched me.

I got the wall primed in late August, and then got sick with COVID the next day.  It was 3 weeks before I got the first lay in started, and I wasn't handling the after affects very well at all.  Scroll down for the in-progress images...

I had to climb up onto the counter top and then climb up on top of the cabinet via the opened door and bottom shelf on the far right.  There was about 10 inches to stand on to reach up, so there was very little space for moving around.  Standing on a small ledge and reaching up was quite exhausting, especially since I was easily tired and still week from being so sick.

 I used a roller to prime it, and trimmed it with large brushes, but it was too difficult to use the roller to get the blending of the colors, so I used large brushes for that.  I had a couple of scary moments with trying to climb up or down: my hand slipped in the small space between the cabinet and the wall (my fingers just fit enough to pull my self up) on the top right side. Thought I was going to have to leave early to change my pants.

I searched rental shops and online for some kind of split scaffold.  I lost sleep over trying to figure out how to build something to make things safer.  I even asked the Good LORD to help me put something together.  This small scaffold idea came to me after I prayed about it! 

 I used clamps to make it easy to move and take apart, but still keep it sturdy.  Climbing up and down was still dangerous, and my body ached in more places than I could have imagined. I expected some soreness in my shoulders, hands, wrists, knees, and legs, but I did not know your ribs in your back had muscles that could get sore! Even my bottom hurt.  (I had already been achy in my joints from COVID, so I wasn't sure how much was from the awkward positions and how much was from the after affects.) Needless to say, I only put in a couple of hours at a time the first week, and I didn't go every day.

In the image below you can get a better look at the way I put two 1 x 4 boards together for each leg to stabilize it, and I made a bracer bar on the top and the bottom of the legs. I screwed that whole base part together. I made the top brace equal to the length of the plywood so I could clamp the base to the platform. I could slide the whole thing down as I moved to the right of the mural.

You can also see that I found an extension ladder that was perfect for this project - I was so excited about that!  So much safer.

I did put drop cloths on the whole length of the counter and the floor, which was a good thing when my bucket of dirty water went over board!  Oh, and my phone bit the dust on another day, cracked the screen protector.

Once I got to feeling stronger, I stayed for longer periods of time and started making good progress.  Staying for 4 to 5 hours each session sped the process up.  It was a total of five and a half weeks from when I actually started painting, but just over two months if you count the time I was quarantined.  

I am so proud of myself for sticking with it and finishing it up!  There were some serious doubts! 

Let me know what you think!
 

Broken Bricks Mural, ocean scene

I have been wanting to paint stones or bricks (or something) behind the stove for a few years now.  Once I got started it was really fun.  I decided to break the bricks open so I could look at more than just bricks on the wall while cooking...

My husband wanted birds, so I added the water and some birds!

 Hard to see the angels, but there are two angels in the clouds.  That was my favorite part.

I made the wall look like broken plaster around the bricks to tie it all together.  Just sealed it with two coats of clear sealer.

Click here to check out my new website!  

Beach Sunset, mural

Got most of this mural done in my guest bathroom last fall.  Just added some more finishing touches and decided it is finally complete.   I love the way you can see the palm in the mirror in this shot.

(We've been making repairs and painting walls at my house.  I have discovered muscles in places I didn't know I could have muscles! Not fun at all.  So I had to get some murals going in order to help my feelings!  I have a new one in the kitchen too.  I'll post it soon. Want to make sure I'm finished first.)

The colors are much more intense than the images show.  It was fun!

Rock Wall, mini mural, stones, faux finish

Acrylic Mural

I've wanted to paint rocks on the wall, above my counters, for years!  So this summer I finally did it!

I love the colors and the texture, but most of all, I love the way it actually tricks the eye to look like real stones piled up on each other.  The wall was already textured, so that helped with the illusion.

Prints are available:

7 x 10 inches, matted to 11 x 14 for easy framing

$45.00 each, or $75.00 for 2 (includes shipping).

Email me: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Click here to see more

Here is how I started.  The far right side was the hardest to reach:

I removed the switch plates and sanded them with sand paper to roughen them up some, then I primed them with gesso, so the paint won't be as apt to peal.  You can see how I matched the left one into the mural below.  

Red oxide, ultramarine blue, burnt umber, white, black, and yellow oxide turned out to be the colors I used the most.  I used Liquitex Basics (not the Matte series). I kept the paint moist with a small spritzer bottle of water, misting a little bit more often instead of a lot all at once, so as to not make puddles.  Used a palette knife to paint some extra texture now and then, also used a crumpled paper towel for some of the texture.  Had to leave it alone and let it thoroughly dry between coats before painting over the extra texture or it would just take the paint off.  The textured wall made it easy to add more texture, and I didn't need much.  It also made it interesting, trying to use it to enhance the rocks.  I kept my shadows consistent with the light source of the window, giving the rocks some depth.

This took me a week, 3 or 4 hours every time I had a chance.  

Approximately 25 hours

(click on an image to enlarge it).

Thanks for stopping by!

