Paint Decor Studio is the home of Michelle Frances and, on occasion, a few of her awesomely talented friends. Michelle's art includes murals, decorative paint effects, faux finishes and decorative plasters in addition to portraits, pet portraits and custom fine art pieces.
Benjamin Moore is ‘my paint’. It is what I use exclusively for many, many reasons most of which have to do with technical things like paint quality, color saturation etc. This little toy is an added bonus. It’s a great tool for homeowners, contractors and designers alike. Have fun!
Keep in mind that lighting does change things so you will still want to pick up one of the sample bottles of the color you choose and slap some of it on your walls… then look at it in the morning, the afternoon, after sunset. …
I have been amazed with ‘Find a Muralist’. They are constantly improving themselves, making their clients job’s easier, qualifying every lead they refer and now… now they even have a blog full to the brim with valuable information for both artists and our clients. If you are wanting to commission decorative painting work and do not live in Colorado (and therefore probably won’t hire me) find someone through www.findamuralist.com !!!
I am often asked to paint kid’s rooms in Disney themes and I always cringe a bit. It isn’t that I don’t love Disney. I do. They have created some of the most wonderful children’s characters imaginable. And, this post relates to much more than just Disney.
If your kid saw the character on a glowing screen it probably shouldn’t be on his or her wall.
Why? Because she will get tired of it before the mural artist is finished painting it (yes, that is an exaggeration but you get my point). Kids are fickle and I suspect this is because they are inundated with fabulous images everyday. How can a child continue to idealize Cinderella after she has seen ‘Tangled’? Parents want to give their kids the rooms they dream of and those rooms often involve ‘characters’. The trouble is that the room of her dreams changes all the time. If you want to encourage her imagination give her a blank slate, not a perfectly defined (by an animator in LA) space.
Another argument is copyright. This is tricky and mural artists may be within their rights to paint these characters but, when all is said and done, your artist has everything to loose and Disney is ruthless (and can afford much better lawyers). Ultimately I can’t really blame them. Disney has to protect their art from bad representation and that is exactly what many ‘Disney murals’ are.
So, what is the solution? As a mural artist I would certainty not suggest that you just paint the room white. Mural away but use your imagination in the same way you want your child to. Instead of painting Lightening McQueen on your son’s wall paint a landscape that could be Radiator Springs or the African Savanna or a background for a Jurassic adventure. Satisfy the boy (and the Disney execs) by ordering a few ‘real deal’ items from Disney… a bedspread, some curtains, plush toys or vinyl decals. What kid wouldn’t love a cool Route 66 background and a Lightening McQueen bedspread? Just keep the character specific items things that you can easily remove when little Johnny gets sick of them.
Or,
Instead of Cinderella try rolling hills, flowers, and a very distant castle.
Instead of Spongebob paint an underwater seascape.
Instead of Pooh Bear paint the Hundred Acre Woods; hills, trees and maybe a bee hive and a stream with a small bridge (for Pooh sticks… or….).
Keep in mind that Disney animators are as good at backgrounds as they are at characters. Next time you are being forced to watch ‘Tangled’ or ‘Jungle Book’ or ‘Pooh’ or ‘Cars’ or ‘Sleeping Beauty’ or ‘The Incredibles’ pay attention to the backgrounds. They are so beautiful you may just want to replicate the ‘backdrop’ instead of the characters and that would be perfection!
If you have an unlimited budget to change the room every few years go ahead and Disney it up but, if you want your kid to love her room for six or seven years, keep it simple. Give your child a room in which her imagination can run wild!
