The commission that started all other commissions... Summer 2016

In Summer 2016 I produced my first commission. I work part time in a tearoom in Towcester called ARTea Room, which has a vintage feel throughout. Whilst working there in the summer my boss asked me if I would take over a mural that someone else was going to do for him but it fell through. I was delighted at the thought and jumped straight on it. 

I was given an design which was by the previous woman which I had all rights to copy and adapt to as my boss wanted it. I drew up a the design adding some new features which was discussed with my boss and there was a lot of back and forth with the designs until we were both happy with the design. We could then start the next process. This was starting with prepping the wall that had been there before making sure the background was pure white as a canvas to start from. We glossed, sanded and painted until it was all prepared.

The design was then projected onto the wall using a projector where I quickly penciled the outlines to create the overall shape and design. Once this was done using a small paint brush and matte black emulsion wall paint started to fill out in the lines to create a strong black outline.

Half way through the painting we saw that part of the side of the building would be missing if it was left blank as the original design didn't stretch that far. I quickly designed a building that would appear to curve around the corner and I added an awning and some more windows and text to finish it off. This was a small obstacle that could easily be over come and I was more aware of the style and how everything should be drawn and laid out. 

 Adding the colour was the most exciting bit as it was in the tearoom we decided to stain the wall the tea. I used a sponge and a dabbing affect to fill the colour in a layer it all up. We had included decided to include the logo of the tearoom on one of the windows and make this pink so it stood out against the other colour. 

The end result I was so thrilled. This was my first ever commission and I felt a lot of pressure as it was in an area I was unsure of as I'd never done a mural or any piece of art to this size. Since completing the mural I have had a lot more interest in my work and lots of positive feedback. This has pushed me forward and sparked the questions about having my own space in the tearoom. I have had two other people contact me about doing a mural for them, one a business and one in someones home. 

A lot of my work experience on this blog has come from this mural that I started in the summer period before second year which is why I feel it is important to mention it.