Schoolroom Mural

"Schoolroom Mural"

Acrylic

The orbs of light are in different locations on each photo I took, sometimes large and sometimes small. I have seen this before, in photos I have taken at church, so it thrills me to think the angels have been with us while we worked on this mural!


This is the mural that my students have been working on the past month or two. (Rebekah is 13 and Rachel is 8.) Luke, who is 3 years old, painted the little yellow flower off to the right of the tree while I guided his hand. This mural is in the home school room/ play room. While I have been painting murals on their bedroom walls, the kids have been coming out for a couple of hours once or twice a week. I have enjoyed this project tremendously.

They came up with the ideas, and the colors! Some of the apples have family member's names on them-- creating a very unique family tree. I have been helping them when things get a little too far off, and to clean up any mistakes. Don't you think they have done a great job making this room so colorful?

Click here for more original art and to see my gallery pages!

Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for availability and/or information about having your own custom painting created. 

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Luke's Tractor, completed mural

"Luke's Tractor"

Acrylic on a wall

Approximately 9 x 13 feet

Luke is in the tractor with an angel behind him.

Air plane in the sky, angel flying with it.


click on this one to see the doe and fawn in the middle ground.
Cows are in the distance, and hogs are in the mud.




Luke's dog is chasing a rabbit.

This mural just kept growing! I was so excited when the little boy in the tractor began to actually look like Luke! That took a few tries. Luke wanted the tractor stuck in the mud, but I liked it with the grass and didn't want to change it, so I added some mud on the tires.

Thanks for looking!

Click here for more original art and to see my gallery pages!

Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for availability and/or information about having your own custom painting created. 

Click here for customer feed-back to see what others say about my work!

Luke's Tractor, mural in progress

"Luke's Tractor"

9 x 12 feet

Acrylic on a wall

Not Available

I brightened up the colors in the sky and began adding some details to the back ground. The tractor still needs attention. The trees on the sides will go up and out, becoming much larger.

Detail of the crop duster, mud, cows, and distant trees.

Added clouds, roughed in the tractor, and added the beginning of the border trees.

First lay in of large areas of base colors. The walls are a denim blue color.

Click here to see my gallery pages!

Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for availability and/or information about having your own custom painting created. 

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Rebekah's Beach, Mural completed

Rebeka's Beach, Mural,

acrylic on a wall

(I blocked the glare from the window for a better photo, makes the sand look darker.)

An angel looks out from behind a cloud. Blends in nicely.



Two angels here. (Click the image to enlarge it.)



The volleyball and the net are in Gator colors (University of Florida).

Finished up Rebekah's Beach today. Approx 13 x 8 feet. I love the angel sitting on the cloud to the right of the sun. There are seagulls and seashells too. Wonderful bold colors! I think Rebekah will really like it. She plays volleyball and her team went to state competition! Way To Go, Rebekah!

Click here to see my gallery pages!

Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for availability and/or information about having your own custom painting created. 

Click here to see what others say about my work!

Rebekah's Beach, mural in progress

Clouds are started, sand is a better color and the volleyball net is placed, but will need more work.

I'll put an angel sitting on a cloud, and one looking from behind one. Flowers and birds will be fun to add as well!



Blocking in large areas of color.








First lay in.

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Mural, completed

The right side of the mural is finished. Here are some views of it. I blocked off the window and got some better photos this time.

The top photo is the left side. Added some more flowers and brightened up the lighting. Scroll down to see more.

I have run into problems with the priming of the next two murals. The paint is not adhering to the wall. I have to sand and re-prime the walls--very disheartening! I had already started major fill-ins!

Thanks for looking!

Click here to see my gallery pages!

Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for availability and/or information about having your own custom painting created. 

Click here to see what others say about my work!

Mural, right side in progress

Got a lot done, I should finish it this week. I have about 44 hours in it now. I will try to get better pictures all the way around when it is finished. between the glare of the windows and the shine of the paint, I am not doing so hot on photos. The house is still under construction which makes it great for not messing up floors or anything, but there is no electricity so I can't block off the windows to take the pictures! After the house is finished I will come back and get some photos for my portfolio.

I just love the way it it is coming along.

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Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com 

Mural in progress, horses, butterflies, angels and a bunny!

I moved the front legs farther to the left and made the neck a little shorter to give Rachel's horse better proportions. (See the image below for a comparison). I am close to getting the left side done. The sky goes across the top of the window, and the grass under the window is full of flowers and butterflies. Hard to get a good photo with the window glaring on the camera.

There is an angel in the sky above the oak tree, and a bunny in the grass, along with flowers and butterflies. Too cute! The edges will soften into the pink walls.

This is the first lay in. The colors are off a little and so are the proportions. There is an angel in the sky above the horse. Click on the image to see it closer.

This mural is 13 feet, not including the window!

This is the beginning of the right side. I think This is Rachel's Dad's horse. He is a buckskin.

I am enjoying this project. I go to the ranch house about three times a week all day. So my Daily Paintings are not getting done everyday for now. I will try to keep two or three new small works posted each week, so please keep checking back!

This is the first of 3 murals.

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Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com . 

Click here to see what others say about my work!