The pigeons that sit outside my studio window have become quite a source of inspiration for me. When I first moved here, I couldn't help myself from taking countless of photographs of them flying together in the open sky. Then, those photographs became a piece of artwork. Then the artwork became an Art Scarf...
Now, the pigeons are becoming a mural!
The pigeon's sounds and movements have been quite comforting. I'd love to enjoy their company more by inviting them inside. Their flying forms remind me of freedom and adventure--the perfect vibe for my work space.
As this mural idea was brewing, the weather was becoming colder and the skies greyer. I imagined how much warmer I'd feel if I could create the illusion of sunlight. I thought if I used gold paint, it's metallic qualities will reflect natural light into a brilliant shine. As well, the gold hue will cast a warm glow around the room!
After the idea was confirmed, it was time to start the design process. First, I selected my favourite flying bird photos. Then the photos were simplified into a 1-colour graphic and placed into a scaled line drawing of my wall with the furniture. I ended up with 4 different design options and asked my friends to help me choose:
The votes were super helpful--thank you friends! With #4 being the top choice and #3 a very close second, I blended a bit of the tree branches into #4. Voila--now I can't wait to start painting!
I got so excited that I bought 2 different brands of paint to make sure I selected only the best colour and shine. Here's the swatch test (in progress) showing 1, 2 and 3 coats, which I also tried with and without a yellow base coat:
Next step will be transferring the image onto the wall. Stay tuned and I'll show you how! Or, follow my process on Instagram.
What image would make you feel warmer? Let me know by commenting below!
View more murals at pamlostracco.com
